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Tuesday 2 June 2026
Auburn, Washington, man sentenced to more than four years in prison for racially motivated attack on Metro bus passengerRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 25-year-old Auburn, Washington, man was sentenced today for a federal hate crime for violently assaulting and stabbing a Black female passenger because of her race, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Adan Hernandez-Mayoral was sentenced to 54 months in prison for an incident in which he used a dangerous weapon, a knife, to cause bodily injury to the Victim and he did so because of her race. “The facts of what happened on that bus are despicable,” said U.S. District Judge James L. Robart. “It was a prolonged intentional assault on a Black woman…. We need to protect the public from this defendant.”
“Racially motivated attacks such as this one shock the conscience of our community,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “This office will join with our state and local partners to ensure these crimes are investigated and those who commit them will be held accountable. Such hate has no place here.”
“Today, we have delivered justice with the sentencing of Adan Hernandez-Mayoral for his brutal, racially motivated attack on the victim,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Assaults like these destroy our communities by breeding fear and distrust of public places and facilities. The Justice Department will continue to aggressively prosecute such cases to restore safety and confidence in our cities’ streets and transit systems.”
According to court documents, Adan C. Hernandez-Mayoral boarded a King County Metro bus on March 7, 2024, and immediately began making racist comments about Black people. Hernandez-Mayoral started antagonizing the Victim, a Black woman, and yelled, “I don’t like Black people, f***in’ hate ’em.” The defendant continued to yell racist remarks at the Victim referring to the woman as “Rosa Parks” and telling her to move to the back of the bus. When the woman attempted to move away from him, Hernandez-Mayoral followed her, while hiding a knife behind his back. When the bus doors opened at a stop, Hernandez-Mayoral grabbed the woman, pushing her off the bus and into a fence. He immediately began beating her all over her body and, after she fell to the ground, stomping on her. He then used the knife to repeatedly and violently stab the woman, whose thick coat spared her from suffering serious injuries from Hernandez-Mayoral’s attack. Hernandez-Mayoral fled the scene but was located and arrested by officers from the Kent Police Department later that evening.
“This was a horrific and deeply disturbing racially motivated assault that targeted an innocent member of our community because of the color of her skin. I am pleased to have reached this conviction on her behalf. Hate-fueled violence has no place in Kent,” said Chief Rafael Padilla of the Kent Police Department. “I want to commend the Kent Police Officers and Detectives whose swift response, thorough investigation, and unwavering commitment to justice led to the arrest of the offender and laid the foundation for this successful prosecution. Their professionalism and dedication ensured that this case received the attention and resources it deserved. I also want to express my sincere appreciation to the FBI, Seattle Office, the King County Prosecutor’s Office, and the United States Attorney’s Office, for their outstanding partnership throughout this case. This outcome reinforces the importance of strong partnerships between local and federal law enforcement in our shared mission of to protect our communities and hold violent offenders accountable.”
“The victim in this case was minding her own business on a familiar public transit route when a stranger made offensive comments about her race, threw her off the stopped bus, and then brutally assaulted her with a knife,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Together with our partners such as the Kent Police Department, the FBI will hold accountable those like Mr. Hernandez-Mayoral who engage in violent hate crimes.”
On December 23, 2025, Hernandez-Mayoral pleaded guilty to Hate Crime Causing Bodily Injury, admitting that he used a dangerous weapon, a knife, to cause bodily injury to the Victim and he did so because of her race and color.
Restitution to the victim will be determined at a later date.
The case was investigated by the Kent Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica M. Manca for the Western District of Washington and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, with valuable assistance from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Aspiration Partners Co-Founder Sentenced to Prison for $248M Scheme to Defraud Investors and LendersRead the Press Release
A California man who was a co-founder and former board member of Aspiration Partners, Inc., a financial technology and sustainability services company, was sentenced yesterday to 14 years in prison for a five-year scheme to defraud multiple lenders and investors of at least $248 million.
“Joseph Sanberg preyed on investors and lenders who believed in his vision of environmentally conscious fintech,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Instead of delivering on Aspiration’s promises, he orchestrated a multi-year scheme involving fake clients, sham payments, and deceptive loan collateral that caused at least $248 million in losses to numerous victims. This sentence holds him accountable and serves as a clear warning to others who abuse trust for personal gain and obtain loans from the financial industry based on lies and misrepresentations.”
“This serial fraudster used his Cinderella-like background, impressive educational credentials, and virtue signaling skills to swindle investors and lenders out of hundreds of millions of dollars,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California. “This criminal case serves as a warning: Anyone can get duped by a con man.”
“As evidenced by this case, Mr. Sanberg selfishly put businesses and clients at risk who expected him to provide a valuable service to protect their interests” said Assistant Director in Charge Patrick Grandy of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “Along with our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to allocate expert resources to investigate and prosecute all those who take advantage of a position of trust to defraud American businesses.”
“Yesterday’s sentencing reflects our commitment to the public,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group. “The reward for lying, stealing, and falsifying records, is jail time.”
According to court documents, Joseph Neal Sanberg, 46, of Orange, California, devised a scheme that began in 2020 and continued into 2025 to use his significant share of Aspiration stock to defraud various lenders and investors. Between 2020 and 2021, Sanberg and Ibrahim AlHusseini, who were both members of Aspiration’s board of directors, fraudulently obtained $145 million in loans from two lenders by pledging shares of Sanberg’s Aspiration stock. In order to secure the loans, Sanberg and AlHusseini falsified AlHusseini’s bank and brokerage statements to fraudulently inflate AlHusseini’s assets by tens of millions of dollars.
Beginning in 2021, Sanberg concealed from investors that he was the source of millions of dollars of purported revenue paid to Aspiration through, or purportedly on behalf of, sham customers. Court documents indicate that Sanberg personally recruited companies and individuals to enter agreements with Aspiration in which they committed to pay tens of thousands of dollars per month for tree planting services. The money for these customers’ payments was supplied by Sanberg himself. Sanberg concealed that these payments came from him rather than from the customers.
Aspiration booked revenue from these sham customers between March 2021 and November 2022, at the same time Sanberg concealed that he was the source of the payments. As a result, Aspiration’s financial statements falsely and fraudulently reflected much higher revenue than the company in fact received. Nonetheless, Sanberg continued to solicit investors to invest in Aspiration securities into 2025.
According to the documents, Sanberg also defrauded other lenders and investors using fraudulent materials describing Aspiration’s financial condition, including a fabricated letter from Aspiration’s audit committee that falsely stated Aspiration had $250 million in available cash and equivalents at a time that Aspiration only had less than $1 million in available cash. Sanberg used these fraudulent financial materials to obtain millions of dollars in additional loans and investments in Aspiration securities. Sanberg’s victims sustained at least $248 million in losses.
Sanberg pleaded guilty in October 2025 to two counts of wire fraud.
The FBI and USPIS investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Theodore Kneller and Adam L.D. Stempel of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nisha Chandran and Alexander Su for the Central District of California prosecuted the case.
Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison for Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Memphis man was sentenced to 180 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon.
According to court documents, on October 29, 2023, a Loxley Police Officer initiated a traffic stop on a white sedan for improper lane change. Marshall Bratcher, 40, was identified as the driver. Other passengers included an adult female and three juveniles. Bratcher admitted he possessed marijuana, leading to a search of the vehicle. During the search, a stolen Ruger, Model P89 pistol was recovered under the driver’s seat. Police learned that Bratcher used the firearm to kidnap the female passenger, forced her to gather the juvenile passengers into the vehicle, and ultimately leave with him. Witness accounts revealed Bratcher drove erratically with the firearm in his lap until he was stopped by law enforcement.
Bratcher is an Armed Career Criminal due to prior violent felony and serious drug offense convictions. Bratcher’s prior felony convictions include three separate convictions for Aggravated Assault, and convictions of Aggravated Burglary and Conspiracy to Violate the Uniform Controlled Substance Act, among other felony convictions. As a convicted felon, Bratcher is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Bratcher was indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm and pleaded guilty to the charge. United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Bratcher to 180 months in prison to be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release for illegally possessing the firearm.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Loxley Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Terrill prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Activist Short Seller Convicted for $21M Stock Market Manipulation SchemeRead the Press Release
Yesterday a federal jury in Los Angeles convicted an activist short seller of securities fraud for a long-running market manipulation scheme reaping profits of more than $21 million.
“Andrew Left used his expertise to profit at the expense of retail investors, ordinary people who owned the stocks he targeted. He callously boasted that it was like ‘taking candy from a baby,’” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Egregious schemes like this strike at the heart of free, fair and open markets, and warrant prosecution when they involve criminal manipulation. Investors should have confidence that U.S. markets are safe and free from the type of deliberate manipulation that Left engaged in to enrich himself at the expense of American investors.”
“Left used his TV appearances to disguise his intentions, manipulate the stock market, and pad his pockets,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “A fair and transparent securities market is a foundation of our nation’s financial system. We will continue to bring to justice individuals who abuse the public trust placed in financial advisors.”
“Andrew Left abused his position and influence when he devised a scheme known as ‘Short-and-Distort,’ to manipulate the market for personal gain,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). “Now he’s facing the consequences. Postal inspectors and our federal counterparts continue to partner to ensure spreading misleading or false material to the investing public has only one result: jail time.”
“Frauds such as the one perpetrated by Left can erode investor confidence which impacts our capital markets,” said Assistant Director in Charge Patrick Grandy of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “While this conviction cannot make up for the significant and emotional harm he inflicted upon his unwitting investors, it does send a message to those who may be looking to profit from similar schemes – think twice because the FBI has a proven track record of rooting out fraudsters who illegally tilt the playing field against honest investors and undermine confidence in our markets.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Andrew Left, 55, of Boca Raton, Florida, was a securities analyst, trader, and frequent guest commentator on cable news channels who manipulated the price of publicly traded securities so that he could profit off of investors who trusted him. As part of his scheme, Left made false and misleading statements — in the form of online posts and public reports — concerning publicly traded companies, asserting that the market incorrectly valued a company’s stock and advocating that the current price was too high or too low. Left knowingly exploited his ability to move stock prices by targeting stocks popular with retail investors and posting recommendations on social media to manipulate the market and make fast, easy money.
In anticipation of his public commentary, Left established long or short positions in the public company on which he was commenting and prepared to quickly close those positions post-publication and take profits on the short-term price movement caused by his commentary. In advance of his tweets and reports, Left would enter limit orders to trade in the opposite direction of his public recommendations. Furthermore, Left used his advance knowledge and control over the timing of a market-moving event to build his positions using inexpensive, short-dated options contracts that expired from the same day that he published his commentary to within five days. To further the scheme, Left advanced the false pretense that his investment recommendations were credible because he was independent and free from any financial conflicts of interest.
Left was convicted of one count of participating in a securities fraud scheme and 12 counts of securities fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 31. He faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
USPIS and the FBI investigated the case. The Justice Department appreciates the substantial assistance of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)’s Criminal Prosecution Assistance Group.
Acting Assistant Chief Matthew Reilly of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benedetto L. Balding and Andrew Roach for the Central District of California are prosecuting the case. Paralegals Mika Gothard, Ellen Kiernan, and Lanie Kirby provided substantial assistance.
Acting U.S. Attorney Marck appointed to Attorney General’s Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche recently appointed Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck to serve on a select and prestigious body of U.S. Attorneys that advises Department of Justice leadership on national law enforcement priorities.
Marck’s appointment to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys reflects both his leadership in one of the largest districts in the nation and the important role the Southern District of Texas plays in confronting emerging threats to public safety and national security.
The AGAC was created in 1973 and is designed to ensure broad geographic, operational and subject-matter representation and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys on matters of policy, procedure and management impacting offices throughout the nation.
Members work through subcommittees and working groups on issues including violent crime, national security, fraud, narcoterrorism and other critical priorities. The AGAC plays a central role in ensuring that the experience of federal prosecutors in the field informs on national Department of Justice strategy.
“It is an immense honor to be appointed to the AGAC, and I am deeply grateful to Acting Attorney General Blanche for his confidence and trust in me,” said Marck. “The Southern District of Texas is home to some of the most dedicated federal, state and local law enforcement officers in the country, and I am proud to carry their work and their mission into this important forum.”
Marck and other AGAC members met with Blanche and other DOJ leadership in May and will hold the first substantive meeting later this month.
Marck will serve alongside U.S. Attorney Dan Bishop (Middle District of North Carolina), U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros (Northern District of Illinois), U.S. Attorney Scott Bradford (District of Oregon), Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine Crosby (Northern District of Alabama), U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine (District of Arizona), U.S. Attorney Michael Dunavant (Western District of Tennessee), First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison (District of New Mexico), First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bilal Essayli (Central District of California), U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon (Southern District of California), U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon (Eastern District of Michigan), U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly (District of Colorado), U.S. Attorney David Metcalf (Eastern District of Pennsylvania), U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro (District of Columbia), U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones (Southern District of Florida) and U.S. Attorney Lesley Woods (District of Nebraska).
As Acting U.S. Attorney, Marck is the chief federal law enforcement officer in the Southern District of Texas, responsible for prosecuting and defending the interests of the United States in one of the largest and busiest districts in the nation.
Before being appointed Acting U.S. Attorney, Marck served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney, overseeing the Criminal, Civil and Appellate Divisions. Prior to that, he was in the National Security and Public Corruption Section where he served as Associate Deputy Criminal Chief, supervising a team of Assistant U.S. Attorneys, intelligence officers and support staff in prosecuting complex national security, counterintelligence and cybercrime cases.
Marck began his federal career as an AUSA in the Corpus Christi and Victoria Divisions of the Southern District of Texas, where he managed a diverse criminal docket that included charges of illegal reentry, alien smuggling, drug trafficking and other cartel-related offenses.
Prior to joining the SDTX, Marck was an Assistant District Attorney in New York City, serving in both the Brooklyn and Bronx District Attorney’s offices. As an ADA, Marck prosecuted a high-volume caseload of major felonies, including murder, manslaughter, robbery and gang assault.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties, more than 10 million people, covers 44,000 square miles and comprises seven U.S. District Court divisions. Headquartered in Houston, SDTX has branch offices in Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo.
5-9 Brims Gang Member Pleads Guilty in Connection with August 17, 2025 Shooting in Crown HeightsRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Timothy Spence pleaded guilty to assault in-aid-of racketeering and a firearms crime related to his involvement in the August 17, 2025 shooting at Taste of the City Lounge in Brooklyn, New York, during which thirteen individuals were shot and three died. Spence, a member of the 5-9 Brims gang, waived indictment and pleaded guilty to an information charging him with assault in-aid-of racketeering in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1959(a)(3), and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c). The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Orelia E. Merchant. When sentenced, Spence faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and up to life imprisonment.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the guilty plea.
“As part of a gang dispute, Spence and others opened fire in the middle of a crowded bar, leaving three people dead and ten other injured victims,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “As today’s guilty plea demonstrates, our Office is committed to prosecuting all gang-related gun violence and holding accountable those who perpetuate it.”
“The defendant and other members of the 5-9 Brims turned a crowded Brooklyn bar into a war zone when they opened fire on rival gang members, killing three people and injuring 10 others,” said NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “Today’s guilty plea reflects the NYPD’s relentless pursuit of the violent gang members who wreak havoc in our communities and claim lives. Thank you to the tireless work of our NYPD investigators and our partners at the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for holding these dangerous criminals accountable."
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to FBI/NYPD Metro Safe Streets Task Force and the NYPD’s Gun Violence Suppression Division for their outstanding work and assistance in this investigation and prosecution.
As set forth in court filings, in the early morning hours of August 17, 2025, Spence was at Taste of the City Lounge, a restaurant and hookah bar in Brooklyn, New York, with members and associates of the 5-9 Brims. Also present at the lounge were individuals associated with the Folk Nation Gangster Disciples (or “GD”), a rival of the 5-9 Brims. At approximately 3:00 a.m., members of the 5-9 Brims began shooting at associates of GD, who returned fire. Spence, who was armed when the shooting began, shot towards a group of individuals affiliated with GD. Within approximately six seconds, over 40 shots were discharged into the crowded bar, killing three and injuring ten.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Dana Rehnquist, Daniel J. Marcus and Molly N. Delaney are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
TIMOTHY SPENCE
Age: 21
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 26-CR-140 (OEM)
2026.05.05_u.s._v._spence_information_18_usc_1959a3_924c.pdf
Monday 1 June 2026
York County Man Pleads Guilty to Straw Purchasing FirearmsRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Gregory Tischuk, 66, of York County, has pleaded guilty to straw purchasing firearms.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Baltimore Field Office learned that Gregory Tischuk was trafficking guns from Fort Mill to Baltimore, Maryland, through a gun trafficker operating in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The gun trafficker could not legally own or purchase firearms. An undercover ATF agent began buying guns from the gun trafficker in Baltimore and Charlotte. Over the course of their investigation, the undercover agent purchased approximately 106 guns, with many of the guns coming from North and South Carolina. Six of the firearms purchased were traced back to Tischuk, a resident of Fort Mill.
In several text messages, the gun trafficker asked Tischuk for a Glock 27 pistol for the trafficker’s wife. Tischuk indicated that he did not have one but one could get one. The trafficker then agreed to sell the undercover agent a Glock 27 pistol. On March 21, 2024, the undercover agent bought 10 guns in Maryland from the gun trafficker, including a Glock 27. The Glock 27 was traced back to Tischuk. The trafficker purchased the gun from Tischuk on March 15, 2024 in Prosperity, South Carolina.
In April 2024, Tischuk agreed to sell the gun trafficker another Glock 27. Tischuk purchased another Glock 27 on April 4, 2024, as part of a multiple purchase of firearms. It was later recovered by the ATF on April 30, 2024, in Baltimore.
As evidenced by the text messages, Tischuk knew he was not buying the firearm for himself when he filled out the ATF Form 4473. Tischuk made a false declaration when filling out the ATF Form 4473.
Investigators interviewed Tischuk after the execution of a search warrant at his home. Tischuk admitted he knew the gun trafficker and had sold him multiple firearms, specifically more than one Glock 27. He admitted he straw purchased the Glock 27 with the intent to immediately sell it to the subject for profit. Investigators seized more than 100 firearms during the search of his home.
Tischuk faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Tischuk after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.Virginia Man Sentenced in Connection with Identity Theft Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A Virginia man received a prison term, today, stemming from an identity theft scheme.
U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Jade Ingalls, 45, of Arlington, to 42 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for false use of a passport and aggravated identity theft in connection with the scam.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge David Richeson, U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) – Washington Field Office, Chief Charles Penn, Arlington County Police Department (ACPD), and Chief Joseph Kluh, Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority (MWAA).
According to court documents, Ingalls stole numerous victims’ personal identifiable information (PII) to syphon money from their accounts and to defraud the government and financial institutions. Ingalls, who victimized more than 20 individuals, utilized individuals’ PII to request duplicate driver’s licenses, open bank accounts, and access digital mailboxes. Additionally, Ingalls traveled from city to city for short periods of time using the victims’ PII to rent hotels, furnished apartments, and individually owned rental properties via online rental marketplaces.
Law enforcement later found evidence linking him to the crime spree, including a transaction receipt in a laptop bag; notarized bank account closure authorization form; bank cards; gift cards; fraudulent identification cards; and an ID Card printer. Authorities also discovered several ID cards displaying Ingalls’ picture, but under three different victims’ names, and the Armed Forces of the United States seal.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DSS, ACPD, and MWAA for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kertisha Dixon who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida Supports Career Closets Through Freedom 250 Charity DriveRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – In celebration of Freedom 250 and America’s upcoming 250th birthday, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida proudly conducted a charitable donation drive to support local Career Closets charities throughout the district. In total, nearly 180 articles of professional attire were donated in Tallahassee and Pensacola.
The Freedom 250 Charity Drive was organized as an opportunity for employees to give back to their communities while honoring the spirit of service, opportunity, and unity that defines our nation. Staff members across the district generously donated professional clothing, accessories, and workplace essentials to help individuals preparing to enter or re-enter the workforce.
This year’s donations will benefit the Florida State University Professional Clothing Closet and the Pensacola State College PIRATE’s Care Career Closet. These programs provide professional attire and support resources to students preparing for interviews, internships, and employment opportunities, helping build confidence and remove barriers to career success.
“The generosity shown by our employees reflects the ongoing commitment to public service and community engagement by the United States Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin. “As we celebrate Freedom 250 and America’s birthday, we are proud to support organizations that empower individuals and strengthen our communities.”
Career Closets provides professional attire and resources to students and job seekers, helping individuals build confidence and prepare for interviews, internships, and employment opportunities. The donations collected through the drive will directly support members of the local communities that serve throughout North Florida.
United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Results of Three-Month Multi-Jurisdictional Enforcement Surge: 56 Defendants Charged, 254+ Kilograms of Drugs Seized, 110 Illegal Firearms Recovered, and 157 Fugitives ApprehendedRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson announced today the results of Operation Spring Cleaning, a coordinated three-month multi-jurisdictional enforcement surge that resulted in 56 defendants charged federally, over 254 kilograms of drugs seized including more than 22 kilograms of fentanyl, 110 illegal firearms recovered, and 157 fugitives apprehended on state and federal charges throughout the region.
The operation targeted violent offenders, drug traffickers, armed felons, and fugitives responsible for spreading deadly drugs, driving gun violence, and increasing crime across district and state lines.
“We usually see increased violent crime and drug crimes during the summer – this operation was meant to get ahead of that and get the worst offenders off the streets before they can recruit others to their life of street crime this summer,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “We all know criminals don’t respect district or state lines, and that is why this coordinated effort involved multiple agencies in North and South Carolina. We wanted to make clear you cannot commit a crime in North Carolina and escape across the state line to avoid getting caught.”
Federal agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI, and the U.S. Marshals Service Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force (USMS CRFTF) worked in coordination with state and local law enforcement in North Carolina and South Carolina to identify, investigate, and apprehend individuals trafficking fentanyl and other dangerous drugs, illegally possessing firearms, and committing violent crimes impacting communities throughout the region. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also coordinated closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Carolina, which participated in the surge and brought additional federal cases in South Carolina.
“Partnerships are force multipliers,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division which overseas North and South Carolina. “Results from these investigations underscore the importance of intelligence sharing and coordinated enforcement efforts in combating violent crime and drug trafficking. Today’s outcome is a testament to what can be achieved when agencies unite toward a common goal. Together, we removed dangerous narcotics and illegal firearms from the streets while bringing wanted fugitives into custody.”
“It takes a multi-faceted, multi-agency approach to successfully fight violent crime,” said Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF in North and South Carolina. “Through resource and intelligence sharing, investigative capabilities, and an unwavering commitment to uphold the law, ATF and our law enforcement partners are identifying dangerous offenders, disrupting criminal organizations, and making our communities safer.”
“People willing to commit violent crimes don’t care about city and county lines. These partnerships allow us to extend our reach, share intelligence in real time, and target threats at every level. There is no revolving door or parole in the federal justice system, instead there are real consequences for violent repeat offenders. The FBI will do everything we can to support our federal, state, and local partners to hold violent criminals accountable,” said Reid Davis, the FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge.
“HSI will use every tool and resource at our disposal to dismantle criminal networks and protect the people we serve. Whether it’s drug traffickers, violent offenders, or fugitives, crime has no safe haven in North or South Carolina. If you bring crime to our communities, we will bring the full strength of our partnerships to your door,” said Mark M. Zito, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in North and South Carolina. “We are grateful for the dedication and teamwork of our federal, state, and local partners—together, we are making our communities safer and stronger.”
“The success of this unique operation is a direct result of outstanding interagency cooperation,” stated Jamaal Thompson, Commander of the United States Marshals Service Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force. “By working alongside our federal, state, and local partners, we were able to arrest some of the most dangerous individuals in our community safely and effectively. Through collaborative efforts such as Operation Spring Cleaning, and with a shared commitment to public safety, our communities are safer.”
“Operation Spring Cleaning highlights the power of collaboration among local, state, and federal law enforcement partners,” said CMPD Chief Estella D. Patterson. “Many of the cases announced today began with CMPD officers making contacts at the street level and identifying criminal activity in our neighborhoods. I am proud of our officers, who continue to be the boots on the ground and are often the first link in investigations that lead to the removal of illegal firearms, drug traffickers, and violent offenders from our community. Together, we are making Charlotte safer.”
Operation Spring Cleaning led to significant enforcement results:
Federal defendants charged in connection with the enforcement surge face charges for drug trafficking, illegal possession of firearms, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, armed robbery, and other violent offenses.
Operation Spring Cleaning is part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office ongoing violent crime reduction strategy focused on partnering with law enforcement agencies at all levels to dismantle drug networks, reduce the number of illegal guns and gun trafficking in the region, combat gun-induced violence, and identify and prosecute violent offenders who drive criminal activity across district and state lines through intelligence sharing and coordination among law enforcement agencies.
The operation also supports the Justice Department’s broader efforts of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the federal, state, and local agencies that participated in the operation, including: South Carolina U.S. Attorney Brian Stirling, the DEA, ATF, FBI, HSI, USMS CRFTF, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, the North Carolina Highway Patrol, the Anson County Sheriff’s Office, the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, the Gaston County Sheriff’s Office, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office, the Union County Sheriff’s Office, the York County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina, the Asheville Police Department, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, the Gaston County Police Department, the Gastonia Police Department, the Hickory Police Department, and the Rock Hill Police Department in South Carolina.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina is in charge of the federal prosecutions in North Carolina.
U.S. Attorney's Office Recognizes FBI Special Agent Bobby Gutierrez as the Freedom 250 Hometown HeroRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon is proud to announce FBI Special Agent Bobby Gutierrez as the Freedom 250 Hometown Hero. The prestigious national award honors individuals whose steadfast courage, generosity, and public service embody the enduring ideals of liberty and civic responsibility.
The Freedom 250 initiative was created in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. It recognizes outstanding Americans who make lasting contributions to their local communities.
SA Gutierrez was selected as the District of Oregon’s Hometown Hero because of his leadership, collaboration, and dedication to the joint downtown fentanyl enforcement missions. For the past two years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in partnership with the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Portland Police Bureau have targeted fentanyl dealers in Portland, Oregon. SA Gutierrez works closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to combat the scourge of fentanyl. He has helped coordinate dozens of investigations focused on fentanyl distributors in downtown Portland. Through his leadership, nearly 100 fentanyl distributors have been federally charged for their unlawful conduct.
“As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, I am honored to present Special Agent Gutierrez as Oregon’s Hometown Hero. Special Agent Gutierrez’s dedication, selfless service, and unwavering commitment have made a lasting impact on the safety and well-being of our community,” said U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford. “Two years ago, Portland had notorious open-air drug markets, rising crime, and frequent overdoses. Thanks to Special Agent Gutierrez’s efforts, dedication, and coordination with local, county, and state partners, we are reducing fentanyl trafficking, violent crime, and overdoses downtown.”
SA Gutierrez has proven to be a tireless investigator and steadfast partner in our efforts to restore downtown Portland to a safe and vibrant community.
For more information on the award and the Freedom 250 initiative, visit the Department of Justice news page or White House Freedom 250 Page.
U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer Announces Appointment of Joyce M. Malliet as First Assistant U.S. AttorneyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today that Joyce M. Malliet has been appointed First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. As First Assistant, Malliet will serve as the Office’s second-ranking official and assist in leading the Office’s operations and mission throughout the District of New Jersey.
“Joyce Malliet is an exceptional prosecutor, leader, and public servant whose career reflects an unwavering commitment to justice and the people of New Jersey. For nearly twenty-four years, she has served this Office with distinction, and I am confident that her experience, judgment, and dedication will continue to strengthen our mission and support the outstanding work of our prosecutors and staff.”
- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer
Malliet has served as an Assistant United States Attorney for nearly twenty-four years and currently serves as Chief of the National Security Unit, becoming the first woman to lead that section. During her tenure, she has helped lead efforts to prevent, disrupt, and prosecute threats to national security and terrorism. She previously served in the Office’s Special Prosecutions Division and Securities and Health Care Fraud Unit and has long been involved with the District’s ReNew Re-Entry Court, which helps formerly incarcerated individuals successfully reintegrate into society. Before entering public service, Malliet was the first African-American partner at Clausen Miller, P.C. She is a Trustee of the Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey and a founding member of the Black Prosecutors Association of New Jersey. Throughout her career, Malliet has distinguished herself as a respected prosecutor, mentor, and leader within both the Office and the broader legal community.
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Two Defendants Convicted of Engaging in A Massive Enterprise to Distribute Fake Pharmaceuticals Online That Resulted in DeathRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that FRANCISCO ALBERTO LOPEZ REYES, a/k/a “Frank,” and EDWARD EUSTATE JIMENEZ, a/k/a “Chino,” were found guilty by a jury following a six-week trial before U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan. LOPEZ REYES was convicted of being a principal administrator of a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death, narcotics distribution, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. EUSTATE JIMENEZ was convicted of conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death and narcotics distribution. The defendants’ conspiracy was responsible for sending fake pharmaceutical pills that actually contained fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl, which killed a victim.
“A unanimous jury found that Francisco Alberto Lopez Reyes and one of his deputies, Edward Eustate Jimenez, ran a massive, predatory scheme to distribute pills containing fentanyl and other drugs through fake online pharmacies, including pills that tragically killed a United States Army veteran in February 2024,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “For years, Lopez Reyes was a one-man opioid crisis, duping thousands of victims by distributing millions of pills through the mail from what he thought was the safety of his home in the Dominican Republic. The pills were designed to look like real pharmaceuticals, but they actually contained deadly fentanyl and other controlled substances. The scale of Lopez Reyes’s distribution is staggering, as is the scale of the harm his shipments brought to our communities. A jury has now confirmed what New Yorkers know: if you deal in fentanyl, you deal in death.”
As established during trial:
For at least two and a half years, LOPEZ REYES ran an enterprise that distributed pills containing fentanyl, parafluorofentanyl, methamphetamine, and other controlled substances via sales through purported online pharmacies. The pills LOPEZ REYES and his co-conspirators, including EUSTATE JIMENEZ, distributed were dyed, shaped, and designed to look indistinguishable from the prescription medications they were marketed as, including oxycodone and Adderall. The pills were shipped to thousands of victims in all 50 U.S. states.
In order to manufacture the pills, from his home in the Dominican Republic, LOPEZ REYES oversaw a series of pill mills—or industrial scale pill-pressing facilities—located primarily in the basements of residential buildings in the Bronx and Washington Heights. In those mills, deputies working at LOPEZ REYES’s direction oversaw workers who mixed controlled substances with inert powders and dyes and then pressed those powders into millions of pills shaped and imprinted to match the design of the legitimate pharmaceuticals the purported online pharmacies had represented them to be.
LOPEZ REYES’s deputies then transferred the pills to other members of the conspiracy—including EUSTATE JIMENEZ—for shipment to customers. LOPEZ REYES sent the shippers lists of customer orders and corresponding addresses. Those lists and other records maintained by the enterprise reveal shipments of more than one million pills to victims over a two-and-a-half year period. In addition, law enforcement officers seized another approximately 650,000 pills during the course of searches of mills and stash houses maintained by the enterprise.
The drugs the defendants shipped were not only dangerous, but deadly. On February 25, 2024, a 45-year-old, female veteran of the United States Army (“Victim-1”) died of acute fentanyl intoxication after taking pills purchased from one of the enterprise’s pharmacies. Although Victim-1 had ordered oxycodone, what she actually received were round, blue pills marked with an “M” on one side and a “30” on the other that were merely designed to look like oxycodone. In actuality, the pills Victim-1 received contained the lethal mix of fentanyl and para-fluorofentanyl that resulted in her death five days after their arrival through the mail on her doorstep.
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LOPEZ REYES, 46, of the Dominican Republic, was convicted of: (i) continuing criminal enterprise, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison; (ii) conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; (iii) distribution of narcotics, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; and (iv) conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
EUSTATE JIMENEZ, 24, of Washington Heights, New York, was convicted of: (i) conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, and (ii) distribution of narcotics, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the investigative work of the Homeland Security Task Force, International Narcotics and Money Laundering within the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), which is comprised of law enforcement officers and investigators from the New York City Police Department, the New York State Police, and the Kings County District Attorney’s Office; Groups D-21 and D-25 of the New York Enforcement Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”); the Homeland Security Task Force, Seaport Contraband of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), New York Division, Contraband, Interdiction & Investigations Task Force, comprised of members from USPIS, NYPD Criminal Enterprise Investigations Section, and Customs and Border Protection; the Internal Revenue Service; and the United States Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations. Mr. Clayton also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, HSI Santo Domingo, the DEA Dominican Republic Country Office, and the U.S. Marshals Service Dominican Republic Foreign Field Office for their assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Dominican authorities in securing Lopez Reyes’s arrest and 2024 extradition.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Cheng, Maggie Lynaugh, Chelsea Scism, and Adam Sowlati, as well as paralegal specialists Danielle Escamilla, Sophie Keegan, and Juan Munoz, are in charge of the prosecution.
Three Sentenced to Prison for Laundering Medicare Fraud ProceedsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Three South Florida men were sentenced to prison for their participation in a scheme to defraud Medicare and launder more than $2.2 million in illicit health care fraud proceeds.
Marco Scamarone, 34, of Tamarac, was sentenced to 70 months in prison.
Jose Mendez, 34, of Coral Springs, was sentenced to 78 months in prison.
Renee Vazquez, 33, of Tamarac, was sentenced to 60 months in prison.
“These defendants stole from Medicare, laundered the proceeds through shell companies, and used fraudulent medical equipment businesses to enrich themselves at taxpayer expense,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “Medicare exists to serve seniors and vulnerable patients, not to fund kickbacks, shell companies, and criminal profit. Today’s sentences send a clear message: if you steal from federal health care programs in South Florida, you will face prison time, forfeiture, restitution, and federal accountability. Fraud does not pay, and defendants do not get to keep the proceeds of their crimes.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, the defendants owned and operated two fraudulent durable medical equipment (DME) companies: Braces and Orthotics LLC, located in the Eastern District of Virginia, and Stone Oak Durable Medical Equipment LLC, located in the Southern District of Florida. Between January 2022 and February 2023, the fraudulent DME companies submitted approximately $6.9 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for orthotic braces that were medically unnecessary and ineligible for Medicare reimbursement. The conspiracy involved illegal kickbacks and bribes paid to an offshore marketing company exchange for the referral of beneficiaries and fraudulent doctors’ orders. The three men conspired to launder the proceeds of their fraud through a series of shell companies under their control or the control of their associates — ultimately laundering more than $2.2 million in illicit funds for their own benefit and the benefit of their co-conspirators.
In December 2025, Scamarone, Mendez, and Vazquez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. At sentencing, Scamarone and Mendez were ordered to pay $2,217,840.35 in forfeiture and $3,016,324.20 in restitution. Vazquez was ordered to pay $1,723,773.18 in forfeiture and $2,249,392.09 in restitution.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division; U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida; Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott Lampert for the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles for the FBI Miami Office; and Inspector General Anthony P. D’Esposito for the U.S. Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General (DOL-OIG) made the announcement.
HHS-OIG, FBI, and DOL-OIG investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Pogozelski for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Claire Horrell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the 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.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-60148.
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Supporting McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center Through America’s 250th Birthday CelebrationRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - As part of America’s 250th Birthday celebration initiative, the United States Attorney’s Office is proud to support McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center through a gift-in-kind donation drive benefiting children and families in crisis.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III led the effort recognizing the important partnership McMahon Ryan brings to United States Attorney’s Office in support of victims.
McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center provides immediate assistance to children facing abuse and trauma, while offering healing through counseling, advocacy, and support services. The organization also works to educate and empower the community to help prevent future abuse. Project Safe Childhood and Human Trafficking cases receive wraparound care through the Child Advocacy Center, providing critical services and support for victims and their families.
FAUSA Sarcone Said: “As we celebrate the 250th Birthday of America we are reminded of the values that formed this great nation, Liberty, Service and Civic Responsivity, all ideals that shine bright through the work of the McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center. Our office was glad to participate in this collection and looks forward to our continued partnership.”
This effort was made possible through the generosity and participation of employees of the Syracuse and Binghamton United States Attorney’s Offices, as part of the ongoing Freedom 250 celebration. Freedom 250 celebrates the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. It honors the enduring ideals of Liberty, Service, and Civic Responsibility.
Left to right: Ivy Schoff, Erin Bates, John A. Sarcone III, Michelle Jaeger, Desirae Boehle-Berler Syracuse U.S. Attorney’s Office Staff with collected itemsStamford Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Federal Prison for Trafficking Narcotics in Southwestern ConnecticutRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ERIC RIETTIE, also known as “Gambino” and “Lil E,” 27, of Stamford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 46 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for his involvement in a southwestern Connecticut narcotics trafficking ring.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2022, the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, which was investigating gang activity in the South End and West Side of Bridgeport, identified Christian Pichardo as a supplier of various narcotics to gang members and other drug distributors. During the investigation, investigators intercepted calls and text messages over court-authorized wiretaps between Pichardo and his associates, made controlled purchases of narcotics, and seized drugs from members of the conspiracy and their drug customers. Some of the drugs seized during the investigation had been cut with fentanyl analogues, nitazines, and xylazine. Nitazines are synthetic opioids stronger than fentanyl, and xylazine is a large animal tranquilizer.
Pichardo supplied fentanyl and crack cocaine to Riettie, which Riettie sold to his own customers. Riettie sometimes supplied distribution quantities of narcotic pills to Pichardo.
Riettie was arrested on August 6, 2024. On November 19, 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Riettie, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on September 4.
Pichardo pleaded guilty to a related charge and, on July 14, 2025, was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment.
This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bridgeport, Stratford, and Norwalk Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Peck.
Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Transportation of Two Stolen Vehicles, and Illegally Possessing a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
A Sioux City man who terrorized the community with a gun and stole two vehicles, during a 13-day crime spree, pled guilty today, in federal court in Sioux City.
Manaen Rave, age 27, from Sioux City, pleaded guilty to two counts of Interstate Transportation of Stolen Motor Vehicle and one count of Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Felon.
At the change of plea hearing, and in a plea agreement, Rave admitted that on February 16, 2025, he carjacked a motor vehicle by pistol whipping his victim in the head with a .22 revolver, requiring her to receive treatment at a hospital.
11 days later, on or about February 27, 2025, Rave stole a second vehicle, leaving his victim standing in a gas station parking lot without a ride to work.
Rave transported both stolen vehicles in interstate commerce, traveling back and forth between Iowa and Nebraska. Rave tried to hide from police, burying himself inside a closet, but was located and arrested by a combined Special Weapons and Tactics Team.
Rave has an extensive criminal history including drug, assault, and theft convictions.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Rave remains in custody of the United States Marshal. Rave faces a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated by Woodbury County Sheriff’s Department, Sioux City, Iowa Police Department, Sgt. Buff Iowa, Police Department, Sgt. Bluff Fire & Rescue, Dakota County, Nebraska Sheriff’s Department, Iowa Department of Transportation, the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4032.
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Second Rikers Island Correction Officer Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements to Obtain Workers’ Compensation BenefitsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that JOVANNY CONCEPCION pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman to making false statements relating to healthcare matters in connection with use of force incidents that took place within Rikers Island.
“As he has now admitted, Jovanny Concepcion fraudulently received hundreds of thousands of dollars from New York City taxpayers by falsely claiming injuries following incidents where force was used against an incarcerated person,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “New Yorkers pay way too much for government services. Our Office will continue to hold accountable those who violate public trust, especially when at the expense of personal liberties and taxpayer dollars.”
According to the Indictment, plea agreement, and statements made in court:
The New York State Workers’ Compensation Board (the “Board”) administers New York State’s no-fault workers’ compensation system, which guarantees medical care and cash benefits to people who are injured at work, including employees of the New York City Department of Correction (“DOC”). Payments by the Board made to DOC employees are paid from the New York City Treasury. For years, CONCEPCION was employed by the DOC as a correction officer and was assigned to work at Rikers Island. During that time, CONCEPCION falsely claimed that he was injured while on duty at Rikers Island during incidents with incarcerated individuals requiring the use of force. In total, CONCEPCION received at least $232,427.97 in benefits to which he was not entitled.
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CONCEPCION, 34, of New York, pled guilty to one count of making false statements related to health care matters, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. CONCEPCION is scheduled to be sentenced on September 10, 2026.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the New York City Department of Investigation, the New York State Office of Inspector General, and the Special Agents and Task Force Officers assigned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights and Human Trafficking Unit and the Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaiya Arroyo and Stephanie Simon are in charge of the prosecution.
Sanford Cocaine Dealer Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Terrence Denard Perkins (46, Sanford) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron to 25 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The court also ordered Perkins to forfeit hundreds of rounds of ammunition and more than a dozen firearms, including AR-style rifles, handguns, and a machinegun. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
Perkins was found guilty by a federal jury on November 20, 2025.
According to court documents and testimony and evidence presented at trial, agents with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office’s City/County Investigative Bureau (CCIB) were conducting a narcotics investigation when they learned of a planned narcotics robbery at Perkins’ stash house in a residential Sanford neighborhood. The agents obtained and executed a search warrant that same day for the stash house, which was occupied by Perkins’s elderly stepfather. Inside the house, agents located an electronic money counter, revolvers, and a loaded AR-15 semiautomatic rifle concealed behind a sofa cushion.
In a backyard carport, agents located bags of cocaine along with a cocaine cutting, packaging, and distribution station. Next to the packaging station, on the hood of Perkins’s vehicle, was another loaded AR-15 and a MAC-10 handgun wrapped up in a t-shirt. Hidden inside one broken down car in the backyard, agents recovered more AR-15s, handguns, an AK-47 rifle, a machinegun, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Inside another broken down car, positioned just outside the elderly stepfather’s bedroom window, agents located Perkins’s cocaine inventory—18 sealed and stamped kilogram bricks of cocaine.
Through their subsequent investigation, federal and state agents and investigators uncovered witnesses, financial records, DNA evidence, videos saved on Perkins’s stash house surveillance system, and Perkins’s own social media posts which showed that Perkins has been trafficking and distributing kilogram-quantities of cocaine in Sanford for years using cartel-linked suppliers.
Bricks of cocaine, firearms, and cocaine trafficking paraphernalia seized from Perkins’s house
Perkins is a seven-time convicted felon, including convictions for conspiracy to traffic cocaine, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and aggravating fleeing and eluding.
“Central Florida residents are much safer with violent criminals like this individual behind bars,” said ATF Tampa Field Division’s Acting Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Harrell. “This complex investigation is a direct result of the outstanding collaboration between the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office City County Investigative Bureau, the DEA and federal prosecutors.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office’s City County Investigative Bureau (CCIB), with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Richard Varadan and Michael P. Felicetta.
Repeat Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Violating the Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification ActRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jacob Thomas Britvec, 34, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to failing to update his registration as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2023, law enforcement officers received information that Britvec was no longer living at the address listed on his sex offender registry. Officers confirmed that Britvec was no longer at the address and obtained a warrant for his arrest. On March 20, 2024, officers arrested Britvec in Maryland. There is no record of Britvec reporting his interstate travel or registering as a sex offender in Maryland as required by SORNA.
Britvec knew he was required to keep his information current as a result of his conviction for third-degree sexual assault on September 19, 2012, and for third-degree sexual assault and soliciting a minor via computer on March 24, 2016, all in Kanawha County Circuit Court.
Britvec is scheduled to be sentenced on September 17, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police and the United States Marshals Service (USMS).
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.
SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:26-cr-2.
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Rapid City Couple Indicted on Federal Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Rapid City, South Dakota, man and woman for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
Misty Standing Bear, age 49, and Mason Big Crow, age 52, were indicted in May 2026. Both appeared last week before United States Magistrate Judge Mark W. Haigh and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years custody up to life in federal prison, a $10,000,000 fine, or both, at least five years up to life of supervised release, and a $100 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Beginning at least in 2021, Standing Bear and Big Crow engaged in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl in and around the Pine Ridge Reservation and the Rapid City area. In a conspiracy spanning several years, the defendants traveled to other states to purchase thousands of counterfeit M/30 fentanyl pills and trafficked the fentanyl to South Dakota for further distribution. Investigators discovered Standing Bear and Big Crow actively engaged in fentanyl trafficking as recently as May 2026 when Standing Bear traveled to Colorado, at Big Crow’s direction, with the intent to purchase 1,000 counterfeit M/30 fentanyl pills. Big Crow and Standing Bear paid for at least a portion of the fentanyl they trafficked in South Dakota with tribal funds through fraudulent tribal assistant checks when Big Crow was the treasurer for the Oglala Sioux Tribe.
“We look forward to proving these crimes in federal court and holding these two fentanyl traffickers accountable for their actions,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons.
“Mason Big Crow, already alleged to have committed crimes against his community for personal gain, is now alleged to have conspired to distribute dangerous narcotics to that same community along with his wife Misty Standing Bear,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “Fentanyl is a scourge on our communities. The FBI and our federal, state, and tribal partners will work tirelessly to track down and bring to justice anyone who risks the lives and safety of others in order to profit from its distribution.”
The charge is merely an accusation, and Misty Standing Bear and Mason Big Crow are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The investigation is being conducted by the Badlands Safe Trails Task Force. The Task Force is comprised of agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward C. Tarbay is prosecuting the case.
Standing Bear was released on bond pending trial. Big Crow was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
RAD Diversified REIT Co-Founder Indicted for Submitting False Information During the Purchase of his $1.6 Million HouseRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Brandon Dutch Mendenhall (46, Brandon, FL) has been charged by indictment with one count of mail fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Mendenhall that the United States intends to forfeit a house, which is alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Mendenhall operated RAD Diversified REIT and other investment funds that solicited individuals to invest in real estate properties through these entities. Beginning in November 2021, Mendenhall applied for a home mortgage with Lender 1 for the purchase of his personal residence. During the mortgage application process, Mendenhall over-inflated his personal income and represented to the lender that the business operating accounts for some of his investment funds were his personal income because he was the owner of these businesses. This information was material to the lender’s decision regarding whether the lender would approve and fund the $1.2 million mortgage loan Mendenhall was seeking. As a result of the material misrepresentations made by Mendenhall, Mendenhall caused the mortgage closing documents to be sent by mail to a title company located in the Middle District of Florida.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Office of Financial Regulation – Bureau of Financial Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Labor – Employee Benefits Security Administration. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Merrilyn Hoenemeyer.
If you have invested money with RAD Diversified, please consider visiting forms.fbi.gov/RADDiversifiedVictim to complete a voluntary questionnaire hosted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Please direct questions regarding the questionnaire to [email protected].
IndictmentPortland Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Portland man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material.
According to court records, Jody G. Moczara, 45, while residing in a halfway house, obtained a cellular telephone that he used to solicit child sexual abuse material over the internet. In March 2025, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) obtained a search warrant for the cellular telephone, on which investigators located hundreds of image and video files of child sexual abuse material. HSI also located numerous chat conversations related to child exploitation activity, including one thread over a messaging application where Moczara sent Amazon gift cards as payment for the sexually explicit material. Moczara was previously convicted of receiving child pornography in U.S. District Court in Maine in 2016 and was sentenced to over 11 years in prison.
Moczara faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a maximum supervised release term of life. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
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Porter woman admits to fraud, threats and assault after fraudulently receiving $435,000 new homeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 56-year-old local resident has pleaded guilty to wire fraud, fraud in connection with a major disaster, threatening to kill a witness and assaulting/impeding a law enforcement officer, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
From 2019 through 2024, Sharai Poteet engaged in a scheme to fraudulently obtain disaster-relief housing assistance and additional federal benefits. During the investigation, she also threatened to kill a witness and assaulted a federal officer.
Poteet submitted fraudulent loan applications claiming 11 people – including seven children and a disabled adult - were members of her household. As a result of the false claims, Poteet received assistance in the form of a custom seven-bedroom home.
The funds used to construct the home were intended to help Hurricane Harvey victims through a Department of Housing and Urban Development program. The home Poteet received was the largest the program had built at that time.
The investigation revealed Poteet submitted three fraudulent applications for disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for storms that occurred between 2021 and 2024. During the investigation, she threatened a whistleblower in an attempt to silence them.
Poteet also assaulted a federal agent while attempting to flee during an operation intended to seize her cell phone.
“Sharai Poteet exploited programs intended to assist vulnerable hurricane victims and used those funds for her own personal enrichment,” said Marck. “When individuals steal taxpayer-funded resources meant to help those in need, they are not just committing fraud – they are undermining the systems that keep families safe and communities stable.”
“The taxpayer has no tolerance for those who steal from federal public aid – the sole goal of which is to help victims rebuild and move forward with their lives.” said Robert Lawler, HUD Office of Inspector General’s Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Investigations. “We will continue to work with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office to aggressively pursue fraudsters who steal disaster grant funds to enrich themselves.”
U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt accepted the plea and has set sentencing for Sept. 21. At that time, Poteet faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a possible $1 million maximum fine.
She was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
HUD-OIG conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shalimar Addy is prosecuting the case.
The Department of Justice has created the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support 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.
Ponchatoula Man Guilty Violating the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – ROBERT HINES (“HINES”), age 47 of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, plead guilty on May 28, 2026, to violations of the Federal Controlled Substances Act before United States District Judge Barry Ashe, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
HINES pleaded guilty to Counts 1, 3, and 4 of a superseding indictment. Count One of the superseding indictment charged him with conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, over 40 grams of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 846. Count Three charged him with knowingly using a telephone in committing the commission of a violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 843(b) and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2. Count Four charged him with possession with intent to distribute over 40 grams of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B).
For Counts 1 and 4, HINES faces a mandatory minimum term of 5 years and up to 40 years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and at least 4 years of supervised release following imprisonment. For Count 3, HINES faces up to 20 years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least 3 years supervised release following imprisonment. For each count, HINES
also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court records, HINES conspired with co-defendants to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, fentanyl in the Eastern District of Louisiana. An investigation revealed that, HINES discussed ordering fentanyl from his suppliers on multiple occasions. After observing HINES meet with his supplier, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of HINES and observed HINES throw fentanyl pills out of his car window. Law enforcement recovered the pills, and they tested positive for 341 grams of fentanyl.
United States Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Hammond Police Department, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachal Cassagne and Lauren Sarver of the Narcotics Unit.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Osceola Man Sentenced to Nearly Two Years in Federal Prison for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Levelle Joseph Harris (40, Kissimmee) has been sentenced by Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II to 21 months in federal prison for wire fraud. As part of his sentence, Harris is required to forfeit $640,911.85 to the United States, which represents the total amount of proceeds obtained by Harris from his scheme. Harris pleaded guilty on July 30, 2025. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court records, Harris committed COVID relief fraud in 2020 by fraudulently obtaining $1,283,029.81 in COVID relief funds. He used some of the funds to purchase a residential property. Harris was prosecuted for that conduct and ultimately convicted of 14 counts of wire fraud. When the United States sought the forfeiture of the residential property Harris had purchased with the stolen COVID relief funds, Harris sold the property and gave the proceeds to the United States. The sale, however, was unlawful. Investigators determined that between February 2022 and January 2023, Harris had devised a separate scheme to avoid paying his criminal forfeiture in the COVID relief fraud case. As part of that scheme, Harris obtained a mortgage through false representations and then used the proceeds to purchase the residential property and pay his criminal forfeiture. Through Harris’s mortgage fraud scheme, he fraudulently obtained a total of $640,911.85.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole M. Andrejko.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support 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.
Orleans Parish Man Indicted for Federal Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Today, a federal grand jury indicted DUSTIN BADEAUX, (“BADEAUX”), age 41, of New Orleans, for bank robbery, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, on May 9, 2026, BADEAUX robbed a bank located in the 4000 block of Canal Street of approximately $1800 in U.S. currency.
BADEAUX faces a maximum twenty (20) year term of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge, and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Violent Crime Task Force and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Duane A. Evans of the General Crimes Unit is prosecuting the matter.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Orange County Man Who Co-Founded Environmentally Friendly Finance Company Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Massive FraudRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An Orange County man who co-founded and served as board member of the financial technology and sustainability services company formerly known as Aspiration Partners Inc., was sentenced today to 168 months in federal prison for a years-long scheme in which he defrauded investors and lenders, causing more than $248 million in losses.
Joseph Neal Sanberg, 46, of Orange, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stephen V. Wilson, who scheduled a restitution hearing for July 20.
Sanberg pleaded guilty in October 2025 to two counts of wire fraud.
“This serial fraudster used his Cinderella-like background, impressive educational credentials, and virtue signaling skills to swindle investors and lenders out of hundreds of millions of dollars,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “This criminal case serves as a warning: Anyone can get duped by a con man.”
“Joseph Sanberg preyed on investors and lenders who believed in his vision of environmentally conscious fintech,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Instead of delivering on Aspiration’s promises, he orchestrated a multi-year scheme involving fake clients, sham payments, and deceptive loan collateral that caused at least $248 million in losses to numerous victims. This sentence holds him accountable and serves as a clear warning to others who abuse trust for personal gain and obtain loans from the financial industry based on lies and misrepresentations.”
“As evidenced by this case, Mr. Sanberg selfishly put businesses and clients at risk who expected him to provide a valuable service to protect their interests” said Patrick Grandy, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “Along with our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to allocate expert resources to investigate and prosecute all those who take advantage of a position of trust to defraud American businesses.”
“Today’s sentencing reflects our commitment to the public,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group. “The reward for lying, stealing, and falsifying records, is jail time.”
Sanberg devised a scheme that began in 2020 and continued into 2025 to use his significant share of Aspiration stock to defraud various lenders and investors. Between 2020 and 2021, Sanberg and Ibrahim AlHusseini, who were both members of Aspiration’s board of directors, fraudulently obtained $145 million in loans from two lenders by pledging shares of Sanberg’s Aspiration stock. To secure the loans, Sanberg and AlHusseini falsified AlHusseini’s bank and brokerage statements to fraudulently inflate AlHusseini’s assets by tens of millions of dollars.
Beginning in 2021, Sanberg concealed from investors that he was the source of millions of dollars of purported revenue paid to Aspiration through, or purportedly on behalf of, sham customers. Court documents indicate that Sanberg personally recruited companies and individuals to enter agreements with Aspiration in which they committed to pay tens of thousands of dollars per month for tree planting services. The money for these customers’ payments was supplied by Sanberg himself. Sanberg concealed that these payments came from him rather than from the customers.
Aspiration booked revenue from these sham customers between March 2021 and November 2022, at the same time Sanberg concealed that he was the source of the payments. As a result, Aspiration’s financial statements falsely and fraudulently reflected much higher revenue than the company in fact received. Nonetheless, Sanberg continued to solicit investors to invest in Aspiration securities into 2025.
According to the documents, Sanberg also defrauded other lenders and investors using fraudulent materials describing Aspiration’s financial condition, including a fabricated letter from Aspiration’s audit committee that falsely stated Aspiration had $250 million in available cash and equivalents at a time that Aspiration only had less than $1 million in available cash. Sanberg used these fraudulent financial materials to obtain millions of dollars in additional loans and investments in Aspiration securities.
Sanberg’s victims sustained at least $248 million in losses.
The United States Postal Inspection Service and the FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Nisha Chandran of the Major Frauds Section and Alexander Su of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section and Justice Department Trial Attorneys Theodore Kneller and Adam L.D. Stempel of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted this case.
Ohio Resident Pleads Guilty to Car Theft ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Souleymane Kah, 36, of Westerville, Ohio, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge to conspiracy and other charges arising from a scheme to steal and sell more than 20 rental cars.
The defendant was charged by superseding indictment in September of last year.
As detailed in court filings and statements, from about December 2020 to December 2021, Kah and others conspired to rent vehicles from car rental companies throughout central and eastern United States by fraudulent means, transport the vehicles in interstate commerce, and sell the stolen vehicles to various purchasers, who then exported the vehicles overseas.
Kah and others would rent the cars by obtaining and using genuine driver’s licenses belonging to third parties, who were not aware their licenses were being used for the scheme, or by causing fake driver’s licenses to be created and used.
The defendant and co-conspirators frequently transported, and caused to be transported, the stolen vehicles across state lines to facilitate their sale. They received payment for the stolen vehicles by various means, including cash, electronic payments via money transfer apps, and in the form of a luxury vehicle.
Kah is scheduled to be sentenced on September 22 and faces a maximum possible term of 25 years’ imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan Claiborne Bisio and Kara Traster.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Federal Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Catra Nelson, also known as “Trey,” 50, of Zanesville, Ohio, was sentenced on Thursday, May 28, 2026, to 12 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least January 2020 to in or around March 2021, Nelson conspired with co-defendant Steven Reger and others to distribute quantities of methamphetamine in the Parkersburg, West Virginia, area. On March 23, 2021, Nelson aided and abetted in the sale of approximately 428.1 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Parkersburg. The Court found Nelson was responsible for over 40 pounds of methamphetamine distributed by him to others.
Nelson has a criminal history that includes prior convictions for trafficking large volumes of cocaine, cocaine base, marijuana, and methamphetamine. A federal grand jury indicted Nelson on the current offenses in October 2022 and he evaded capture on the resulting arrest warrant until May 16, 2024.
“Despite multiple prior convictions, this criminal flooded our streets with more than 40 pounds of this poison and has been a large-scale drug trafficker for over two decades,” said United States Attorney Moore Capito. “We pursued an appropriately strong penalty in this case, and we will continue to do so to protect our communities from these dangerous drugs.”
Reger, 49, of Morgantown, was sentenced on August 24, 2023, to five years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Parkersburg Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy B. Wolfe, Joshua Hanks, and Negar M. Kordestani prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-196.
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Nurse Practitioner in Jacksonville Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Distribution of Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Kenyatta Dacres (45, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to unlawful distribution of controlled substances. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, Dacres was an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), commonly known as a nurse practitioner, licensed in Florida. Dacres prescribed an undercover agent from the Drug Enforcement Administration controlled substances on three separate occasions. Specifically, Dacres prescribed Lortab pills containing hydrocodone, in increasing dosages, despite the agent indicating that he was not in any pain. Dacres also prescribed Adderall pills containing amphetamine despite him denying any history or diagnoses that would support that and despite the agent’s indication that he’s recently been arrested for possession of methamphetamine. A medical doctor reviewed the materials related to the investigation and determined that Dacres’s prescriptions for Lortab and Adderall were issued without a legitimate medical purpose and outside the course of professional practice.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelli Swaney.
Northampton County Man Pleads Guilty to Producing, Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Efrain Baez-Feliciano, 38, of Northampton, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl to 22 counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
The defendant was charged by indictment in October of last year, arising from his manufacturing child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”) depicting a young girl in his care, on multiple occasions over a period of about nine years, and his possession of CSAM.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on September 24 and faces a maximum possible term of 680 years’ imprisonment and a lifetime of supervised release, with a mandatory minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release. In addition, he faces mandatory financial penalties, and mandatory registration as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”) and Megan’s Law.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s 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 projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the Northampton Borough Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca Kulik.
For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Know2Protect.gov. To report suspicious activities, call 787-729-6969.
Navajo Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Stabbing DeathRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – A member of the Navajo Nation who was convicted of killing a man near Steamboat, Arizona, was sentenced on May 21, 2026, in federal court.
Thurman Yazzie, 26, of Keams Canyon, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 240 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. Yazzie previously pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder.
On March 26, 2023, Yazzie attacked the victim with a knife, stabbing him multiple times, causing his death. Yazzie then placed the victim’s body on the back of an ATV and took it into the woods where he set fire to the victim’s body. The crime occurred on the Navajo Nation.
The FBI Phoenix Division’s Gallup Office, the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations and the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office in New Mexico conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney, Anthony W. Church, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 23-CR-08057
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-089_Yazzie
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Naturalized Citizen from the Congo Sentenced to Federal Prison for Involvement in Scheme to Defraud the United StatesRead the Press Release
A man who came to the United States in 2008 was sentenced to six months in prison today for his involvement in a conspiracy to defraud the government. Joseph Onolenga Okamba, age 40, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, received the prison term after a November 13, 2025, guilty plea to conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Two other members of the conspiracy have already been sentenced. Joseph Longanga Okoko was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, and Medard Lotahe Elonge was sentenced to twelve months and one day imprisonment.
In a plea agreement, Okamba admitted that an object of the conspiracy was to fraudulently obtain visas for citizens of the Congo, including family members and friends who were not otherwise eligible for citizenship.
As part of the conspiracy, Okamba was involved in multiple visa petitions where the petitioner, who had previously won the diversity visa lottery, was fraudulently asking to bring an alleged spouse to the United States. As part of the federal investigation, one of the petitioners was summoned to grand jury. Okamba, along with co-defendant Medard Lotahe Elonge, provided the individual a marriage certificate of a fraudulent marriage to submit to the grand jury as proof of the legitimacy of the purported marriage. Additionally, Okamba successfully petitioned for an individual to come to the United States claiming the individual was his birth mom, knowing they were not biologically related. When questioned by law enforcement officers about his relationship to the woman, Okamba lied about her name and birthdate. During an interview with law enforcement officers in 2023, Okamba admitted to assisting hundreds of Congolese people with immigration paperwork.
Okamba was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Okamba was sentenced to 6 months’ imprisonment and fined $4,000. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Okamba was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on June 22, 2026. Bienvenu Saido Binyangi, who was charged in the same indictment and has also pled guilty, has yet to be sentenced.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew J. Cole and Nicole L. Nagin and was investigated by the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Waterloo Police Department, the Sioux City Police Department, and the Iowa Department of Transportation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support 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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-2052.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Willie Davis McCall III, also known as “Primo” and “Ill Will,” 42, of Warren, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 30, 2025, McCall sold approximately 55.53 grams of a substance containing fentanyl to a confidential informant while in a parked vehicle in Charleston. As part of his guilty plea, McCall admitted that he conducted the transaction, that he was previously convicted of a serious drug offense, distribution of methamphetamine, in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, on July 26, 2017, and that he was sentenced to more than one year in prison for that prior conviction.
McCall further admitted that he distributed or possessed with the intent to distribute between 400 grams and 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl from in or about April 2025 through in or about June 2025. The distributions included the sale of approximately 55.40 grams of fentanyl on April 3, 2025, and of approximately 55.57 grams of fentanyl on June 11, 2025, each time to a confidential informant in Charleston.
On June 17, 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the Charleston residence where McCall was living and seized from his bedroom closet approximately 322.16 grams of fentanyl found in six bags and $5,557. McCall admitted that he planned to distribute the seized fentanyl in and around the Southern District of West Virginia, and that the seized cash was drug proceeds.
McCall is scheduled to be sentenced on September 24, 2026, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least eight years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $8 million.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-192.
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Memphis Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Multiple Armed Business Robberies by Discharging a FirearmRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A federal judge has sentenced Laquarius King, 28, of Memphis, to 360 months in federal prison for multiple business robberies by discharging a firearm. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, between July 2, 2023 and October 2, 2024, 0n five separate occasions, King robbed the Exxon gas station located on Appling Road and the Berryhill Market located on Berryhill Road in Memphis, Tennessee. On two occasions, he fired a round in the air next to the clerk when the clerk hesitated to open the cash drawer. The incident was recorded on store surveillance video, and King was wearing the same shirt in several robberies.
On October 2, 2024, an off-duty Memphis police officer saw the robbery taking place from the parking lot and called 911 while following the suspect vehicle. Active units joined in the pursuit before King was taken into custody.
In February 2026, King pled guilty to five counts of robbery of a business and two counts of discharging a firearm during the robberies. On May 29, 2026, Chief United States District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced King to 360 months of federal imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "King’s violent crime spree is over. His lifestyle of lawlessness and selfish greed terrorized multiple victims – and has rightly earned him a long sentence in a federal prison that will remove him from the community and protect Memphians."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Memphis Police Department’s Safe Streets Task Force investigated the case. This case is part of the Safe Streets Task Force’s (SSTF) efforts to prosecute violent crimes in Memphis, Tennessee and surrounding areas.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Musselwhite prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
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For more information, please contact the media relations team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Maryland Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Sexually Exploiting Several MinorsRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A Maryland man is headed to federal prison for more than two decades for committing child sex abuse crimes.
U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby sentenced Isaiah Poole, 25, of Suitland, to 25 years in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, for one count of producing child sexual abuse material. The charge is in connection with a sextortion scheme in which Poole met and sextorted young girls through social media platforms.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.
According to court documents, Poole used Snapchat and other social media accounts to manipulate and coerce at least six girls — ranging from ages 9-14 — to send him sexually explicit photographs and videos of themselves. Poole, who pretended he was a teenage girl, manipulated the minor victims into producing and sending him sexually explicit images, often under the ruse of playing truth or dare. He also directed the minors to expose their genital areas and engage in sexual conduct.
After some victims informed Poole that they no longer wished to send him sexually explicit images, he threatened to send the images to their families and friends if they did not continue to produce content. Additionally, Poole distributed the sexually explicit images he received from two minors.
This case is 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 the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation, along with the Maryland State Police and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for their valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alex Treiger and Brooke Oki who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md.
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Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting Minors to Produce CSAMRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A Maryland man pled guilty in federal court to child sex abuse crimes.
Mark Travis Brigham, 36, of Mount Airy, is charged with sexually exploiting a child and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Akil Baldwin, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Maryland; Sheriff Charles A. Jenkins, Frederick County Sheriff’s Office; and J. Charles Smith III, State’s Attorney for Frederick County.
According to his guilty plea, between September 2023 and August 2024, Brigham persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced three minor females to engage in sexually explicit conduct. He used his cellphone to produce multiple sexually explicit images and videos of the victims. Brigham exploited the victims for the purpose of producing visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct.
On August 6, 2025, investigators executed a search warrant at Brigham’s Mount Airy residence. During the search, law enforcement seized a tablet, digital camera with a SD card, and two cellphones, along with 35 firearms, ammunition, and a magazine. Investigators then examined the devices and uncovered the CSAM files.
Brigham faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a minor. Additionally, Brigham faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material.
This case is 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 the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
Know2Protect is a Department of Homeland Security national public awareness campaign to educate and empower children, teens, parents, trusted adults and policymakers to prevent and combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse; explain how to report online enticement and victimization; and offer resources for victims and survivors and their supporters. Learn more about Know2Protect at www.dhs.gov/know2protect.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, and State’s Attorney’s Office for Frederick County, for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandria A. Bell and Paul E. Budlow who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Marion County Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and CocaineRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Jimmy Deon Lofton (46, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. He faces a minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the plea agreement, on July 1, 2025, the Marion County Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team (UDEST) executed a search warrant on Lofton’s residence where agents located numerous controlled substances including approximately 173 grams of fentanyl, 31 grams of methamphetamine, 260 grams of MDMA, and over 1,000 grams of cocaine. Some of the substances were buried in an ammunition can in the backyard. Agents also obtained a search warrant for a home security DVR system Lofton had installed at the home. The DVR system revealed numerous videos of Lofton packaging and dealing controlled substances at the residence.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Man arrested for threatening a Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s detectiveRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Layton Love, 46, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with interstate communication of a threat, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
According to the complaint, the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office contacted the FBI regarding threatening text messages sent on May 18, 2026, to the cellular telephone number of a detective (Victim) with the Sheriff’s Office.
The text message stated: You and your family are going to die soon! I will personally do the job if necessary. Death to the weaponized government means death to the weaponized government literally, (Victim) you are living on borrowed time. The home you own on (REDACTED)… is a legitimate target and will be hit at a time and place of my choosing. Prepare to die, (Victim), and everyone you hold dear. Your terrorist regime will burn.
Subsequent investigation identified Love as the user of the telephone number the threatening text messages were sent from. On May 21, 2026, a New York State arrest warrant was issued, charging Love with Making a Terroristic Threat, and Aggravated Harassment. Love was located and arrested by the Pennsylvania State Police at his parents’ residence in Eldred, PA.
Love made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. and was held pending a detention hearing on June 8, 2026.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey E. Intravatola. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Brendan Dunford and the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Eric Butler.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Man Sentenced for Kidnapping Victim at Gunpoint and Seeking Ransom for Drug DebtRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — A North Dakota man was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for his role in a kidnapping for ransom resulting in the beating of the victim, holding him at gunpoint, and transporting him across states lines to Minnesota to collect an unpaid drug debt.
According to court documents, in the early morning hours of March 5, 2024, Kyle Kahalehili Maez-Schaack, 33, of Grand Forks, North Dakota, at the orders of the co-defendant and an unindicted co-conspirator, kidnapped the victim. The co-defendant sent Maez-Schaack a screen shot of the victim’s social media profile and his address and ordered Maez-Schaack to pick up the victim to collect a drug debt. The victim owed the co-defendant $6,000 for 500 grams of methamphetamine. Maez-Schaack and others took the victim at gunpoint from Fargo, North Dakota, to Moorhead, Minnesota. There, the victim was held for ransom and ordered to call his friends and family to ask for money. Despite several calls to family and friends, the victim was unable to raise the funds to pay the ransom. At one point, the victim was left unattended in the Moorhead residence and was able to escape. Maez-Schaack and others kept the victim’s vehicle after the kidnapping.
According to statements made in court, Maez-Schaack was a drug distributor for the co-defendant and was often used as the muscle for the drug trafficking organization that primarily distributed methamphetamine in the Red River Valley and Devils Lake area of North Dakota.
“The drug business is a scourge that often leads to kidnappings and demands for ransoms related to drug debts,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This collateral violence threatens the safety of communities. The lengthy sentence captures the seriousness of the drug related conduct in this case and speaks to the collateral ills of the drug trade that ruins the lives of so many Americans.”
“Too often drug trafficking is perpetuated by violent crime, as shown by Maez-Schaack,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas W. Chase for the District of North Dakota. “Our office, working alongside our federal and state partners, will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those committing violent acts and trafficking illegal drugs in our community.”
“Maez-Schaack is a brazen, violent offender who made our communities less safe, and today he receives the consequences for his actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph Persails of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) St. Paul Field Division. “ATF remains committed to identifying and targeting the most violent offenders, and we will continue to do that work every single day. I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their collaboration on this case, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for their successful prosecution.”
“Stopping violent offenders like Kyle Maez-Schaack is one of the FBI's top priorities,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “This defendant, a previously convicted felon, kidnapped a victim at gunpoint, demanded ransom of the victim’s friends and family, and trafficked methamphetamine into our community. Now, he will rightly spend the next 30 years of his life in federal prison. The entire Red River Valley and Devil’s Lake communities are safer for that fact. The FBI will not stop in our mission to make our communities safe by bringing violent criminals like Maez-Schaack and his accomplices to justice.”
Maez-Schaack pleaded guilty on Feb. 26 to kidnapping, drug trafficking conspiracy, brandishing a firearm during the kidnapping, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The FBI and ATF investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Pegah Vakili of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jake Rodenbiker and Richard Lee for the District of North Dakota prosecuted the case.
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Man Sentenced for Kidnapping Victim at Gunpoint and Seeking Ransom for Drug DebtRead the Press Release
A North Dakota man was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for his role in a kidnapping for ransom resulting in the beating of the victim, holding him at gunpoint, and transporting him across states lines to Minnesota to collect an unpaid drug debt.
According to court documents, in the early morning hours of March 5, 2024, Kyle Kahalehili Maez-Schaack, 33, of Grand Forks, North Dakota, at the orders of the co-defendant and an unindicted co-conspirator, kidnapped the victim. The co-defendant sent Maez-Schaack a screen shot of the victim’s social media profile and his address and ordered Maez-Schaack to pick up the victim to collect a drug debt. The victim owed the co-defendant $6,000 for 500 grams of methamphetamine. Maez-Schaack and others took the victim at gunpoint from Fargo, North Dakota, to Moorhead, Minnesota. There, the victim was held for ransom and ordered to call his friends and family to ask for money. Despite several calls to family and friends, the victim was unable to raise the funds to pay the ransom. At one point, the victim was left unattended in the Moorhead residence and was able to escape. Maez-Schaack and others kept the victim’s vehicle after the kidnapping.
According to statements made in court, Maez-Schaack was a drug distributor for the co-defendant and was often used as the muscle for the drug trafficking organization that primarily distributed methamphetamine in the Red River Valley and Devils Lake area of North Dakota.
“The drug business is a scourge that often leads to kidnappings and demands for ransoms related to drug debts,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This collateral violence threatens the safety of communities. The lengthy sentence captures the seriousness of the drug related conduct in this case and speaks to the collateral ills of the drug trade that ruins the lives of so many Americans.”
“Too often drug trafficking is perpetuated by violent crime, as shown by Maez-Schaack,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas W. Chase for the District of North Dakota. “Our office, working alongside our federal and state partners, will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those committing violent acts and trafficking illegal drugs in our community.”
“Maez-Schaack is a brazen, violent offender who made our communities less safe, and today he receives the consequences for his actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph Persails of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) St. Paul Field Division. “ATF remains committed to identifying and targeting the most violent offenders, and we will continue to do that work every single day. I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their collaboration on this case, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their successful prosecution.”
“Stopping violent offenders like Kyle Maez-Schaack is one of the FBI’s top priorities,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “This defendant, a previously convicted felon, kidnapped a victim at gunpoint, demanded ransom of the victim’s friends and family, and trafficked methamphetamine into our community. Now, he will rightly spend the next 30 years of his life in federal prison. The entire Red River Valley and Devil’s Lake communities are safer for that fact. The FBI will not stop in our mission to make our communities safe by bringing violent criminals like Maez-Schaack and his accomplices to justice.”
Maez-Schaack pleaded guilty on Feb. 26 to kidnapping, drug trafficking conspiracy, brandishing a firearm during the kidnapping, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The FBI and ATF investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Pegah Vakili of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jake Rodenbiker and Richard Lee for the District of North Dakota prosecuted the case.
Man Federally Charged for Armed Carjacking in Downtown LubbockRead the Press Release
A man has been charged in connection with an armed carjacking that occurred next to the federal and county courthouses in downtown Lubbock, Texas last Friday morning, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Isaiah Joshua Lee Houston, 26, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was federally charged for his role in a May 29, 2026, carjacking that ended with Houston being shot. Houston was charged by federal complaint less than eight hours after the attack. Houston will make his initial appearance on the charges today, June 1, 2026, and remains in federal custody pending further proceedings. If convicted, Houston faces a statutory maximum sentence of fifteen years in federal prison.
“Less than two weeks ago, I stood next to representatives from several law enforcement agencies and announced Operation Hub City Shield,” said U.S. Attorney Raybould. “I made clear that the incredible relationship between our federal, state, and local partners is what makes Lubbock the gold standard for law enforcement cooperation. When violent criminals seek to target innocent members of the public, together we will swiftly find them, charge them, and use the full weight of federal and state laws to hold them accountable. Mr. Houston should have been listening.”
“The swift response of law enforcement and security personnel helped bring this dangerous situation to a safe conclusion,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Garner of the ATF Dallas Field Division. “Any violent crime involving the threatened use of force in a public setting poses a serious risk to the community. ATF will continue working alongside our local, state, and federal partners to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident and ensure accountability for those who endanger public safety.”
“Combatting violent crime remains a priority for the FBI. Along with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to address public safety threats and hold dangerous offenders accountable,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.
According to the complaint, last Friday morning Houston approached a box truck as it stopped at a red light at the intersection of Buddy Holly Avenue and Broadway Street in downtown Lubbock. Houston attempted to open the driver’s door, but the driver was able to push Houston away from the vehicle.
Houston then ran toward a nearby black SUV that was parked westbound on Broadway Street, next to the Lubbock County Courthouse and just to the north of the George H. Mahon Federal Building. As he ran toward the SUV, Houston pulled a knife from his pocket, opened the driver’s side door, and forcibly removed an adult female from the driver’s seat. At the time of the carjacking, the female was sitting in the driver’s seat of her vehicle and holding a newborn baby.
Houston entered the SUV but was quickly confronted by a nearby security guard along with an off-duty officer with the Lubbock Police Department (LPD). Houston fled from the vehicle and ran around the west side of the Lubbock County Courthouse.
Surveillance video from outside the federal building showed Houston approaching the SUV and removing the female from the vehicle before being confronted by law enforcement, some of which is depicted below:
Houston continued running around the county courthouse and then fled southbound on Buddy Holly Avenue toward Broadway Street. A witness provided agents with a cellphone video of Houston then attempting to climb into the back of a moving pickup truck while being pursued by law enforcement, which is depicted below:
The security guard observed that Houston was still holding the same knife he saw earlier. The security guard then fired shots at Houston, hitting him once in the leg. Houston was then taken into custody, and the knife was recovered along Houston’s running path.
Multiple federal and state agencies responded to the incident and secured the scene. Within just a few hours, federal and state agents had interviewed witnesses, recovered videos of the incident, and presented a United States Magistrate Judge with proposed criminal charges, which were quickly approved.
This investigation was a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lubbock Police Department, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lubbock Texas Anti-Gang Center. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Rancourt is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Louisville Man and Nicholasville Woman Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Online Enticement of MinorsRead the Press Release
Jefferson County, KY –A Jefferson County man and a Nicholasville woman were sentenced on May 28, 2026, for attempted online enticement of minors.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
Charles O’Loan, 40, and Amber Warner, 36, were sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by a life term of supervised release, for one count of attempted online enticement of minors. The Court ordered O’Loan and Warner to pay $6,000 in restitution to the two victims.
On or between January 11, 2024, and May 30, 2025, O’Loan and Warner communicated with each other to coordinate a plan to sexually assault Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2. O’Loan and Warner exchanged messages via their cell phones, to discuss their plans to engage in illegal sexual acts with the minor victims. O’Loan and Warner used grooming tactics as well as exchanged sexually suggestive videos with each other that depicted the minor victims.
United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner stated, “These defendants coordinated to sexually assault two minor victims. Their conduct is disgusting. Louisville is better for 15 years while they reside in federal prison.”
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by FBI and the Louisville Metro Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Yannelli 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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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Lexington County Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Brittany Nicole Miles, 37, of Lexington, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department utilized a confidential informant to conduct a controlled purchase of methamphetamine and a firearm from Miles. Miles agreed to sell approximately 2 ounces of methamphetamine and a firearm to the informant.
Miles directed the informant to meet her at her public storage unit in West Columbia. The informant arrived and Miles and her co-defendant arrived a short time later. Upon arriving, Miles provided the informant with 2 ounces of methamphetamine and a gun.
United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. sentenced Miles to 60 months' imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Miles will begin to serve her federal sentence after she is released from serving a state sentence in the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.###
Leader of the Manchester Chapter of the Trinitarios Pleads Guilty to Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of the Manchester Chapter of the Trinitarios pleaded guilty today to racketeering charges, including his participation in two murders and two other attempted murders.
Luis Jeffrey Santana, a/k/a “Sopita,” 28, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Sept. 9, 2026. Luis Jeffrey Santana was arrested and charged in February 2025.
The Trinitarios is a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Trinitarios adhere to a Magna Carta, employ an internal hierarchy to coordinate and execute violence, and undertake extensive efforts to maintain the secrecy of the organization and its members.
Luis Jeffrey Santana admitted to his participation in an August 2021 shooting outside of a store in Salem, Mass. During this incident, Luis Jeffrey Santana and other Trinitarios members confronted two victims they believed to be rival gang members and engaged in a verbal altercation with them in the store. The Trinitarios and victims separated, exited the store and proceeded in different directions. The Trinitarios members, however, called for reinforcements who arrived shortly thereafter. The victims proceeded to their vehicle and as they turned out of the parking lot, a black sedan containing multiple Trinitarios pulled up and a shooter began firing multiple rounds at the victims. At the same time, a second vehicle pulled out and blocked traffic while the shooting took place.
Luis Jeffrey Santana was one of the leaders who convened a gang meeting in Dec. 1, 2024. During the recorded meeting, the Trinitarios discussed the reorganization and restructuring of the Trinitarios chapters, including the need for members to pay dues and contribute to the gang’s operations. During one portion of the recording, the leaders discussed the need to have money on hand to help members who commit shootings and to fund a war against rival gang members. They also discussed the potential violence that will be visited upon members who betray the gang.
During today’s court proceedings, Luis Jeffrey Santana admitted to his membership in the gang. Photographs and videos recovered in the investigation showed Luis Jeffrey Santana wearing Trinitarios beaded necklaces, making Trinitarios gang signs with his hands and associating with other members and leaders.
In February 2025, federal racketeering charges were unsealed against 22 leaders and members of the Trinitarios. The charges were the result of a multijurisdictional investigation, dubbed Operation Paper Machetes, which began in the aftermath of four murders as well as a series of attempted murders and shootings that took place in Lynn in 2023, allegedly committed by the Trinitarios criminal enterprise and its members. In March 2025, a Lynn member of the Trinitarios was sentenced to ten years in prison. In June 2025, two members of the Trinitarios were charged with kidnapping a drug supplier. In July 2025, the leader of the Lynn Chapter was sentenced to fourteen years in prison. In December 2025, two members of the Lynn Chapter, Michael Miliano and James Jimenez pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. In April 2026, Luis Enrique Santana pleaded guilty. In May 2026, Westyn Lantigua pleaded guilty. Luis Jeffrey Santana is the eleventh Defendant to plead guilty in the case.
The charge of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity (also known as “racketeering conspiracy” or “RICO conspiracy”) provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble; and Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester, N.H. Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is 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 Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Las Vegas Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Threatening to Murder Federal Officials and State EmployeesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man who was convicted by a jury for threatening to assault and murder public officials over a seven-month period was sentenced today by United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey to 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. The government recommended 71 months in prison.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from November 30, 2023, through July 7, 2024, Spencer Christjencody Gear threatened public officials using vulgar and violent language in a series of phone calls and sent an email threatening to assault and murder eight federal officials, including judges, as well as three state employees. The threats were intended to intimidate and interfere with the officials as they carried out their duties and to retaliate against them for actions taken in their official roles in Washington, D.C., New York, and Montana.
“Today's sentencing should send a clear message that the FBI stands firm in its commitment to protecting our public officials and ensuring that individuals who seek to harm others will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Field Office. “Threats of violence are never merely words; they constitute serious federal crimes, and the FBI takes every threat with utmost seriousness. The act of spreading fear and intimidation has no place in our community.”
“The United States Marshals quickly responds to threats against the judiciary and public officials,” said U.S. Marshal Gary Schofield for the U.S. Marshals Service. “This investigation is a result of solid partnerships with our fellow agencies that resulted in a conviction and justice being done.”
“Threats against public officials should never be tolerated,” said Chief Michael G. Sullivan for the U.S. Capitol Police. “I am proud of the men and women of our law enforcement partners, including the Department of Justice for their exceptional work on this case. Their diligence and commitment to justice helped ensure that the individual responsible was held accountable.”
In February 2026, after a six-day trial, a jury found Gear guilty of nine counts of threatening a federal official and 11 counts of transmitting a communication containing a threat to injure.
Executive Assistant United States Attorney Summer Johnson for the District of Nevada, FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto, U.S. Marshal Gary Schofield, and Chief Michael G. Sullivan made the announcement.
The FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and U.S. Capitol Police investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Jacob Operskalski and Daniel Schiess prosecuted the case.
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Laboratory Executives, Marketers, and Physician to Pay over $2M to Settle Allegations of Illegal Kickbacks to DoctorsRead the Press Release
Former laboratory CEO Susan Hertzberg, of New York, and former laboratory sales executive Matthew Theiler, of Pinehurst, North Carolina, have agreed to pay $1.2 million to resolve False Claims Act litigation with the United States alleging illegal payments to doctors for laboratory referrals in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute.
One doctor — Frederick Brown, of Missouri City, Texas — and six marketers — Thomas Gray Hardaway, of San Antonio, Texas; William Todd Hickman, of Anna, Texas; and Ginny Jacobs, Scott Jacobs, S&G Staffing LLC, and Jacobs Marketing Inc., all of Magnolia, Texas — have agreed to pay an additional $859,055 to settle the United States’ laboratory kickback allegations against them in the case.
With these settlements, the Department of Justice has secured over $61 million in civil False Claims Act settlements since 2019 for kickbacks to healthcare providers disguised as managed service organization (MSO) investment distributions, including recoveries from over 50 physicians.
“The Department of Justice is committed to rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse in federally funded healthcare programs,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Kickback schemes can waste taxpayer dollars, erode healthcare providers’ medical judgment, and result in patients being subjected to unnecessary medical treatments.”
“Nearly every working American took time recently to pay their federal taxes. As we did so, we all hoped that our money was being used wisely, and we trusted that systems were in place to prevent the types of fraud and kickback schemes that this case uncovered,” said U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs for the Eastern District of Texas. “In the Eastern District of Texas, we mean to deliver on the promise of the President, the Vice President, and Acting Attorney General to aggressively combat the fraudulent use of tax dollars. The settlements today, along with the criminal convictions in the related case, show that we are delivering on that promise.”
“Today’s settlement demonstrates that violations of the Anti‑Kickback Statute, such as alleged here, can undermine clinical judgment and erode trust in the health care system,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS‑OIG). “HHS‑OIG will continue working with our law enforcement partners to make sure that anyone who uses kickbacks to compromise the integrity of medical decision‑making and generate unnecessary services is held accountable.”
“By disrupting fraud and misconduct of this nature, we help to ensure TRICARE, the uniformed services’ primary health care program, is better positioned to deliver critical care to the warfighter,” said Special Agent in Charge Chad Gosch of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Southwest Field Office. “This result demonstrates the commitment of DCIS and our investigative partners to aggressively pursue those who seek to betray the American taxpayer and undermine our military’s healthcare system.”
The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering, paying, soliciting, or receiving remuneration to induce referrals of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and other federally funded healthcare programs. It seeks to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives and are instead based on the best interests of their patients.
Susan Hertzberg — the former CEO of Boston Heart Diagnostics Corporation (Boston Heart), a laboratory in Framingham, Massachusetts — agreed to pay $600,000 to resolve allegations that she caused false claims for laboratory testing to Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE from 2015 to 2017. Likewise, Theiler, Boston Heart’s former VP of Sales, also agreed to pay $600,000 to resolve allegations that he caused false claims for laboratory testing to Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE from 2015 to 2017. Hertzberg and Theiler allegedly agreed to a kickback scheme in which marketers, including Boston Heart’s own employees, offered and paid doctors kickbacks disguised as MSO distributions to induce the doctors’ referrals to Texas hospitals for laboratory testing performed by Boston Heart, including medically unnecessary testing. Hertzberg and Theiler allegedly knew that marketers using MSOs were recruiting doctors to order testing performed by Boston Heart for a hospital in Texas and were given a “strong recommendation” to “reel this in” and “stand down on all hospitals,” particularly in Texas. Nevertheless, Hertzberg allegedly approved, and Theiler allegedly implemented, an expansion of the Texas hospital arrangement to another hospital to continue working with many of the same marketers.
In addition, the settlements announced today resolve the United States’ allegations in the lawsuit that Dr. Brown solicited and received kickbacks in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute from laboratory marketers’ purported MSOs in return for laboratory testing referrals. Dr. Brown agreed to pay $309,055 to resolve allegations that from November 2015 to November 2017, he received thousands of dollars in payments from two purported MSOs, Ascend MSO of TX LLC and Indus MG LLC, in return for ordering laboratory tests from Little River Healthcare, a critical access hospital in Rockdale, Texas, and True Health Diagnostics LLC, a clinical laboratory in Frisco, Texas.
Lastly, the following marketers and their associated entities agreed to pay a total of $550,000 to resolve the United States’ allegations in the civil litigation that they paid kickbacks disguised as MSO payments to doctors to induce the doctors’ laboratory testing referrals: Former MSO owner William Todd Hickman; Thomas Gray Hardaway, a former Boston Heart sales representative and co-owner of Texas marketing company LGRB Management Services LLC; and Ginny Jacobs and Scott Jacobs, co-owners of Texas marketing companies S&G Staffing LLC and Jacobs Marketing Inc. Hickman’s civil settlement amount was based on his ability to pay. The civil settlement amounts that Hertzberg, Theiler, Dr. Brown, Hickman, and Hardaway agreed to pay were in addition to amounts they were ordered to pay in a criminal proceeding captioned United States v. Susan Hertzberg, et al., No. 6:22-cr-3-JDK (E.D. Tex.).
The settlements announced today were the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas, with assistance from HHS-OIG and DCIS. They were handled by attorneys Christopher Terranova and Gavin Thole in the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Gillingham and Betty Young in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas.
The government’s pursuit of these matters illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.
The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of civil liability.
Note: View the Hertzberg Settlement here, Theiler Settlement here, Brown Settlement here, Hardaway Settlement here, Hickman Settlement here, and Jacobs Settlement here.
Kershaw County Man Pleads Guilty to Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Van Lydell Starling, 48, of Kershaw, has pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on July 20, 2023, investigators with the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a home on Green Hill Road in Lugoff, which was the known residence of Starling.
During the search, investigators found multiple guns, a box of sandwich bags with a razor blade, several digital scales with white residue on them, a clear container containing crack cocaine residue, a black notebook that appeared to be a drug ledger, Starling’s identification card, and crack cocaine located under the mattress in Starling’s bedroom. Based upon the amounts of drugs, the multiple digital scales, the sandwich bags, and the drug ledger, the police determined that the crack cocaine was intended to be distributed.
Starling faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Starling after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.###
Justice Department Secures Ruling to Allow Montana Vegetation Management Project to ProceedRead the Press Release
Last week, the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana upheld the Forest Service’s Mud Creek Project in the Bitterroot National Forest in southwest Montana. Continuing over the course of several years, the project will reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire affecting nearby communities through prescribed burns and other noncommercial fuel reduction treatments and by providing up to 13,700 acres of commercial timber harvest. The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and Ravalli County, Montana, joined the federal government in the case to defend the project.
In upholding the project, the district court ruled that it complied with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), National Forest Management Act (NFMA), and Endangered Species Act (ESA). The court found 1) that the Forest Service has adequately considered the project’s potential effects on carbon stocks in the forest; 2) that the NFMA claim was procedurally barred and even if it were not, that it would not prevent the project from going forward because no forest stands from old growth status will be removed; and 3) that the project has sufficient mitigation measures to offset impacts to species listed under the ESA. The decision is subject to appeal in the Ninth Circuit.
“Responsible forest management prevents wildfires, saves lives, produces timber we need to increase the supply of housing, and makes homes more affordable,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “The Environment and Natural Resources Division is successfully combating efforts to weaponize procedural statutes against the responsible use of America’s vast natural resources. The District Court rightly held that the Forest Service’s assessment of environmental effects for a forest can apply to a particular project within that forest.”
In March 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued an executive order to expand American timber production. One of the purposes of the executive order is to save American lives and communities through forest management and wildfire risk reduction projects.
Senior Trial Attorney Shaun Pettigrew of ENRD’s Natural Resources Section handled the case, with support from the Wildlife and Marine Resources Section.