Eastern District of Virginia
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Former Federal Bureau of Prisons Official sentenced for federal civil rights violation for failing to obtain medical care for an inmate who diedRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – Former Bureau of Prisons (BOP) lieutenant Shronda Covington, 49, was sentenced yesterday to a year in prison to be followed by a year of home confinement and three years of supervised release for violating the civil rights of an inmate in her custody and control by showing deliberate indifference to the inmate’s serious medical needs, resulting in the inmate suffering bodily injury, and for lying to federal investigators about the offense. The inmate later died of his injuries he sustained over the course of a 30-hour period spanning Jan. 9 and 10, 2021.
Former BOP nurse Tonya Farley, 54, was sentenced today to six months in prison, six months of home confinement, and three years of supervised release for lying to federal investigators about the circumstances of the death of the inmate, who was entrusted to her care.
According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, Covington was on duty and working in her official capacity at the Federal Correctional Institution at Petersburg on Jan. 9, 2021. She willfully failed to ensure that the inmate, a 47-year-old man identified as W.W., was provided with necessary medical care during her shift, even though she knew that W.W. had serious medical needs, and W.W. suffered bodily injury as a result. Covington was also found guilty of making false statements to federal agents about the incident.
Another BOP official, former lieutenant Michael Anderson, previously pled guilty for his role in the inmate’s death and was sentenced to three years in custody.
“Custody includes a responsibility for safety and wellbeing,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Corrections staff must uphold that responsibility for persons in their care – or they will be held accountable for their failure to do so, like the defendants in this case.”
“Federal correctional officials who fail to do their jobs at the cost of inmate safety should be held accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Further, officials who obstruct investigations of their misconduct violate the public’s trust.”
“This case is a powerful reminder that BOP officials who disregard their responsibility to provide a humane environment for inmates will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Tim Edmiston of the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General Mid-Atlantic Region.
Evidence presented at trial established that, in the early morning hours of Jan. 9, 2021, W.W.’s cellmate reported to facility staff that W.W. was exhibiting unprecedented behavior, including that he was suddenly disoriented, unable to talk, unable to stand or walk without falling, and unable to control his bladder. Over the course of two days, BOP officials knew of but disregarded W.W.’s symptoms.
Without medical attention to address his medical crisis, W.W. fell into walls and other objects numerous times, causing significant bruising and bleeding to his head and body. Although BOP policy requires staff to provide necessary medical care to inmates, defendant Covington failed to respond to repeated calls for help from the officers she supervised during her shift on the morning of Jan. 9, 2021.
On the morning of Jan. 10, 2021, W.W. finally fell head-first into a wall and then to the floor in an observation cell, where — despite inmate-observers’ continued calls for help — he lay for an hour and 40 minutes before officers rendered aid. An autopsy concluded that W.W. died of blunt force trauma to his head and that the lack of medical assistance he received during his series of falls and after his last fall contributed to his death.
Farley was the last medical provider to see W.W. before his death. Despite BOP policies requiring her to confer with a physician about W.W.’s care, and despite Farley’s admission that she should have conferred with a physician and sent W.W. to the hospital, Farley failed to take these steps. She then falsely told federal investigators that she had conferred with a physician, even though she had not done so. Farley also misled investigators about her conversations with another prison official.
The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas A. Garnett for the Eastern District of Virginia and Special Litigation Counsel Kathryn E. Gilbert and Trial Attorney Katherine McCallister of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-68.
Maryland fentanyl supplier sentenced to seven years in prisonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland man was sentenced today to seven years in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents, Mamud Sesay, 36, of Bowie, was a source of supply for fentanyl for customers, which included fentanyl redistributors. Sesay also sold fentanyl pills from his home. The pills Sesay distributed were light blue and imprinted with “M” on one side, and “30” on the other to resemble legitimate, 30-milligram oxycodone pills.
On Nov. 26, 2023, Phillip Donnell Mosby, 36, of Alexandria, contacted Sesay asking for 2,000 fentanyl pills. On November 27, 2023, Sesay met Mosby and distributed the pills to him. Mosby redistributed the pills in Arlington County later that day.
On April 15, 2024, Mosby contacted Sesay again asking for 4,000 fentanyl pills, and Sesay met Mosby at a gas station later that day and distributed the pills to Mosby. The following day, Mosby was arrested in Maryland in connection with his involvement in the conspiracy. Law enforcement searched Mosby’s Lexus and found approximately 4,000 fentanyl pills.
On Oct. 17, 2024, law enforcement searched Sesay’s residence and seized over 5,000 pills and approximately $2,500.
Mosby pled guilty on June 20, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced on Sept. 25, 2024, to 10 years in prison.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Ibrar A. Mian, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher M. Carter and Catherine Rosenberg prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-1.
Justice Department announces results of Operation Restore JusticeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.
“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”
“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”
“Child sexual exploitation is a horrific crime,” said Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, arrest, and prosecute those who seek to harm innocent children.”
"Finding and arresting offenders who prey on children is one of the FBI's top priorities," said Steven J. Jensen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. "I thank our partners in law enforcement and at U.S. attorney's offices for their unwavering support. Through collaboration, rigorous enforcement, and a shared dedication to justice, we are working together to prevent child abuse and ensure safer futures for all children."
Those arrested are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims. The FBI Washington Field Office also made two arrests in the Eastern District of Virginia as part of this operation.
The FBI Norfolk Field Office arrested three people. In one of the cases, a suspect from Williamsburg was arrested after he allegedly threatened to sexually abuse a local police officer’s young family member. The suspect also allegedly sent photos of the officer’s personal residence to the officer to demonstrate that he had knowledge of where he lived, as well as obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children.
“Child sexual exploitation cases are among the most disturbing the FBI works,” said FBI Norfolk Acting Special Agent in Charge, Patrick O’Brien. “It’s why the work that we do in this field is so impactful. Operation Restore Justice showcases the commitment we have to stopping and holding accountable anyone who engages in sexual exploitation of children, as well as the threat of exploitation. It is not a one-time mission; it’s work that the FBI does and will continue to do daily to protect our most vulnerable.”
The FBI Richmond Field Office arrested two people in Henrico and Richmond for possession and receipt of child sexual abusive material as part of this operation.
“Child exploitation cases are among our top priorities, as they involve our most vulnerable victims,” said FBI Richmond Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador. “The FBI Richmond team through our Child Exploitation Task Forces works around the clock to track down these subjects and hold them accountable for their heinous actions.”
In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents at an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, New York.
This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.
The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
Other online resources:
Electronic Press Kit
Violent Crimes Against Children
How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Final defendant sentenced in DMV area dogfighting ringRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A North Carolina man was sentenced yesterday to two years and three months in prison for his role in a dogfighting ring.
According to court documents, from at least March 2015 through December 2022, Charles Reginald McDougald, aka “Luke” and “Bottom Boy,” 55, and other conspirators from Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and North Carolina used a messaging app private group referred to as "The DMV Board" or "The Board," to discuss training fighting dogs, exchange videos about dogfighting, and arrange and coordinate dog fights.
Members of the DMV Board also used the app to compare methods of killing dogs that lost fights, circulate media reports about conspirators who had been caught by law enforcement, and discuss ways to avoid being caught. McDougald posted multiple offers to arrange dogfights for thousands of dollars per fight.
McDougald’s sentencing follows the convictions of 19 of his fellow members of the DMV Board.
On Dec. 22, 2017, Rodriguez Norman, aka “Tough Love,” 31, of Washington, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to traffic in contraband cigarettes, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On April 6, 2018, Norman was sentenced to nine years in prison for bank fraud, cigarette, and identity theft charges, and an additional year for the dogfighting conspiracy.
On April 28, 2021, Carlos Harvey, aka “Roc9,” of King George, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On Dec. 10, 2021, Harvey was sentenced to six months in prison.
On Nov. 4, 2022, Charles Edward Williams, III, aka “Never Say Never,” 50, of Capital Heights, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On Feb. 21, 2023, Williams was sentenced to two years in prison.
On Nov. 9, 2022, Michael Roy Hilliard, aka “No Dayz Off,” 38, of Fort Washington, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On March 1, 2023, Hilliard was sentenced to six months in prison.
On Nov. 10, 2022, Laron West, aka “Frog” and “Get Sick,” 46, of Forestville, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. West was murdered on Feb. 12, 2023, prior to sentencing.
On Nov. 29, 2022, Derek Aaron Garcia, aka “Fatal Attraction,” 40, of Woodbridge, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On March 7, 2023, Garcia was sentenced to 10 days in prison.
On Nov. 29, 2022, Ricardo Glen Thorne, aka “Rip,” 53, of Camp Springs, Maryland, pled guilty to advertising an animal for use in an animal fighting venture. On March 7, 2023, Thorne was sentenced to one year and one day in prison.
On June 16, 2023, Tarry Jeron Wilson, aka “Tejai” and “City Limits,” 39, of Warsaw, Virginia, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On June 20, 2023, Wilson was sentenced to two years in prison.
On March 18, 2024, Eldridge Jackson, aka “Big Head” and “4B,” 48, of Temple Hills, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On June 18, 2024, Jackson was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
On March 21, 2024, Bashawn Allen, aka “425,” 35, of Trenton, New Jersey, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On June 18, 2024, Allen was sentenced to a year and six months in prison.
On March 21, 2024, Larry Alston, aka “Big Goon,” 49, of Windsor Mills, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On June 18, 2024, Alston was sentenced to two years in prison.
On March 21, 2024, Dandre Wallace, aka “Abstract,” 47, of Laurel, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On June 18, 2024, Wallace was sentenced to two years in prison.
On March 22, 2024, Isaac Weathersby, aka “Big Fist” 43, of High Point, North Carolina, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On June 18, 2024, Weathersby was sentenced to a year and nine months in prison.
On March 28, 2024, Charles Davis, aka “Cat Daddy” and “Deep in the Game,” 44, of Woodbridge, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On July 2, 2024, Davis was sentenced to 60 days in prison.
On April 8, 2024, Mark Rodriguez, aka “Slow Poke,” of Stafford, was convicted at trial of conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On July 2, 2024, Rodriguez was sentenced to 14 days in jail.
On May 28, 2024, Kevin Jackson, aka “4B1,” 47, of White Plains, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On Sept. 6, 2024, Jackson was sentenced to 10 days in prison.
On Aug. 6, 2024, Elijah Loatman, aka “Nephew the Genius,” 33, of Elkton, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture. On Nov. 8, 2024, Loatman was sentenced to 30 days in prison.
On July 23, 2024, Mario Flythe, aka “the Barber,” 50, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in the District of Maryland to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture and interstate travel or transportation in aid of a racketeering enterprise. On Jan. 23, 2025, Flythe was sentenced to six months in prison.
On Aug. 22, 2024, Frederick Moorfield, aka “Geehad,” 64, of Arnold, Maryland, pled guilty in the District of Maryland to conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture and interstate travel or transportation in aid of a racketeering enterprise. On Dec. 12, 2024, Moorefield was sentenced to a year and six months in prison.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland provided valuable assistance in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gordon D. Kromberg and Vanessa K. Strobbe prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:22-cr-154 and 1:23-cr-176.
Credit Suisse Services AG admits to conspiring with U.S. Taxpayers to hide assets and income in offshore accounts and admits that Credit Suisse breached its prior plea agreementRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Credit Suisse Services AG pled guilty and was sentenced for conspiring to hide more than $4 billion from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in at least 475 offshore accounts. The guilty plea by the Swiss corporation is the result of a years-long investigation by U.S. law enforcement to uncover financial fraud and abuse.
In addition to the plea, Credit Suisse Services AG entered into a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) with the Department of Justice, Tax Division, and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia in connection with U.S. Accounts booked at Credit Suisse AG Singapore. Under the NPA, Credit Suisse Services AG agreed to cooperate with the Department of Justice in ongoing investigations and to pay significant monetary penalties for maintaining accounts in Singapore on behalf of U.S. taxpayers who were using offshore accounts to evade U.S. taxes and reporting requirements.
According to the Plea Agreement, NPA, and documents filed in court, from Jan. 1, 2010, and continuing until at least July 2021, Credit Suisse AG, which has ultra-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individual clients around the globe, conspired with employees, U.S. customers, and others to willfully aid U.S. customers in concealing their ownership and control of assets and funds held at the bank. This enabled those U.S. customers to evade their U.S. tax obligations in several ways, including by opening and maintaining undeclared offshore accounts for U.S. taxpayers at Credit Suisse AG, and providing a variety of offshore private banking services that assisted U.S. taxpayers in the concealment of their assets and income from the IRS and allowed for their continued failure to file Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts. Among other fraudulent acts, bankers at Credit Suisse falsified records, processed fictitious donation paperwork, and serviced more than $1 billion in accounts without documentation of tax compliance. In doing so, Credit Suisse AG committed new crimes and breached its May 2014 plea agreement with the United States.
Between 2014 and June 2023, Credit Suisse AG Singapore held undeclared accounts for U.S. persons, which Credit Suisse AG Singapore knew or should have known were U.S., with total assets valued at over $2 billion. Credit Suisse AG Singapore failed to adequately identify the true beneficial owners of accounts and failed to conduct adequate inquiries about U.S. indicia in the accounts. In 2023, during the post-merger of UBS AG Singapore and Credit Suisse AG Singapore, UBS became aware of accounts held at Credit Suisse AG Singapore that appeared to be undeclared U.S. accounts. UBS froze some of the accounts, voluntarily disclosed information about those identified accounts to DOJ, and cooperated by undertaking an investigation into the identified accounts.
Under today’s resolutions, Credit Suisse Services AG and, by extension, UBS AG, is required to cooperate fully with ongoing investigations and affirmatively disclose any information it may later uncover regarding U.S.-related accounts. The agreements provide no protections for any individuals. Pursuant to the guilty plea and the NPA, Credit Suisse Services AG will pay a total of $510,608,909 in penalties, restitution, forfeiture, and fines.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Karen E. Kelly, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Criminal Matters for the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and Guy Ficco, Chief of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement.
Special Agents from IRS-CI’s International Tax & Financial Crimes specialty group, a team based out of Washington, D.C. that is dedicated to uncovering international tax crimes, is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided critical assistance in obtaining important evidence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly M. Shartar for the Eastern District of Virginia and Senior Litigation Counsels Nanette L. Davis and Mark F. Daly and Trial Attorney Marissa R. Brodney of the Tax Division, are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Credit Suisse Services AG Admits to Conspiring with U.S. Taxpayers to Hide Assets and Income in Offshore Accounts and Admits that Credit Suisse Breached Its Prior Plea AgreementRead the Press Release
Credit Suisse Services AG pleaded guilty and was sentenced today to conspiring to hide more than $4 billion from the IRS in at least 475 offshore accounts. The guilty plea by the Swiss corporation is the result of a years-long investigation by U.S. law enforcement to uncover financial fraud and abuse.
In addition to the plea, Credit Suisse Services AG entered into a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) with the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia in connection with U.S. Accounts booked at Credit Suisse AG Singapore. Under the NPA, Credit Suisse Services AG agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department in ongoing investigations and to pay significant monetary penalties for maintaining accounts in Singapore on behalf of U.S. taxpayers who were using offshore accounts to evade U.S. taxes and reporting requirements.
According to the Plea Agreement, NPA, and documents filed in court today: from Jan. 1, 2010, and continuing until about July 2021, Credit Suisse AG, which had ultra-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individual clients around the globe, conspired with employees, U.S. customers, and others to willfully aid U.S. customers in concealing their ownership and control of assets and funds held at the bank. This enabled those U.S. customers to evade their U.S. tax obligations in several ways, including by opening and maintaining undeclared offshore accounts for U.S. taxpayers at Credit Suisse AG, and providing a variety of offshore private banking services that assisted U.S. taxpayers in the concealment of their assets and income from the IRS and allowed for their continued failure to file FBARs. Among other fraudulent acts, bankers at Credit Suisse falsified records, processed fictitious donation paperwork, and serviced more than $1 billion in accounts without documentation of tax compliance. In doing so, Credit Suisse AG committed new crimes and breached its May 2014 plea agreement with the United States.
Between 2014 and June 2023, Credit Suisse AG Singapore held undeclared accounts for U.S. persons, which Credit Suisse AG Singapore knew or should have known were U.S., with total assets valued at over $2 billion. Credit Suisse AG Singapore failed to adequately identify the true beneficial owners of accounts and failed to conduct adequate inquiry about U.S. indicia in the accounts. In 2023, during the post-merger of UBS AG Singapore and Credit Suisse AG Singapore, UBS became aware of accounts held at Credit Suisse AG Singapore that appeared to be undeclared U.S. accounts. UBS froze some of the accounts, voluntarily disclosed information about those identified accounts to the Justice Department and cooperated by undertaking an investigation into the identified accounts.
Under today’s resolutions, Credit Suisse Services AG and, by extension, UBS AG, is required to cooperate fully with ongoing investigations and affirmatively disclose any information it may later uncover regarding U.S.-related accounts. The agreements provide no protections for any individuals. Pursuant to the guilty plea and the NPA, Credit Suisse Services AG will pay a total of $510,608,909 in penalties, restitution, forfeiture, and fines.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement.
Special Agents from IRS-CI’s International Tax & Financial Crimes specialty group, a team based out of Washington, D.C. that is dedicated to uncovering international tax crimes, is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided critical assistance in obtaining important evidence.
Senior Litigation Counsels Nanette L. Davis and Mark F. Daly as well as Trial Attorney Marissa R. Brodney of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly M. Shartar for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
Credit Suisse Services AG - NPA - Statement of Facts.pdf Credit Suisse Services AG - NPA.pdf US v. Credit Suisse Service AG - Statement of Facts.pdf US v Credit Suisse Services AG - Information.pdf US v. Credit Suisse Service AG - Plea Agreement.pdfCareer offender sentenced to 14 years in prison for fentanyl traffickingRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria man was sentenced yesterday to 14 years in prison for distributing fentanyl.
According to court documents, law enforcement identified Alphonso Page, aka Zoe and Fonzie, 35, as a narcotics distributor in Northern Virginia. On March 14, 2024, and April 2, 2024, law enforcement conducted controlled purchases from Page of approximately 2,300 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl for a total net weight of 247.92 grams.
Page was convicted twice previously on drug charges in Arlington County. On March 14, 2008, Page was convicted of distribution of cocaine and the distribution of an imitation controlled substance. On July 16, 2018, Page was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Page also has previous convictions for conducting an illegal gambling operation, trespassing, identity theft, petit larceny, maliciously shooting at a dwelling, and the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Rosenberg prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-257.
Inmate previously convicted for child sexual abuse material found guilty of possessing more in his cellRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A federal jury convicted an inmate at the Petersburg Federal Correctional Institution (FCI Petersburg) yesterday for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on March 7, 2024, correctional officers at FCI Petersburg searched the cell of inmate James Skibinski, 61, and found him in possession of prison contraband photos. Skibinski’s personal property was collected from his cell and held by staff of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. On April 10, 2024, another correctional officer received information that Skibinski had a folder with hidden compartments where he kept altered images and photographs of children. The officer retrieved Skibinski’s property bags, located the folder, and found the hidden compartments. Inside these hidden compartments were envelopes containing images of young children that had been altered to depict the children engaging in sexual acts.
Skibinski faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on Sept. 11. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. accepted the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather H. Mansfield is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-145.
California man sentenced to 10 years for sexual exploitation of a minorRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A California man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for enticing a 12-year-old minor from Prince William County to engage in unlawful sexual activity.
Cash Taylor Dalton, 30, of Morro Bay, California, pleaded guilty on Jan. 16, 2025, to enticement of a minor. According to court documents, FBI agents began investigating Dalton after the victim’s parents discovered communications on their daughter’s cellphone between her and Dalton. The investigation revealed that Dalton and the victim had been communicating for approximately three months, and that he sent her sexually explicit images of himself and graphic sexual messages via text and email, including directing her to engage in sexual activity. In November 2024, FBI agents searched Dalton’s home and recovered evidence of Dalton’s communications with the victim, as well as with three other minors who were under the age of 16.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alessandra Serano for the Eastern District of Virginia Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation & Obscenity Section are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1: 24-CR-227.
Ashburn financial advisor sentenced to three years in prison for defrauding investors and losing millions of dollars through risky tradingRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Ashburn man was sentenced today to three years in prison for fraud relating to his risky trading that lost millions of dollars of his clients’ funds while he provided them with false information.
According to court documents, Andrew Corbman, 53, was affiliated with a national estate planning company through which he obtained access to individuals interested in estate planning and setting up trust vehicles. Corbman offered financial advice to clients and potential clients, including assisting them with long-term financial planning such as trusts, annuities, and life insurance.
Over a period of years, Corbman worked with two individuals and two couples who loaned him money believing he would invest those funds and earn outsized returns. These clients did not know that in 2016 Corbman was suspended and then permanently barred by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) from acting as a financial advisor or that Corbman filed for bankruptcy in 2015. Corbman suggested the clients could improve their investment returns if they loaned him money or rolled over existing loans they had made to him. Through false claims of investing success, Corbman induced his Clients to loan him up to $4.2 million, promising to invest or continue investing the money in stock market options trading. Corbman promised to repay the loans at high rates of return, as much as a 30% annual interest rate, plus a share of his own trading profits.
Corbman misrepresented his past trading performance to induce the clients to invest or to reinvest what he owed them when the loans came due in the form of a new loan. Corbman provided at least two of his potential clients a document he claimed showed his 2021 investment results. The document boasted “112 wins, 82% win history and a 90% average return.” In fact, Corbman’s trading history for each year from 2019 onward resulted in substantial losses. Altogether, Corbman lost over $4,000,000 of his clients’ money, and returned only $120,000 to one victim late in the scheme.
Corbman, fully aware of the risks and the calamitous results he was producing, not only concealed the risks from his clients, but actively misled them in an attempt to stave off requests for funds and to attempt to obtain new funds. Corbman provided his victims with fabricated trading win histories.
In late 2022 and early 2023, when Corbman’s creditors demanded repayment of their expired loans agreements, Corbman indicated to his clients that he was unable to repay the loans due to unanticipated trading losses. Corbman ultimately filed for bankruptcy, seeking to discharge over $4 million in losses he had inflicted on his clients.
As a result of Corbman’s fraudulent scheme, at least one victim incurred substantial financial hardship, including having to mortgage a home, postpone retirement, and seek employment at an advanced age.
In addition to his term of imprisonment, Corbman must pay $4.15 million in restitution.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell L. Carlberg prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-255.
School official pleads guilty in $2.9M Scheme to defraud veterans’ education programsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The career services manager for a Virginia school offering job training programs to veterans pled guilty today to wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of nearly $3 million.
According to court documents, Jeffrey Williams, 37, of Alexandria, used false records to defraud the VA of millions of dollars from approximately July 2022 to May 2024. During that time, the defendant was a career services manager at an educational institution offering veterans educational programs in cyber that could be paid for by the VA. As part of the scheme, Williams created fraudulent employment offer letters, falsified certifications, and forged veterans’ signatures to make it appear as if veterans had attained the meaningful employment needed for the educational institution to receive tuition payments from the government. Williams caused the submission of hundreds of false documents to the VA, claiming approximately $2.9 million in fraudulent tuition payments for at least 189 veterans.
Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 17 and faces up to 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The VA Office of Inspector General is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Harvey for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Lauren Archer of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-122.
School Official Pleads Guilty to 2.9M Scheme to Defraud Veterans’ Education ProgramsRead the Press Release
A Virginia career services manager for a school offering job training programs to veterans pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to defraud the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of nearly $3 million.
According to court documents, Jeffrey Williams, 37, of Alexandria, used false records to defraud the VA of millions of dollars from approximately July 2022 to May 2024. During that time, the defendant was a career services manager at an educational institution offering veterans educational programs in cyber that could be paid for by the VA. As part of the scheme, Williams created fraudulent employment offer letters, falsified certifications, and forged veterans’ signatures to make it appear as if veterans had attained the meaningful employment needed for the educational institution to receive tuition payments from the government. Williams caused the submission of hundreds of false documents to the VA, claiming approximately $2.9 million in fraudulent tuition payments for at least 189 veterans.
Williams pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The VA Office of Inspector General is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Lauren Archer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Harvey for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
Key evidence leads to guilty pleaRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man pled guilty today to theft of postal keys.
According to court documents, on June 9, 2024, Lee Vann Tyner, 48, broke into the Jolliff Station post office in Chesapeake by shattering the glass door to an entrance. Tyner entered the post office and stole several keys used to unlock mail receptacles.
On June 11, 2024, a Chesapeake Police officer conducted a traffic stop on an SUV that matched the description of a vehicle that the officer had received information was being used to sell narcotics. Tyner told the officer that he had no driver’s license or identification with him, and, initially, gave the officer a false name, date of birth, and Social Security number. Tyner falsely claimed that he had rented the SUV using Turo.
Inside the vehicle were postal keys that were confirmed to have been stolen from the Jolliff Station post office. Several Georgia driver’s licenses, mail, credit cards, debit cards, and Social Security cards that did not belong to Tyner were also found inside the SUV.
Tyner is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 9 and faces up to 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony C. Marek is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-4.
U.S. Attorney announces launch of a task force to combat illegal debanking in the Eastern District of VirginiaRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division today announced the formation of the Eastern District of Virginia Equal Access to Banking Task Force.
The Task Force will investigate allegations of “debanking,” when banks refuse customers access to credit and other financial services based on impermissible factors under current federal and state law. This initiative will address allegations of debanking in the Commonwealth of Virginia by investigating allegations of debanking actions taken against Virginians, and if appropriate, seeking civil relief against banking institutions in federal or state court. The Task Force is currently staffed with officials from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, and the Office of the Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
“Access to banking services is essential in today’s modern economy, and unlawful debanking practices prevent citizens from achieving financial security,” said U.S. Attorney Siebert. “My office, along with our partners in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice and the Virginia Office of the Attorney General, is dedicated to eliminating these unlawful actions and ensuring that all Virginians can realize their own personal American dream.”
“All Americans have the right to fair access to banking,” said Assistant Attorney General Dhillon. “No customer should be refused credit or other financial services for discriminatory or unlawful reasons. The Justice Department will work together with our federal and state partners to vigorously enforce these rights and protections to the fullest extent of the law.”
"The practice of unlawful debanking undermines public trust and erodes the foundational principle of equal treatment under the law," said Attorney General Jason Miyares. "When banks act without accountability, they threaten not only individual livelihoods but also the broader promise of fairness and freedom that makes Virginia, and America, strong. No American should ever be denied access to basic financial services because of their political views, religious beliefs, or lawful activities."
The Task Force will work in partnership with federal financial regulatory agencies to systematically address and combat unlawful debanking. As part of this effort, U.S. Attorney Siebert and Assistant Attorney General Dhillon will convene regulatory partners to bring the full power of the federal government to bear on this important issue.
Individuals or entities who believe that they have been the victim of inappropriate debanking practices in Virginia are also encouraged to submit a complaint directly to the Task Force at [email protected]. Complaints in other jurisdictions can be submitted to the Civil Rights Division’s complaint portal. The Task Force will investigate whether the allegations demonstrate violations of federal or state law that warrant government enforcement action and will refer matters for civil and criminal prosecution as appropriate.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Postal carrier sentenced to two years in prison for stealing mailRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Hampton woman was sentenced yesterday to two years in prison for mail theft.
According to court documents, Kiesha L. Brown, 32, worked for the U.S. Postal Service as a city carrier assistant at the LC Page Post Office in Norfolk. Beginning in June 2023, the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (OIG) began receiving complaints regarding mail theft and check fraud from customers utilizing the LC Page Postal Station.
In June 2023, a victim whose business was on Brown’s delivery route reported that 16 checks had been stolen from the mail. The victim reported that one check in the amount of $146.64 did not reach the intended recipient, but was altered and deposited in a bank account in the amount of $4,890.02. Numerous customers on Brown’s postal route complained of similar frauds occurring with checks they had mailed through the LC Page Post Office.
Brown was observed in her postal vehicle using drugs and rummaging through and stealing mail. Brown provided mail to an accomplice in exchange for cash to support her daughter and her drug habit. Investigators identified 37 people victimized by Brown. Brown’s theft caused an intended loss of approximately $245,000 and an actual loss of $155,297.91.
In addition to her term of imprisonment, the Court ordered that Brown is to pay restitution in the total amount of $155,297.91.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Kathleen Woodson, Special Agent in Charge of the Mid Atlantic Area Field Office for the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph L. Kosky prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-117.
Norfolk man sentenced to over eight years in prison for trafficking fentanylRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced today to eight years and 10 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on at least five occasions from November 2023 through January 2024, Brian Kahlil Jones Jr., 28, distributed a total of 159.93 grams of fentanyl during controlled purchases conducted by the Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD) and HIDTA Enforcement Group 72 at the DEA Norfolk District Office.
On Jan. 17, 2024, law enforcement took Jones into custody. Officers searched Jones’ vehicle and recovered 26 grams of crack cocaine, 55 grams of fentanyl, 102 grams of marijuana, and a handgun that had been reported stolen. Jones was on state probation at the time of his arrest.
Law enforcement then searched Jones’ residence in Norfolk and recovered 198.31 grams of fentanyl, 4.21 grams of heroin, 419 methamphetamine pills, seven oxycodone pills, a kilo press, packing material, cutting agents, a cellphone, ammunition, and another handgun.
Among other previous convictions, Jones was convicted in 2013 of malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony after he fired multiple shots at the home of rival gang members. As a convicted felon, Jones cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ibrar A. Mian, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; Mark Talbot, Chief of Norfolk Police; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin G. Bird and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyssa Miller prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-65.
Norfolk man sentenced to over eight years in prison for federal drug and firearms convictionRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced today to eight years and one month in prison for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance; being a felon in possession of a firearm; and using and carrying a firearm during, in relation to, and in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
According to court documents, from July 25, 2023, to Aug, 7, 2023, the Chesapeake Police Department (CPD) conducted four controlled purchases of narcotics and firearms from Donte Rodrick Mondy, aka Tae, 37. In total, Mondy sold a combined total of 2.9 grams of fentanyl and xylazine; 6.1 grams of fentanyl; 4.49 grams of fentanyl and xylazine; and 8.07 grams of parafluorofentanyl, cocaine, and xylazine.
On Aug. 29,2023, investigators with CPD, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Norfolk Police Department, searched locations associated with Mondy, including his residence in Norfolk. Law enforcement detained Mondy as he left his residence. Investigators searched Mondy and a satchel he was carrying and recovered a loaded handgun; a cellphone; 81 capsules containing parafiuorofentanyl, cocaine, fentanyl, and xylazine; 104 counterfeit oxycodone tablets containing fentanyl; .96 grams of cocaine; and 3.33 grams of para-fluorofentanyl, cocaine, and xylazine.
From Mondy’s Norfolk residence, investigators recovered indicia consistent with drug distribution; 1.3 grams of methamphetamine, a sifter, a digital scale, a handgun, a loaded magazine, and six bags of marijuana.
Among other crimes, Mondy was previously convicted of felony possession of cocaine and assault and battery of a family member – third offense. As a previously convicted felon, Mondy cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ibrar A. Mian, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; and Mark G. Solesky, Chief of Chesapeake Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc W. West, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-83.
High-seas mariners sentenced to a decade in prison for violating Maritime Drug Law Enforcement ActRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Two Nicaraguan nationals were sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute over two tons of marijuana on the high seas, in international waters in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, on board a stateless vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on Sept. 27, 2023, while on routine patrol in the Eastern Pacific, a maritime patrol aircraft located a go-fast vessel (GFV) in international waters 97 nautical miles southwest of Malpelo Island, Colombia. The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) James (WSML 754), a National Security Cutter, was patrolling nearby and maneuvered to intercept the GFV.
After requesting and receiving authority, Cutter James launched a helicopter, which first attempted to contact the GFV on a maritime channel, then activated its blue warning lights, fired three warning shots across the bow, and, as the vessel failed to yield, engaged a precision gunner to disable the GFV’s engines.
A boarding team launched from the Cutter James and found three individuals onboard, including Maximo Zacarias, 43, Ismael Alexis Martinez, 30, and Bernacio Solares Ramon, 31. The boarding team determined the GFV, El Tanque, was without nationality. The team was authorized to recover 74 bales of marijuana, weighing a total of 4,610 pounds, and a five-gallon bucket containing electronics devices such as a GPS, SAT phone, ship-to-ship walkie-talkie, and other communication devices. Solares Ramon was in possession of paperwork with GPS coordinates for the routes of travel to near a Pacific island off the coast of Costa Rica.
Zacarias and Solares Ramon were convicted by a federal jury on Aug. 23, 2025.
Martinez pled guilty on Aug. 8 to possession with intent to distribute more than 1000 kilograms of marijuana on board a vessel. He was sentenced on Jan. 23 to two years and six months in prison.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Rear Admiral Joseph R. Buzzella, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Eleventh Coast Guard District; Ibrar A. Mian, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; and Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes. The Maritime and Counternarcotics Unit within the Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division provided substantial assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin M. Comstock, Eric M. Hurt, and Joseph E. DePadilla prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-129.
Former CIA official pleads guilty to acting as a foreign agent and mishandling classified materialsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Florida man pled guilty today to, while being a public official at the CIA, acting as a foreign agent required to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act and removing classified material, classified up to the SECRET//NOFORN level, from authorized locations without authority and with the intent to retain such material at an unauthorized location.
According to court documents, in 2014, Dale Britt Bendler, 68, of Miami, began working as a full-time contractor at the CIA with a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance. Before he was a CIA contractor, Bendler spent over 30 years working for the CIA as an intelligence officer and retired as a member of the Senior Intelligence Service in 2014. Beginning in July 2017 and continuing through at least July 2020, while a full-time CIA contractor and TS/SCI clearance holder, Bendler worked with a U.S. lobbying firm and engaged in unauthorized and hidden lobbying and public relations activities on behalf of foreign national clients. As described in the plea agreement, Bendler’s undisclosed lobbying activities included an attempt to use his position and access at the CIA to influence a foreign government’s embezzlement investigation of one of Bendler’s foreign national clients and a separate attempt to use his position and access at the CIA to influence the U.S. government’s decision as to whether to grant a U.S. visa to another of Bendler’s clients, who was alleged to be associated with terrorism financing. In exchange for his unauthorized outside activities, Bendler was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars.
During the course of Bendler’s unauthorized lobbying and public relations activities, Bendler also abused his access to CIA resources and personnel by, among other things, searching classified CIA systems for any information related to his private lobbying clients, improperly storing and disclosing non-public, sensitive, and classified U.S. government information to people not authorized to receive such information, and lying to the CIA and the FBI about his status as a foreign agent and his unauthorized lobbying and public relations activities. The CIA terminated Bendler’s contract and access in September 2020.
In addition to pleading guilty, Bendler consented to the forfeiture of $85,000. Bendler is scheduled to be sentenced on July 16 and faces up to seven years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division; and Steven J. Jensen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr. accepted the plea.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon D. Kromberg for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Adam P. Barry and Senior Trial Attorney Heather M. Schmidt of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. Chief Jennifer K. Gellie of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section provided substantial assistance in this investigation in her prior role as a trial attorney.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-109.
Former CIA Official Pleads Guilty to Acting as a Foreign Agent and Mishandling Classified MaterialsRead the Press Release
Dale Britt Bendler, 68, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty today to, while being a public official at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), acting as a foreign agent required to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act and removing classified material, classified up to the SECRET//NOFORN level, from authorized locations without authority and with the intent to retain such material at an unauthorized location.
As described in the plea agreement, starting in 2014, Bendler began working as a full-time contractor at the CIA with a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance. Before he was a CIA contractor, Bendler spent over 30 years working for the CIA as an intelligence officer and retired as a member of the Senior Intelligence Service in 2014. Beginning in July 2017 and continuing through at least July 2020, while a full-time CIA contractor and TS/SCI clearance holder, Bendler worked with a U.S. lobbying firm and engaged in unauthorized and hidden lobbying and public relations activities on behalf of foreign national clients. As described in the plea agreement, Bendler’s undisclosed lobbying activities included an attempt to use his position and access at the CIA to influence a foreign government’s embezzlement investigation of one of Bendler’s foreign national clients and a separate attempt to use his position and access at the CIA to influence the U.S. government’s decision as to whether to grant a U.S. visa to another of Bendler’s clients, who was alleged to be associated with terrorism financing. In exchange for his unauthorized outside activities, Bendler was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars.
During the course of Bendler’s unauthorized lobbying and public relations activities, Bendler also abused his access to CIA resources and personnel by, among other things, searching classified CIA systems for any information related to his private lobbying clients, improperly storing and disclosing non-public, sensitive, and classified U.S. government information to people not authorized to receive such information, and lying to the CIA and the FBI about his status as a foreign agent and his unauthorized lobbying and public relations activities. The CIA terminated Bendler’s contract and access in September 2020.
In addition to pleading guilty, Bendler consented to the forfeiture of $85,000. Bendler faces a maximum penalty of seven years in prison – two years for acting as a foreign agent while being a public official and five years for mishandling classified material. Bendler is scheduled to be sentenced on July 16.
Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division and Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Adam P. Barry and Senior Trial Attorney Heather M. Schmidt of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon D. Kromberg of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case. Chief Jennifer Kennedy Gellie of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section provided substantial assistance in this investigation in her prior role as a trial attorney.
Multiple-time felon pleads guilty to illegally reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Salvadoran national pled guilty today to illegally reentering the United States after felony convictions.
According to court documents, Carlos Azucar-Menjivar, 27, entered the country illegally and committed an attempted felony armed robbery in Chesterfield County. In January 2015, Azucar-Menjivar was sentenced to 10 years in prison (with seven years and six months suspended) for that attempted armed robbery. After his release from state prison, Azucar-Menjivar was convicted in federal court of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In June 2019, Azucar-Menjivar was sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison for the firearm offense. Azucar-Menjivar was removed from the United States in September 2022 after completing his sentence.
Azucar-Menjivar then again illegally reentered the United States and was found in Virginia in 2024.
Azucar-Menjivar is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Russell Hott, Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi Panth is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-4.
Grant manager sentenced to over two years in prison for embezzling funds intended to serve Native AlaskansRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Orange, Virginia, man was sentenced today to two years and four months in prison for wire fraud relating to his scheme to misappropriate grant funds through fraudulent invoices.
According to court documents, from at least December 2021 to March 2024, Larry Todd Morgan, 57, was employed at a company, identified in court records as Company A, as President of Strategy and Innovation. Company A was an Alaska Native Corporation headquartered in Tongass, Alaska, with a contracting office in Manassas and later Chantilly.
Company A sought and, on July 26, 2022, received a $1.9 million National Telecommunications and Information Administration grant to bring high-speed broadband and related computer software, services, and devices to Alaska Natives living in the villages of Saxman and Ketchikan who were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Company A selected Morgan to administer and manage the NTIA Grant and only Morgan and one other employee had authority to make purchases using NTIA Grant funds.
Between Oct. 31, 2023, and Nov. 2, 2023, Morgan submitted four expense reports containing six fraudulent invoices purportedly for the purchase of large quantities of electronics and showing that he paid for the electronics using his own personal credit card. Based on the false expense reports and fraudulent invoices, on Nov. 9, 2023, Company A sent a reimbursement payment for $82,815.20 via interstate wire to Morgan's personal account.
Over time, Morgan increased the quantity of the electronics he purported to purchase. On Feb. 6, 2024, Morgan submitted an expense report with three fraudulent invoices. On Feb 15, 2024, Company A sent $198,756.48 via ACH transaction to Morgan's account. Every expense report and invoice Morgan submitted to Company A for reimbursement was false. In total, Morgan submitted at least eight falsified expense reports and at least 21 fraudulent invoices to Company A’s accounting personnel, falsely claiming to have purchased over 2,500 electronic items for the NTIA Tribal Broadband Connectivity Project such as monitors, keyboards, cell phones, tablets, and headsets. Morgan did not make any of the purchases he represented.
In total, Morgan misappropriated at least $828,152.99 from the NTIA Grant, representing 43% of the total grant received by Company A. He then used the fraud proceeds to purchase luxury vehicles and expensive farming equipment.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division; and Roderick Anderson, Acting Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Commerce, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary H. Ray and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth R. Simon, Jr. prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-247.
Walgreens agrees to pay up to $350M for illegally filling unlawful opioid prescriptions and for submitting false claims to the Federal GovernmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department, together with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), today announced a $300 million settlement with Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walgreen Co., and various subsidiaries (collectively, Walgreens) to resolve allegations that the national chain pharmacy illegally filled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and then sought payment for many of those invalid prescriptions by Medicare and other federal health care programs in violation of the False Claims Act (FCA). The settlement amount is based on Walgreens’s ability to pay. Walgreens will owe the United States an additional $50 million if the company is sold, merged, or transferred prior to fiscal year 2032.
The government’s complaint, filed on Jan. 16 and amended April 18 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleges that from approximately August 2012 through March 1, 2023, Walgreens, one of the nation’s largest pharmacy chains, knowingly filled millions of unlawful controlled substance prescriptions. These unlawful prescriptions included prescriptions for excessive quantities of opioids, opioid prescriptions filled significantly early, and prescriptions for the especially dangerous and abused combination of three drugs known as a “trinity.” Walgreens pharmacists allegedly filled these prescriptions despite clear red flags indicating a high likelihood that the prescriptions were invalid because they lacked a legitimate medical purpose or were not issued in the usual course of professional practice.
The complaint further alleges that Walgreens pressured its pharmacists to fill prescriptions quickly and without taking the time needed to confirm that each prescription was lawful. Walgreens’s compliance officials also allegedly ignored substantial evidence that its stores were dispensing unlawful prescriptions and even intentionally deprived its own pharmacists of crucial information, including by refusing to share internal data regarding prescribers with pharmacists and preventing pharmacists from warning one another about certain problematic prescribers.
In light of Friday’s settlement, the United States has moved to dismiss its complaint. Walgreens will also move to dismiss a related declaratory judgment action filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.
“Pharmacies have a legal responsibility to prescribe controlled substances in a safe and professional manner, not dispense dangerous drugs just for profit,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice is committed to ending the opioid crisis and holding bad actors accountable for their failure to protect patients from addiction.”
“Strict compliance with the law is essential to safeguarding the public, who rely on carefully considered and limited prescriptions for their health and wellbeing,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Those companies and individuals authorized to provide controlled substances have a professional responsibility to ensure that the prescriptions they fill are within the course of professional practice and regulations. Medically unnecessary prescriptions are a cost ultimately borne by the taxpayers and consumers. As we continue to address the opioid crisis here in Virginia and across the nation, we are determined to ensure pharmacies and pharmacists operate within the law.”
“This settlement resolves allegations that, for years, Walgreens failed to meet its obligations when dispensing dangerous opioids and other drugs,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Granston of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to hold accountable those entities and individuals whose actions contributed to the opioid crisis, whether through illegal prescribing, marketing, dispensing or distributing activities.”
“Importantly, Walgreens’s agreements with the DEA and HHS-OIG provide swift relief in the form of monitoring and claims review that will improve Walgreens’s practices immediately,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that opioids are properly dispensed and that taxpayer funds are only spent on legitimate pharmacy claims.”
“This landmark civil settlement is the largest Controlled Substances Act resolution in our district’s history and once again confirms the high priority our office has placed upon confronting those responsible for the opioid crisis here,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “We are grateful for the energy and collaborative spirit brought to this effort by our colleagues in the DEA, the Department of Justice Civil Frauds Section and Consumer Protection Branch, and the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Illinois, District of Maryland, Eastern District of New York, and Eastern District of Virginia.”
“With the power to dispense potentially harmful substances comes the responsibility to ensure that every prescription is legitimate before it is filled,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “When pharmacies fail that responsibility, this office will work with others across the country to hold accountable those who put patients and communities at risk.”
“This settlement holds Walgreens accountable for failing to comply with its critical responsibility to prevent the diversion of opioids and other controlled substances,” said U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York. “The settlement also underscores our office’s continued commitment to ensure that all persons and businesses that fill controlled-substance prescriptions adhere to the requirements of the Controlled Substances Act that are designed to prevent highly addictive medications from being used for illegitimate purposes.”
In addition to the monetary payments announced today, Walgreens has entered into agreements with DEA and HHS-OIG to address its future obligations in dispensing controlled substances. Walgreens and DEA entered into a memorandum of agreement that requires the company to implement and maintain certain compliance measures for the next seven years. Walgreens must maintain policies and procedures requiring pharmacists to confirm the validity of controlled substance prescriptions prior to dispensing controlled substances, provide annual training to pharmacy employees regarding their legal obligations relating to controlled substances, verify that pharmacy staffing is sufficient to enable pharmacy employees to comply with those legal obligations, and maintain a system for blocking prescriptions from prescribers whom Walgreens becomes aware are writing illegitimate controlled substance prescriptions. Walgreens has also entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with HHS-OIG, which further requires Walgreens to establish and maintain a compliance program that includes written policies and procedures, training, board oversight, and periodic reporting to HHS-OIG related to Walgreens’s dispensing of controlled substances.
“Pharmacies have an obligation to ensure that every prescription for highly addictive controlled substances is legitimate and issued responsibly in compliance with the Controlled Substances Act,” said DEA Acting Administrator Derek Maltz. “When one of the nation's largest pharmacies fails at this obligation, they jeopardize the health and safety of their customers and place the American public in danger. The DEA remains committed to protecting all Americans from unscrupulous practices that prioritize profit over patient safety.”
“Pharmacies that neglect their legal duties and their critical role in delivering safe and appropriate medications to enrollees of federal health care programs, and instead exploit these programs for market advantage, squander taxpayer dollars and put patient safety at risk,” said Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins of HHS-OIG. “HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners will use every tool in our arsenal to prevent these outcomes. This settlement and corporate integrity agreement reflect HHS-OIG’s commitment to ensuring compliance, correcting failures in oversight, and protecting the foundation of federally-funded health care.”
“In the midst of the opioid crisis that has plagued our nation, we rely on pharmacies to prevent not facilitate the unlawful distribution of these potentially harmful substances,” said Norbert E. Vint, Deputy Inspector General Performing the Duties of the Inspector General at OPM OIG. “We applaud our investigative staff, law enforcement partners, and partners at the Department of Justice for their hard work and unwavering commitment to protecting patients from harm.”
The civil settlement resolves four cases brought under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the FCA by former Walgreens employees. The FCA authorizes whistleblowers to sue on behalf of the United States and receive a share of any recovery. It also permits the United States to intervene and take over such lawsuits, as it did here. The relators will receive a 17.25% share of the government’s FCA recovery in this matter.
The United States’ pursuit of this matter underscores the government’s commitment to combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS-OIG, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The DEA, HHS-OIG, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Defense Health Agency (DHA), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Inspector General, FBI Chicago Field Office, and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Colorado, Southern District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Eastern District of Washington, Southern District of Alabama, Southern District of Illinois, Central District of Illinois, District of Arizona, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, District of Puerto Rico, and Eastern District of Louisiana provided substantial assistance in the investigation.
The United States is represented in this matter by attorneys from the Justice Department’s Civil Division Consumer Protection Branch (Assistant Director Amy DeLine and Trial Attorney Nicole Frazer) and Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section (Assistant Director Natalie Waites and Trial Attorney Joshua Barron), as well as from the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern District of Virginia (Assistant U.S. Attorney John Beerbower), Northern District of Illinois (Assistant U.S. Attorney Valerie R. Raedy), Middle District of Florida (Chief of the Civil Division Randy Harwell and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Tapie), District of Maryland (Chief of the Civil Division Thomas Corcoran), and Eastern District of New York (Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot M. Schachner). Fraud Section senior financial analyst Karen Sharp provided support for the matter.
The claims asserted against defendants are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Additional information about the Fraud Section of the Civil Division and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/fraud-section.
For information about the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, visit:
Middle District of Florida, justice.gov/usao-mdfl;
Northern District of Illinois, justice.gov/usao-ndil;
District of Maryland, justice.gov/usao-md;
Eastern District of New York, justice.gov/usao-edny; and
Eastern District of Virginia, justice.gov/usao-edva.
For information about the federal agencies involved in this investigation and their work to combat the opioid crisis and federal healthcare fraud, visit:
DEA at dea.gov;
FBI at fbi.gov;
HHS-OIG at oig.hhs.gov;
DHA at health.mil/About-MHS/OASDHA/Defense-Health-Agency;
OPM at opm.gov; and
DOL at dol.gov.
Navy servicemember sentenced to 10 years in prison after attempting to meet a 14-year-old for sexRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor.
According to court documents, on April 28, 2024, Michael Andrew Cook, 42, using the Whisper social media app, contacted another user (UC1) who identified herself as a 14-year-old female in Virginia. Cook identified himself as Mike and acknowledged UC1’s age. In reality, UC1 was a special agent from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) working in an undercover capacity.
From April 28, 2024, to July 12, 2024, Cook engaged with UC1 by text messages, telephone conversations, and social media messaging. At the time, Cook was a U.S. Navy servicemember assigned to a Naval Command at Naval Station Norfolk.
UC1 stated that she was staying with her mother in Carrollton, but also stayed with her father in Hampton. Cook and UC1 discussed her father being a U.S. Navy servicemember who was currently deployed. Cook suggested he could be “a kind of father figure” to UC1.
From June 27, 2024, through July 12, 2024, Cook initiated sexually explicit conversations with UC1. Cook requested multiple pictures of UC1 and, on July 10, 2024, Cook asked UC1 when she would be in the Hampton area. Cook offered to pick up UC1 down the road from where she was staying and called her to discuss him travelling to meet her.
On July 12, 2024, Cook drove from Virginia Beach to Hampton to meet UC1. Cook was arrested upon arrival after he messaged UC1 that he was parked in the circle in front of the house.
At the time of the arrest, Cook had in his possession sexual toys, a pair of women’s underwear in a plastic bag, and human collars used in sexual fetishes.
In addition to contacting UC1, Cook contacted two other undercover agents posing as 14-year-old girls on July 9, 2024, and July 10, 2024.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Emily Schmid, Special Agent in Charge of the NCIS Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-106.
Norfolk man sentenced to over five years in prison for using other people’s identities to defraud COVID-19 pandemic relief programsRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced yesterday to five years and ten months in prison for mail fraud and aggravated identity theft.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act expanded states’ ability to provide unemployment insurance (UI) for many workers impacted by the pandemic. During that time, the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) was responsible for administering the unemployment compensation program in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Unemployed workers in Virginia could file for UI benefits either by phone or through the VEC internet portal and applicants could choose whether to have VEC deposit their unemployment benefits directly in a linked bank account or loaded onto a prepaid debit card, typically called a “Way2Go” card.
According to court documents, Dwaynald Darion Gibbs, 40, filed or caused to be filed dozens of claims resulting in the VEC’s approval of approximately $658,966 in UI benefits. The fraudulent claims were identified after a review identified multiple applications that shared certain similarities. For example, many of the claims provided the name “Legends” or “Legends Barbershop” as the former employer, used one of two mailing addresses associated with Gibbs, and provided the same telephone number. Many of the claims were also submitted from the same internet protocol address.
Gibbs pled guilty on Dec. 5, 2024.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Troy W. Springer, Special Agent in Charge, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Mozzi and Kristen S. Taylor prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-109.
Federal judge finds Alexandria man guilty of child pornography offensesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal judge convicted an Alexandria man, who worked for the Department of Commerce, yesterday on charges of receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Rafferty Daniel Kelly, 40, worked for the Patent and Trademark Office. In March 2022, a federal CSAM investigation involving an Internet-based, peer-to-peer file sharing service led federal agents to execute a search warrant at Kelly’s home where they seized multiple devices. A review of those devices revealed that over a period of at least two years Kelly had downloaded and stored over 50,000 of images of CSAM and child erotica, including images of infants and prepubescent children. Kelly also possessed a handbook on how to groom children.
At the end of the bench trial, U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff found Kelly guilty of one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Kelly is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24 and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after Judge Nachmanoff returned the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa K. Strobbe for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz for the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation & Obscenity Section are prosecuting the case.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-246.
Federal Judge Finds a Virginia Man Guilty of Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
Yesterday, a district court judge convicted a Virginia man, who worked for the Department of Commerce, of possessing and receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Rafferty Daniel Kelly, 40, of Alexandria, worked for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. In March 2022, a federal CSAM investigation involving an internet-based peer-to-peer file sharing service, a program used by the defendant to obtain CSAM, led federal agents to execute a search warrant at Kelly’s home, where they seized multiple devices. A review of those devices revealed that, over a period of at least two years, Kelly had downloaded and stored over 50,000 images of CSAM and child erotica, including images of infants and prepubescent children. Kelly also possessed a handbook on how to groom children.
At the end of the bench trial yesterday, the Honorable Michael S. Nachmanoff found Kelly guilty of one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. Judge Nachmanoff will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, United States Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division made the announcement.
Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Strobbe for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Lorton man sentenced to 18 years in prison for sexually exploiting children on SnapchatRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Lorton man was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for sexually exploiting minor girls as young as nine years old and enticing them to create and send him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves on Snapchat.
According to court documents, between at least May 1, 2021, and May 8, 2024, Jose Alejandro Belmonte Cardozo, 31, used Snapchat to find minor girls and entice them to send him child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Belmonte Cardozo created different Snapchat accounts depending on the scheme he used to obtain CSAM from the minors.
For example, Belmonte Cardozo used a particular account to catfish two 15-year-old girls, convincing them that he was a teenage boy. He sent the minors pictures that he claimed depicted him, but which actually depicted a boy who appeared to be approximately 16 years old. Belmonte Cardozo persuaded the minors to send him CSAM, which he surreptitiously recorded on a second cell phone to avoid the in-app notification. He then saved the recordings to a password-protected hidden folder on his cell phone.
Belmonte Cardozo used a second account to convince other minors to send him CSAM in exchange for admission to a phony group chat he purported to administer. Once Belmonte Cardozo obtained CSAM from the minors, he enticed them to send him additional images and videos.
Belmonte Cardozo amassed more than 1,000 images and videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct on five different electronic devices. On May 8, 2024, he transported two cellphones containing approximately 600 sexually explicit images and videos of minors, into the United States at Dulles International Airport.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection assisted in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Halper and Zoe Bedell prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-125.
Two members of a transnational money laundering organization sentenced for laundering millions of dollars in drug proceedsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Georgia man was sentenced today to six years and six months in prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to launder millions of dollars in drug proceeds on behalf of foreign drug trafficking organizations, including the Sinaloa cartel and Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (the Jalisco cartel or CJNG). On Dec. 4, 2024, a co-conspirator was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison for his role in the same money laundering scheme.
According to court documents, Li Pei Tan, 47, of Buford, Georgia, and Chaojie Chen, 41, a Chinese national who resided in Chicago, worked for an organization that laundered millions of dollars in proceeds related to the importation of illegal drugs into the United States, primarily through Mexico, and the unlawful distribution of these drugs. Tan, Chen, and their co-conspirators traveled throughout the United States to collect proceeds derived from trafficking in fentanyl, cocaine, and other drugs. They communicated and coordinated with co-conspirators in China and other foreign countries to arrange for the laundering of these proceeds through financial transactions that were designed to conceal the illicit source of the drug proceeds, including through a sophisticated trade-based money laundering scheme involving the purchasing of bulk electronics in the United States and the shipping of these electronics to co-conspirators in China.
On multiple occasions prior to Chen’s May 2024 arrest, law enforcement seized hundreds of thousands of dollars in bulk cash drug proceeds from Chen at locations across the United States. Tan was intercepted by law enforcement in South Carolina while attempting to transport over $197,000 in drug proceeds.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA’s) National Drug Threat Assessment, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels are at the heart of the fentanyl crisis in the United States.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Matthew R. Galeotti, Supervisory Official of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and and Louis A. D’Ambrosio, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Special Operations Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton.
The DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit investigated the case, with assistance from the DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence, Document and Media Exploitation Unit and the DEA’s offices in Chicago, Atlanta, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Edgardo J. Rodriguez of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Mary K. Daly of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-145.
Two Members of a Transnational Money Laundering Organization Sentenced for Laundering Millions of Dollars in Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
A Georgia man was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to launder millions of dollars in drug proceeds on behalf of foreign drug trafficking organizations, including the Sinaloa cartel and Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (the Jalisco cartel). On Dec. 4, 2024, his co-conspirator was sentenced to 90 months in prison for his role in the money laundering scheme.
According to court documents, Li Pei Tan, 47, of Buford, Georgia, and Chaojie Chen, 41, a Chinese national who resided in Chicago, worked for an organization that laundered millions of dollars in proceeds related to the importation and distribution of illegal drugs into the United States, primarily through Mexico. Tan, Chen, and their co-conspirators traveled throughout the United States to collect proceeds of fentanyl and cocaine trafficking, among other drugs. The defendants communicated and coordinated with co-conspirators in China and other foreign countries to arrange the laundering of these proceeds through financial transactions that were designed to conceal the illicit source of the drug money, including through a sophisticated trade-based money laundering scheme involving purchasing bulk electronics in the United States and shipping them to co-conspirators in China.
On multiple occasions prior to Chen’s May 2024 arrest, law enforcement seized hundreds of thousands of dollars in bulk cash drug proceeds from Chen at locations across the United States. Tan was intercepted by law enforcement in South Carolina while attempting to transport over $197,000 in drug proceeds.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA’s) National Drug Threat Assessment, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels are at the heart of the fentanyl crisis in the United States.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Special Agent in Charge Louis A. D’Ambrosio of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Special Operations Division made the announcement.
The DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit investigated the case, with assistance from the DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence, Document and Media Exploitation Unit and the DEA’s offices in Chicago, Atlanta, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Trial Attorney Mary K. Daly of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Edgardo J. Rodriguez of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States, using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Texas drug trafficker convicted in cocaine, fentanyl conspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal jury convicted Kelsey Manning, 31, of Houston, yesterday on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, distribution of cocaine and fentanyl, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on Sept. 28, 2023, law enforcement investigators were performing surveillance at an apartment complex in Hampton to locate Manning for outstanding indictments on narcotics distribution offenses out of James City County. When Manning left an apartment and entered his vehicle, investigators took him into custody. At the time, Manning possessed around 7.9 grams of cocaine base, around 1.9 grams of fentanyl, and $5,303.
A K9 unit performed an exterior sweep of Manning’s vehicle, resulting in a positive alert for narcotics. Inside the vehicle, investigators recovered a bag containing approximately a kilogram of cocaine, two boxes of baking soda, an aluminum pot, and a measuring cup with a whisk.
Manning also possessed a key fob to access the apartment building. The fob was registered to Ashley Manning. During a search of the apartment, Investigators recovered approximately $114,000, approximately two kilograms of cocaine, and approximately a kilogram of fentanyl.
Law enforcement also searched a residence where co-defendants Karon Jamar Harris, 44; Michael Dewalt; 33; and Traveon Parker, 32, all of Houston, were present. Within the residence investigators located distribution quantities of cocaine, cocaine base, fentanyl, drug-packaging materials, digital scales, over $30,000, and three firearms.
Manning faces a mandatory minimum of ten years and up to life in prison when sentenced on August 14.
On Feb. 6, Parker pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Parker is scheduled to be sentenced on June 12 and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison.
On Feb. 6, Harris pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Harris is scheduled to be sentenced on June 12 and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison.
On Feb. 13, Dewalt pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Dewalt is scheduled to be sentenced on June 12 and faces a mandatory minimum of five years to be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed and up to life in prison.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C.; Ibrar A. Mian, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; Col. Matt Hanley, Superintendent of Virginia State Police; Jimmie Wideman, Chief of Hampton Police; and Mark Jamison, Chief of James City County Police Department, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes accepted the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Hurt and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyson C. Yates, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, are prosecuting the case.
The Tri-Rivers Drug Task Force, Hampton Roads Peninsula Drug Initiative-Hampton Division, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Virginia State Police investigated this case. Assistance was provided by the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:23-cr-88.
Fairfax PCP trafficker sentenced to a decade in prison after fleeing justiceRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Fairfax man was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute Phencyclidine (PCP) and distribution of PCP after fleeing arrest and living under a fake name as a fugitive for nearly eight years.
According to court documents, Otis Chevalier, 46, was a kilogram-level dealer who shipped PCP through the mail from California to Virginia and elsewhere. To avoid detection, Chevalier sent PCP-laden packages to the residences of the mothers of his children, rather than his own residence. After retrieving the packages of PCP, he redistributed it. Chevalier utilized a storage unit in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, to store, prepare, and repackage PCP for redistribution. Chevalier used solvents, including starter fluid, to prepare the PCP for distribution, and used various paraphernalia, including liquid droppers and Mason-style glass jars, in the repackaging of PCP.
On June 6, 2015, U.S. Postal Inspectors responded to a report of a leaking parcel shipped from California to an apartment in Alexandria. The parcel contained multiple Mason-style jars containing approximately two gallons of PCP. On Dec. 11, 2015, Chevalier shipped three packages from California to Virginia and Maryland. On Dec. 18, 2015, U.S. Postal Inspectors seized one of the packages, which had been mailed to an address in Chantilly. The parcel contained approximately 6.5 kilograms of a mixture containing PCP.
On Feb. 18, 2016, law enforcement searched Chevalier's residence in Fairfax and located marijuana, syringe-style droppers with PCP residue, three starter fluid cans, multiple cellphones, and $27,704. On Jan. 4, 2017, law enforcement searched Chevalier's storage unit and seized multiple containers holding two to three gallons of PCP. Agents also seized material used to prepare and process PCP, including masks, pumps, and droppers.
On Jan. 5, 2017, a federal magistrate judge issued a warrant for Chevalier’s arrest. After Chevalier’s attorney notified him of the pending arrest warrant on federal charges, Chevalier fled to avoid prosecution, using the alias Delone Jones, and remained a fugitive until his arrest on Aug. 29, 2024.
Chevalier was previously convicted of a felony drug charge involving PCP. In that case, Chevalier was found to have caused a residential explosion in Bowie, Maryland.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Ibrar A. Mian, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles. The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office and Fairfax County Police Department, Reston District, assisted in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather D. Call prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-228.
Prince George drug trafficker sentenced to over 12 years in prisonRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Prince George man was sentenced today to 12 years and seven months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, on April 1, 2024, law enforcement searched the residence of Robert Damian Atkins, 39, based on prior controlled purchases of narcotics. During the search, detectives recovered $10,625; an electronic money counter; a shotgun; three semi-automatic pistols; multiple firearms magazines, including a drum magazine; and multiple boxes of ammunition. During a search of Atkins’ vehicle, detectives recovered another pistol and a backpack that contained 191 grams of fentanyl, 112 grams of methamphetamine, 84 grams of cocaine, two digital scales, and a magazine for the firearm. In the trunk of the vehicle, officers located a bag containing multiple firearm cartridges.
An agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) arranged to take Atkins into custody on his federal warrant after his court appearance in Prince George County General District Court on Oct. 7, 2024. After learning of his impending arrest, Atkins fled the courthouse and cut off his GPS ankle monitor. Law enforcement located Atkins later that day in Chesterfield and took him into custody.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Washington Field Division; and Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck. The Prince George County Police Department assisted in the investigation.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Gilliland, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Miller prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-158.
Previously convicted Norfolk meth dealer sentenced to over three years in prison for illegally possessing a firearmRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced yesterday to three years and 10 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, William Gus Hart, 45, was convicted in 2016 for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Following his release from prison, Deputy U.S. Marshals attempted to arrest Hart on June 3, 2024, for violating the terms of his supervised release. As the Deputy Marshals approached Hart in the parking lot of a Chesapeake hotel, Hart fled and dropped a backpack and a motorcycle helmet. Hart ran to a grassy area where he laid down on the ground. A Deputy U.S. Marshal located a firearm in Hart’s backpack, which also contained eight grams of methamphetamine and approximately $2,000 in cash.
As a previously convicted felon, Hart cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Shannon Saylor, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Darryl J. Mitchell prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-114.
Virginia Man Indicted for Obstructing the IRS and Failing to File Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, returned an indictment yesterday charging a Virginia man with obstructing the IRS and willfully failing to file tax returns.
According to the indictment, Omini Tete Riman, of Woodbridge, was an information technology specialist. He allegedly filed false 2013 and 2014 tax returns, reporting that he earned nearly $2 million in income and had almost $1 million withheld in taxes. Based on those false statements, Riman allegedly claimed nearly $400,000 in refunds, which the IRS paid.
The indictment states that starting in 2016, after notifying Riman about his outstanding tax liabilities, the IRS attempted to recover the funds from him. However, Riman allegedly took numerous steps to frustrate the IRS’s collection efforts. For example, it is alleged he transferred his property to a trust, opened bank accounts in the trust’s name and directed that his wages be deposited into the trust’s bank account. It is further alleged that he also submitted false documents to the IRS, including false documents which purported to show that an IRS employee owed him money and that Riman had canceled the debt, which, if accurate, would have caused the IRS employee’s own tax liability to increase.
In addition, the indictment alleges that for tax years 2018 through 2023, Riman knew he was legally required to file tax returns but willfully did not do so timely. In fact, after being notified that he was the target of a grand jury investigation in 2025, Riman allegedly filed tax returns for 2017 through 2020 which falsely reported that he had earned no income during those years.
If convicted, Riman faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of obstructing the IRS and a maximum penalty of one year in prison for each count of failing to file a tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Department of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Isaiah Boyd III and Daniel Lipkowitz of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Harvey for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Salvadoran national sentenced to over a year in prison for illegally reentering the United States after a previous convictionRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Salvadoran national was sentenced today to a year and six months in prison for illegally reentering the United States after having been removed following an aggravated felony conviction.
According to court documents, José Luis Romero Lopez, 47, was previously convicted of larceny, sexual battery, assault, driving while intoxicated (DWI), driving with a suspended license, and reckless driving before his 2010 conviction for brandishing a knife and stabbing a victim. In 2017, Romero Lopez was removed from the United States to El Salvador.
Romero Lopez illegally reentered the United States before being arrested in 2023 for assault and battery. On Jan. 22, Romero Lopez pled guilty to illegal reentry after removal subsequent to a felony conviction. Romero Lopez remains subject to his previous order of removal.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr.
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul III, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Max Willner-Giwerc and Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary H. Ray prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-267.
Recidivist drug trafficker from Portsmouth sentenced to 10 years in prison for fentanyl distributionRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl.
According to court documents, from Feb. 24, 2023, to May 22, 2023, Chesapeake Police (CPD) conducted five controlled purchases of cocaine and fentanyl from Karleak Ali, 53. On May 25, 2023, CPD and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) searched Ali’s residence and vehicle and recovered 33 grams of fentanyl, 87 grams of cocaine, a digital scale, packaging material, a sifter, two firearms, ammunition, and approximately $6,000.
Ali has previous felony drug convictions in Norfolk Circuit Court, including distribution of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and conspiracy to distribute cocaine. In July 2007, Ali was convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen. The Chesapeake Police Department assisted in the investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin M. Comstock prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-4.
German national stationed in Northern Virginia sentenced for receiving child sexual abuse material from the BitTorrent file-sharing networkRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A German national, who worked in an IT position for the German military’s U.S. outpost in Northern Virginia, was sentenced today to six years and six months in prison for downloading child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Peter Markus Kuttke, 49, a German national residing in Reston, pleaded guilty on Jan. 8 to receiving CSAM. According to court documents, law enforcement learned that CSAM files were available for download on Bit-Torrent, a file-sharing network, from a user with an IP address associated with Kuttke’s residence. On Dec. 1, 2023, federal agents executed a search warrant at Kuttke’s home and recovered electronic devices that contained evidence of Kuttke’s offenses, including a device with numerous CSAM videos and images. Forensic analysis further confirmed that Kuttke had downloaded CSAM from BitTorrent, including videos depicting adults sexually assaulting prepubescent children.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement.
HSI investigated the case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadia Prinz, a Trial Attorney for the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation & Obscenity Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alessandra Serano of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-245.
German National Stationed in Northern Virginia Sentenced for Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Material from the BitTorrent File-Sharing NetworkRead the Press Release
A German national, who worked in an IT position for the German military’s United States outpost in northern Virginia, was sentenced today to six years and six months in prison for downloading child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Peter Markus Kuttke, 49, a German national residing in Reston, pleaded guilty on Jan. 8 to receiving CSAM. According to court documents, law enforcement learned that CSAM files were available for download on Bit-Torrent, a file-sharing network, from a user with an IP address associated with Kuttke’s residence. On Dec. 1, 2023, federal agents executed a search warrant at Kuttke’s home and recovered electronic devices that contained evidence of Kuttke’s offenses, including a device with numerous CSAM videos and images. Forensic analysis further confirmed that Kuttke had downloaded CSAM from BitTorrent, including videos depicting adults sexually assaulting prepubescent children.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Heck, of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C made the announcement.
HSI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alessandra Serano for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Previously convicted felon sentenced to over a year in prison for illegally possessing a firearmRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man was sentenced today to one year and eight months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on Nov. 20, 2023, Newport News Police (NNPD) conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle of Malik Lloyd Jerome-Marryshow, 29, and, after verifying his identity, placed Jerome-Marryshow into custody on outstanding arrest warrants for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances with a firearm, and carrying a concealed weapon.
At the time of his arrest, Jerome-Marryshow was in possession of a loaded handgun. Jerome-Marryshow previously was convicted for carrying a concealed weapon, driving under influence (DUI), credit card fraud, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and being a felon in possession of ammunition. As a convicted felon, Jerome-Marryshow cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyson C. Yates, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Therese O'Brien prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-11.
Non-profit entity settles False Claims Act allegations involving Paycheck Protection LoanRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Lake Ridge Parks and Recreation Association, Inc. of Woodbridge paid $695,000 to settle False Claims Act allegations that it certified that it was eligible to receive a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan for which it was not eligible.
The PPP offered loans to eligible small businesses for economic relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP borrowers were required to provide their income and supporting documents to qualify for the loan amount and for later loan forgiveness.
The United States alleged that Lake Ridge is a 501(c)(4) tax exempt entity and that such organizations were not eligible to receive funding through the PPP. The United States also alleged that Lake Ridge applied for a PPP loan and certified on its application that it was eligible to receive a loan under the rules in effect at the time the application was submitted.
The settlement began with a lawsuit, United States ex rel. Wade Riner v Lake Ridge Parks and Recreation Association, Inc., that was filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The whistleblower will receive a 10-percent share of the settlement.
This resolution was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the Small Business Administration.
The matter was investigated by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina H. Kim.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Case records may be found on PACER under case number 1:24-cv-971.
The civil claims settled are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
Government contractor resolves False Claims Act allegations related to the Small Business Innovation Research ProgramRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – General Dynamics Mission Systems, Inc., located in Fairfax, agreed to settle False Claims Act allegations that a company that it acquired made false statements or caused false statements to be made in proposals for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts awarded by four federal agencies. As part of the settlement, the United States received a payment of $600,000.
SBIR contracts are awarded to small businesses to develop and commercialize new technology. SBIR contracts are reserved for businesses that have fewer than 500 employees, including employees of any affiliated companies.
In July 2022, General Dynamics Mission Systems acquired Progeny Systems, LLC (“Progeny”), a defense contractor located in Manassas. Before its acquisition by General Dynamics Mission Systems, Progeny entered into teaming agreements with Quality Support, Inc. and Minimum Entropy, LLC.
As part of its teaming agreements, Progeny directed and assisted Quality Support and Minimum Entropy with drafting and submitting proposals for SBIR contracts. Progeny also provided Quality Support with personnel, including a principal investigator who performed the research required by an SBIR contract. Similarly, a Progeny employee formed, owned, and operated Minimum Entropy. In return, Quality Support and Minimum Entropy selected Progeny as their sole subcontractor on all of their SBIR proposals, including six SBIR contracts from four federal agencies.
The settlement announced today resolves allegations arising from Progeny’s involvement in the submission of proposals for the SBIR contracts awarded to Quality Support and Minimum Entropy. The United States alleged that Progeny made, or caused to be made, false statements about Progeny’s affiliation with Quality Support and Minimum Entropy in the proposals for the SBIR contracts awarded to Quality Support and Minimum Entropy. The United States further alleged that Progeny made, or caused to be made, false statements about Quality Support’s and Minimum Entropy’s statuses as businesses eligible for SBIR awards.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Fraud Field Office, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s Mid-Atlantic Field Office, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service’s Economic Crimes Field Office.
This matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanya Kapoor and Forensic Auditor Peter Melaragni.
The civil claims settled by this False Claims Act agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Norfolk fentanyl dealer sentenced to over 21 years in prison for selling drug mixture that resulted in an overdose deathRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced yesterday to 21 years and 10 months in prison for selling fentanyl to a woman resulting in her death.
According to court documents, on July 14, 2022, a victim, identified as J.L., contacted Jason Jermaine Warren, aka Cuzzo, 47, for drugs and a ride to a nearby CVS in Chesapeake. Warren provided a mixture of heroin, fentanyl, and Xylazine to J.L. After visiting the CVS, J.L. returned to her hotel room with Warren. J.L. and Warren later left the room, and J.L. soon returned to the room alone.
On July 15, 2022, Chesapeake Police Department (CPD) responding to a report of a suspected drug overdose found J.L. deceased in her room. Officers recovered narcotics, drug paraphernalia, a cellphone, and various personal effects belonging to J.L. Among the narcotics and paraphernalia were a plastic bag containing heroin and fentanyl, a bag containing heroin, fentanyl, and Xylazine residue, and a straw with heroin and fentanyl residue.
The Commonwealth of Virginia's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner's Report of Investigation states that J.L.'s cause of death was acute fentanyl and heroin toxicity.
Warren was advised of J.L.'s death and continued to distribute drugs. On Aug. 2, 2022, Warren distributed 2.30 grams of a mixture of fentanyl, heroin, and Xylazine to a confidential informant in Norfolk. On Aug. 9, 2022, Warren distributed 3.15 grams of a mixture of fentanyl, heroin, and Xylazine to a confidential informant in Norfolk.
On Aug. 14, 2022, law enforcement arrested Warren, who was in possession of 2.43 grams of a mixture of fentanyl, heroin, and Xylazine. On Aug. 19, 2022, investigators searched Warren’s residence and recovered pill bottles with Warren's name on them, multiple bags containing firearms and ammunition, and a bag containing drug paraphernalia.
On Jan. 10, Warrant pled guilty to distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ibrar A. Mian, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; Mark G. Solesky, Chief of Chesapeake Police; and Mark Talbot, Chief of Norfolk Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda L. Cheney and Kristin G. Bird prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-52.
Glenn Allen man sentenced to over 12 years in prison for federal drug-trafficking and firearms crimesRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Glen Allen man was sentenced yesterday to 12 years and seven months in prison for trafficking cocaine and illegally possessing firearms and ammunition.
According to court documents, from at least the summer of 2023 through September 2024, Gregg Louis Gamble, 55, purchased kilogram quantities of cocaine from a source of supply in North Carolina and distributed it to other individuals in Virginia.
On Sept. 13, 2024, law enforcement conducted a search of Gamble's residence and vehicle. During the search, investigators recovered three one-kilogram bricks of cocaine, two Ziploc bags of cocaine weighing a total of approximately 500 grams, $161,020, two firearms, and a total of 547 rounds of ammunition.
Gamble was previously convicted of, among other crimes, possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of controlled substances, driving while intoxicated, possession of marijuana, possession of cocaine, and possession of a concealed weapon. As a previously convicted felon, Gable cannot possess firearms or ammunition.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica L. Wright and Ellen H. Theisen prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-166.
Fashion and beauty companies agree to pay $6.7M to settle False Claims Act allegations involving Paycheck Protection Program loansRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Puig USA, Inc. and Carolina Herrera, Ltd., both located in New York, have agreed to jointly pay $6.7 million to settle civil fraud allegations involving second-draw Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. PPP loans were made possible by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Puig USA, Inc. received a second-draw PPP loan of $1,689,007 and Carolina Herrera received a second-draw PPP loan of $2,000,000. An entity could be eligible for a second-draw PPP loan if, among other requirements, the entity, including its international affiliates, employed fewer than 300 people at the time of application. Carolina Herrera, Ltd. and Puig USA, Inc., both owned by Puig Brands, S.A., had 5,213 employees at the end of 2019 and 4,785 employees at the end of 2020.
The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the Small Business Administration.
The matter was investigated by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina H. Kim.
The settlement began with a lawsuit, United States ex rel. GNGH2 Inc. v. Carolina Herrera, Ltd. et al., that was filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The whistleblower will receive a 10-percent share of the settlement.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Case records may be found on PACER under case number 1:24-cv-1856.
The civil claims settled are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
Contractor settles allegations of labor overcharging on government contractRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. (BAH), located in McLean, agreed to pay $422,557 to settle allegations that a BAH employee assigned to work on a General Services Administration (GSA) contract overreported his time resulting in BAH issuing invoices for services under the contract that were not performed.
Between 2018 and 2022, GSA paid invoices submitted by BAH that included services for a BAH employee under a GSA contract. Investigators from GSA and the Defense Intelligence Agency compared invoices and timesheets for the employee with the employee’s badge swipe data for entering and exiting the secure facility where the contract was performed to determine the number of overcharged hours attributable to the employee. As a result, the government alleged that BAH billed for services that the employee did not provide. BAH agreed to settle allegations for common law claims of payment by mistake and unjust enrichment.
This investigation was initiated when BAH made a contractor disclosure. BAH received credit under the Department of Justice’s guidelines for taking disclosure, cooperation, and remediation into account.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and The Offices of the Inspector General for both General Services Administration and the Defense Intelligence Agency. The matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Troy.
The civil claims settled by this agreement are allegations only; there has been no admission of civil liability.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Government contractor to pay $1.95M to settle False Claims Act allegationsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Intelligent Waves, LLC, located in Reston, and its owner agreed to pay $1.95 million to settle False Claims Act allegations involving two Air Force contracts.
In September 2019, Intelligent Waves entered into a contract, known as the Crowd-Sourced Contract, with the Air Force. Under the Crowd-Sourced Contract, Intelligent Waves provided crowd-sourced flight data collection support and data analytics to the 59th Test and Evaluation Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base. The United States alleged that Intelligent Waves knowingly sold certain equipment to the Air Force that was not authorized under the Crowd-Sourced Contract and submitted invoices to the Air Force that portrayed the unauthorized equipment as authorized equipment under the Contract. The United States also alleged that Intelligent Waves knowingly invoiced the Air Force for products and/or labor that it did not deliver in the specific quantities stated in its invoices. After it failed to deliver the products and/or labor stated in its invoices, Intelligent Waves failed to provide a credit to the Air Force for undelivered products and/or labor, providing substitute products requested by non-procurement personnel instead.
In November 2020, Intelligent Waves also entered into a contract, known as the Special Access Program Facilities (SAPF) Contract, with the Air Force to build special access program facilities at Edwards Air Force Base,. The United States alleged that Intelligent Waves knowingly made false statements that induced the award of the SAPF Contract.
The United States alleged that Intelligent Waves provided meals and entertainment to Air Force employees before the award of and during the period of performance of the Crowd-Sourced and SAPF contracts.
This settlement arises in connection with a lawsuit filed by two former Intelligent Waves employees under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, United States ex rel. Taylor et al. v. Intelligent Waves, LLC et al. The lawsuit alleged that Intelligent Waves’ owner was aware of certain of the alleged wrongful conduct. A whistleblower suit, or qui tam action under the False Claims Act, is commenced by an individual filing a complaint under seal in the U.S. District Court and providing a copy of the complaint and evidence to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The United States then has an opportunity to investigate the claims. The False Claims Act provides whistleblowers with a share of the government’s recovery.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s Mid-Atlantic Field Office, and the Defense Contract Audit Agency.
This matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanya Kapoor and Forensic Auditor Peter Melaragni.
The civil claims settled by this False Claims Act agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
Related court documents and information from the civil lawsuit can be accessed on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cv-1463.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Mexican national pleads guilty to persuading a 10-year-old to produce child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Mexican national pled guilty to production of child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, Isidro Atxel Magana-Calderon, 25, contacted and communicated with a 10-year-old victim, identified as MV1, through TikTok. Magana-Calderon identified himself as “Axel.” MV1 provided Magana-Calderon with her cellphone number and they began communicating through text messages.
Magana-Calderon suggested a desire to engage in inappropriate contact and began requesting nude images of MV1. MV1 initially rejected Magana-Calderon’s requests. Magana-Calderon sent videos of sexual content to MV1 and continued to request that she provide nude images of herself. MV1 eventually relented to Magana-Calderon’s requests.
Further investigation revealed that Magana-Calderon engaged in sexually explicit conversations with at least one other minor living out of state.
Magana-Calderon is scheduled to be sentenced on July 15. He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen S. Taylor is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-8.
Medical group agrees to pay $2.8M to settle False Claims Act allegationsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Fairfax Radiological Consultants, PLLC formerly known as Fairfax Radiological Consultants, P.C. (FRC), of Fairfax, agreed to pay $2,881,260 to settle False Claims Act allegations that it falsely reported its payroll costs to receive full forgiveness of a $6.7 million Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan.
The PPP offered loans to eligible small businesses for economic relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP borrowers were required to provide their income and supporting documents to qualify for the loan amount and for later loan forgiveness.
In 2019, FRC employed over 500 individuals. Using its 2019 employee payroll, FRC was able to apply for a $6.8 million PPP loan in April 2020. At the time of its April 2020 PPP loan application, FRC employed less than 100 people.
In April 2021, FRC applied for forgiveness of the loan. The United States alleged that FRC falsely represented its eligible payroll costs for 98 employees in its loan forgiveness application, which enabled FRC to receive full forgiveness of the $6.8 million loan. The United States alleged that, in actuality, FRC was only entitled to loan forgiveness of $4,945,860.
The matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina Kim and auditor Peter Melaragni.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The civil claims settled are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
Florida couple pleads guilty to their roles in a scheme to provide and receive prohibited labor paymentsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Florida couple pled guilty today to conspiracy to provide and receive prohibited labor payments, in violation of the Labor Management Relations Act, also known as the Taft-Hartley Act.
According to court documents, since at least 2010 until November 2023, Ricky Dallas O’Quinn, 63, of Melbourne, Florida, served as both an officer and employee of International Union, Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America (SPFPA), a labor organization that represents protective security officers at federal workplaces. SPFPA executed collective bargaining agreements with several employers covering the security industry in several states. Ricky’s wife, Mabel O’Quinn, was the founder, incorporator, and an initial director of Company-2, which provided protective security officers at federal workplaces in numerous states. While Mabel served as Company-2’s chief executive officer and president, Ricky was involved in the finance, budget, and operations of the company since its inception in a clandestine role. Both Ricky and Mabel O’Quinn hid Ricky’s involvement in operating Company-2.
From at least 2010 to 2023, Individual-1 was the president of Company-1, which provides protective security officers at federal workplaces in numerous states. The O’Quinns conspired with Individual-1 to obtain government contracts by exploiting Company-2’s status as a small, woman service-disabled owned business.
Company-1 used Company-2 as a subcontractor and advised Company-2 on what contracts to bid on and in which geographic locations, which produced financial benefits for both companies. In exchange, Individual-1 and his family would receive 40 percent of the ownership and/or profits of Company-2.
From at least April 2013 through June 2024, Individual-1 agreed to award subcontracts from Company-1 to supply private security guards at various federal installations to Company-2. The proceeds from those awards totaled tens of millions of dollars.
Individual-1 specified which vendors and consultants Company-2 would hire and monitored and directed Company-2’s finances. At Individual-1’s direction, Company-2 paid three of Individual-1’s relatives as consultants at rates of $195 and $225 per hour, totaling millions of dollars in payments.
Ricky and Mabel O’Quinn are scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 17, 2025, and face up to five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Matthew R. Galeotti, head of Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Troy W. Springer, Special Agent in Charge, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr. accepted the pleas.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen Robeson and Drew Bradylyons for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Vincent Falvo Jr. for the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the cases.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:25-cr-70 (Ricky) and 1:25-cr-71 (Mabel).