Eastern District of Virginia

RICHMOND, Va. – A federal judge convicted a Richmond man today on charges of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on March 6, 2024, officers of the Richmond Police Department’s Strategic Violence Interdiction Unit observed Maurice Tyquan Brown, 35, driving out of a parking lot in a reckless manner and notified marked units to initiate a traffic stop. Brown failed to stop. He abandoned the car in a parking lot and attempted to flee on foot. As officers pursued, Brown tossed a handgun and separately tossed a firearm magazine. After officers apprehended Brown, they recovered the firearm, which had a round in the chamber, and the loaded magazine about fifteen feet from the firearm.

At the time of his arrest, Brown had 13 prior felony convictions. As a convicted felon, Brown cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

Brown faces up to 15 years in prison when sentenced on March 2, 2027. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant 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 U.S. District Judge David J. Novak delivered the verdict.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Miller is prosecuting the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

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. 3:26-cr-39.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A New York man was sentenced yesterday to six years in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

According to court documents, on March 28 law enforcement in Accomack County conducted a traffic stop on John Valentin, 49, of the Bronx, for failing to maintain his lane. During the stop, a K-9 officer alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. Investigators searched the vehicle and located a hidden compartment underneath the back seat. From that compartment, investigators recovered packages containing a total of 4.5 kilograms of cocaine.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Kai Wah Chan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Hurt prosecuted the case.

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. 4:26-cr-30.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Ugandan national Michael Katungi Mpweire, 45, made an initial appearance in federal court today on charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to possess firearms, including machineguns and destructive devices, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization following his extradition to the United States from the Republic of Uganda.

As alleged in the indictment, since at least September 2022, Katungi, Bulgarian national Peter Dimitrov Mirchev, Kenyan national Elisha Odhiambo Asumo, and Tanzanian national Subiro Osmund Mwapinga conspired to illegally supply military-grade weaponry to Mexican drug cartels, and in particular, the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), one of Mexico’s most violent and prolific transnational criminal organizations. The weaponry included machineguns, rocket launchers, grenades, night vision equipment, sniper rifles, anti-personnel mines, and anti-aircraft weapons. 

The defendants allegedly believed that the CJNG intended to use these weapons in furtherance of the illegal trafficking of large shipments of cocaine into the United States. On Feb. 20, 2025, the CJNG was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization under the Immigration and Nationality Act and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224. Arms sales to transnational criminal organizations like the CJNG are prohibited by virtually every country.

In a series of meetings with individuals claiming to represent the CJNG, Mirchev allegedly agreed to arrange, coordinate, and participate in illegal arms transactions while avoiding detection by international and U.S. law enforcement. Mirchev allegedly recruited Asumo to corruptly obtain an End-User Certificate (EUC) from a nation that would falsely claim a different end-user for the weapons. Asumo, Katungi, and Mwapinga allegedly obtained an EUC from the United Republic of Tanzania authorizing the importation of AK-47s. As a test shipment, Mirchev and others then exported 50 AK-47 automatic assault rifles and accompanying magazines and ammunition from Bulgaria, using the EUC allegedly provided by Asumo, Katungi, and Mwapinga, and intending that the weapons were actually received by the CJNG.

The defendants allegedly continued to conspire to supply drug cartels with even more weaponry, potentially including surface-to-air missiles, anti-aircraft drones, and the ZU-23 anti-aircraft weapon system. Mirchev allegedly created a list of weaponry for the CJNG totaling approximately 53.7 million Euros (approximately $58 million U.S.). Asumo, Katungi, and Mwapinga allegedly agreed to again provide arms control documents designed to obscure that these weapons were intended for the CJNG.

According to court records, Mirchev was previously implicated in supplying arms to Viktor Bout,  who was convicted at trial of conspiring to kill U.S. nationals, conspiring to kill U.S. officers and employees, conspiring to acquire and export anti-aircraft missiles; and conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization in case 1:08-cr-365 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Mirchev was arrested by Spanish authorities in Madrid on April 8, 2025, and extradited to the United States on March 19. Asumo and Mwapinga pled guilty on July 23 and Sept. 9 respectively to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Asumo is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 4; Mwapinga is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 13, 2027.

If convicted, Katungi faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years 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.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Frank Tarentino, Associate Chief of Operations of the Drug Enforcement Administration, made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the DEA’s Special Operations Division - Bilateral Investigations Unit with assistance from the U.S. Department of War. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided invaluable assistance in securing extraditions of the defendants, working in cooperation with the DEA Attaché to U.S. Embassies in Accra, Nairobi, and Kampala and key partners, including the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice of Ghana, the Ghana Police Service, Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission; the Ministry of Justice of Spain and the Spanish Guardia Civil; the Government of Morocco, including the Moroccan Direction Générale de la Surete National (DGSN- National Police), and the Moroccan Direction Générale de la Surveillance du Territoire (DGST); and the Government of Uganda, including the Ugandan Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony T. Aminoff, Edgardo J. Rodriguez, and Luke Albi are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Washington, D.C., comprises agents and officers from the DEA, FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service; Naval Criminal Investigative Service; Transportation Security Administration Federal Air Marshals Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Enforcement and Removal Operations; and Washington Baltimore HIDTA, with the prosecution being led by 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-102.

An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Herndon mental health counselor was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for engaging in a child exploitation enterprise.

According to court documents, Christopher Neal Mishik, 36, is a Licensed Professional Counselor who offered telehealth counseling to patients online, including to adolescents, young adults, and families. For years, Mishik participated in various online groups that orchestrated the online sexual exploitation of children. In the summer of 2024, Mishik participated in a social media group of adult males who coordinated to produce, distribute, and receive child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The members of the group collectively and individually engaged in various tactics to produce, distribute, and receive CSAM. Mishik and members of the group lurked on young girls' social media accounts and encouraged them to engage in sexually explicit activities on camera and to participate in their larger social media group. Mishik and other group members would sometimes pose as teenage boys or girls to encourage victims to produce CSAM. Among the victims targeted by Mishik were a child with learning disabilities as well as a 10-year-old. 

On Nov. 12, 2025, law enforcement searched Mishik’s residence. Mishik’s cellphone contained videos and photos depicting CSAM, including content saved in hidden applications. Some of the CSAM possessed by Mishik included images of toddlers.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jeffrey L. Tyler, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vanessa K. Strobbe and Lauren Halper 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. Attorneys’ 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.

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. 1:26-cr-115.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland man was sentenced yesterday to three years and one month in prison for assault of a U.S. postal worker and robbery of mail, money, or other property of the United States.

According to court documents, on Sept. 5, 2025, Dason Antonio Robinson, 28, of Bowie, and an unidentified co-conspirator traveled from Maryland to Alexandria and located a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier who was engaged in her regular duties of delivering mail. Robinson and his co-conspirator approached the mail carrier with their hands in their waistbands to appear to be carrying firearms. The robbers forcefully grabbed at the mail carrier’s letter satchel while it was slung across her body and also grabbed at her clothing, a personal bag secured by a chain, and her necklace, causing the chain on her personal bag and necklace to break.

Robinson and his co-conspirator obtained the letter satchel, mail inside the satchel, a USPS scanner, and USPS vehicle keys, as well as the carrier’s CashApp card, driver’s license, and cellphone. 

Following the robbery, Robinson and his co-conspirator fled in their vehicle. On Oct. 2, 2025, U.S. Postal Inspectors seized the vehicle in Bowie. Agents recovered stolen mail from the letter satchel and the mail carrier’s CashApp card and driver’s license.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr. 

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Pascua and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Allie M. McKnight prosecuted the case.

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. 1:26-cr-37.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Salvadoran national was sentenced today to three years in prison for illegally reentering the United States after a felony conviction.

According to court documents, Marvin Alberto Escobar, 44, illegally entering the United States and on July 31, 2006, in Richmond Circuit Court, he was convicted of possession of cocaine. Escobar was sentenced to three years in prison, with all three years suspended. On Jan. 16, 2008, Escobar was convicted again in Richmond Circuit Court of possession of cocaine and sentenced to five years in prison, with four years and 10 months suspended. On Feb. 27, 2009, pursuant to a final order of removal, Escobar was deported to El Salvador.

Escobar has illegally reentered the United States and has been convicted in federal court of illegal reentry after a felony conviction in 2017, 2019, and his latest conviction in the Eastern District of Virginia on June 29. Escobar remains subject to a prior order of removal.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Robert Guadian, Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick J. McGorman prosecuted the case.

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-76.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Two Honduran nationals were sentenced to prison today for attempting to smuggle firearms from the United States to Honduras. A co-conspirator was sentenced previously.

According to court documents, in August 2024, Jesuan Johan Solano Canales, 26, a fraudulently naturalized U.S. citizen, and his cousin Elder Adrian Mejia Canales, 29, a Honduran national with permanent resident alien status, asked Pablo Ricardo Vallejo, 43, to send a box to Honduras for them because, as they explained, the shipper they used previously would not let them send any boxes because they had sent too many recently. Vallejo agreed, and Jesuan Canales and Elder Canales provided the box and the destination address in Honduras to Vallejo and paid for the shipment.

Vallejo arranged shipping through a common carrier.  Vallejo completed a shipping manifest, declaring falsely that the box contained an alternator, clothes, and shoes while omitting that the box contained firearms. When asked for identification, Vallejo presented a false U.S. permanent resident card. The carrier business owners inspected the contents of the box and discovered four firearms inside a fan, concealed to avoid detection prior to exportation. The carrier contacted law enforcement, who took custody of the firearms.

On Feb. 25, 2025, law enforcement searched Vallejo’s residence and seized the false U.S. permanent resident card.

On April 21, law enforcement arrested Jesuan Canales and Elder Canales and searched their residence. During the search, investigators seized over two dozen firearms including an unregistered rifle with a 10.5-inch barrel.

On May 18, 2024, Jesuan Canales made a false statement under oath in his Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, when he responded in the negative to the question, “Have you EVER committed, agreed to commit, asked someone else to commit, helped commit, or tried to commit a crime or offense for which you were not arrested?” Prior to receiving his Certificate of Naturalization, on Sept. 21, 2024, Jesuan Canales completed a Form N-445, Notice of Naturalization Oath Ceremony, in which he responded in the negative to the question, “Since your interview, have you committed any crime or offense, for which you have not been arrested?’ Jesuan Canales knew these statements were false as he had been conspiring to unlawfully export firearms from the United States.

Jesuan Canales pled guilty on July 8 to attempted smuggling and naturalization fraud. He was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison and his fraudulently obtained naturalization was removed.

Elder Canales pled guilty on July 1 to attempted smuggling. He was sentenced today to a year and six months in prison.

Vallejo pled guilty on Aug. 7, 2025, to attempted smuggling and immigration document fraud. He was sentenced on Feb. 26 to two years in prison.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Kai Wah Chan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Walutes, Jr., prosecuted the case.

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. 1:26-cr-89.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, in partnership with the FBI Washington Field Office and the Cybercrime Division of France’s Parquet de Paris, announced today the seizure of two websites as part of a coordinated law enforcement action taken against the dissemination of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and the non-consensual publication of intimate images. 

According to the seizure warrant, the United States obtained court authorization to seize two domains associated with NudeLeaksTeens (NLT), which advertised for sale leaked (i.e., hacked and stolen), sexually explicit images and videos depicting young women and girls. Law enforcement’s investigation of NLT revealed that despite website warnings against CSAM, the site also offered for sale sexually explicit images and videos of children. 

NLT advertised and sold its content in “albums” and “collections.” While the content of albums and collections varied, many included personal identifying information of victims, pictures of victims in various stages of undress, and pictures of victims engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Some of the victims have been identified and confirmed to be minors at the time the visual depictions were created. NLT also advertised a collection named for the website, “Nudeleaksteens Collection,” which it boasted contained “6200 private nude files leaked of teenagers or adults (mostly American) from hacked snapchats, Instagram, tiktok, facebook accounts[.]” This collection also contained CSAM. 

French law enforcement simultaneously arrested a 25-year-old man living in Northern France who is suspected to have been the main administrator of NLT. 

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Darren Cox, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office; and Charles “Andy” Penn, Arlington County Chief of Police, made the announcement.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys April Russo, Lauren Halper, and Meredith Clement are representing the United States. 

Victims of the non-consensual publication of intimate images on NLT or elsewhere online are encouraged to file a report with the FBI at ncii.ic3.gov. 

RICHMOND, Va. – A Petersburg man was sentenced today to five years and 11 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court documents, on Oct. 4, 2025, Richmond Police Officers responded to a report of random gunfire in the area of Gilpin Court. When officers arrived, they observed Tynell Jones, 34, discharge a firearm three times. Jones was immediately detained. The firearm had a round in the chamber and was equipped with a 30-round magazine with 10 rounds remaining.

Jones was previously convicted of, among other crimes, assault, assault and battery, and possession of controlled substances. As a convicted felon, Jones cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition. Jones was convicted in 2018 in the Eastern District of Virginia for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant 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 Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Gilliland and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremiah Johansen prosecuted the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

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. 3:26-cr-6.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – David J. Rush, 49, of Ashburn, pled guilty today to executing a scheme to defraud the federal government relating to the misuse of his government position, resulting in a loss of approximately $194 million.

“Federal employees are entrusted with serving the American people, not themselves,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The Trump Administration is committed to rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government, including by prosecuting those who foolishly defraud American taxpayers.”

“The United States entrusted Davis Rush with the resources to protect our nation and its people, and for sheer avarice he chose to betray that trust for personal enrichment,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Theophani K. Stamos for the Eastern District of Virginia. “He robbed his country, not just of its treasury, but also of its faith. This office is committed to prosecuting those who undermine the security of the United States.”

“Following an internal investigation that identified potential crimes, CIA immediately referred this matter to the FBI,” said CIA Director John Ratcliffe. “David Rush abused his position and betrayed the public trust and should be held fully accountable for his actions. We appreciate our law enforcement partners in the FBI and Department of Justice for securing this outcome. The Agency is committed to ensuring that those entrusted with our Nation’s secrets are held to the absolute highest standard.”

“By his own admission, David Rush defrauded the government of hundreds of millions of dollars, and then misused those funds for extravagant purchases,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Rush betrayed his oath, his co-workers, and the American people and he will now face justice for his actions. This plea demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to protecting the public’s trust; and that no government position, security clearance, or access to government resources places anyone above the law.”

“As a former military service member and senior government official, Rush understood the gravity of the oaths he swore to protect the United States and its national security interests,” said Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the FBI Washington Field Office. “Yet he chose to violate those commitments for his own personal enrichment. Rush manipulated security protocols designed to safeguard the nation’s most sensitive information, placing colleagues, operations, and lives at risk. The FBI remains resolute in its mission to defend the United States against criminal and national security threats, including— and especially—those that arise from within.”

“Our Intelligence Community must have the trust of the American people to operate effectively in a Nation committed to transparency and the rule of law,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Rush repeatedly betrayed that trust. He defrauded the United States out of approximately $194 million in real estate, jewelry, and other valuable property, including 298 gold bars. Worse, his self-serving actions threatened to erode public confidence in the intelligence services that must strive in secret to keep America safe. Thankfully, the efforts of the Department of Justice, its partners in law enforcement, and the Intelligence Community exposed Rush’s crimes. Today’s plea marks an important step in bringing Rush to justice.”

According to court documents, Rush was employed in a senior executive-level position with a federal agency and held a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance. He reached that position, in part, by lying about his education and military experience. Rush used his position of extraordinary public trust to create fictitious government authorities – including a fabricated Special Access Program – to obtain U.S. government funds for his personal benefit. Once he received the funds, Rush acquired gold bars and directed approximately $145 million in wire transfers that he ultimately used to purchase luxury real estate, watches, and at least one car. As a result of his scheme, Rush fraudulently obtained approximately $193,590,400 in U.S. government funds

On May 19, the FBI searched Rush’s residence and recovered 298 gold bars, approximately $2,106,550 in cash, €104,795, and numerous luxury watches. Rush had obtained the gold bars at an approximate cost to the government of $46 million. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Rush has agreed to forfeit the gold bars and currency found at his home, the fraudulently obtained properties, 30 watches (many of which were Rolexes), and two 2026 BMW Alpina vehicles, at least one of which is valued at approximately $172,000.

Cash and gold bars recovered in search of Rush's residence

Rush is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 28, 2027. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, forfeiture, restitution, and a fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raizza Ty and Gavin R. Tisdale of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorneys Kevin C. Hakala and Kathryn D. DeMarco of the Justice Department’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

The Department of Justice's investigation is continuing. The Director of National Intelligence has requested that the Inspector General for the Intelligence Community initiate an investigation.

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. 1:26-cr-185.

David J. Rush, 49, of Ashburn, Virginia, pleaded guilty today to executing a scheme to defraud the federal government relating to the misuse of his government position, resulting in a loss of approximately $194 million.

“Federal employees are entrusted with serving the American people, not themselves,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The Trump Administration is committed to rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government, including by prosecuting those who foolishly defraud American taxpayers.”

“Following an internal investigation that identified potential crimes, CIA immediately referred this matter to the FBI,” said CIA Director John Ratcliffe. “David Rush abused his position and betrayed the public trust and should be held fully accountable for his actions. We appreciate our law enforcement partners in the FBI and Department of Justice for securing this outcome. The Agency is committed to ensuring that those entrusted with our Nation’s secrets are held to the absolute highest standard.”

“By his own admission, David Rush defrauded the government of hundreds of millions of dollars, and then misused those funds for extravagant purchases,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Rush betrayed his oath, his co-workers, and the American people and he will now face justice for his actions. This plea demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to protecting the public’s trust; and that no government position, security clearance, or access to government resources places anyone above the law.”

“Our Intelligence Community must have the trust of the American people to operate effectively in a Nation committed to transparency and the rule of law,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Rush repeatedly betrayed that trust. He defrauded the United States out of approximately $194 million in real estate, jewelry, and other valuable property, including 298 gold bars. Worse, his self-serving actions threatened to erode public confidence in the intelligence services that must strive in secret to keep America safe. Thankfully, the efforts of the Department of Justice, its partners in law enforcement, and the Intelligence Community exposed Rush’s crimes. Today’s plea marks an important step in bringing Rush to justice.”

“The United States entrusted Davis Rush with the resources to protect our nation and its people, and for sheer avarice he chose to betray that trust for personal enrichment,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Theophani K. Stamos for the Eastern District of Virginia. “He robbed his country, not just of its treasury, but also of its faith. This office is committed to prosecuting those who undermine the security of the United States.”

According to court documents, Rush was employed in a senior executive-level position with a federal agency and held a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance. He reached that position, in part, by lying about his education and military experience. Rush used his position of extraordinary public trust to create fictitious government authorities – including a fabricated Special Access Program – to obtain U.S. government funds for his personal benefit. Once he received the funds, Rush acquired gold bars and directed approximately $145 million in wire transfers that he ultimately used to purchase luxury real estate, watches, and at least one car. As a result of his scheme, Rush fraudulently obtained approximately $193,590,400 in U.S. government funds.   

On May 19, 2026, the FBI searched Rush’s residence and recovered 298 gold bars, approximately $2,106,550 in cash, €104,795, and numerous luxury watches. Rush had obtained the gold bars at an approximate cost to the government of $46 million. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Rush has agreed to forfeit the gold bars and currency found at his home, the fraudulently obtained properties, 30 watches (many of which were Rolexes), and two 2026 BMW Alpina vehicles, at least one of which is valued at approximately $172,000. 

Rush is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 28, 2027. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, forfeiture, restitution, and a fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case is prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Kevin C. Hakala and Kathryn D. DeMarco of the Justice Department’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raizza K. Ty, Gavin R. Tisdale, and Anthony T. Aminoff for the Eastern District of Virginia.

The U.S. Navy’s Naval Criminal Investigative Service also provided valuable assistance to the investigation.

The Department of Justice’s investigation is continuing. The Director of National Intelligence​ has requested that the Inspector General for the Intelligence Community initiate an investigation. 

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. 1:26-cr-00185.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Newport News man on charges of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and possession of cocaine and fentanyl.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on Jan. 31, 2025, in Newport News, members of the Homeland Security Investigations – High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force (HSI-HIDTA) located Larry Darnell Dove Jr., 40, who was wanted on outstanding arrest warrants for eluding, assault on a law enforcement officer, possession of Schedule I or II controlled substances, two counts of felon in possession of ammunition, and other violations. As officers approached Dove, he attempted to flee, then resisted the officers as they apprehended him. During the struggle, officers removed from Dove a loaded handgun with an extended magazine.

Dove was wearing a cross-body bag that contained five bags of cocaine, cocaine mixed with fentanyl, and a digital scale. Investigators recovered an additional loaded magazine and a box of ammunition from the vehicle Dove was using. As a previously convicted felon, Dove cannot possess firearms or ammunition.

Dove faces up to 15 years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 13, 2027. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Kai Wah Chan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after the verdict was accepted by Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. The Newport News Police Department assisted in the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyson C. Yates and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Maso T. Hamilton are prosecuting the case.

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. 4:25-cr-19.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man was sentenced yesterday to 10 years and one month in prison for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

According to court documents, on July 6, 2012, William Oyster, 50, was convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia of receipt of CSAM. Oyster was released from prison in November 2020 and began a term of supervised release that included provisions making his home and electronic devices subject to search at any time and prohibiting him from using or accessing online devices without prior approval of a probation officer.

On Nov. 12, 2025, a probation officer conducted a routine search of Oyster’s residence and observed an unapproved smartphone in plain view. Within the residence, Oyster also possessed another smartphone, an external hard drive, and two thumb drives. A review of the devices revealed that Oyster possessed CSAM.

When the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Oyster on Jan. 6, 2026, he was in possession of a loaded handgun. As a previously convicted felon, Oyster cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Kai Wah Chan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis. HSI and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony C. Mozzi 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. Attorneys’ 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.

For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Know2Protect.gov.

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. 2:26-cr-33.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth man was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, in September 2025, Suffolk Police conducted four controlled purchases of narcotics, including cocaine and heroin, from Moses Elijah Williams, 40, at his residence in Portsmouth. In August and September 2025, Chesapeake Police (CPD) conducted multiple controlled purchases of narcotics from Williams.

On Oct. 2, 2025, CPD searched Williams’ residence. Investigators recovered approximately a kilogram of cocaine, along with smaller quantities of methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine base, and digital scales. They also recovered a semi-automatic rifle and a handgun. As a previously convicted felon, Williams cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Cindy Marx, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker. The DEA, ATF, HIDTA Hampton Roads Regional Drug Initiative, Suffolk Police Department, and Chesapeake Police Department investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda L. Cheney prosecuted the case.

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. 2:26-cr-52.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Three homeowners’ associations and a private club have paid a combined $2,691,673 to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act and the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 by knowingly making false statements and certifications in their applications for Paycheck Protection Program loans.

Congress created the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide forgivable loans to qualified businesses to maintain payroll and operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each PPP loan was calculated based on the applicant’s average monthly payroll and number of employees. Under the CARES Act, certain entities organized under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code were not eligible for PPP loans. Moreover, under the Small Business Administration’s regulations, private clubs that limit the number of memberships for reasons other than capacity were ineligible for PPP loans. 

Heritage Hunt Homeowners Association, Inc. is an age-restricted community located in Gainesville that obtained a PPP loan of $397,600 in April 2020. Heritage Hunt paid $425,000, of which $255,000 was restitution, to settle allegations that it knowingly made, or knowingly caused to be made, false statements and certifications about its employee count, average monthly payroll, use of its PPP loan proceeds, and eligibility for its PPP loan. 

Lake Caroline Property Owners Association is a homeowners’ association in Ruther Glen that was organized as a 501(c)(7) tax-exempt organization when it applied for a PPP loan of $169,400 in May 2020. Lake Caroline paid $225,000, of which $178,932.81 was restitution, to settle allegations that it knowingly made, or knowingly caused to be made, false certifications about its eligibility to receive a PPP loan and economic necessity for a PPP loan. 

The Commonwealth Club, Inc. is a private club located in Richmond that restricted its membership. The Commonwealth Club obtained first and second-draw PPP loans totaling $1,615,050 in April 2020 and March 2021, respectively. The Commonwealth Club paid $1,676,117, of which $1,257,221.28 was restitution, to settle allegations that it knowingly made, or knowingly caused to be made, false certifications about its eligibility to receive a PPP loan. 

Villages of Kiln Creek Owners’ Association is a community in Newport News that obtained a second-draw PPP loan of $772,156 in March 2021. The Villages of Kiln Creek paid $365,556, of which $228,472.38 was restitution, to settle allegations that it knowingly made, or knowingly caused to be made, false statements about its industry code under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS code). The United States alleged Villages of Kiln Creek falsely stated in its PPP application that its applicable NAICS code was 722511, which was the industry code for full-service restaurants. The United States further alleged that Villages of Kiln Creek’s false statement about its NAICS code caused its PPP loan to be overstated by $228,472.38. 

This settlement arises in connection with a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, United States ex rel. Riner v. Lake of the Woods Ass’n et al. 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 whistleblower received 10% 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 and the Small Business Administration.

This matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanya Kapoor and Forensic Auditor Peter Melaragni. 

Related court documents and information from the civil lawsuit can be accessed on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cv-1558.

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.

RICHMOND, Va. – Drequan Keymontay Peoples, 35, of Richmond, was sentenced today to 11 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl.

According to court documents, on Sept. 11, 2025, law enforcement searched two residences associated with Peoples. As officers approached one of the residences, Peoples fled in a vehicle. Virginia State Police troopers followed and ultimately apprehended Peoples, who was in possession of a backpack that contained $42,290 in cash, 23 oxycodone pills, 20 alprazolam pills, and two cellphones. 

During the searches of the residences, investigators recovered more than 950 grams of cocaine, more than 250 grams of heroin/fentanyl, nine firearms, and ammunition. As a previously convicted felon, Peoples cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant 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 (ATF) Washington Field Division; and Col. Jeffrey S. Katz, Superintendent of Virginia State Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck. ATF and the Virginia State Police 1T Tri-County Drug Task Force investigated this case with assistance from the Henrico County Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Blanchard 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. 3:26-cr-27.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Frazier Aviation, Inc., located in San Fernando, California, and its former chief executive agreed to settle False Claims Act allegations involving the sale of aircraft parts to the government. As part of the settlement, Frazier Aviation’s former chief executive will pay $4.9 million to the United States.

The settlement began with a lawsuit, United States ex rel. Heather Elliott v. Frazier Aviation, Inc. et al., 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 presented to the federal government.

The settlement resolves allegations that Frazier Aviation improperly marketed and sold aircraft parts that used Lockheed Martin’s Commercial and Government Entity code without authorization. The settlement also resolves allegations that Frazier Aviation used unauthorized subcontractors to manufacture parts that did not meet applicable quality standards. After the United States declined to intervene but still continued its investigation, the whistleblower proceeded with litigation. Frazier Aviation and its former chief executive agreed to resolve the allegations in the lawsuit, and the United States consented to the settlement. The whistleblower will receive a share of the settlement. 

This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanya Kapoor with the assistance of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division, and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. 

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 1:23-cv-881 (DJN/IDD) (E.D. Va.).

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Malachi Morgan Thomas, 24, of Woodbridge, was sentenced yesterday to 40 years in prison for sexual exploitation of children and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

“Malachi Thomas exploited dozens of girls through threats, coercion, and devastating sexual abuse,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His tactics — leveraging hacked accounts, fear of physical harm, psychological manipulation, and physical assaults — underscore the gravity of his abusive and horrific crimes. This defendant will spend the next four decades in prison and never harm another child.” 

“Malachi Thomas preyed upon our most vulnerable – our children – and he deserves a sentence that reflects the enormity of his crimes. The sentence imposed today does just that,” said Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Thomas’ pursuit of his victims was reprehensible and unrelenting. We are committed to using all tools at our disposal to protect children from exploitation and to prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law.” 

“Today’s sentence reflects the profound harm Malachi Thomas inflicted on dozens of vulnerable children,” said Darren B. Cox, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. “The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to identifying and investigating those who prey on minors, whether online or in our communities. We hope today’s sentence brings a measure of justice for the victims as they continue to heal.”

According to court documents, from at least March to October of 2020, Thomas used a Snapchat account, which he had previously hacked and stolen from a minor, to coerce approximately 41 minor girls between the ages of 12 and 17 to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Thomas directed the victims to create and send him CSAM and ordered the girls to engage in sexually explicit conduct during live video calls.   

Thomas told victims he led a criminal organization and that as long as they did what he told them they would be safe. To coerce compliance, Thomas threatened to hack the victims’ accounts or harm them and their family members. Thomas was aware that several of his victims suffered from anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues and that many had previously been victims of sexual abuse. In at least one instance, Thomas knew that the victim was in foster care. 

On June 6, 2020, Thomas travelled to a victim’s home and assaulted the victim, which he recorded and saved in his Snapchat account. Police discovered the video after searching one of Thomas’ cell phones, which they seized from him while investigating an altercation on July 9, 2020. Thomas traveled to Potomac Mills Mall in Woodbridge to meet a victim he exploited on Snapchat. The victim’s father had learned of Thomas’ actions and appeared at the mall instead of the victim.

On Oct. 1, 2020, Fairfax County Police arrested Thomas on charges of rape and sodomy of two minors in Fairfax County. With support from Prince William County Police, Fairfax County Police searched Thomas’ residence in Woodbridge where investigators located a second phone containing dozens of images and videos of CSAM, including recordings of his sexual assaults of the two victims in Fairfax County.

The FBI Washington Field Office investigated this case. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Halper for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Alicia A. Bove of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division 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. Attorneys’ 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.

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-327.

Malachi Morgan Thomas, 24, of Virginia, was sentenced yesterday to 40 years in prison for sexual exploitation of children and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). On April 2, Thomas pled guilty to one count of production of CSAM and one count of possession of CSAM. According to court documents, Thomas used a Snapchat account, which he had previously hacked and stolen from a minor, to coerce approximately 41 minor girls between the ages of 12 and 17 to engage in sexually explicit conduct. 

“Malachi Thomas exploited dozens of girls through threats, coercion, and devastating sexual abuse,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His tactics — leveraging hacked accounts, fear of physical harm, psychological manipulation, and physical assaults — underscore the gravity of his abusive and horrific crimes. This defendant will spend the next four decades in prison and never harm another child.”

“Malachi Thomas preyed upon our most vulnerable — our children — and he deserves a sentence that reflects the enormity of his crimes,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Theophani K. Stamos for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The sentence imposed yesterday does just that. Thomas’ pursuit of his victims was reprehensible and unrelenting. We are committed to using all tools at our disposal to protect children from exploitation and to prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Today’s sentence reflects the profound harm Malachi Thomas inflicted on dozens of vulnerable children,” said Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the FBI Washington Field Office. “The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to identifying and investigating those who prey on minors, whether online or in our communities. We hope today’s sentence brings a measure of justice for the victims as they continue to heal.”

Thomas directed victims to create and send CSAM, and he also ordered the girls to engage in sexually explicit conduct during live video calls. Thomas told victims he led a criminal organization and that as long as they did what he told them they would be safe. To coerce compliance, Thomas threatened to hack the victims’ accounts or harm them and their family members. Thomas was aware that several of his victims suffered from anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues and that many had previously been victims of sexual abuse. In at least one instance, Thomas knew that the victim was in foster care. 

On June 7, 2020, Thomas travelled to a victim’s home and assaulted the victim, which he recorded and saved in his Snapchat account. Police discovered the video after searching one of Thomas’ cell phones, which they seized from him while investigating an altercation. On July 9, 2020, Thomas traveled to a shopping mall in Virginia to meet a victim he exploited on Snapchat. The victim’s father had learned of Thomas’ actions and appeared at the mall instead of the victim. Thomas’ phone was seized when police responded to the incident.

On Oct. 1, 2020, Fairfax County Police arrested Thomas on charges of rape and sodomy of two minors in Fairfax County. With support from Prince William County Police, Fairfax County Police searched Thomas’ residence in Woodbridge where investigators located a second phone containing dozens of images and videos of CSAM, including recordings of his sexual assaults of two victims in Fairfax County.

The FBI Washington Field Office investigated this case.

Trial Attorney Alicia A. Bove of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Halper for the Eastern District of Virginia 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. 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.

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-327.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted Deonte Holden, 30, of Hyattsville, Maryland, and Clifford Flemming Smith Jr., 38, of Columbus, Ohio, yesterday on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to receive stolen vehicles, and also convicted Smith of aggravated identity theft.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Holden and Smith were part of a multi-state conspiracy to fraudulently purchase or steal vehicles and then prep and transport them for sale. The conspiracy involved over 150 stolen vehicles worth over $6 million.

The conspirators used the identities of real people without the victims’ knowledge to purchase or attempt to purchase new and used cars. They also fraudulently used stolen identities to test drive vehicles, obtain copies of the key fobs, return the vehicles to the dealerships, and then return to the dealerships to steal the vehicles using the key fob copies. The conspirators also used tow trucks to take vehicles from dealerships, rental lots, and residential neighborhoods.

Once vehicles were obtained, the conspirators would remove or conceal the factory-installed Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) and disable the vehicles’ Global Positioning Systems (GPS) so the vehicles could be transferred to others without detection.

Holden and Smith are scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 15, 2027. Holden faces up to 25 years in prison. Smith faces a mandatory minimum of two years and up to 27 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The other seven other conspirators charged in the case already pled guilty.

Roy Lee Jones pled guilty on May 23, 2025, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to receive stolen vehicles. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 10 and faces a mandatory minimum of two years and up to 27 years in prison.

Shaheed McClease Coston pled guilty on June 27, 2025, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to receive stolen vehicles. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 29 and faces a mandatory minimum of two years and up to 27 years in prison.

Carroll Michael Skipwith pled guilty on June 27, 2025, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 3 and faces a mandatory minimum of two years and up to 22 years in prison.

Timothy Kelly pled guilty on July 18, 2025, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. On Feb. 5, 2026, Kelly was sentenced to six years and four months in prison.

Jonathan Tarrell Smalls pled guilty on Aug. 15, 2025, to conspiracy to receive stolen vehicles. On Jan. 22, Smalls was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Sharrone Wilson pled guilty on July 9 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 15 and faces up to 20 years in prison.

Jenaro Blalock pled guilty on Aug. 6 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to receive stolen vehicles. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 5 and faces a mandatory minimum of two years and up to 27 years in prison.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jeffrey L. Tyler, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff accepted the verdict. The case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office, Baltimore County Police Department, Prince George's County Police Department, Fairfax County Police Department, and Prince William County Police Department with assistance from the FBI Cleveland Field Office, FBI Cincinnati Field Office, and FBI Minneapolis Field Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas J. Patterson and Reed Sawyers and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Bolzman are prosecuting the case.

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-273.

NORFOLK, Va. – Eleven defendants have been sentenced for their roles in a scheme to defraud credit union members in the Hampton Roads area.

According to court documents, since at least January 2023, fraudsters targeted victims in publicly accessible places and convinced victims, through deceit and intimidation, to hand over their mobile devices.  Once the thieves obtained possession and control of a victim’s mobile device, they would access the victim’s bank accounts.  The perpetrators then committed a variety of fraudulent actions, including unauthorized loan applications, financial disputes, monetary transfers, and withdrawals, and accessed the victims’ personally identifiable information.

Steven Carter Jones, III, 33, pled guilty on April 15 to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. He was sentenced yesterday to three years in prison. In a separate case in the Eastern District of Virginia, Jones pled guilty on April 17 to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 9, 2027, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison. Jones was convicted previously for, among other crimes, possession of a firearm by a violent felon, eluding police with endangerment, reckless endangerment, and conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud.

Corey Deshawn Smith, 32, pled guilty on Dec. 5, 2025, to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He was sentenced on Sept. 23 to two years and seven months in prison.

Persia Brown, 25, pled guilty on April 13 to conspiracy to commit money laundering. She was sentenced on July 23 to four months in prison.

Troy Lee Davis, III, 26, pled guilty on Jan. 6 to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. He was sentenced on June 2 to two years and six months in prison.

Andrea Holley pled guilty on Jan. 22 to conspiracy to commit money laundering. She was sentenced on May 6 to a year in prison.

Joy Davis, 48, pled guilty on Jan. 6 to conspiracy to commit money laundering. She was sentenced on May 5 to two years and six months in prison.

Laterrance Octavia Parker Jr., 25, pled guilty on Jan. 23 to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. He was sentenced on May 6 to three years and two months in prison.

Jordan Pugh, 34, pled guilty on Feb. 11 to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. He was sentenced on May 11 to three years and four months in prison.

Lois Irene Staton, 33, pled guilty on Jan. 5 to conspiracy to commit money laundering. She was sentenced on May 13 to six months in prison.

Jamaica Lavonta Sumner, 26, pled guilty on Feb. 3 to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. He was sentenced on May 6 to a year and nine months in prison.

Rodney Demetrius Thornton, 40, pled guilty on Jan. 5 to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. He was sentenced on May 13 to three years and six months in prison.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Matthew Lake, Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Norfolk Resident Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton D. LaForge prosecuted the case.

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. 2:25-cr-105 and 2:25-cr-128.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Annandale man pled guilty today to impersonating a federal officer and possessing imitation federal law enforcement credentials.

According to court documents, on Nov. 5, 2024, the date of the 2024 federal general elections, Alex Chieu Nguyen, 44, traveled to Timber Lane Elementary School, which was a polling site in Falls Church. Nguyen arrived in a black SUV wearing dark sunglasses, a blue zip-up sweatshirt emblazoned with the FBI logo, and a fraudulent badge. In a holster, Nguyen was carrying an air pistol resembling a Glock handgun. Nguyen approached election officials and greeters and falsely informed them that he was assigned to the FBI’s “Election Security.” Nguyen has never been an employee of the FBI and was not authorized to possess or use a badge or credential identifying him as a federal law enforcement officer.

Nguyen returned later and entered the building where active polling was taking place. When the polling site’s chief election official asked to see Nguyen’s credentials, Nguyen presented his fake FBI badge and a fraudulent credential identifying him as a special agent of the FBI. Nguyen again left the school, but was arrested later that day. 

Nguyen is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 14, 2027. He faces up to three years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jeffrey L. Tyler, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff accepted the plea.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jack Morgan and Robert McManigal are prosecuting the case.

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. 1:26-cr-147.

NORFOLK, Va. – A former Navy Petty Officer was sentenced today to 18 years and four months in prison for attempted sexual exploitation of children.

According to court documents, over a period of at least three years, Tucker Lee Martin, 32, engaged in various forms of online child exploitation, including sending sexual messages to minors through social media, requesting sexual images from minors, sending sexual pictures to minors, and possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

As the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) investigated Martin’s Tumblr account, which he had used to receive CSAM, investigators identified a photo Martin took of himself performing or simulating the performance of a sexual act while seated next to the three-year-old son of his then fiancée. Investigators also found a message from Martin expressing his desire to sexually abuse “a little 8-year-old.”

Martin used his snapchat account to ask an adult to take a sexually explicit picture of her six-year-old niece and send it to him, and then asked if he could touch the niece. On Feb. 20, 2022, Martin used Snapchat to send a sexually explicit photo of himself to a 14-year-old girl and requested that she send him nude images of herself.

In another Snapchat exchange, on Feb. 16, 2022, Martin asked a girl he believed to be 13 years old to send him a sexually explicit photo of herself. Martin expressed his interest in having sex with the girl, but she explained that she lived in another state. Martin then encouraged her to engage in bestiality and provided her with instructions for how to do so.

On Martin’s cellphones, investigators identified a total of 217 CSAM or suspected CSAM files. A search of Martin’s Kik account revealed 172 files containing CSAM or suspected CSAM. Martin also used Kik to communicate to another user that one of his goals included repeatedly raping that user’s five-year-old daughter.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Steven DiGiantommaso, Special Agent in Charge of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hannah E. Wirt and Nikolas Nelson 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. Attorneys’ 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.

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. 2:26-cr-32.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

According to court documents, William Thomas Alley, 41, used Kik and Telegram applications to chat with other users about CSAM and solicited CSAM online.

In December 2025, the FBI searched Alley’s place of employment, where he was living at the time, and seized seven electronic devices. On those devices, Alley possessed 398 images of CSAM, including images of toddlers, bestiality, and bondage, and 58 video files of CSAM.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Dominique Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker. The Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children (SOVA ICAC) Task Force at Bedford County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter G. Osyf 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. Attorneys’ 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.

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. 4:26-cr-14.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The operator of the Red Carpet Inn in Dumfries was sentenced today to 10 years and 10 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and managing a drug involved premises after she turned the hotel’s third floor into a protected marketplace for narcotics distribution and commercial sex and profited from it.

According to court documents, Kosha Sharma, 53, and her husband and co-defendant Tarun Sharma, 55, operated the Red Carpet Inn from May 2023 until their arrests in January 2026. The couple, who lived in a manager’s apartment within the motel, were regularly present on the premises. Under their management, the Red Carpet Inn was known in the area as a place where narcotics and commercial sex could be purchased.

Rather than removing guests engaged in criminal activity, Sharma and her husband channeled the illegal activity to the third floor and restricted who could access that floor, shielding the illegal activity from the view of law enforcement and the public.

Sharma profited directly from the arrangement. She and her husband charged more for third-floor rooms than for rooms on the first and second floors, and third-floor patrons understood the premium to be a fee for being permitted to conduct narcotics transactions and commercial sexual encounters there. Sharma personally collected payment door to door on the third floor each morning, at times pounding on doors and demanding money. 

Sharma knew that narcotics, including fentanyl, were regularly used on the third floor, and knew that many third-floor guests were addicted to fentanyl. On multiple occasions during the conspiracy, guests overdosed at the hotel. At least two of those overdoses in 2025 were fatal, and Sharma found both victims’ bodies in third-floor rooms.

Between March 2025 and January 2026, the FBI and the Prince William County Police Department conducted a series of undercover operations at the hotel, including at least fourteen apparent prostitution encounters in third-floor rooms and sixteen controlled purchases. 

Twelve of the controlled purchases involved fentanyl that was distributed by co-defendant Margo Waldon Pierce, aka Marko, 51, who distributed approximately 280.69 grams of fentanyl to undercover officers. 

Waldon pled guilty on May 13 to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced on Sept. 10 to four years in prison.

Tarun pled guilty on June 3 to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and managing a drug involved premises. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6 and faces up to 40 years in prison.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jeffrey L. Tyler, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division; and Col. Peter Newsham, Chief of Prince William County Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan Braun and Catherine Rosenberg prosecuted the case.

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. 1:26-cr-30.

RICHMOND, Va. – Two Richmond men were sentenced for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and possession of stolen mail.

According to court documents, from May 2023 through April 2024, Tremont Hancock, 25, and Olden Ellerbe III, 27, conspired with other individuals to steal U.S. mail, sometimes using stolen USPS “arrow” keys, which unlock all Postal Service collection boxes in a given geographic area. Ellerbe and Hancock obtained the personal and financial information of numerous victims through these mail thefts and utilized it to fraudulently withdraw funds from those victims’ accounts at local banking institutions.

Hancock and Ellerbe targeted victims’ financial accounts through a variety of means, including the creation of fictitious checks drafted on the victims’ bank accounts; using stolen debit and/or credit cards to withdraw funds from the victims’ bank accounts; and applying for loans in the names of victims, then withdrawing the fraudulently obtained loan proceeds with the victims’ stolen debit cards.

On Nov. 15, 2023, during a spree of five withdrawal transactions totaling $84,000 from victims’ accounts, law enforcement officers confronted Hancock and Ellerbe following the final transaction. Officers arrested Ellerbe after a brief pursuit and found him in possession of stolen mail, $59,940 in cash, 83 stolen checks with a total face value of $153,630.83, nine stolen credit or debit cards, six stolen U.S. Saving Bonds with a total value of $5,000, and a handgun. In Ellerbe’s rental car, officers found another stolen debit card, a counterfeit driver’s license, and more stolen mail.

Ellerbe pled guilty on Feb. 16, 2024, and was sentenced on Aug. 19, 2024, to three years in prison. Hancock pled guilty on Dec. 4, 2025, and was sentenced today to five years and six months years in prison.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Day prosecuted the case.

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. 3:25cr-153.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – An Ohio man was sentenced today to eight years in prison for wire fraud relating to a scheme to bid for construction projects for which he was not licensed and divert payments for his own gain.

According to court documents, Matthew Paul Taylor, aka Matt Wolfe, 49, of Fairborn, incorporated and formed business entities in dozens of states and used these entities primarily in the construction industry, where he held himself out as a licensed general contractor for construction projects across the United States.

Between January 2020 and February 2023, Taylor successfully bid for contracts for business construction projects in several states. Taylor concealed his lack of status as a licensed contractor by fraudulently using the licensing credentials of other businesses. Taylor forged notary stamps, presented fabricated certificates and lien waivers, and made false representations to receive payments for projects. He made lulling payments, if any, to subcontractors or offered false explanations for lack of payment, such as that he had not received payment. In truth, Taylor diverted payments he received for contract work and instead used the funds for his personal benefit. Taylor also knowingly made misrepresentations to regulators to conceal his fraud.

Taylor was ordered to pay $1,936,882.22 in restitution.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Dominique Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mack Coleman and Brian J. Samuels prosecuted the case.

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. 4:25-cr-35.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in Falls Church was sentenced today to six years and five months in prison for receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and illegally reentering the United States following a prior removal.

According to court documents, Roni Mendez Escobar, 33, has been removed from the United States three times since a final a final order of removal dated Aug. 24, 2015. On Oct. 23, 2025, agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) learned that Mendez Escobar had been detained at the Fairfax Detention Center.

A forensic review of Mendez Escobar’s electronic devices revealed his collection of 46 images and 65 videos containing CSAM. Mendez Escobar used WhatsApp to encourage others to consume CSAM and chat and video-call young girls. Mendez Escobar also used WhatsApp to distribute CSAM, including depictions of the sexual abuse and exploitation of prepubescent children. Mendez Escobar intentionally and repeatedly viewed, downloaded, and possessed images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct from at least October 2024 to August 2025.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Robert Guadian, Field Office Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Clement prosecuted the case.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Washington, D.C., comprises agents and officers from Enforcement and Removal Operations; FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service; Naval Criminal Investigative Service; Transportation Security Administration Federal Air Marshals Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and Washington Baltimore HIDTA, with the prosecution being led by 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. 26-cr-95.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Afghan national Mohammad Sharifullah, a member of the terrorist organization the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for his participation in a nine-year conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

“Mohammad Sharifullah has dedicated his life to violence and murder for the sake of hatred,’” said Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We cannot restore the lives he has taken, but we can bring a measure of justice to the families who lost so much on that day.”

“Sharifullah spent nearly a decade at the heart of a horrific campaign of terror, providing critical support for attacks against civilians around the world and, ultimately, contributed to the deaths of 13 U.S. servicemembers and dozens of others at Abbey Gate,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Today’s sentence holds him accountable for the blood on his hands. The United States will pursue, capture, and bring to justice anyone, anywhere in the world, who takes part in the killing of our servicemembers or citizens.” 

“With today’s sentencing Mohammad Sharifullah will be held accountable, on U.S. soil, for his role in the horrific ISIS-K terrorist attack which killed 13 American service members and numerous Afghan civilians,” said Assistant Director Jarod Brown of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “The bombing occurred in Afghanistan – thousands of miles from the United States – but that did not stop the FBI and our interagency partners from bringing Sharifullah here to face American justice. No matter where you are, and no matter how long it takes, we remain steadfast in our duty to bring to justice those who have harmed our citizens. I’m grateful to the men and women of the FBI, and our domestic and international partners, for their tireless efforts in this case.”

“Sharifullah, an ISIS K operative, pledged allegiance to a doctrine of hate and contributed to more than a dozen terrorist attacks — including the Abbey Gate bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members and dozens of Afghan civilians,” said Darren Cox, assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. “Over the years, he was a critical link in ISIS K operations, relaying communications, conducting surveillance, and transporting suicide bombers. His sentence demonstrates the lengths the FBI will go to apprehend terrorists who harm Americans and deliver justice for the innocent.”

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on Aug. 26, 2021, American and other Coalition military forces were conducting a non-combatant evacuation operation at the Abbey Gate of the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. Thousands of civilians were at Abbey Gate for evacuation.

ISIS-K leadership tasked Sharifullah with surveilling a road to the Hamid Karzai International Airport to ensure it was clear of Taliban checkpoints. At about 2:00 pm, Sharifullah travelled his assigned route and communicated to ISIS-K leadership that the route was clear.  At approximately 5:36 p.m., ISIS-K operative Abdul Rahman al-Logari, whom Sharifullah knew previously from their time together in an Afghan prison, detonated a body-worn suicide bomb at Abbey Gate, killing 13 U.S. military service members and approximately 160 civilians.

Additionally, on June 20, 2016, a suicide bomber acting for ISIS-K detonated a bomb targeting Nepali security guards protecting the Canadian embassy in Kabul. Prior to the attack, Sharifullah conducted surveillance to prepare the suicide bomber and later transported the suicide bomber toward the attack site.

On March 22, 2024, a group of ISIS-K gunmen attacked Crocus City Hall near Moscow. On behalf of ISIS-K, Sharifullah shared instructions on how to use AK-style rifles and other weapons with attackers and was in communication with them during the attack. The ISIS-K attackers used AK-style rifles to kill over 100 civilians in the attack.

In all, Sharifullah participated in over a dozen additional ISIS-K attacks from 2016 through his eventual apprehension in 2025. Throughout these attacks, Sharifullah was involved in various aspects of ISIS-K operations, including providing surveillance for attacks, transporting suicide bombers, transporting and cleaning armaments, communicating messages among ISIS-K personnel, and video recording explosions for ISIS-K propaganda purposes.

The FBI Washington Field Office investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Gibbs, Avi Panth, and Reed Sawyers for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Ryan D. White for the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division are prosecuting the case.

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-143.

Afghan national Mohammad Sharifullah, a member of the terrorist organization the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for his participation in a nearly 10 year conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

“Sharifullah spent nearly a decade at the heart of a horrific campaign of terror, providing critical support for attacks against civilians around the world and, ultimately, contributed to the deaths of 13 U.S. servicemembers and dozens of others at Abbey Gate,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Today’s sentence holds him accountable for the blood on his hands. The United States will pursue, capture, and bring to justice anyone, anywhere in the world, who takes part in the killing of our servicemembers or citizens.”

“Mohammad Sharifullah has dedicated his life to violence and murder for the sake of hatred,’” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Theophani K. Stamos for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We cannot restore the lives he has taken, but we can bring a measure of justice to the families who lost so much on that day.”

“With today’s sentencing Mohammad Sharifullah will be held accountable, on U.S. soil, for his role in the horrific ISIS-K terrorist attack which killed 13 American service members and numerous Afghan civilians,” said Assistant Director Jarod Brown of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “The bombing occurred in Afghanistan — thousands of miles from the United States — but that did not stop the FBI and our interagency partners from bringing Sharifullah here to face American justice. No matter where you are, and no matter how long it takes, we remain steadfast in our duty to bring to justice those who have harmed our citizens. I’m grateful to the men and women of the FBI, and our domestic and international partners, for their tireless efforts in this case.”

“Sharifullah, an ISIS‑K operative, pledged allegiance to a doctrine of hate and contributed to more than a dozen terrorist attacks — including the Abbey Gate bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members and dozens of Afghan civilians,” said Assistant Director in Charge Darren Cox of the FBI Washington Field Office. “Over the years, he was a critical link in ISIS‑K operations, relaying communications, conducting surveillance, and transporting suicide bombers. His sentence demonstrates the lengths the FBI will go to apprehend terrorists who harm Americans and deliver justice for the innocent.”

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on Aug. 26, 2021, American and other Coalition military forces were conducting a non-combatant evacuation operation at the Abbey Gate of the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. Thousands of civilians were at Abbey Gate for evacuation.

ISIS-K leadership tasked Sharifullah with surveilling a road to the Hamid Karzai International Airport to ensure it was clear of Taliban checkpoints. At about 2:00 pm, Sharifullah travelled his assigned route and communicated to ISIS-K leadership that the route was clear. At approximately 5:36 p.m., ISIS-K operative Abdul Rahman al-Logari, whom Sharifullah knew previously from their time together in an Afghan prison, detonated a body-worn suicide bomb at Abbey Gate, killing 13 U.S. military service members and approximately 160 civilians.

Additionally, on June 20, 2016, a suicide bomber acting for ISIS-K detonated a bomb targeting Nepali security guards protecting the Canadian embassy in Kabul. Prior to the attack, Sharifullah conducted surveillance to prepare the suicide bomber and later transported the suicide bomber to the attack site.

On March 22, 2024, a group of ISIS-K gunmen attacked Crocus City Hall near Moscow. On behalf of ISIS-K, Sharifullah shared instructions on how to use AK-style rifles and other weapons with the attackers, and was in communication with them during the attack. The ISIS-K attackers used AK-style rifles to kill over 100 civilians in the attack.

In all, Sharifullah participated in over a dozen ISIS-K attacks from 2016 through his eventual apprehension in 2025. Throughout these attacks, Sharifullah was involved in various aspects of ISIS-K operations, including providing surveillance for attacks, transporting suicide bombers, transporting and cleaning armaments, communicating messages among ISIS-K personnel, and video recording explosions for ISIS-K propaganda purposes.

The FBI Washington Field Office investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Gibbs, Avi Panth, and Reed Sawyers for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Ryan D. White for the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division are prosecuting the case.

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-143.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Stafford man pled guilty yesterday to theft of government property relating to his embezzlement of travel funds intended to reimburse Department of War personnel. This case is part of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.

According to court documents, Kevin D. Mickie, 47, was employed by a government contracting firm that provided technical support services to the Department of War, which uses the Defense Travel System (DTS) to manage, approve, and reimburse official government travel for authorized employees and personnel. From November 2019 through February 2023, Mickie managed DTS profiles with authority to view user accounts, reset credentials, and modify profile details, including changing bank account and disbursement information.

Mickie used his access to the DTS accounts to steal and divert $107,316.82 in Department of War travel funds by replacing account holders’ bank and routing numbers with his own, causing reimbursement payments to be disbursed via electronic funds transfers directly into Mickie’s personal bank accounts. After modifying the traveler’s DTS profile, Mickie completed the diversion by either modifying authorized travel vouchers to redirect a portion of legitimate travel reimbursement to himself or by creating fictitious travel authorizations and vouchers for travel that never occurred. Mickie also changed the primary e-mail address associated with the DTS accounts to his own e-mail address.

Although Mickie left his position with the contracting firm in February 2023, his scheme continued through January 2024 because several of the compromised DTS account holders were unaware portions of their travel were being diverted to Mickie’s bank account.

Mickie is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 14, 2027, and faces up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Platte B. Moring III, Inspector General for the Department of War; and Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles accepted the plea. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., assisted in the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert McManigal is prosecuting the case.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

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. 1:26-cr-156.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Suffolk man yesterday on charges of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, MDMA, cocaine, psilocyn, and marijuana.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on Aug. 17, 2025, a Virginia State Police (VSP) trooper observed Lewis Roy Hardy, 40, speeding and weaving in traffic on Route 164 in Portsmouth and suspected Hardy was driving while intoxicated. The trooper activated his emergency equipment to conduct a traffic stop, but Hardy continued driving for nearly two minutes before eventually coming to a stop halfway between the left lane and the shoulder of the highway. Hardy failed a number of field sobriety tests and was placed under arrest.

During an inventory of Hardy’s vehicle, law enforcement located distribution quantities of cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, MDMA (ecstasy), and psilocyn (psychedelic mushrooms), as well as a loaded handgun with an extended magazine, an additional magazine, and a digital scale. As a previously convicted felon, Hardy cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

Hardy faces a mandatory minimum of 35 years and up to life in prison when sentenced on Dec. 15. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Shane Todd, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division, made the announcement after the verdict was accepted by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes. VSP and the Portsmouth Police Department assisted in the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric M. Hurt and Alyson C. Yates are prosecuting the case.

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. 4:26-cr-23.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Petersburg man was sentenced today to 21 years and 10 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court documents, on Oct. 25, 2023, authorities searched the residences of Alonzo Lee Bonner Jr., 39, in Dinwiddie and Petersburg. When authorities ordered Bonner to exit his residence, Bonner refused, and a stand-off lasting approximately an hour ensued. During that stand-off, Bonner flushed several ounces of cocaine down his toilet.

At the Dinwiddie property, authorities searched both the residence and several vehicles owned and used by Bonner. Investigators recovered, among other things, $4,001, 348.3 grams of cannabis, 11.83 grams of cocaine, two handguns, a semiautomatic rifle, high-capacity magazines and ammunition, glass measuring devices containing cocaine residue, 101.82 grams of marijuana; and a digital scale.

At the Petersburg property, investigators recovered, among other things, 1,588.79 grams of marijuana, over a kilogram of crystal methamphetamine, 17.46 grams of cocaine, a handgun, and ammunition.

When Bonner was arrested on Jan. 3, 2024, in Chesterfield, authorities recovered $3,252, approximately 36 grams of cocaine, approximately 39 grams of marijuana, digital scales, and a spoon with cocaine residue.

Bonner was previously convicted of, among other offenses, being an accessory after the fact to a willful and deliberate murder, failure to appear, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, eluding police with endangerment, distribution of cocaine, possession of a schedule I or II controlled substance, resisting arrest, and possession of a firearm by a felon. As a convicted felon, Bonner cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Eric Weindorf, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C.; and Shane Todd, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne. The Chesterfield County Police Department assisted in the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen W. Miller and Janet Jin Ah Lee prosecuted the case.

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. 3:26-cr-30.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Manassas man was sentenced on Sept. 11 to two years and nine months in prison for orchestrating a multi-year fraud scheme that defrauded approximately 100 victims of more than $3.5 million.

According to court documents, Alexander A. Olave, 35, operated AO Elite, a company that falsely advertised a “done-for-you” e-commerce business model, claiming the company had built hundreds of online storefronts that generated $112 million in revenue for clients, and could produce guaranteed profit margins. None of these representations were true. Olave also falsely bolstered AO Elite’s credibility by directing prospective customers to a testimonial video that had been filmed for an unrelated company.

Olave collected up-front fees from victims who sought to launch online businesses, in exchange for his promise to build and maintain their e-commerce storefronts. Victims never received the storefronts they were promised. Olave used customer funds to pay himself a salary and to lease luxury homes and vehicles. When victims inquired about the progress of their storefronts, Olave made false representations to delay refunds and conceal the fraud. After AO Elite ceased operations, Olave created two additional companies using the same fraudulent business model.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jeffrey L. Tyler, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert McManigal prosecuted the case.

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. 1:26-CR-102.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA) today announced two prosecutions as part of a nationwide enforcement action led by the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, the Small Business Administration (SBA), and the SBA Office of Inspector General targeting fraud in the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

EDVA was a key participant in this surge effort. 

From June 12 to Sept. 1, federal prosecutors across the country facilitated fraud enforcement actions spanning over 160 criminal defendants, including approximately 80 newly charged defendants, reaching approximately $245 million dollars in intended loss to American taxpayers.

“Pandemic loan relief was meant to keep American small businesses alive during government lockdowns—not line the pockets of fraudsters,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The defendants charged during our summer surge allegedly fabricated businesses, submitted false payroll and revenue claims, stole identities, and concealed foreign ties on their applications— but they will now be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

“As the federal government was providing vital assistance to businesses impacted by a global pandemic, scammers and thieves cynically exploited that lifeline to enrich themselves,” said Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for EDVA. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to prosecute these economic parasites and recover the taxpayer funding intended to buoy small businesses in a time of crisis.”

“This summer surge shows what is possible when dedicated public servants across the country work together with a single purpose,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Our mission is clear: protect taxpayer funds, safeguard the integrity of federal relief programs, and deliver justice to those who exploited them. We will remain steadfast every day—standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners—to identify fraud, pursue those responsible, and restore confidence in the programs meant to help American small businesses thrive.”

“Today’s announcement represents the largest-ever action against perpetrators of SBA fraud, with 870,000 suspended borrowers tied to $39 billion in suspected fraudulent PPP and COVID EIDL activity. In partnership with Vice President Vance and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, we’re putting fraudsters on notice: the federal government will no longer turn a blind eye to those who stole from taxpayers and exploited programs designed to sustain small businesses during the pandemic,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “With demand letters going out to suspected fraudsters, we’re also sending a clear message that they must repay their debts or face Treasury collections and possible federal law enforcement. Under this Administration, the free ride is over. We are restoring accountability, recovering taxpayer dollars, and protecting SBA programs for the legitimate small businesses they were created to serve.”

“Operation No Doze brings a focused and coordinated approach to pursuing fraud in SBA’s pandemic relief programs,” said SBA Inspector General William Kirk. “By concentrating our investigative resources and working closely with SBA and our law enforcement partners, we are strengthening our ability to identify fraud, recover taxpayer funds, and hold accountable those who exploited programs created to help small businesses in a time of extraordinary need. This initiative makes clear that the passage of time does not diminish our commitment to accountability.”

In EDVA, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Stamos announced that three defendants were sentenced for PPP-related fraud involving approximately $2,125,000 in losses.

According to court documents, Karen J. DeMatteo, 65, of Gainesville, and her business partner, Tae Young Q. Jang, 65, of Nokesville, took out over 15 PPP and EIDL loans for entities they previously owned. Some of the applicant entities were dormant and no longer conducted business at the time of the applications. Jang and DeMatteo inflated the number of employees, payroll costs, and gross revenues associated with each applicant entity. Moreover, Jang and DeMatteo reported different payroll and revenue amounts for the applicant entities on different loan applications. Jang and DeMatteo then spent the PPP and EIDL funds for inappropriate uses, including buying cryptocurrency, houses, and a car. On Aug. 6, DeMatteo was sentenced to two years and six months in prison. On Aug. 27, Jang was sentenced to a year and five months in prison. This case was investigated by the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Between May 2020 and March 2021, Sheila Bynum-Coleman fraudulently sought and obtained more than $225,000 in loan proceeds from the Paycheck Protection Program on behalf of eight purported business entities.  Bynum-Coleman used those funds for personal purposes, including paying off the mortgage on her residence, purchasing luxury clothing, and paying off her personal credit cards. Bynum-Coleman also defrauded the Virginia Employment Commission, submitting fraudulent applications for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance funds, obtaining more than $17,000 of unemployment compensation benefits. On July 27, Bynum-Coleman was sentenced to two years in prison. This case was investigated by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia observed the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center with a reflective presentation hosted by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Theophani K. Stamos. The observation featured remembrances from former U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Spencer.

Three months after the attacks, Al Qaida terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui was indicted in the Eastern District of Virginia. Moussaoui was convicted at trial of conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, conspiracy to commit aircraft piracy, conspiracy to destroy aircraft, conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to murder employees of the United States, and conspiracy to destroy property. U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema sentenced Moussaoui to life in prison.

Moussaoui remains the only individual to date to have ever been convicted in a U.S. court in connection with the September 11 attacks.

“It is impossible to adequately describe either the responsibility of bringing a measure of justice for those lost on September 11, 2001, or the honor of having been entrusted with that responsibility,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Stamos. “Dedicated EDVA employees passed the Pentagon on their daily commute to this office where they tirelessly worked on the prosecution of Zacarias Moussaoui. Among the best ways we can honor those who were lost that day are vigilance against those who seek to harm America and its people and the unyielding pursuit of justice each day.”

NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced today to eight years in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, in April, May and June of 2025, Virginia Beach Police (VBPD) conducted controlled purchases of cocaine from Andre Lawrence Shorts, 35. After a fourth transaction was arranged, law enforcement arrested Shorts a short distance from his residence. From Shorts’ vehicle, investigators recovered 199.45 grams of cocaine, 7.25 grams of methamphetamine, 11 methamphetamine tablets, 47 amphetamine tablets, three capsules containing a heroin/fentanyl mixture, baggies, a scale, two cell phones, $546, and a stolen handgun.

From Shorts’ residence, investigators recovered 251.97 grams of cocaine and $1,030. After Shorts was turned over to the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office for booking, a deputy discovered another 27.68 grams of cocaine concealed in a body cavity.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Eric Weindorf, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Darryl J. Mitchell prosecuted the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

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. 2:26-cr-42.

RICHMOND, Va. – A federal jury convicted three defendants on charges relating to a Medicaid fraud scheme through a Henrico-based mental health agency. This case is part of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, twin sisters E'mon and Armone' Ambers, 31, and Traquan Brown, 32, participated in a scheme to defraud Medicaid through a mental health agency known as Divine Youth Counseling, LLC. E’mon Ambers was Divine Youth’s Chief Executive Officer and Armone’ Ambers was Divine Youth’s Program Director. Brown, who was involved in a romantic relationship with E’mon, was employed by Divine Youth and purported to provide counseling services on behalf of the agency. 

According to court documents, between January 2022 and October 2025, Divine Youth submitted more than $11 million in fraudulent claims to Medicaid for mental health services known as Crisis Stabilization and Mobile Crisis. The defendants falsely claimed that two mental health professionals simultaneously provided services to Medicaid recipients, when in truth, at most a single mental health professional was present for the service. The false claims that two professionals provided “Team Treatment” services caused millions of dollars of loss to Medicaid.

The defendants also paid more than $470,000 in illegal kickbacks in the form of purchasing hotel rooms for Medicaid recipients. The defendants used the hotel rooms to incentivize recipients to obtain Medicaid services from Divine Youth, a practice the defendants knew and understood was wrong and unlawful.

E'mon and Armone' Ambers were found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, health care fraud, aggravated identity theft, payment of kickbacks, and transactional money laundering. E'mon faces a mandatory minimum of two years and up to 92 years in prison, and Armone' faces a mandatory minimum of two years and up to 42 years in prison. Brown was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud. He faces up to ten years in prison. The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 15. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Court will hold a separate proceeding on Dec. 14 to address the defendants’ forfeiture obligations. The assets subject to forfeiture include $5,937,156.30 in funds seized pursuant to a federal seizure warrant. Additional forfeitable property includes assets involved in the transactional money laundering offenses, including two matching Mercedes-Benz G-Wagons and a residence purchased in Richmond, Texas. 

The FBI’s Richmond Field Office and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Virginia Office of the Attorney General investigated this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Day, Janet Jin Ah Lee, and Leighton Watson are prosecuting the case.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ('Fraud Division'). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

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. 3:26-cr-24.

A federal jury in Alexandria, Virginia, convicted Jihoon Park, 52, of Chantilly, Virginia, today for his participation in a fraud scheme that victimized individuals and defrauded a U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

“Jihoon Park claimed he would invest his community members’ life savings, retirement, and money and promised a high-yield return. Instead, he stole the millions of dollars entrusted to him to enrich himself,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Unsuspecting families and individuals suffered devastating financial crises because of Park’s crimes. The Criminal Division’s White Collar Section is using every available resource to stop criminals from destroying people’s livelihoods and retirements.”

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Park convinced people in his community to let him invest their money and grow their assets.  He used his personal relationships and his former affiliation with a large national financial institution to gain victims’ trust and convince them to give him money to invest on their behalf. Park promised safe investments with high returns. But he lied. Instead, he transferred over $2.5 million from the multiple victims to himself. Among other things, he used the stolen money to buy a house and cryptocurrency for himself. 

When one of the victims sued him, Park transferred assets to his wife and concealed millions of dollars in cryptocurrency assets before filing for bankruptcy and falsely claiming he had only $0.34 in financial assets and no cryptocurrency to avoid paying his victim creditors any money back from his fraud.  

Park was convicted of three counts of wire fraud and two counts of bankruptcy fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 10, 2026. Park faces a maximum penalty of 20 years on the wire fraud counts and a maximum penalty of five years on the bankruptcy fraud counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating the case. 

Trial Attorney Timothy J. Coley of the Criminal Division’s White Collar and Corporate Enforcement Section and Trial Attorney Zachary H. Ray of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Health Care Fraud Section are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys Russell L. Carlberg and Jack Morgan for the Eastern District of Virginia. 

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man was sentenced today to 12 years and three months in prison for bank robbery with a dangerous weapon and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

According to court documents, on or about Oct. 29, 2025, Curtis A. Robertson, 39, entered a bank in Newport News and waited in the teller line with a newspaper in his hands. When Robertson approached the teller window, he placed his newspaper, partially concealing a firearm, on the counter. The barrel of the firearm was visible to and pointed at the teller. Robertson passed the teller a note demanding money and the teller complied. Robertson then fled the bank with the stolen funds, leaving behind the note. Robertson discarded his newspaper and the hoodie he was wearing during the robbery into nearby dumpsters.

On Nov. 4, 2025, Robertson again entered a Newport News bank, waited in line, and passed a teller a note demanding money. A number of sightings were reported of a suspicious person running through backyards, and a witness identified Robertson from photo surveillance. Robertson was arrested on Nov. 6, 2025.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Dominique Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis. The Newport News Police Department assisted in the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Samuels prosecuted the case.

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. 4:26-cr-17.

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

According to court documents, on May 22, 2025, Randon Alexander Sprinkle, 31, used a dating app to contact another user who purportedly was the father of a nine-year-old son, but in actuality was an undercover agent with the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Sprinkle immediately invited the user to communicate via the Telegram app. After alluding to a sexual interest in minors, Sprinkle sent a video depicting two adults sexually abusing a minor. Sprinkle then expressed his interest in travelling to Washington, D.C., to meet the other user and sexually abuse his purported nine-year-old son.

On Oct. 16, 2025, FBI agents searched Sprinkle’s residence in Richmond and seized two laptop computers and a cellphone. Sprinkle’s cellphone contained 43 CSAM files and one of the laptops contained two additional files. The files included depictions of the abuse of toddler-aged children.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen Hubbard Theisen and Janet Jin Ah Lee 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. Attorneys’ 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.

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. 3:26-cr-2.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A New York man was sentenced today to five years in prison for conspiring to commit money laundering.

According to court documents, Abu Khamza, 35, pled guilty in May 2026 to conspiring to launder into cryptocurrency over $572,000 in what he believed to be drug money in the belief that such cryptocurrency would be transmitted to mujahideen in Syria.  Khamza believed that the funds were generated by the illicit sale of prescription drugs for which the pharmacy owner could sell legitimately for $8 but sell without a prescription for $500.  Evidence introduced into Court showed that, besides laundering cash into crypto, Khamza also engaged in extortion, cargo theft, auto theft, pandemic relief fraud, and check fraud.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Michael A. Burgwald, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Counterterrorism Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, FBI New York and Philadelphia Field Offices, and New York County District Attorney's Office assisted in the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon D. Kromberg and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacques Rio Singer-Emery, a Trial Attorney for the Justice Department’s National Security Division, prosecuted the case.

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-287.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Two brothers from Jacksonville, Florida, were arrested on Aug. 28 on charges of conspiracy to distribute nitazenes, synthetic opioids similar to fentanyl but that can match or surpass fentanyl’s potency.

According to court documents, Vladislav Chernyshov, 35, a naturalized U.S. Citizen, and Stanislav Chernyshov, 30, a Russian national illegally residing in Jacksonville, allegedly distributed counterfeit oxycodone pills on the darknet operating under the moniker “BarbaraWhite.” Laboratory analysis of the counterfeit pills sold in the conspiracy, which bore markings mimicking pharmaceutically manufactured oxycodone pills, found them to be laced with various nitazenes, including Protonitazene, Metonitazene, N-Pyrrolidino Etonitazene, and N-Pyrrolidino Isotonitazene. These pills were marketed on the darknet as being “fent free,” though the substances identified have been found to be potentially more potent than fentanyl. Law enforcement began its investigation following a fatal overdose in Arlington.

If convicted, Vladislav and Stanislav Chernyshov face a maximum penalty of at least twenty years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jeffrey L. Tyler, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division; Joseph O. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Detroit Division; and Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), made the announcement. The FBI’s Atlanta and Jacksonville Field Offices, the USPIS Fort Worth and Miami Divisions, and the Clay County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office provided substantial assistance in the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather D. Call and Catherine Rosenberg are prosecuting the case.

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. 1:26-mj-336.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Washington man was sentenced today to three years and five months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court documents, on Nov. 8, 2025, a Virginia State Police trooper observed Jiair Olajuwan Tidwell, 30, on Interstate 495 driving a vehicle displaying a stolen Maryland license plate. When the trooper attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the vehicle, Tidwell attempted to flee at a high rate of speed. As he fled, Tidwell crashed into a civilian vehicle at approximately 100 miles per hour. Tidwell attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended by the trooper.

Following Tidwell’s arrest, troopers recovered a loaded firearm in his pants. Tidwell was previously convicted of a felony in Fairfax County Circuit Court. As a previously convicted felon, Tidwell cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant 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 Leonie M. Brinkema. 

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Pascua prosecuted the case.

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. 1:26-cr-75.

NORFOLK, Va. – Jamar Edward Gay, 37, of Norfolk, was sentenced to 31 years in prison following his conviction at trial for maintaining a drug-involved premises to distribute cocaine fentanyl, marijuana, and suboxone; possessing a machinegun in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes; being a felon in possession of a firearm; and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. 

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on Dec. 18, 2025, law enforcement conducting a Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) investigation searched Gay’s residence in Norfolk. During the search, investigators located a container with crack cocaine, powder cocaine, fentanyl, and suboxone strips in the kitchen. Inside the bedroom, investigators found a handgun equipped with a machinegun conversion device (MCD), rendering the firearm capable of automatic fire. Investigators also recovered two other MCDs, marijuana, and Gay’s driver’s license, debit card, and United States Marine Corp identification. Investigators found another firearm in the living room.

Gay has previous convictions for, among other crimes, unlawful wounding in March 2018 and malicious wounding in August 2022. As a previously convicted felon, Gay cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.

On March 18, a federal jury convicted James Edward Sweat on charges of using a drug involved premises, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. Sweat faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison when sentenced on Sept. 25.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant 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 Dominique Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes. The Chesapeake Police Department and the Norfolk Police Department assisted in the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph E. DePadilla and Luke Bresnahan prosecuted the case.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Washington, D.C., comprises agents and officers from the ATF; FBI; Washington Baltimore HIDTA; Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service; Naval Criminal Investigative Service; Transportation Security Administration Federal Air Marshals Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and Enforcement and Removal Operations, with the prosecution being led by 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-6.

NORFOLK, Va. – A second superseding indictment was unsealed today charging a total of nine alleged gang members with racketeering influenced corrupt organization (RICO) conspiracy, racketeering murder and attempted murder, and firearms charges, all as part of their membership with the United Bloods Nation gang and the Cautious District subset of the Immaculate Balla Family, commonly called the Makk Ballers.   

The indictment alleges that the following defendants were members of Cautious District, a violent Eastern Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware street gang that participated in murder, robberies, narcotics trafficking, shootings, violent assaults, weapons violations, and other acts of violence: 

•           Christopher Clovis-Weathers Monfiston, aka YB or Twin, 34, of Chesapeake;

•           Tyvon Lyncurtis Smith, aka Rich Fargo, Cautious, or Teddy, 34, of Parksley;

•           Ky’riq Nygee Weathers, aka OG Kane, Riq, or Rico, 29, of Parksley;

•           Markiece Obryant Harmon, aka Issue, 41, of Hare Valley;

•           Zyshon Bell, aka Problem, 24, of Temperanceville;

•           Travon Bell, aka Lil Sav or Sav, 22, of Parksley;

•           Antoine Muhammad Beverley, aka Psycho, 30, of Onancock;

•           Quaizal Kellam, aka Sleaze Da Fox, Front, Frontline, or Qui, 25, of Exmore; and

•           Kemyrion Boggs, aka 38, 22, of Onancock.

Smith, Monfiston, and Weathers were charged in the original indictment and the newly added defendants were the result of additional investigation. 

According to court documents, members and associates of the gang were expected to retaliate against members of rival gangs. 

On Feb. 13, 2024, Smith, Monfiston, and Weathers allegedly coordinated travel from their homes in Virginia Beach to Brown’s residence in Accomack County, where they hoped to encounter a rival gang member they believed had assaulted Weathers two days earlier. That night, they allegedly hid in the woods near the home and ambushed Victim 1, shooting him multiple times. Victim 1 died of his injuries. 

On Jan. 19, 2024, Smith, Boggs, and other Cautious District members allegedly shot at the home of the father of a rival gang member in an attempt to draw that member out of hiding. On Feb. 11, 2024, Smith, Weathers, Zyshon Bell, and other gang members returned to the residence. There, Zyshon Bell and another gang member allegedly looked through windows to locate the sleeping victim and fired dozens of shots into the home, striking Victim 2, who was partially paralyzed from his injuries. 

The gang members were also allegedly involved in numerous other shootings, including at vehicles and homes associated with rival gang members. They also allegedly carried out robberies, including armed carjackings. During the execution of search warrants, law enforcement seized numerous firearms, including guns that were traced forensically to shootings carried out by the gang. 

Smith, Monfiston, and Weathers each face a minimum penalty of life in prison for their role in Victim 1’s murder. Zyshon Bell faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. The remaining defendants face 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.

Theophani K. Stamos, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Tysen Duva, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Eric Weindorf, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement.

This prosecution is a result of a years-long investigation led by Accomack County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO). ACSO continues to actively investigate this case, along with HSI. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen S. Taylor and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Wirt for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Ben Tonkin of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.

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-00140.

An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

A second superseding indictment was unsealed today charging a total of nine alleged gang members with racketeering influenced corrupt organization (RICO) conspiracy, racketeering murder and attempted murder, and firearms charges, all as part of their membership with the United Bloods Nation gang and the Cautious District subset of the Immaculate Balla Family, commonly called the Makk Ballers.   

The indictment alleges that the following defendants were members of Cautious District, a violent Eastern Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware street gang that participated in murder, robberies, narcotics trafficking, shootings, violent assaults, weapons violations, and other acts of violence: 

• Christopher Clovis-Weathers Monfiston, also known as “YB” and “Twin,” 34, of Chesapeake, Virginia;
• Tyvon Lyncurtis Smith, also known as “Rich Fargo,” “Cautious,” and “Teddy,” 34, of Parksley, Virginia;
• Ky’riq Nygee Weathers, also known as “OG Kane,” “Riq,” and “Rico,” 29, of Parksley, Virginia;
• Markiece Obryant Harmon, also known as “Issue” and “I$$Ue,” 41, of Hare Valley, Virginia;
• Zyshon Bell, also known as “Problem,” 24, of Temperanceville, Virginia;
• Travon Bell, also known as “Lil Sav” and “Sav,” 22, of Parksley, Virginia;
• Antoine Muhammad Beverley, also known as “Psycho,” 30, of Onancock, Virginia;
• Quaizal Kellam, also known as “Sleaze Da Fox,” “Front,” “Frontline,” and “Qui,” 25, of Exmore, Virginia; and
• Kemyrion Boggs, also known as “38,” 22, of Onancock, Virginia. 

Smith, Monfiston, and Weathers were charged in the original indictment and the newly added defendants were the result of additional investigation. 

According to court documents, members and associates of the gang were expected to retaliate against members of rival gangs. 

On Feb. 13, 2024, Smith, Monfiston, and Weathers allegedly coordinated travel from their homes in Virginia Beach to Brown’s residence in Accomack County, where they hoped to encounter a rival gang member they believed had assaulted Weathers two days earlier. That night, they hid in the woods near the home and ambushed Victim 1, shooting him multiple times. Victim 1 died of his injuries. 

On Jan. 19, 2024, Smith, Boggs, and other Cautious District members shot at the home of the father of a rival gang member in an attempt to draw that member out of hiding. On Feb. 11, 2024, Smith, Weathers, Zyshon Bell, and other gang members returned to the residence. There, Zyshon Bell and another gang member looked through windows to locate the sleeping victim and fired dozens of shots into the home, striking Victim 2, who was partially paralyzed from his injuries. 

The gang members were also allegedly involved in numerous other shootings, including at vehicles and homes associated with rival gang members. They also allegedly carried out robberies, including armed carjackings. During the execution of search warrants, law enforcement seized numerous firearms, including guns that were traced forensically to shootings carried out by the gang. 

Smith, Monfiston, and Weathers each face a minimum penalty of life in prison for their role in Victim 1’s murder. Zyshon Bell faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. The remaining defendants face 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.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; First Assistant U.S. Attorney Theophani K. Stamos for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Special Agent in Charge Eric Weindorf of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., Field Office made the announcement.

The Accomack County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) is leading the investigation, along with HSI. 

Trial Attorney Ben Tonkin of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen S. Taylor and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Wirt 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.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Thomas Weir Pauken II, 51, an American citizen who lived and worked in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), was sentenced today to two years in prison for acting as an agent of a foreign government within the United State.

“Thomas Pauken knowingly assisted a foreign adversary in actively subverting the government of the United States for his own financial gain,” said Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This was not an isolated act; Pauken continued his course of conduct to aid China for seven years. It is unconscionable that an American citizen would not only undermine the interests of the United States, but also facilitate others in doing so.”

“Pauken exploited his U.S. citizenship and corresponding ability to travel to the U.S. without restriction in order to support Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS) operations, recruiting, and gathering of sensitive information from potential assets,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Pauken betrayed his country for money. The National Security Division is committed to holding accountable anyone who aids or abets Chinese espionage efforts.”

“Thomas Pauken admitted to working at the direction of China’s Ministry of State Security to attempt to infiltrate U.S. political circles while also providing new recruitment targets for his Chinese handlers,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “This case illustrates the lengths to which the Chinese Communist Party will go to undermine our democratic institutions, and it also demonstrates the FBI’s resolve to defend the homeland from threats to our national security. The sentencing provides a clear warning: anyone operating as an agent of a foreign government against the U.S. will be found by the FBI and held accountable.”

According to court documents, from at least 2019 until February 2026, Pauken worked at the direction and control of people he knew worked for the PRC, including a person he met in 2017 identified as “Cathy.” Cathy provided Pauken with taskings, including meeting with potential intelligence assets, providing them with devices such as a laptop and cellphone to communicate with Cathy, providing taskings for the assets on what information was required, and providing Cathy with reports from the assets.

Pauken received at least $100,000 for his work with Cathy. Cathy also paid for Pauken to travel several times between 2019 through 2025 from China to meet with individuals in the United States who could provide Pauken, and ultimately Cathy and the MSS, with information.

Pauken worked for two other people in China whom he met in 2017 and knew as “Richard” and “William.” They told Pauken that reports he wrote for them went to Japan, but Pauken believed they worked for the PRC government.

Pauken also sold reports to a group of Chinese individuals from Wuhan who sought information about technology and the U.S. Department of Justice. The Wuhan clients wanted Pauken to find an expert to help them engage in cyber espionage.

The FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office investigated the case with the assistance of the FBI Washington Field Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gavin R. Tisdale the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Eli Ross of the Counterintelligence & Export Control Section of the National Security Division are prosecuting the case.

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. 1:26-cr-103.

Thomas Weir Pauken II, 51, an American citizen who lived and worked in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), was sentenced today to two years in prison and 36 months of supervised release with no overseas travel for acting as an agent of a foreign government within the United States.

“Pauken exploited his U.S. citizenship and corresponding ability to travel to the U.S. without restriction in order to support Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS) operations, recruiting, and gathering of sensitive information from potential assets,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Pauken betrayed his country for money. The National Security Division is committed to holding accountable anyone who aids or abets Chinese espionage efforts.”

“Thomas Pauken knowingly assisted a foreign adversary in actively subverting the government of the United States for his own financial gain,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Theophani K. Stamos for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This was not an isolated act; Pauken continued his course of conduct to aid China for seven years. It is unconscionable that an American citizen would not only undermine the interests of the United States, but also facilitate others in doing so.”

“Thomas Pauken admitted to working at the direction of China’s Ministry of State Security to attempt to infiltrate U.S. political circles while also providing new recruitment targets for his Chinese handlers,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “This case illustrates the lengths to which the Chinese Communist Party will go to undermine our democratic institutions, and it also demonstrates the FBI’s resolve to defend the homeland from threats to our national security. The sentencing provides a clear warning: anyone operating as an agent of a foreign government against the U.S. will be found by the FBI and held accountable.”

According to court documents, from at least 2019 until February 2026, Pauken worked at the direction and control of people he knew worked for the PRC, including a person he met in 2017 identified as “Cathy.” Cathy provided Pauken with taskings, including meeting with potential intelligence assets, providing them with devices such as a laptop and cellphone to communicate with Cathy, providing taskings for the assets on what information was required, and providing Cathy with reports from the assets.

Pauken received at least $100,000 for his work with Cathy. Cathy also paid for Pauken to travel several times between 2019 through 2025 from China to meet with individuals in the United States who could provide Pauken, and ultimately Cathy and the MSS, with information.

Pauken worked for two other people in China whom he met in 2017 and knew as “Richard” and “William.” They told Pauken that reports he wrote for them went to Japan, but Pauken believed they worked for the PRC government.

Pauken also sold reports to a group of Chinese individuals from Wuhan who sought information about technology and the U.S. Department of Justice. The Wuhan clients wanted Pauken to find an expert to help them engage in cyber espionage.

The FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office investigated the case with the assistance of the FBI Washington Field Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gavin R. Tisdale the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Eli Ross of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence & Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former employee of the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration pled guilty today to sexual exploitation of children and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

According to court documents, beginning at least in March 2008, Jackson Quentin Crocker, 54, of Woodbridge, used hidden cameras to secretly record minors in the bathroom of his residence. Between 2008 and 2025, Crocker created thousands of these videos, many of which show minors removing their clothing, using the toilet, and showering. Crocker also created multiple videos of himself engaged in sexually explicit conduct next to sleeping children at his house. In addition to the hidden camera videos he created, Crocker also used the Internet to collect thousands of images and videos depicting minors, some of whom are prepubescent, engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Crocker is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 2. He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to 50 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Jeffrey L. Tyler, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea. The Prince William County Police Department assisted in the investigation of this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Halper and Jacob Mercer 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. Attorneys’ 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.

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. 1:26-cr-148.