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Wednesday 20 May 2026
Florence man and woman sentenced to prison for drug trafficking in MissoulaRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A man and woman from Florence who trafficked methamphetamine in Missoula were sentenced to prison today, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
Megal Vincienzo Daricek, 30, and Summer Dawn Walraven, 28, both pleaded guilty in January 2026, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Daricek also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Walraven was sentenced today to 48 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Daricek was sentenced to 140 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The government alleged in court documents that both Walraven and Daricek had traveled to Spokane, Washington, to pick up methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it in Missoula.
Members of the Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force executed a search warrant on April 4, 2025, on Walraven’s room at the Liv-A-Way Suites in Missoula after receiving a tip that she and Daricek were trafficking methamphetamine. While searching Walraven’s room, officers found over a pound of meth, numerous baggies, scales and other items that could be used in the distribution of illicit substances.
Walraven told officers she had purchased approximately two pounds of meth in Spokane with plans to traffic it in Missoula.
A month later, officers pulled over Daricek on May 2, 2025, continuing the Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force investigation into the transportation of methamphetamine from Spokane to Missoula. After initially denying that he had drugs in the car, Daricek admitted to officers that he used meth and had picked up “pound quantities” of it in Spokane. He also acknowledged that he had obtained a Glock .40 firearm during one of his transactions.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force conducted the investigation.
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Fitchburg Detective Honored with Hometown Hero AwardRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin proudly announces that Detective Jordan Trundle of the Fitchburg Police Department has been awarded the inaugural Hometown Hero Award sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice in honor of America’s 250th birthday.
In a ceremony today, U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma presented Detective Trundle the award in recognition of his outstanding work as a Task Force Officer with ATF Madison’s Crime Gun Task Force. The task force was formed to reduce gun violence by removing handguns from felons, drug traffickers, and other prohibited persons. The task force also aims to eliminate dangerous machine guns and machine gun conversion devices from Wisconsin communities.
Since joining the task force in July 2024, Detective Trundle has worked tirelessly to make the Fitchburg Police Department a model agency for processing crime guns. Detective Trundle has worked to streamline his department’s procedures for documenting and analyzing firearms used in the commission of federal and state crimes. Detective Trundle has also led in service training sessions to ensure his fellow officers are educated on the new procedures. Through his efforts, Detective Trundle has personally opened approximately two dozen federal firearms cases which have led to eighteen indictments.
In addition to his contributions to the Crime Gun Task Force, Detective Trundle was recognized in May 2024 by the Fitchburg Police Department for his outstanding service during a shots fired incident. He has participated in training for the department’s Citizens Academy, including conducting demonstrations on building clearing tactics and K9 apprehension.
“Today we honor one of our absolute best,” said U.S. Attorney Elgersma. “The Western District of Wisconsin is proud to recognize Detective Trundle for his exceptional work and service to his fellow Wisconsinites. He is an extraordinary example of what a law enforcement officer can be, and I am grateful for his continued service.”
The Hometown Hero Award was created in honor of the 250th birthday of the United States of America. The U.S. Department of Justice is proud to honor law enforcement across the country with recognition of the extraordinary service to their fellow citizens.
Fraudulent Childcare Grant Leads to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud ConvictionRead the Press Release
Demietriek Scott, age 50, of New Orleans, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Brian A. Jackson to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall.
According to admissions made during his plea, Scott conspired with another to devise a scheme to obtain federal funds in the form of LaCAP grant money from the Louisiana Department of Education. Scott and his co-conspirator made a non-existent childcare provider appear operational and manipulated spreadsheets and data systems utilized by the Louisiana Department of Education to steal $74,250 in federal funds. This prosecution demonstrates the Trump Administration’s commitment to fighting fraud and the need for the recent creation of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
LaCAP grants are associated with monies that are paid in connection with a Presidentially Declared Major Disaster or Emergency. Scott’s conviction is punishable by a maximum penalty of thirty years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, and a period of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy S. Johnson leads the prosecution. “If you choose to steal money taxpayer money that is designated to help those in need, you will be prosecuted to the fullest,” U.S. Attorney Wall stated.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Eleven Defendants Charged in Multimillion-Dollar Scheme to Evade Tolls and Parking and Traffic TicketsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced the arrests of eleven defendants in connection with a multimillion-dollar scheme to evade tolls and parking and traffic tickets using fraudulently obtained temporary license plates. The defendants are charged in a five-count indictment with offenses including wire fraud and access device fraud. All eleven defendants were arrested between May 19, 2026 and May 20, 2026, and nine of the eleven are expected to appear in White Plains federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victoria Reznik. Felix DeJesus Jimenez is expected to be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian S. Meyers in the Eastern District of North Carolina. RAMON ELIGIO DEJESUS PERALTA is expected to be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marty Fulgueira Elfenbein in the Southern District of Florida.
“For over five years, the defendants allegedly conspired to use fraudulently obtained temporary license plates, or ‘temp tags,’ to avoid fees, tolls, and parking traffic tickets,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Their schemes deprived New York State and New York City of millions of dollars in revenue. Hard-working, honest New Yorkers were footing their bills. This Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to protecting New Yorkers from fraud, waste, and abuse. The defendants allegedly spent years scheming to avoid tolls and tickets. Their bill has now come due.”
“These individuals allegedly turned temporary tags into tools for evading accountability, allowing drivers to dodge tolls, and lawful traffic penalties,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle. “Investigations found approximately a total of $15 million in unpaid parking violations, tolls, and vehicle registrations. Not only were millions of dollars in unpaid violations uncovered, but investigators also found that certain temporary registrations and license plates were linked to multiple criminal offenses. The FBI will not tolerate bad actors violating government rules.”
As alleged in the Indictments filed on May 13, 2026, in White Plains federal court:[1]
Licensed auto dealerships may issue temporary motor vehicle registrations (“temp tags” or “paper tags”) in connection with bona fide sales or leases of vehicles. In recent years, individuals have abused this system by setting up sham auto dealerships to generate fraudulent temp tags—unconnected to bona fide sales or leases of cars—that are then sold in, among other places, the Southern District of New York.
From at least in or about June 2017 through at least in or about March 2024, Felix DeJesus Jimenez, Julio Frias, Bladimir Tomas Valdez, Alba Nellys Rodriguez Gonzalez, Jefrey RAPHAEL Herrera Espinal, Sammy Rodriguez Francisco, Xavier Rodriguez Francisco, Clarisa Rodriguez Francisco, Cindy Rey, Luciano Moises Estrella, and RAMON ELIGIO DEJESUS PERALTA participated in a scheme to defraud New York State and New York City of revenue from vehicle registration fees, tolls, parking enforcement, and traffic enforcement, through the use of fraudulent temp tags.
As part of the scheme, the defendants created a series of companies for which they obtained used motor vehicle dealer licenses in the States of New Jersey and Georgia (the “Dealerships”). The defendants and their co-conspirators used those Dealerships to generate a total of more than 100,000 temp tags, a significant portion of which were registered to addresses in the Southern District of New York, and which they sold in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere at prices ranging from approximately $50 to $250 per tag, producing millions of dollars in profits. In selling temp tags, certain defendants represented at times, in sum and substance, that, by using a temp tag generated by a Dealership, customers would avoid having to pay tolls and/or tickets. Since at least in or around 2017, temp tags issued by the Dealerships have incurred at least approximately $11,800,000 in unpaid parking and traffic tickets in New York City and at least approximately $3,100,000 in unpaid E-ZPass tolls in New York State.
Temp tags issued by the Dealerships have been the subject of numerous complaints lodged with the New York Police Department and other law enforcement agencies, including by victims who have received bills for tolls and tickets that they did not incur. Additionally, temp tags issued by the Dealerships were involved in at least approximately 1,200 incidents reported to the NYPD, including at least six homicides.
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FELIX DEJESUS JIMENEZ, age 62, of Englewood, NJ, JULIO FRIAS, age 61, of Teaneck, NJ, BLADIMIR TOMAS VALDEZ, age 30, of Manhattan, NY, RAMON ELIGIO DEJESUS PERALTA, age 52, of Miami, FL, ALBA NELLYS RODRIGUEZ GONZALEZ, age 25, of Bergenfield, NJ, JEFREY RAPHEL HERRERA ESPINAL, age 26, of Yonkers, NY, SAMMY RODRIGUEZ FRANCISCO, age 25, of Yonkers, NY, XAVIER RODRIGUEZ FRANCISCO, age 23, of Waterbury, CT, CLARISA RODRIGUEZ FRANCISCO, age 27, of Yonkers, NY, CINDY REY, age 28, of Hazleton, PA, and LUCIANO MOISES ESTRELLA, age 42, of West Milford, NJ, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, two counts of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment, and one count of access device fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of each defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s New York Field Office, Westchester County Resident Agency, the New York Police Department, the New York State Troopers, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission Special Investigations Unit, and the Georgia Department of Revenue Office of Special Investigations.
The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jake Sidransky, Benjamin Klein, Stephanie Simon, and Daniel Listwa are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictments are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the Indictment and the descriptions of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Dubuque Resident Charged with Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
Andrew Robert Roos, age 35, from Dubuque, Iowa, has been charged with six counts related to allegations involving child exploitation. The charges are contained in an Indictment unsealed today in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.
The Indictment alleges that, over the course of several years, Roos attempted to use, persuade, induce, and entice minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct, and that he distributed, transported, received, and possessed child pornography.
If convicted on all charges, Roos faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 120 years’ imprisonment and supervised release for life following any imprisonment.
Roos’s first appearance in federal court in Cedar Rapids for an arraignment is set for May 22, 2026.
As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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 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 Justice.gov/PSC.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Dubuque Police Department, with assistance from the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 26-CR-1009.
Dual U.S.-Nigerian citizen sentenced to over six years in prison for his role in a money laundering conspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A dual U.S.-Nigerian citizen residing in both Irvington, New Jersey, and the Federal Republic of Nigeria, was sentenced today to six years and six months in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to court documents, Eseosa Brigut Omoruyi, 36, was the sole owner and operator of Peller Goods, LLC, a business he created in July 2019 in New Jersey. From at least March 2020 through November 2024, Omoruyi participated in a money laundering scheme to receive funds from another conspirator through Peller Goods’ bank accounts in exchange for a percentage of each transaction. Omoruyi recruited Wilvert Telfo, 31, of Bayonne, New Jersey, to join the conspiracy and launder funds through his business, Royal Skoob Productions, LLC.
Over the course of the conspiracy, Omoruyi was involved in laundering approximately $3,442,230. Telfo was involved in laundering approximately $1,042,361. Among the money laundered by Omoruyi and Telfo were funds from a fraudulently obtained $174,400 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) from the U.S. Treasury Department to MediPro Corporation in Newport News. On July 3, 2020, the owner and operator of MediPro Corporation wired $70,000 of the EIDL funds to Royal Skoob Productions. At Omoruyi’s direction, on July 6, 2020, Telfo transferred $25,421.45 of the funds via cashier's check to another company, and on July 8, 2020, withdrew $25,905, which he further transferred.
Telfo pled guilty on March 23, 2023, to conspiracy to commit money laundering. He was sentenced on Aug. 9, 2023, to two years and six months in prison.
The FBI’s Norfolk Field Office and the IRS Criminal Investigation Washington D.C. Field Office investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mack Coleman prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:25-cr-66.
Dominican National Pleads Guilty Pleads Guilty for Role in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy in Case Brought by New Hampshire Homeland Security Task ForceRead the Press Release
Dominican National Pleads Guilty Pleads Guilty for Role in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy in Case Brought by New Hampshire Homeland Security Task Force
CONCORD – Donaida Gonzalez, a.k.a. “Yijana Rodriguez,” age 54, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, pleaded guilty today in federal court to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
According to court documents and statements, in early 2024, law enforcement agencies began investigating a drug-trafficking organization (DTO) based in Massachusetts and operating in New Hampshire. During the course of the conspiracy, the DTO trafficked multiple kilograms of fentanyl and methamphetamine. Gonzalez helped run the DTO’s “stash” house in Methuen, Massachusetts, which was used to store and package drugs before sale. Gonzalez has been detained since her arrest in October 2024.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substances carries a sentence of up to 20 years’ incarceration, not less than 3 years of supervised release, and a fine up to $1,000,000. 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.
The Department of Homeland Security led the investigation with valuable assistance from the Strafford County Sheriff’s Office and New Hampshire State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mike Shannon and Yasir Sadat are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution 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 New Hampshire comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, IRS, DEA, ATF, USMS, and DSS with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.
Deputy Matthew J. Fleming Named New Hampshire’s Hometown HeroRead the Press Release
Deputy Matthew J. Fleming Named New Hampshire’s Hometown Hero
CONCORD – Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Deputy and Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Officer Matthew J. Fleming has been chosen as New Hampshire’s Hometown Hero, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. He was recognized this morning at a ceremony at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, where friends, colleagues, and his police K9 Niko gathered to celebrate the honor.
The U.S. Attorney of each federal district has selected one public servant to receive this honor, recognizing America’s 250th anniversary. Deputy Fleming earned the recognition for his many years of service rescuing children from sexual abuse and preventing further victimization. His K9 Niko is an electronic storage detection dog, who is able to find electronic media which may contain evidence of child abuse.
Corpus Christi resident sentenced for receiving child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 46-year-old woman has been ordered to federal prison after exchanging child pornography over the internet, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Melissa Sillers pleaded guilty Jan. 28.
U.S. District Judge David Morales has now sentenced Sillers to 156 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional information regarding multiple online conversations Sillers had with different people during which she exchanged child sexual abuse material. In handing down the prison term, the court noted the increased harm that comes from those actively distributing this kind of material and the perpetual revictimization that occurs from it. Sillers will serve 15 years on supervised release following the completion of her prison term. During that time, she will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict her access to children and the internet. She will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
The investigation into Sillers began Oct. 4, 2022, when authorities discovered CSAM had been uploaded onto the internet. Law enforcement was able to identify Sillers as the source of the content.
Authorities obtained a search warrant for Sillers’s residence. They located and seized her cell phone.
A forensic examination revealed conversations between Sillers and various others during which they discussed sexual fantasies involving children and exchanged CSAM. The examination showed Sillers had distributed the material a month before her arrest.
Sillers has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance of Corpus Christi Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Overman prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Coos Bay Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting a Minor and Attempting to Sexually Exploit Another MinorRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.— A Coos Bay, Oregon, man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court for causing a child to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM), attempting to cause an adult to produce CSAM with his minor child, and distributing CSAM to others.
Thomas Owen Barnett, 40, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child.
According to court documents, between September and December 2023, Barnett encouraged a minor victim to create and send him CSAM. In September 2024, Barnett distributed CSAM of that minor victim on Kik, an online chat platform, and sought money in exchange. The same month, Barnett posed as the minor victim online and asked a man in a foreign nation to make and send him CSAM depicting the man’s very young child.
On February 20, 2025, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a four-count indictment charging Barnett with sexual exploitation of a child, attempted sexual exploitation of a child, as well as possession and distribution of child pornography.
Barnett faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a supervised release term of five years to life. He will be sentenced on September 1, 2026, before a U.S. District Court judge. Additionally, Barnett has agreed to pay restitution to the victim and forfeit certain property.
U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the North Bend Police Department and the Coos County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by William M. McLaren, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children is encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Cleveland Shootout Lands Convicted Felons in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
OXFORD, Miss. – Jamarcus Miller, 38, of Cleveland, Mississippi, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Debra M. Brown, to 80 months in prison. He had previously pleaded guilty to possessing ammunition as a prior convicted felon. Earlier this year, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Michael P. Mills sentenced Jamario Hodges, 32, also of Cleveland, to 70 months imprisonment followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Hodges had previously pleaded guilty to felon in possession of a firearm.
The ammunition was recovered by the Cleveland Police Department when officers responded to a shooting at a local convenience store. Video surveillance showed Miller and Hodges, engaging in a shootout near gas pumps before fleeing the area. The shell casings near where Miller had been shooting were seized. When officers located Hodges, he was in possession of a firearm with a Glock switch.
Both Miller and Hodges were convicted felons. The two were charged separately by a federal grand jury for possessing ammunition or firearm as felons and pled guilty.
Miller and Hodges are also under state indictment for the shooting in the Circuit Court of Bolivar County, Mississippi, where the charges remain pending.
U.S. Attorney Scott Leary stated, “The Mississippi Delta is an important part of our district. There is no room here for violent criminals such as Jamarcus Miller and Jamario Hodges. They both put innocent people in danger with their actions and we are not going to allow that to happen. As prior convicted felons, a firearm should never have been in their hands. Our office, along with our partners in the federal and local law enforcement agencies, are making sure those who are violent offenders are arrested and taken off our streets.”
Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jackson Field Office Robert Eikhoff stated, “Miller’s and Hodges’ actions instilled fear and put innocent members of the community at risk. Their conduct showed a blatant disregard for the law and the safety of the public. The FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, remains firmly committed to protecting the community and ensuring that repeat violent offenders are held accountable for their crimes.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cleveland Police Department, along with the United States Marshals Service investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Addison prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Chinese national arrested in China as a result of efforts by U.S. and Chinese authorities to thwart drug imports through the Port of SavannahRead the Press Release
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SAVANNAH, Georgia: A Chinese national has been indicted in the United States in a scheme to import hundreds of kilograms of drugs through the Port of Savannah.
Wei Gong, a/k/a “David Gong,” 45, of Tianjin, China, is in custody in China since his arrest by Chinese authorities in February 2026 on related Chinese criminal violations. The United States provided information to Chinese authorities through official channels, which they used to investigate and ultimately arrest Gong.
Gong is charged in a recently unsealed indictment in the Southern District of Georgia with Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances, Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, Importation of Controlled Substances, and Distribution of Controlled Substances, said Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The charges each carry statutory sentences of up to 20 years in federal prison, along with substantial financial penalties and a period of supervised release upon completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The United States is seeking forfeiture of cryptocurrency seized during the investigation through both the criminal indictment and a recently unsealed civil forfeiture case.
“Wei Gong, through his ownership of a Chinese chemical company, imported more than 10 kilograms of dangerous drugs into the Southern District of Georgia and sought to bring in more than 1,000 kilograms through the Port of Savannah,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “He also advertised other drugs for sale, including deadly fentanyl analogues. We are thankful for the professionalism and hard work of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security’s Narcotics Control Bureau in developing their case and taking Gong into custody.”
The recently unsealed indictment and civil complaint in the Southern District of Georgia establish that Gong imported ethylone and N,N-dimethylpentylone, both schedule I controlled substances and synthetic cathinones, into the Augusta and Savannah areas. Gong sold at least 10 kilograms to an undercover agent working for the Drug Enforcement Administration, and to Conway Rhinehart, 45, of Hephzibah, Georgia, who in January 2024 was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to drug distribution charges.
The investigation alleges that Gong’s wide-ranging activities started in 2020 until his arrest by Chinese authorities in February 2026. Gong discussed his ambitions to import hundreds of kilograms of dangerous drugs into southern Georgia, ultimately settling on a scheme to import more than 1,000 kilograms through the Port of Savannah. Gong accepted payment through cryptocurrency, which the DEA seized during its investigation.
The investigation alleges that Gong identified the source city for his drug supply and operated out of another city in China. He actively sought to avoid customs delays and shipment seizures and used others to aid him in importing drugs from China into the United States.
Gong’s cryptocurrency records indicate he engaged in millions of dollars in transactions during the time of the scheme. The civil complaint, which seeks to forfeit the seized cryptocurrency, also alleges that Gong violated customs and money laundering statutes.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
“The DEA Asia Pacific Division remains unwavering in its commitment to disrupting the drug supply chain that crosses borders and endangers American communities,” said David L. King, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Asia Pacific Division. “This coordinated action with the Chinese Ministry of Public Security reflects our shared resolve to hold traffickers accountable, seize their illicit proceeds, and dismantle networks that traffic fentanyl and other dangerous substances to the United States.”
“This arrest demonstrates the strength of international cooperation in disrupting global drug trafficking networks,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Working alongside our law enforcement counterparts in China, we were able to identify and hold accountable an individual responsible for attempting to exploit the Port of Savannah to introduce dangerous drugs into the United States. This case sends a direct message that those who traffic in poison, no matter where they operate, will be pursued through strong global partnerships.”
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.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Southern District of Georgia Senior Litigation Counsel J. Bishop Ravenel is prosecuting the criminal case and representing the United States in the civil case.
Canadian Steel Companies and Owner to Pay $19M to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Evaded Customs DutiesRead the Press Release
Two Canada-based steel companies, Farjess Inc. and Royal Canadian Steel Inc., along with their part-owner and president, Feroz Jessani, have agreed to pay $19 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly and improperly failing to pay duties owed on flat-rolled steel that was manufactured in Europe and Asia.
“Import duties serve an important role in protecting our national interests generally and the American steel industry in particular,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will zealously pursue anyone who fraudulently evades the duties owed on steel products imported into this country.”
“Our border is the frontline of American industry. Approximately half of all U.S.-Canada land trade flows through our district.” said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. for the Eastern District of Michigan. “And we will continue to protect our businesses from foreign fraudsters,”
“This settlement underscores the United States’ strong commitment to enforcing trade laws and maintaining the integrity of our supply chains. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is proud to have supported the Department of Justice in this cross-border investigation, ensuring that all duties owed to the government are collected and that fair competition is preserved,” said Acting Director Jonathan Restivo of Center of Excellence and Expertise (CEE), Base Metals. “This case sends a clear message that CBP, in partnership with our federal counterparts, will continue to uphold the rule of law and protect the interests of American businesses and consumers.”
“Since 1789, the United States has imposed tariffs and collected customs duties on imports to fund government operations, provide public services and protect American industry,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey of Homeland Security Investigations’ Detroit field office. “This record-setting settlement underscores HSI’s commitment to protecting American manufacturers and consumers from unfair trade practices and ensuring the integrity of our nation’s economic policies.”
To enter goods into the United States, an importer must declare, among other things, the country of origin of the goods, the value of the goods, whether the goods are subject to duties, and the amount of duties owed. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) collects applicable duties.
The settlement resolves allegations that, from May 2019 through January 2025, Farjess Inc., Royal Canadian Steel Inc., and Feroz Jessani avoided duties owed to the United States by knowingly misrepresenting to CBP that the country of origin of certain flat-rolled steel was Canada or the United States, when in fact they knew the true country of origin was China, Indonesia, Italy, Turkey, or Vietnam.
The settlement resolves a civil lawsuit filed by Shamsh Dhala, a broker who worked with Farjess Inc., under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and to share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The lawsuit was filed in the Eastern District of Michigan and is captioned United States ex rel. Dhala v. Royal Canadian Steel Inc. et al., No. 2:23-cv-12097 (E.D. Mich.). As part of today’s resolution, Mr. Dhala will receive approximately $3,610,000 of the settlement proceeds.
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 Civil Division coordinated this action through the Department of Justice’s Trade Fraud Task Force, a cross-agency law enforcement effort. The Task Force was created to leverage all of the Department’s tools and authorities to prevent trade fraud that deprives the government of vital revenue, threatens critical domestic industries, undermines consumer confidence, and weakens national security. The Task Force is designed to pursue enforcement actions against parties who seek to evade tariffs and other duties, as well as smugglers who seek to import prohibited goods into the American economy. The Justice Department encourages whistleblowers to alert the government to credible allegations of fraud, including utilizing the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act or through the Department’s Corporate Whistleblower Program at [email protected] using the form available here.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of the Associate Chief Counsel, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Justice Department’s Office of Foreign Litigation.
The matter was handled by Trial Attorney James Nealon and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Postulka for the Eastern District of Michigan.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Brookline Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Transfer of Obscene Material to a MinorRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brookline man pleaded guilty yesterday to attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor.
William Kahn, 28, pleaded guilty to transfer of obscene material to a minor. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Sept. 22, 2026. Kahn was charged in December 2025.
Between June 2025 and August 2025, Kahn engaged in online conversations with an undercover agent purporting to be a 14-year-old girl. Kahn engaged in sexually explicit chat discussions with the purported minor, sent a photograph of an adult erect genitalia and discussed meeting in person with the purported minor.
The charge of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three 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 and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Brookline, Boston and Arlington Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Brevard County Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Alex Robert Cookshott (56, Palm Bay) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Cookshott pleaded guilty on December 17, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, throughout January 2025, Cookshott sold a confidential source methamphetamine in Palm Bay. The first transaction was for approximately two ounces of methamphetamine, and the second was for approximately six ounces of methamphetamine. Surrounding these deals, Cookshott obtained the methamphetamine from his source of supply to then sell to the confidential source. In total, Cookshott was responsible for distributing more than 220 grams of pure methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
Bourbonnais Woman Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Pandemic-Related FraudRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A Bourbonnais, Illinois, woman, Octavia Renee Murphy, 37, of the 700 block of Double Jack Street, was sentenced on May 19, 2026, to one year in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Murphy was also ordered to serve a two-year term of supervised release following her imprisonment and to pay $169,949.97 in restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
On January 27, 2026, Murphy pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless in Springfield, Illinois, to conspiring with others to defraud the SBA by submitting false applications for pandemic era relief, namely, Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) advances and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Murphy admitted recruiting relatives, co-workers, and friends to file fraudulent applications for EIDL advances and PPP loans falsely claiming that they operated small businesses prior to and during the pandemic. Murphy admitted that, when those applications were successful, those individuals paid kickbacks to her out of the fraud proceeds. Murphy further admitted that she filed false PPP loan forgiveness applications for those same individuals, as well as attempted to disguise and conceal the PPP loan that she personally received by transferring the money to another account and falsely claiming it was for “payroll”.
At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence establishing that Murphy was the leader and organizer of a fourteen-defendant conspiracy that defrauded the SBA of $169.949.97 by submitting false EIDL advance and PPP loan applications. The government also established that Murphy was gainfully employed by the State of Illinois at the Shapiro Developmental Center in Kankakee, Illinois, at the time of her fraud and was motivated by greed, not any financial need.
During the hearing, Judge Lawless rejected Murphy’s request for a minimum sentence of one day of imprisonment, stating that she could not ignore that Murphy was the leader of this large conspiracy to defraud the SBA and that Murphy’s conduct warranted a sentence of imprisonment. Murphy will remain on bond pending reporting to the Bureau of Prisons at a later date to serve her sentence.“Exploiting a program designed to assist small businesses in staying viable during a crisis is inexcusable.” said Acting United States Attorney Gregory M. Gilmore. “We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners and protecting the taxpayers by holding these fraudsters accountable for their actions.”
“Pandemic relief funds were meant to protect communities during a crisis, not to line the pockets of fraudsters,” said Ryan Presley, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Springfield Field Office. “By organizing a network to steal from taxpayers, the defendant chose personal greed over public need. This case shows that if you defraud emergency federal programs, we and our partners will hold you accountable.”
“Today’s sentencing reflects the coordinated efforts of our office, our investigative partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in addressing fraud involving federal relief programs,” said Basil Demczak, Special Agent in Charge of Amtrak Office of Inspector General’s Central Field Office. “We remain committed to protecting taxpayer funds and holding accountable those who exploited pandemic relief programs intended to support individuals and businesses in need.”
The statutory penalties for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and each count of wire fraud are up to thirty years of imprisonment, five years of supervised release, full restitution, and a $250,000 fine. The statutory penalty for money laundering is up to twenty years of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Federal charges remain pending against the remaining thirteen defendants, with a trial date of July 6, 2026, scheduled before Judge Lawless in Springfield.
The Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General has estimated over $200 billion nationwide in fraudulent pandemic-relief payments under the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The case investigation was conducted by the Amtrak Office of Inspector General’s Central Field Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller represented the government in the prosecution.
Boise Man Sentenced to 13.5 years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE – U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced that Terry Benjamin Ellinger, 31, of Boise, was sentenced to 162 months in federal prison for Distributing Child Pornography.
According to court records, between September 27, 2023, and December 12, 2023, Ellinger used a social media application to communicate with an individual he believed to be the father of a seven-year-old boy. In the communications, Ellinger made sexually explicit statements regarding the sexual abuse of children and sent videos of child pornography.
The individual Ellinger was communicating with was an undercover law enforcement officer. Law enforcement identified Ellinger and arrested him on April 24, 2024. During a consensual interview with law enforcement, Ellinger admitted that he was “slightly into the idea of sex with a seven-year-old boy” and further admitted receiving and distributing child pornography using social media.
Chief U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Ellinger to lifetime supervised release following his prison sentence. Ellinger pleaded guilty to the charge on September 16, 2025. As a result of his conviction, Ellinger will be required to register as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Davis made the announcement and commended the work of Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Boise Police Department, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Robins prosecuted the case.
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 Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) of the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Boiling Springs Man Indicted for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Levi Stoner, age 20, of Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on child pornography and online enticement charges.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that between September 26, 2025, and December 5, 2025, Stoner enticed a minor child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing videos of that conduct. It is also alleged that Stoner received images over the internet depicting child pornography of the minor child.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Christian Haugsby is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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.
The total maximum penalties for the charged offenses include imprisonment for up to life, a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life following imprisonment, and fines of $750,000. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Bissonnet sex trafficker convicted for conspiracy involving adult and child victimsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A federal jury has returned a guilty verdict against a Houston man on charges of conspiracy and sex trafficking of children as well as forcing and coercing adults to engage in commercial sex acts, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The jury deliberated for less than three hours before finding Jonathan Smith-Byrd, 35, guilty on six counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion as well as three counts of enticing and coercing another to travel in interstate commerce for prostitution following a seven-day trial.
From January 2014 to October 2022, Smith-Byrd used force, fraud and coercion to cause five women to engage in commercial sex. Three of the victims were minors when he trafficked them.
He posted commercial sex advertisements on Backpage.com and trafficked the victims on the Bissonnet “track” in Houston - an area near I-59 Southwest Freeway and Bissonnet Street. Smith-Byrd also made them engage in sex acts across state lines such as Nevada, Louisiana, Florida, New Mexico and others using force and violence during travel to maintain control.
One or more of the victims made multiple attempts to escape, but Smith-Byrd responded with threats and severe physical assaults, causing the victims to lose consciousness and sustain serious injuries.
Testimony revealed details of the sex ads as well as Smith-Byrd’s horrible assaults, some by using a padlock put inside a sock and belt that was broken as a result of the beatings. One of the victims suffered sustained multiple fractures to her jaw, requiring reconstructive surgery and resulting in partial facial paralysis. The jury also saw evidence of the injuries to include hospital records, photographs and physical items used to brutalize the victims.
He kept 100% of the proceeds.
Smith-Byrd seemed to acknowledge in his defense that he may have assaulted some of the women, but that it was not trafficking, just domestic violence. He further attempted to convince the jury the women were acting as independent contractors in prostituting themselves and the case was simply a love triangle gone wrong. The jury did not believe his claims and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks presided over the trial and set sentencing for Aug. 3. At that time, Smith-Byrd faces up to life in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The FBI conducted the investigation as part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine J. Lu and Sherin S. Daniel are prosecuting the case.
HTRA law enforcement includes members of the Houston Police Department, FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Attorney General’s Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor, DOL – Wage and Hour Division, Department of State, Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety, Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General, Social Security Administration – OIG and Sheriff’s Offices in Harris and Montgomery counties in coordination with District Attorney’s offices in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties.
Established in 2004, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.
Bismarck Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Failing to Register as Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a South Dakota man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on May 18, 2026.
Dale David Glick, 31, was sentenced to one year and six months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. This sentence runs consecutively to a nine-month sentence for a supervised release revocation.
Glick was indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender by a federal grand jury in August 2025. He pleaded guilty on September 29, 2025.
Glick was previously federally convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor. As a result, he is required to register as a sex offender. Following his most recent release from federal prison on January 24, 2025, Glick registered his aunt’s address as his primary residence even though he was living with his girlfriend in McLaughlin, South Dakota. Glick moved to Bismarck, North Dakota in mid-May. He only updated his registration on June 26, 2025, following his arrest for violating his federal supervised release.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Glick was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to serve his federal sentence.
This case was brought as a 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 the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Unit, 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Belarusian Woman Pleads Guilty to Illegally Exporting U.S.-Sourced Aviation Components to RussiaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Yana Leonova, 33, a Belarusian citizen most recently residing in Russia, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with procuring and illicitly exporting numerous avionics and other aircraft equipment from the United States to Russia, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Leonova, aka “Yana Liavonava,” pleaded guilty before the Honorable Loren L. AliKahn to violating the Export Control Reform Act. Following the plea hearing, Judge AliKahn scheduled sentencing for Aug. 10, 2026.
“Anyone who thinks they can exploit U.S. supply chains to arm our adversaries should look carefully at what happened to Yana Leonova,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Leonova used shell companies, false paperwork, and foreign intermediaries to conceal the unlawful export of U.S.-origin aircraft components to Russia. Investigators traced the scheme across multiple jurisdictions and brought her to justice. There is no distance far enough to protect those who threaten our national security interests.”
“No matter where you are, the FBI will not stop to ensure you face justice when you violate U.S. laws,” said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeff Berkebile of the Kansas City, Mo., Field Office. “Today’s actions in federal court ensure that the defendant will be held accountable for their actions in skirting our laws for their own benefit. We thank all parties and partners involved in this case and commend their efforts to ensure justice has been done.”
According to court documents and admissions during the plea hearing, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in May 2022, Leonova and her U.S. and Armenian co-conspirators illicitly procured aircraft components from U.S.-based distributors.
Leonova and her co-conspirators repeatedly concealed and misstated the true end users and end destinations of the aircraft components ordered by Leonova by submitting false information on documents.
Using companies located in Armenia and elsewhere, Leonova and her co-conspirators transshipped the components to Russia without the required licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce, in violation of federal law. In addition, Leonova, her former Russian employer, and her co-conspirators caused payments in U.S. dollars to be transmitted from foreign bank accounts to bank accounts in the United States.
The exported items were for use on private aircraft operated or maintained by Leonova’s former employer, a company identified on the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Entity List for engaging in or enabling activities contrary to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.
In November 2025, Leonova was extradited to the United States from France in connection with this case.
This case is being investigated by FBI Kansas City and BIS/OEE Atlanta and New York. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emma Dinan Ellenrieder and John W. Borchert of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Acting Deputy Chief Sean R. Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Significant assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart D. Allen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Further significant assistance on the extradition was provided by French authorities and the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs. The Department expresses deep appreciation for the support of our French allies.
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Avondale Man Faces Federal Charges for Vandalizing ICE Property in ArizonaRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – A man was taken into custody May 7, 2026, after being indicted for attempting to set fire to a property owned by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Surprise, Arizona, in February.
A federal grand jury handed down an indictment charging Gabriel Mendoza-Acoltzi, 19, of Avondale, Arizona, with Malicious Damage to Federal Property and Willful Depredation Against Property of the United States. According to court documents, Mendoza-Acoltzi broke a window and attempted to light the building on fire just after 1 a.m. on Feb. 21, 2026.
Last week, U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael T. Morrissey granted the United States’ request that Mendoza-Acoltzi be detained pending further court proceedings.
According to court documents, a video camera in the area of the ICE property captured Mendoza-Acoltzi’s Honda Civic entering the parking lot around 12 am on Feb. 21. Mendoza-Acoltzi can be seen exiting the vehicle and placing a propane tank next to the ICE building. Later video shows Mendoza-Acoltzi swinging the propane tank at a window on the building, breaking the glass, and using a long torch connected to the tank to light the window shades inside the lobby on fire.
Video from the scene also shows Mendoza-Acoltizi moving between the sidewalk and the rock landscaping at the ICE property. When responding to the incident, investigators observed a profane anti-ICE message spelled out with landscaping rocks on the sidewalk.
A conviction for Malicious Damage to Federal Property carries a penalty of five to 20 years in the Bureau of Prisons, up to a $250,000 fine, and one to three years of supervised release.
The FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, and the City of Surprise Police and Fire Departments conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan McCarthy and Stephen Marlowe of the District of Arizona, Phoenix, is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CASE NUMBER: 26-CR-455
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-079_Mendoza-Acoltizi
surveillance video surveillance video
surveillance video# # #
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.
Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Kansas City Company of over $500,000Read the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Arizona man pleaded guilty in federal court today to defrauding a Kansas City company of over $500,000 in vehicles.
Ernesto Dominguez Texas, 31, purchased ten vehicles worth over $500,000 using two false names and falsely representing that he worked for a car dealership. This successful prosecution is one of many federal fraud cases pursued under the leadership of President Donald Trump and through the establishment of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
In December 2023, Texas created an online account with Company 1, a Kansas City company that facilitated the online purchase and sale of used vehicles. In 2023, Company 1 had a policy that car dealerships did not have to pay before ordering vehicles. Company 1 guaranteed payment to the selling dealership for vehicles sold through its online marketplace.
Texas used a false name and the name of a legitimate dealership, Company 2, to purchase ten vehicles priced at $507,655. Company 1 emailed invoices for the ten vehicles to Texas. Texas picked up the vehicles from the selling dealerships in Arizona, using the invoices and a second false identity. Texas forged papers and notary signatures to retitle the vehicles in Arizona and sell them.
Under federal statutes, Texas is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole for wire fraud. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of Texas will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen D. Mahoney. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Arizona Department of Transportation Enforcement and Compliance Division.
National Fraud Enforcement Division
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Antitrust Division Secures Seed Tying and Loyalty Program Commitments from BayerRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice announced that during the course of the Antitrust Division’s ongoing investigation into exclusionary conduct in corn and soybean seed markets, Bayer CropScience LLC has removed potentially anticompetitive provisions from its loyalty program. These changes benefit American consumers, farmers, and independent seed companies, which license seed technology from Bayer to produce seeds to meet the needs of farmers. In response to the Division’s concerns, Bayer has committed to not reinstate these provisions for seven years.
“American farmers deserve competitive markets, not contractual restrictions that limit choice and innovation," said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. "This Department of Justice will use every appropriate tool to protect farmers and preserve competition.”
“Enforcement in agriculture is a top priority for the Antitrust Division,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “We are focused on conduct that poses competitive harm to both farmers and consumers.”
“I commend Acting Attorney General Blanche and the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) for securing commitments from input giant Bayer CropScience LLC to remove unfair provisions from its loyalty program for certain seeds,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. “These actions build upon our 2025 USDA-DOJ Memorandum of Understanding strengthening competition in agricultural supply chains for our farmers, who are among the best in the world. We must celebrate this great progress, while acknowledging there’s much more work to be done!”
“Loyalty programs that discourage customers from switching to alternative sellers pose a danger to competition,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole Sarrine of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “We are pleased that Bayer has taken these actions addressing competitive concerns of the Division about Bayer’s loyalty program.”
Bayer has made two important changes to its “Premier Performance Program,” a key subject of the Division’s scrutiny. First, Bayer’s Premier Performance Program previously required independent seed companies to meet sales targets for both corn and soybean to achieve discounts under its loyalty program. This contractual restraint raised concerns that Bayer was anticompetitively tying corn seed and soybean seed. Bayer dropped the tie between corn seed and soybean seed for the 2025 planting year. In response to the Division’s concerns, Bayer has now committed to not reinstate the tie for seven years.
Second, the Premier Performance Program formerly included incentives that could limit independent seed companies’ willingness to license technology from Bayer’s competitors. Bayer eliminated these potentially anticompetitive provisions from its loyalty program. In response to the Division’s concerns, Bayer has committed to not reinstate these incentives, or any substantially similar incentive program, for seven years.
Anyone with information about anticompetitive conduct in agricultural industries or any other violations of the antitrust laws is encouraged to contact the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 1-888-647-3258 or [email protected].
Bayer CropScience LLC — headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri — is one of the largest seed companies in the world. It is the primary source for traited corn seed sold by independent seed companies.
Abilene Man who Produced Child Pornography as a Registered Sex Offender was Sentenced yesterday to 50 years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
An Abilene man who Produced Child Pornography as a Registered Sex Offender was sentenced yesterday to 50 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Kai Isaiah Ranaglia-Nelson, 25, was indicted in December 2025 and pleaded guilty in January 2026 to Production of Child Pornography. He was sentenced yesterday to 600 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr.
“Despite previously being convicted of sexually extorting minors, the defendant preyed on young kids to coax them into producing and sending him child pornography. In the Northern District of Texas we will make sure that these criminals get ejected from the community and sit in federal prison for as long as possible under the law. The Judge sent an unshakable message to the community: if you prey on North Texas kids, you will go to federal prison for a very long time.” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould.
In 2020, Nelson pleaded guilty to two counts of Sexual Extortion and one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor in Arizona. In that case, Nelson groomed and exploited multiple children. Despite receiving a five-year prison sentence and being released on supervision in 2023, Nelson resumed exploiting children shortly after his release.
In late 2025, as a part of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators, law enforcement identified Ranaglia-Nelson after he used Snapchat to entice and coerce a thirteen-year-old child into producing multiple sexually explicit videos. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country.
FBI Dallas Field Office (Abilene RA), the Abilene Police Department, and the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office handled the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney James prosecuted the case.
These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. attorneys’ offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant, and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.26 Indicted in Homeland Security Task Force Investigation into Lowcountry Gang Drug Trafficking NetworkRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Charleston returned a nine-count indictment, presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, charging 14 individuals with trafficking narcotics, including cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. This indictment is part of a years-long drug trafficking investigation, spanning South Carolina and extending into Georgia and Mexico. To date, 26 people have been charged for their roles in the conspiracy, and eight of those defendants have pleaded guilty.
The following charges were unsealed this morning, according to court documents:- Shawntez Gailliard, 33, of North Charleston
- Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and more than 50 grams of methamphetamine
- Two counts of distributing cocaine
- Distributing meth
- If convicted, Gailliard faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years to life in prison.
- Harold Alvin Champaigne, 50, of North Charleston
- Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine
- Distributing more than 500 grams of cocaine
- If convicted, Champaigne faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years to life in prison.
- Odilon Reynoso Albaran, 60, of Atlanta, Georgia.
- Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine.
- If convicted, Albaran faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison.
- Dominic Jaquan Mack, 45, of North Charleston.
- Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine.
- If convicted, Mack faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years to life in prison.
- Brandon Derrick Brown, 31, of North Charleston
- Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine.
- If convicted, Brown faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years to life in prison.
- Anthony Lee Smalls, 50, of Ravenel
- Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine.
- If convicted, Smalls faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison.
- Travis Richardson, 28, of North Charleston
- Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine.
- If convicted, Richardson faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison.
- Anthony Lorenzo Joyner, 47, of North Charleston
- Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine.
- If convicted, Joyner faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison.
- Damein Rashane Waterman, 45, of Charleston
- Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine.
- If convicted, Waterman faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.
- Scott Alexander Bolger, 40, of Summerville
- Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine.
- If convicted, Bolger faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison.
- Levi Levante Kajana Cohen, IV., 31, of Charleston
- Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine.
- If convicted, Cohen faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison.
- Scott Clayton Hollins, 56, of North Charleston
- Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine.
- Possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, a quantity of cocaine, and a quantity of fentanyl.
- Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
- If convicted, Hollins faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years to life in prison.
- Christopher Obrian Millhouse, 40
- Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine.
- Distribution of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine.
- If convicted, Millhouse faces a mandatory minimum of 1o years to life in prison.
- Keno Rahmaund Sherman, 48, of Summerville
- Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute more than a quantity of cocaine.
- If convicted, Sherman faces up to 30 years in prison.
The indictment alleges that, beginning in 2017, the FBI and local law enforcement partners investigated street gangs operating in North Charleston including Gangster Disciples and the Fruit Town Piru, a sect of the Bloods. The investigation uncovered a layered drug-trafficking network that extended beyond South Carolina and included supply connections in Atlanta and Mexico. At the street level, gang members and others distributed cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine throughout Charleston County. Investigators then worked up the supply chain and identified the wholesale suppliers responsible for obtaining and distributing the largest quantities of drugs. Those suppliers were ultimately arrested and indicted.
During the investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 61 kilograms of cocaine, 1 kilogram of methamphetamine, 24 pounds of marijuana, 600 grams of fentanyl, 500 grams of heroin and thousands of narcotics pills, as well as 12 firearms.
Several defendants previously indicted in this case have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing including Bernard Garland Gregory, Sharon T. Carter, Mary Nelly Ayala, Quentin Rambert, Jabari Cortez Lee, Marchevis Jefferson, Meri Elizabeth Sottile, and Amanda Danielle Forth.
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.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Secret Service, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, City of Charleston Police Department, Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, North Charleston Police Department, Summerville Police Department, Mount Pleasant Police Department, Charleston Aviation Authority and Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Lietzow is prosecuting the case.
All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.###
- Shawntez Gailliard, 33, of North Charleston
Tuesday 19 May 2026
Vacaville Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Firearm and Drug PossessionRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — James Cargill, 45, of Vacaville, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to 15 years in prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, on Jan. 21, 2025, police officers found Cargill to be in possession of more than a pound of methamphetamine. Cargill was arrested and released on parole. He was arrested again on May 9, 2025, after police officers found him in possession of just under a half a pound of methamphetamine and a loaded Glock 20 semi-automatic pistol.
Cargill pleaded guilty on Feb. 10, 2026.
The Vacaville Police Department, the Fairfield Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Campbell 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, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Upstate Trio Indicted for Roles in Deadly Interstate Robbery and Kidnapping PlotRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Greenville returned a 10-count indictment, presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, charging Elisa Marie Rosario, 33, and Jeremy Todd Lark, a/k/a “Jeremy Abdul Wakil Jones,” 42, both of Roebuck, and Kezayvian Lee Campbell, 19, of Greenville, with robbery affecting commerce and conspiracy to do the same, kidnapping resulting in death and conspiracy to do the same, use of a firearm during a crime of violence to cause death, obstruction of justice, interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle, destruction of the vehicle, by fire, to prevent its search and seizure by law enforcement and providing false statements to federal agents.
The indictment alleges that beginning on or about June 16, 2025, a Spartanburg County couple and a third man executed a scheme to kidnap and rob M.B.G., a person engaged in a business and activities affecting interstate commerce, of money, jewelry, a cell phone, and a 2025 Hyundai Genesis he rented from Enterprise. The defendants are alleged to have enticed M.B.G. to travel from South Carolina to Harrah’s Casino in Cherokee, North Carolina under the pretense of a date with Rosario. In preparation for their trip to North Carolina, the defendants were in possession of two firearms and other materials they planned to use in the commission of the charged crimes, including latex gloves and masks.
The indictment also alleges that in the early morning hours of June 17, shortly after he arrived at the casino, Rosario urged the victim to leave. Rosario and the victim then took a quick trip to a nearby convenience store. After a few minutes inside the store, Rosario drove the victim away from the store parking lot and then pulled the car over at a location where Campbell exited Lark’s car and entered the victim’s car. The three defendants, traveling in two cars, then held and transported the victim 12 miles away into Sylva, North Carolina to rob him. According to the indictment, during the robbery, the defendants shot the victim with a firearm, resulting in his death. While traveling, the defendants discarded the victim’s property. Later that evening, authorities in Spartanburg located the victim’s body and his burning rental car in a wooded area near the intersection of Woodburn Road and Pinecrest Road. The victim’s jewelry was found in the defendants’ Roebuck residence.“The alleged actions of these defendants show a dark and devious scheme that crossed states lines and ultimately resulted in death,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “Our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones as we take this step toward justice.”
"This alleged conduct was callous and showed a deliberate disregard for human life," said FBI Columbia Special Agent in Charge Kevin Moore. "This multi-count indictment is the result of a thorough, data-driven, and forensically supported investigation conducted jointly by the FBI and the Spartanburg Police Department. The collaboration was instrumental in identifying, building a case against, and apprehending the defendants. We will continue to use every available investigative and judicial resource to pursue justice and ensure that those who commit such crimes are held fully accountable.”
“This case represents the strength and effectiveness of law enforcement agencies working together toward a common goal,” said Major Art Littlejohn of the Spartanburg Police Department. “Through the coordinated efforts of investigators, local, state, and federal partners, justice was pursued for the victim and his family. I want to commend every agency for their dedication and commitment throughout this complex investigation.”
Each of the defendants face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison and are currently detained pending a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin F. McDonald.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, the Spartanburg Police Department, and the Spartanburg Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leesa Washington is prosecuting the case.
All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.###
United States Attorney Peter McNeilly Appointed to Attorney General’s Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
DENVER – Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly has been appointed, along with 17 other United States Attorneys, to serve on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). Created in 1973, the AGAC advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure, and management impacting U.S. Attorney’s Offices and elevates the voices of U.S. Attorneys in Department policies. The first meeting of the AGAC took place earlier this month.
“I am humbled to join the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee and look forward to engaging with my colleagues and Department of Justice leadership on issues that are important both nationally and here in Colorado,” said United States Attorney Peter McNeilly. “Our office’s tireless work to achieve justice for the United States and the people of Colorado has earned us a reputation as a national leader. I am excited to use this opportunity to advocate not just for the interests of Colorado, but for the U.S. Attorney community and the Department of Justice as a whole.”
The appointees to the AGAC include: United States Attorney Dan Bishop, Middle District of North Carolina; United States Attorney Andrew Boutros, Northern District of Illinois; United States Attorney Scott Bradford, District of Oregon; United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine, District of Arizona; Acting United States Attorney Catherine Crosby, Northern District of Alabama; United States Attorney Michael Dunavant, Western District of Tennessee; First Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Ellison, District of New Mexico; First Assistant United States Attorney Bilal Essayli, Central District of California; United States Attorney Adam Gordon, Southern District of California; United States Attorney Jerome Gorgon, Eastern District of Michigan; Acting United States Attorney John Marck, Southern District of Texas; United States Attorney Peter McNeilly, District of Colorado; United States Attorney David Metcalf, Eastern District of Pennsylvania; United States Attorney Jeanine Pirro, District of Columbia; United States Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones, Southern District of Florida; and United States Attorney Lesley Woods, District of Nebraska.
United States Attorney Peter McNeilly was appointed as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado by United States Attorney General Pam Bondi on June 16, 2025. On October 14, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado appointed Mr. McNeilly to continue as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado. Before his appointment, Mr. McNeilly had served as an Assistant United States Attorney in Colorado since 2014, primarily working on cases targeting transnational criminal organizations. Mr. McNeilly is also a lieutenant colonel in the United States Marine Corps Reserves. His full biography appears here.
USAO-KS honors Wichita police detective as Hometown HeroRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas (USAO-KS) announces a Wichita Police Department (WPD) detective, who dedicates himself to improving public safety by working to eradicate communities of drug trafficking, as a recipient of the Hometown Hero award.
The Hometown Hero award commemorates the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. It honors the enduring ideals of Liberty, Service, and Civic Responsibility. Across the country, the U.S. Department of Justice is recognizing members of law enforcement who exhibit a steadfast commitment to these ideals and embody the spirit upon which our nation was founded.
USAO-KS selected Detective Kevin D. Real as the honoree for the District of Kansas. U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser presented him with an award certificate and a challenge coin on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
Real is a 29-year veteran of the Wichita Police Department, and in 2024, was named the Kansas Narcotics Officers Association’s Officer of the Year. Through his expertise in research and surveillance and keen deductive reasoning skills, Real has successfully facilitated the arrests of suspects directly connected to organized criminal networks involved in trafficking methamphetamine and heroin, and in firearms smuggling. His efforts have significantly disrupted trafficking operations, and to date, Real has seized over 400 pounds of methamphetamine intended for distribution on the streets of Wichita.
“Detective Real goes into drug houses and dangerously comes face-to-face with individuals who have a propensity for violence. This work requires courage, skill, and resilience,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “We are grateful for his efforts in holding drug traffickers accountable and ensuring communities are safer for everyone.”
“Detective Kevin Real represents the best of the Wichita Police Department,” said Wichita Police Chief Joe Sullivan. “For nearly three decades, he has taken on dangerous work that most people never see, but our community feels the impact of every day. The hard work he’s done has removed drugs, guns and violent offenders from Wichita neighborhoods, and this recognition from the U.S. Attorney’s Office is well deserved.”
Real has experience working with local, state, and federal agencies. He formerly served as an FBI-credentialed Project Safe Streets Task Force Officer where he worked on investigations that were complex, time-intensive, involved multiple interviews and search warrants, and included evidence collection across several jurisdictions.
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U.S. Senate Confirms Zachary A. Keller as United States Attorney for the Western District of LouisianaRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE– On May 18, 2026, the United States Senate confirmed Zachary A. Keller as the United States Attorney of the Western District of Louisiana (WDLA), a role he assumed in September 2025 on an interim basis.
“Since beginning my service, I’ve woken up every morning with the mindset that serving my home as United States Attorney is the most important and impactful public service I’ll ever perform, and it’s been the honor of a lifetime to work alongside my WDLA colleagues to keep our community safe,” said U.S. Attorney Keller. “I thank President Trump for honoring me with the opportunity to continue serving my home community, and I look forward to the work that’s ahead.”
A West Monroe native, Mr. Keller graduated from George Welch Elementary, West Monroe Middle School, and West Monroe High School before attending Louisiana State University and Yale Law School. After law school, Mr. Keller began his career at Jones Day’s Dallas office before beginning his work in public service in 2016. Prior to becoming U.S. Attorney, Mr. Keller served as a Deputy Chief and Project Safe Neighborhoods Coordinator in the Major Crimes section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, where he also served in the Civil, Appellate, and Criminal divisions and prosecuted crimes that ranged from manslaughter and carjacking to money laundering and child exploitation. He resides in Youngsville with his wife and two young children, and they volunteer with the Sunday school program at Asbury United Methodist Church.
As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Keller oversees the investigation and litigation of all criminal and civil cases brought on behalf of the United States in the Western District of Louisiana. The Western District consists of 42 of the State’s 64 parishes and geographically encompasses two-thirds of the State of Louisiana.
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CONTACT
Public Affairs
United States Attorney’s Office
Western District of Louisiana
www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
Twitter @USAO_WDLA
U.S. Attorney’s Office to Enforce Federal Voting Laws to Protect 2026 ElectionsRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – As mail-in ballots are distributed across Nevada for the upcoming primary election, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada encourages all eligible citizens to participate in the democratic process and reminds the public that voting in federal elections is limited to eligible United States citizens. Nevada’s Primary Election will be held on June 9, 2026.
Voting is one of the most important rights and responsibilities of American citizenship, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting both lawful participation in the electoral process and the integrity of our elections.
Federal law limits participation in federal elections to eligible United States citizens. Individuals who are not eligible to vote, including non-citizens who may inadvertently receive election-related materials or ballots, should not complete or submit ballots for federal elections.
“The right to vote is a fundamental part of our democracy,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “We encourage every eligible citizen to participate in the election process while also ensuring compliance with federal voting laws that protect the integrity and fairness of our elections. Federal law prohibits non-citizens from voting in elections in Nevada, and our office will continue working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and pursue credible violations of federal election laws where appropriate.”
“Our republic cannot function without fair elections,” said Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. “The Justice Department has a zero-tolerance policy for any attempt to illegally undermine the legitimacy of our elections, and we stand ready to prosecute illegal voters and those who enable them.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office works closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, as well as election officials, to safeguard the electoral process and ensure compliance with federal laws protecting lawful participation in elections and public confidence in the integrity of the voting process.
Members of the public who believe they have information regarding possible election fraud or unlawful voting activity may contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or submit tips online through the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.tips.fbi.gov.
Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at DOJ Voting Section.
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Tolland Strip Club Owner Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
KENNETH DENNING, 69, of Holland, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to offenses stemming from his operation of the Electric Blue, a strip club in Tolland, Connecticut, where he and his employees promoted and facilitated prostitution.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Denning owned and oversaw the operation of the Electric Blue, which employed dancers who performed nude dances and lap dances for customers. The Electric Blue was owned by “Denning Enterprises,” a holding company nominally owned by Denning’s wife but controlled by Denning, from the 1990’s until it was sold in January 2025.
Denning and his employees typically required dancers to pay a “house fee” of up to $50 each shift, and dancers were encouraged to engage in commercial sex transactions with customers in private and semi-private rooms, including a “lap dance room,” “VIP rooms” and “Champagne rooms.” Customers, who had paid a cash cover charge to enter the Electric Blue, paid the club a fee, typically in cash, to use one of the private rooms, and then negotiated an additional fee directly with the dancer. The dancers kept these negotiated fees, which often were hundreds of dollars.
Club employees collected the cash received by the club, placed the cash in envelopes noting the source of the cash, and then placed the envelopes in a safe in Denning’s office. They referred to this cash as “Kenny’s money,” and used this money to pay business expenses and fund Denning’s personal expenditures, including trips to casinos where Denning spent large sums of money. As an example, on February 23, 2023, Denning deposited approximately $21,700 in cash at the Mohegan Sun Casino for gambling purposes.
Denning and his bookkeeper provided spreadsheets of the Electric Blue’s purported income to the club’s tax return preparer that purposefully omitted “Kenny’s money.” On March 16, 2023, investigators seized $45,421 in cash from a safe inside Denning’s office at the Electric Blue. Documentation found with the cash indicated that approximately $39,751 of the cash represented “Kenny’s money” that was collected between March 2 and March 15, 2023. Based upon an extrapolation analysis of this two-week period, investigators calculated that Denning and employees caused nearly $3 million in material taxable business receipts not to be reported to the IRS for the 2020, 2021, and 2022 tax years.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the distribution of Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”), through the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”), which provided working capital to eligible small businesses to meet operating expenses. Denning applied for and received an EIDL loan during the pandemic by falsely certifying that the business did not “present live performances of a prurient sexual nature.” On the EIDL application, Denning characterized the Electric Blue’s business activity as “Eating & Drinking Places.” In July 2020, the Electric Blue received $149,900 in EIDL funding. Denning almost immediately transferred $20,000 of those funds from the Electric Blue’s business bank account into his personal bank account.
Denning pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to use an interstate facility to promote or facilitate prostitution, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years; one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years; one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; and two counts of engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from unlawful activity, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count.
Denning has agreed to pay restitution of $550,000 to the IRS and $150,000 to the SBA. He also has agreed to forfeit the $45,421 in cash seized from the Electric Blue in March 2023, and $1,047 seized from his residence when he was arrested on May 15, 2024.
Denning is released on a $250,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.
This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection – Liquor Control Division, and the Massachusetts State Police, with the assistance of the Willimantic Police Department and the Manchester Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Dearington and Alexis L. Beyerlein.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Three Sentenced in Macon’s Operation Mobile Order InvestigationRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – Three more members of an armed drug trafficking organization have been sentenced to federal prison for distributing large quantities of drugs in Macon because of Operation Mobile Order, a coordinated investigation led by the FBI and the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office.
“Operation Mobile Order demonstrates that law enforcement will identify, dismantle and hold accountable criminal organizations threatening our communities,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “The members of this armed drug trafficking organization have been brought to justice for their crimes, ensuring they are held responsible for the harm they caused in our community.”
“Operation Mobile Order dismantled a violent drug trafficking organization that treated a Macon neighborhood like a retail storefront for cocaine, backed by an arsenal of firearms,” said Robert Gibbs, Supervisory Senior Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta’s Macon office. “This investigation shows the FBI’s commitment to targeting criminal networks that fuel addiction, violence and fear in our communities. We will continue to work should-to-shoulder with our partners to make Central Georgia a safer place to live.”
“Operation Mobile Order represents the best in local and federal law enforcement partnerships,” said Bibb County Sheriff David Davis. “Together, FBI agents and Bibb County Sheriff’s Office investigators worked tirelessly to bring this cadre of criminals to justice. Our community is much better off with these peddlers of poison off our streets.”
The following defendants were sentenced today, on May 19:
Roosevelt Cole, aka “Froball,” 52, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 170 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances on Jan. 6.
Marvin Huff, aka “Black,” 50, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 125 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances on Jan. 8.
Trayvon Simmons, aka “Abo,” 29, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 70 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances on Jan. 6.
The following defendant was sentenced to prison on April 2:
Antonyo Daniels, aka “Tony,” 31, of Warner Robins, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 250 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances on Jan. 8.
The following defendants were sentenced to prison on March 2:
Devonta Jackson, 31, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 155 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances on Dec. 2, 2025.
Laderion Jacobs, aka “Johnny,” aka “Johnny Cain,” 30, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 100 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release after he pleaded to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances on Dec. 2, 2025.
Ladarrious King, 31, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 70 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances on Dec. 2, 2025.
The following defendant was sentenced to prison on Feb. 5:
Leroy Mintz, aka “Booman,” 29, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 132 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances on Nov. 20, 2025.
The following defendants pleaded guilty and will be sentenced later:
Eddie Reese, 53, of Atlanta, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances on June 18, 2025, and faces a maximum of 40 years in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release and a maximum $5 million fine.
Alton Oliver, aka “Alo,” aka “Lo,” 43, of Macon, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on Jan. 8, and faces a maximum of life in prison.Roddreckious Williams, 33, of Macon, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of cocaine base and one count of distribution of cocaine on Jan. 21, and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a maximum $1 million fine per count.
U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell is presiding over the case. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents and statements in court, in 2022 and 2023, the FBI conducted Operation Mobile Order, a Macon-centered investigation targeting an armed drug trafficking organization led by Reese. During the investigation, the FBI ran nine controlled purchases of cocaine and crack cocaine, and intercepted phone calls and text messages, detailing transactions involving kilograms of cocaine from an Atlanta supplier.
The main drug distribution site, also known as a trap house, was located on Richard Street in Macon. This busy location functioned similarly to a restaurant, with members of Reese’s organization assigned shifts to distribute drugs. Recorded calls captured Reese discussing drug overdoses in the community, claiming that if the drugs causing those overdoses had come from his Richard Street operation, “everyone in Macon would be dead.”
The FBI executed 11 federal search warrants in Macon, Warner Robins and Atlanta on Nov. 20, 2023, including at the Richards Street trap house, seizing cocaine, 26 firearms and $93,247. The machine gun was seized at co-conspirator Oliver’s home on Williamson Road in Macon.
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.
The FBI and the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
U.S. Attorney Will Keyes is prosecuting the case for the Government.
Three Members of International Criminal Organization Sentenced to Lengthy Sentences in $2 Billion Telemedicine Healthcare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Anthony Santamaria was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William F. Kuntz II to 10 years in prison for his participation in an approximately $2 billion international health care fraud conspiracy. Santamaria is the third member of a Moscow-based criminal organization sentenced this month in connection with the scheme. Co-defendants Hershel Tsikman and Hafizullah Ebady were sentenced earlier this month to 120 months’ and 97 months’ imprisonment, respectively. In addition to the terms of imprisonment, Judge Kuntz ordered Santamaria to forfeit $3.2 million and Ebady to forfeit more than $1.8 million. Additionally, all three defendants were ordered to pay restitution to their victims in an amount to be determined at a later date. A fourth defendant, Dela Saidazim, was sentenced to time served in December 2022. Three additional co-defendants, David Bishoff, Brycen Millett and Joshua Alegria, are awaiting sentencing. An eighth co-defendant and the leader of the criminal organization, Brian Sutton, a U.S. citizen who is believed to be residing abroad, remains at large.
“This Moscow-based criminal organization provided anything but health care,” said Assistant Attorney General for the National Fraud Enforcement Division Colin M. McDonald. “Through aliases, encrypted communications, shell companies, and straw owners, these defendants siphoned nearly $2 billion from private insurers that provide services to American patients. They executed a brazen international fraud scheme involving sham call centers, ghost telemedicine visits, and remotely controlled pharmacies—with many patients never receiving the medication. The Justice Department will continue to aggressively identify, target, and prosecute those who defraud America’s health care system.”
“For over five years, the defendants built a sophisticated, international criminal organization that employed scores of call center employees and remote-billers to steal hundreds of millions of dollars from American businesses and launder the stolen monies overseas,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York. “Despite the defendants’ aliases, encrypted messaging platforms, shell companies and straw owners, even operating from overseas, they are now being held accountable. Our Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to dismantle complex health care fraud networks and hold every responsible actor accountable.”
“The takedown of this international criminal organization sends a clear message that those who exploit our American healthcare system for profit – no matter where they operate – will be identified, investigated, and prosecuted,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle Jr.
According to court filings and proceedings, between 2017 and 2022, the defendants engaged in an international scheme to fraudulently bill private health care benefit programs (the Private Insurers). They executed their scheme by having call centers they controlled, initially in Utah and later in Russia, contact beneficiaries enrolled with the Private Insurers and offer medications at no cost to the beneficiaries and without any medical exams to determine if the medications were necessary. Regardless of whether the beneficiaries agreed to receive these medications, the defendants generated fraudulent prescriptions for the medications for these beneficiaries. The defendants also recruited doctors purportedly to review prescriptions by nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants after telemedicine visits. Contrary to what the recruited doctors were told, in most cases there were no telemedicine visits between the beneficiaries and any medical professionals. The defendants generated fraudulent prescriptions under the physicians’ names and National Provider Identifier numbers. Despite the prescriptions, many beneficiaries never received the medications.
The defendants also acquired pharmacies across the United States with pre-existing relationships with the Private Insurers and trained and managed teams of Moscow-based “billers” to input data and remotely submit electronic reimbursement requests for the fraudulent prescriptions through those pharmacies. The defendants submitted over $1.97 billion in fraudulent prescriptions according to third-party billing records. Private Insurers paid over $758 million as a result of those fraudulent submissions.
To conceal their involvement in the scheme, the defendants operated under multiple aliases, funneled hundreds of millions of dollars through pass-through shell companies and straw owners, used end-to-end encrypted communications and moved operations overseas. Specifically, the defendants purchased and operated dozens of existing brick-and-mortar pharmacies through straw owners, including in Brooklyn, Staten Island, Manhattan, Long Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Michigan and Alabama. The defendants also laundered millions of dollars in fraudulent proceeds from overseas through pass-through shell companies that they used to purchase the scheme pharmacies and conceal the defendants’ involvement.
Under Sutton’s direction, the defendants played various roles in the scheme, including as follows:
- Alegria oversaw development of custom software and forwarded fraudulent prescriptions to licensed physicians for approval;
- Bishoff coordinated logistics for the operations of multiple scheme pharmacies;
- Ebady coordinated the purchase of and was the “boots-on-the-ground manager” for at least 30 scheme pharmacies;
- Millett oversaw call centers in Utah, Russia and elsewhere overseas;
- Saidazim recruited licensed physicians and acted as Sutton’s personal assistant;
- Santamaria trained and managed teams of billers to input data and remotely submit fraudulent requests for reimbursement to insurers; and
- Tsikman coordinated the laundering of fraud proceeds through straw owners and shell entities for at least 30 scheme pharmacies, and personally wired millions of dollars internationally.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Vagelatos, Jessica K. Weigel, Jonathan P. Lax and Tara B. McGrath for the Eastern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Melina Piatti-Chayan. Assistant U.S. Attorney Claire S. Kedeshian for the Eastern District of New York is handling forfeiture matters.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Three Members of International Criminal Organization Sentenced to Lengthy Prison Sentences in $2 Billion Telemedicine Healthcare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Anthony Santamaria was sentenced by United States District Judge William F. Kuntz II to 120 months’ imprisonment for his participation in an approximately $2 billion international health care fraud conspiracy. Santamaria is the third member of a Moscow-based criminal organization sentenced this month in connection with the scheme. Co-defendants Hershel Tsikman and Hafizullah Ebady were sentenced earlier this month to 120 months’ and 97 months’ imprisonment, respectively. In addition to the terms of imprisonment, Judge Kuntz ordered Santamaria to forfeit $3.2 million and Ebady to forfeit more than $1.8 million. Additionally, all three defendants were ordered to pay restitution to their victims in an amount to be determined at a later date. A fourth defendant, Dela Saidazim, was sentenced to time served in December 2022. Three additional co-defendants, David Bishoff, Brycen Millett and Joshua Alegria, are awaiting sentencing. An eighth co-defendant and the leader of the criminal organization, Brian Sutton, a U.S. citizen who is believed to be residing abroad, remains at large.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Colin M. McDonald, Assistant Attorney General for the National Fraud Enforcement Division, and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentences.
“For over five years, the defendants built a sophisticated, international criminal organization that employed scores of call center employees and remote-billers to steal hundreds of millions of dollars from American businesses and launder the stolen monies overseas,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Despite the defendants’ aliases, encrypted messaging platforms, shell companies and straw owners, even operating from overseas, they are now being held accountable. Our Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to dismantle complex health care fraud networks and hold every responsible actor accountable.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Office of Inspector General, for its work on the case.
“This Moscow-based criminal organization provided anything but health care,” stated Assistant Attorney General McDonald. “Through aliases, encrypted communications, shell companies, and straw owners, these defendants siphoned nearly $2 billion from private insurers that provide services to American patients. They executed a brazen international fraud scheme involving sham call centers, ghost telemedicine visits, and remotely controlled pharmacies—with many patients never receiving the medication. The Justice Department will continue to aggressively identify, target, and prosecute those who defraud America’s health care system.”
“The takedown of this international criminal organization sends a clear message that those who exploit our American healthcare system for profit – no matter where they operate – will be identified, investigated, and prosecuted,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
According to court filings and proceedings, between 2017 and 2022, the defendants engaged in an international scheme to fraudulently bill private health care benefit programs (the “Private Insurers”). They executed their scheme by having call centers they controlled, initially in Utah and later in Russia, contact beneficiaries enrolled with the Private Insurers and offer medications at no cost to the beneficiaries and without any medical exams to determine if the medications were necessary. Regardless of whether the beneficiaries agreed to receive these medications, the defendants generated fraudulent prescriptions for the medications for these beneficiaries. The defendants also recruited doctors purportedly to review prescriptions by nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants after telemedicine visits. Contrary to what the recruited doctors were told, in most cases there were no telemedicine visits between the beneficiaries and any medical professionals. The defendants generated fraudulent prescriptions under the physicians’ names and National Provider Identifier numbers. Despite the prescriptions, many beneficiaries never received the medications.
The defendants also acquired pharmacies across the United States with pre-existing relationships with the Private Insurers and trained and managed teams of Moscow-based “billers” to input data and remotely submit electronic reimbursement requests for the fraudulent prescriptions through those pharmacies. The defendants submitted over $1.97 billion in fraudulent prescriptions according to third-party billing records. Private Insurers paid over $758 million as a result of those fraudulent submissions.
To conceal their involvement in the scheme, the defendants operated under multiple aliases, funneled hundreds of millions of dollars through pass-through shell companies and straw owners, used end-to-end encrypted communications and moved operations overseas. Specifically, the defendants purchased and operated dozens of existing brick-and-mortar pharmacies through straw owners, including in Brooklyn, Staten Island, Manhattan, Long Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Michigan and Alabama. The defendants also laundered millions of dollars in fraudulent proceeds from overseas through pass-through shell companies that they used to purchase the scheme pharmacies and conceal the defendants’ involvement.
Under Sutton’s direction, the defendants played various roles in the scheme, including as follows:
• Alegria oversaw development of custom software and forwarded fraudulent prescriptions to licensed physicians for approval;
• Bishoff coordinated logistics for the operations of multiple scheme pharmacies;
• Ebady coordinated the purchase of and was the “boots-on-the-ground manager” for at least 30 scheme pharmacies;
• Millett oversaw call centers in Utah, Russia and elsewhere overseas;
• Saidazim recruited licensed physicians and acted as Sutton’s personal assistant;
• Santamaria trained and managed teams of billers to input data and remotely submit fraudulent requests for reimbursement to insurers; and
• Tsikman coordinated the laundering of fraud proceeds through straw owners and shell entities for at least 30 scheme pharmacies, and personally wired millions of dollars internationally.
The charges pending against Sutton in the superseding indictment are merely allegations and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys John Vagelatos, Jessica K. Weigel, Jonathan P. Lax and Tara B. McGrath are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Melina Piatti-Chayan. Assistant United States Attorney Claire S. Kedeshian of the Office’s Asset Forfeiture Section is handling forfeiture matters.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Defendants:
HAFIZULLAH EBADY
Age: 48
Parsippany, New Jersey
(Sentenced to 97 months’ imprisonment on 5/6/26)ANTHONY SANTAMARIA
Age: 33
North Hollywood, California
(Sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment on 5/19/26)HERSHEL TSIKMAN
Age: 33
Studio City, California
(Sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment on 5/4/26)Co-Defendant Previously Sentenced:
DELA SAIDAZIM
Age: 36
Moscow, Russia
(Sentenced to time served in December 2022)Co-Defendants Who Previously Pleaded Guilty (Awaiting Sentencing):
JOSHUA MANUEL ALEGRIA
Age: 35
Woodland Hills, CaliforniaDAVID GARY BISHOFF
Age: 41
Saint George, UtahBRYCEN KAY MILLETT
Age: 35
Saint George, UtahCo-Defendant Who Remains at Large:
BRIAN MICHAEL SUTTON
Age: 32
Moscow, RussiaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-564 (S-3) (WFK)
The Senate Confirms Brian D. Miller as United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.Read the Press Release
On May 18, 2026, Mr. Brian D. Miller was confirmed as the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. This marks his third confirmation in a leadership position. Mr. Miller stated, "I appreciate the confidence the Senate and the district judges have placed in me. Most of all, I am grateful to President Trump, Acting Attorney General Blanche, and Senator McCormick for selecting me to serve as United States Attorney. It is an incredible honor, and I am privileged to work alongside so many dedicated and talented professionals. I will do my utmost to keep the citizens of the Middle District safe and to assist President Trump in making America safe again.”
Mr. Miller was originally appointed by United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi on October 27, 2025, for 120 days. On February 24, 2026, the District Court appointed Mr. Miller as United States Attorney until the vacancy was filled by the President.
Previously, Mr. Miller was confirmed by the United States Senate to be the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery on June 2, 2020. Mr. Miller’s prior positions include Senior Associate White House Counsel; Inspector General of the United States General Services Administration (Senate confirmed on July 22, 2005); Senior Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General; Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia; Special Counsel on Health Care Fraud for the Deputy Attorney General; and Counsel to the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. He has also served as Acting General Counsel of the Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2025.
As a federal prosecutor, Mr. Miller litigated civil and criminal cases involving terrorism and terrorist financing, drug-related conspiracies and murder, and the False Claims Act. As an inspector general, Mr. Miller is known for his investigation of a lavish GSA conference in Las Vegas.
Mr. Miller was honored to receive the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award, the EOUSA Director’s Award for Superior Performance as an AUSA, and the David M. Walker Excellence in Government Performance and Accountability Award, which recognizes and honors government audit professionals who have made sustained contributions to improve government performance and accountability through their leadership in transforming government organizations.
Mr. Miller received his bachelor’s degree from Temple University and his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law. He resides in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
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Tallahassee Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Charles Eric Love, 56, of Tallahassee, Florida was sentenced to five years in federal court for transporting child pornography. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Achieving justice for the innocent victims who have been exploited in the creation of child sexual abuse material is of paramount importance, and my office remains committed to aggressively prosecuting predators like this defendant to put an end to the cycle of victimization that is perpetuated by the transmission of these horrific images and videos.”
Court documents reflect that on March 19, 2025, detectives with the Tallahassee Police Department were assigned seven cyber tips by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Subsequently, law enforcement obtained search warrants for the defendant’s file sharing account, apartment, house, and office. From the seized electronic devices, law enforcement identified 1,010 image and 34 video files of child pornography.
“Every image represents a real child who has been harmed,” said Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell. “Our detectives worked around the clock on this investigation because these victims deserve justice, and our community deserves to be safe from predators like this.”
“The exploitation of innocent children is among the most reprehensible crimes we confront in law enforcement,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “HSI worked tirelessly alongside Tallahassee Police Department to ensure this predator was brought to justice and removed from our community. We will not tolerate those who prey on the vulnerable, and we remain steadfast in our mission to protect children, pursue offenders relentlessly, and support victims every step of the way.”
After serving his term of 5 years’ imprisonment, Love will have to register as a sexual offender and be on supervised release for 10 years. He was also ordered to pay $36,000 in restitution to the victims.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric W. Welch.
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 and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The 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.
Senior Personnel at Telecommunications Company Charged with Multimillion Dollar Fraud Following Company Self-ReportRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging MOHD HAFIZ LOCKMAN, MOHD YUZAIMI YUSOF, and KHANH THUONG NGUYEN, three former senior employees of Telekom Malaysia (USA) Inc., the wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Telekom Malaysia Berhad, with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The charges in the Indictment arise from an alleged scheme by the defendants to divert more than $20 million of company funds through four interconnected frauds. The defendants used false statements, forged records, fictitious transactions, and corporate and individual impersonations to deceive counterparties, suppliers, auditors, and supervisors. LOCKMAN was arrested on April 20, 2026, at San Francisco International Airport, and NGUYEN and YUSOF surrendered to authorities on April 22 and 23, respectively. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton also announced that the criminal conduct was reported by Telekom Malaysia Berhad to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in early April 2026, and the company has been cooperating with the Office’s ongoing investigation.
“Today’s fraud charges come within weeks of receiving a self-report from the company,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “As alleged, Mohd Hafiz Lockman, Mohd Yuzaimi Yusof, and Khanh Thuong Nguyen perpetrated a sprawling fraud to steal over $20 million. The defendants deceived counterparties, suppliers, auditors, and their own supervisors. As a result of the fact that the conduct was reported to this Office and quickly investigated, the defendants will now be held to account for fraudulently lining their own pockets.”
“These three individuals are alleged to have conducted a deliberate and calculated embezzlement scheme, falsifying corporate records for their own financial benefit,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “These charges highlight the FBI’s commitment to aggressively investigating and identifying fraud schemes that exploit the corporate system.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court and other public records of court proceedings:[1]
From July 2020 through February 2026, LOCKMAN, YUSOF, and NGUYEN were senior managers at Telekom Malaysia (USA) Inc. (“the American Subsidiary”), which is wholly owned by Telekom Malaysia Berhad (the “Parent Company,” and, collectively with the American Subsidiary, “Telekom Malaysia”), a major telecommunications company in Malaysia. The American Subsidiary’s primary business is selling access to broadband infrastructure to technology companies in the United States. The Parent Company approved major contracts of the American Subsidiary, relying on management of the American Subsidiary for information about U.S. deals.
While employed at the American Subsidiary, LOCKMAN, YUSOF, and NGUYEN pursued a multifaceted scheme to steal more than $20 million. First, they devised a scheme to sell Telekom Malaysia’s broadband capacity without the Parent Company’s authorization and to divert the proceeds of those sales to accounts under their control. For example, they requested Parent Company approval to sell eight terabytes of capacity to a multinational corporation headquartered in the United States (“U.S. Customer-1”) for roughly $54 million, but, in reality, $54 million was the price the American Subsidiary charged U.S. Customer-1 for six terabytes of capacity, not eight. After receiving the Parent Company’s approval, the defendants prepared two versions of the contract: one for U.S. Customer-1 that memorialized a sale of six terabytes, and another for the Parent Company that memorialized a sale of eight terabytes and that fraudulently bore signatures and initials of representatives of U.S. Customer-1, including one representative based in the United States. After misappropriating the excess two terabytes from the Parent Company, the defendants sold it for their own personal benefit to third parties, including a large U.S.-based internet services company and a subsidiary of a U.S.-based social media and technology company. To conceal those illicit sales from the Parent Company, and pocket the proceeds, the defendants executed the sales through a sham entity they incorporated with a name meant to look like the American Subsidiary’s name, and directed payments to bank accounts in the name of that entity, which they controlled.
Second, LOCKMAN, YUSOF, and NGUYEN impersonated a supplier of goods for the American Subsidiary and captured payments the Parent Company intended for that supplier. In 2021, the American Subsidiary was to acquire a particular type of cable from the supplier and resell it to an affiliate of the Parent Company at a markup. Unbeknownst to the Parent Company, the defendants had caused the American Subsidiary to purchase the cable from the supplier for roughly $500,000. But the defendants falsely represented to the Parent Company that the American Subsidiary had paid roughly $2.9 million for the cable. The American Subsidiary sold the cable to the affiliate of the Parent Company for over $3 million, reflecting the markup, and the defendants then caused the American Subsidiary to transfer roughly $2.9 million—the amount that the American Subsidiary supposedly paid the supplier—to a bank account held by another sham entity with a name meant to look like the supplier’s, but secretly controlled by the defendants. To accomplish this fraud, the defendants falsified several documents purportedly signed by individuals who the defendants represented were employees of the sham entity with the name substantially similar to the supplier’s. In reality, those individuals were employees of the supplier, and the defendants had falsified their signatures.
Third, LOCKMAN, YUSOF, and NGUYEN impersonated employees and interns of the American Subsidiary and captured salaries intended for those employees and interns. For example, the defendants caused the American Subsidiary’s records not to reflect the fact of a particular employee’s departure in 2020, and, from August 2020 through May 2025, the defendants caused the American Subsidiary to pay that employee’s monthly salary into a bank account that the defendants controlled. In 2025, the defendants finally recorded in the American Subsidiary’s records that employee’s departure, prompting Human Resources in Malaysia to request an exit interview with the employee. To sustain the fraud, the defendants recruited another individual to impersonate the employee during the exit interview. When Human Resources subsequently requested a video call, the defendants arranged for their imposter to disguise his appearance and bear the face of the departed employee through an artificial intelligence program.
Fourth, LOCKMAN, YUSOF, and NGUYEN sought reimbursements for fabricated work expenses. For instance, in January 2026, the defendants collaborated to request reimbursement for expenses incurred for a work trip that employees of the American Subsidiary supposedly made to Las Vegas in December 2025. In fact, no such trip occurred. When the Parent Company requested pictures from the trip, the defendants hastily organized a trip to Las Vegas and photographed scenes with Christmas trees to make it appear as though photographs had been taken in December.
Telekom Malaysia initiated an internal investigation of the American Subsidiary and the defendants. Upon discovering the fraud, Telekom Malaysia self-reported the conduct to the United States Attorney’s Office and received a conditional declination of charges against the company based on the company’s commitment to full cooperation, restitution, remediation of harm caused by the misconduct, and its agreement to report criminal conduct for a three-year period. Today’s action reflects the Office’s commitment to using self-reports as a means to quickly and effectively bring cases that hold individual executives accountable for their misconduct.
* * *
LOCKMAN, 48, of Dublin, California, YUSOF, 44, of Livermore, California, and NGUYEN, 48, of Manassas, Virginia, are charged with wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in prison.
The maximum and minimum sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentences of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force and the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. DiBattista and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel P. Rothschild and Matthew Weinberg are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Schenectady County Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Gary Yorkshire, age 69, of Scotia, New York, was sentenced May 12, 2026, to 120 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release for the attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. Yorkshire was arrested as part of Operation Restore Justice.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea, Yorkshire admitted that on or about May 1, 2025, he communicated with an individual to discuss and plan his sexual abuse of a person he believed to be a 12-year-old child. Upon arriving at a pre-determined location, Yorkshire paid $250 cash to an undercover agent so he could engage in “regular sex” with the child. Yorkshire was arrested by law enforcement shortly thereafter.
“Prosecuting those who prey on our children is amongst the most important work we do at the U.S. Attorney’s Office.” Said First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III. “This Administrations commitment to our children via Operation Restore Justice should be a clear message to anyone wishing to engage in nefarious crimes against children, you will be caught and you will face justice. Mr. Yorkshire will be spending the next 120 months behind bars and upon release be an octogenarian subject to additional post release supervision to ensure he does not seek to reoffend.”In addition to the imprisonment and supervised release terms, United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also ordered Yorkshire to pay a $5,000 fine. Yorkshire also will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig A. Tremaroli stated: “Operation Restore Justice highlighted the tremendous partnerships on FBI Albany’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. By leveraging those partnerships, we removed eight dangerous predators from our communities in just five days. As Mr. Yorkshire heads to federal prison for the next decade, FBI Albany will continue to work with those partners at every level of law enforcement to swiftly identify, investigate, and bring to justice any predator looking to harm our children.”
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the New York State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Paulbeck and A.J. Vickey prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Schenectady County Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jarell Davis, age 40, pled guilty on April 29, 2026, to possessing child pornography and admitted to having a 2001 rape conviction in Georgia. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sarcone said: “I applaud the outstanding work of HSI on investigating this repeat defendant. Now he is facing at least a decade in prison and will not be able to further victimize the children whose abuse images he apparently delighted in viewing. I commend the actions taken by every company that appropriately flags this behavior and brings it to the attention of the authorities, and I look forward to continued cooperation with companies to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of sexual offenders like this defendant.”
During his guilty plea hearing, Davis admitted that he was convicted of statutory rape in Georgia in 2001. He also admitted that, in 2022, he knowingly possessed about 775 child pornography files, including some that depicted sex acts between children, within an application on his cellphone designed to look like a calculator.
Special Agent in Charge Keegan said: “By concealing hundreds of files containing child sexual abuse material, this defendant—previously convicted for statutory rape—showed clear disregard for the safety of children. These investigations are vital to protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities and ensuring that offenders are held fully accountable. HSI remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding children and pursuing those who exploit them.”
At his sentencing on August 27, 2026, Davis faces between 10 and 20 years in prison, a supervised release term of at least five years and up to life to start of Davis is released from prison, a fine of up to $250,000, special assessments, forfeiture of the property used to commit the offense, and restitution to victims. In addition, Davis will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
HSI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Gadarian is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Rockford Man Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison for Covid-Relief Fraud and Preparing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining Covid-relief loans and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.
In 2020 and 2021, ABSALOM HALL engaged in fraud related to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), one of the sources of relief under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. Hall submitted multiple PPP loan applications that contained materially false statements and misrepresentations about his purported businesses, including gross revenue, payroll needs, and operational expenses. As a result of the fraudulent applications, Hall obtained approximately $85,401 in PPP loans.
Hall also engaged in tax fraud by presenting himself as a tax preparer operating a purported business called “Lootland Tax Prep.” Even though Hall did not have an IRS-issued tax ID number to prepare federal income tax returns for others, he nonetheless accepted compensation from clients in exchange for preparing their federal income tax returns. Hall did not report any income derived from this business on his 2021 or 2022 individual income tax returns.
Hall, 37, pleaded guilty in December 2025 to wire fraud, tax, and money laundering charges. On May 15, 2026, U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins imposed the three-year prison sentence, entered a judgment against Hall of $85,401, and ordered him to pay $30,866 in restitution to the IRS.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Nicholas Bucciarelli, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Maveus.
"Absalom Hall exploited a program designed to help Americans survive an unprecedented crisis,” said IRS SAC Jobes. “At a time when families and small businesses were fighting to stay afloat, Hall chose greed over integrity and stole from a system built to provide relief and stability. Even as the pandemic fades further into the past, IRS Criminal Investigation remains committed to identifying and bringing to justice individuals who abused these emergency programs for personal gain. Americans deserve accountability for those who treated a national emergency as an opportunity to enrich themselves.”
Retired Air Force Major Indicted for Sexually Exploiting Several ChildrenRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A retired Air Force Major has been indicted on charges involving the production and possession of child sexual abuse material, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby.
A five-count indictment filed in the U.S. District Court charges Daniel Martin Brown, 63, of Leeds, Alabama, with four counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of child pornography. The incidents allegedly occurred between January 2014 and December 2025 in Jefferson County, Alabama.
If you suspect or become aware of a child being sexually abused or exploited, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. 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 and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The FBI Birmingham Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Recidivist Mexican National Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Reentry of Removed Alien and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Oscar Solano-Salinas, 44 years old, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Alien and Reentry of Removed Alien, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
“An illegal alien with two convictions for sexual battery was sentenced to 41 months in prison for possessing a rifle and ammunition and reentering the country for a third time after having been removed on two separate occasions. Once he finishes his sentence, he will be removed a third and hopefully final time. Armed recidivist sexual offenders who violate our borders are not welcome here,” U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred said.
“When the Defendant was caught, he was found to possess a rifle and ammunition, both of which he was prohibited from possessing due to his felony convictions and his being in the country illegally. Solano-Salinas was removed from the United States in July 2010 after he was convicted of sexual battery in two different cases involving two different victims in Cass County, Indiana. He illegally reentered about six months later and was removed a second time. He illegally reentered the United States again in 2011. Officers executed a search warrant and found a Winchester rifle and ammunition at his home in Logansport in November 2025,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred.
“Through ‘Operation Take Back America,’ and the combined efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, the Logansport Police Department, the Cass County Sheriff's Office, the Monticello Police Department, and Assistant United States Attorneys Hannah T Jones and Jerome W. McKeever, the Defendant has been caught, prosecuted, and sentenced,” U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred said.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, the Logansport Police Department, the Cass County Sheriff's Office, and the Monticello Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Hannah T Jones and Jerome W. McKeever.
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.
Queens Home Care Agency and Home Health Aide Training Center to Pay $2.3 Million to Settle Claims That They Defrauded Paycheck Protection ProgramRead the Press Release
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced today a settlement agreement with Queens-based home care agency Kris Agency & Home Care, Inc. (Kris Agency), and training center Career Development Center of Queens, Inc. (Career Development Center). The settlement agreement addressed allegations that Kris Agency and Career Development Center violated the federal False Claims Act (FCA) when they applied for two pandemic-era second-draw paycheck protection program (PPP) loans and obtained forgiveness of those loans.
“The Paycheck Protection Program was meant to help struggling small businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic by offering loans that could be forgiven if program rules were followed,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “As alleged, Kris Agency and Career Development Center took government money to which they were not entitled. Our Office will continue to hold accountable those who misused pandemic aid programs.”
United States Attorney Nocella thanked the Small Business Administration (SBA) for its partnership in the investigation.
“SBA is committed to identifying and pursuing those alleged to have perpetrated fraud on COVID Relief Programs to the detriment of small businesses. By working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York and our other law enforcement partners, SBA continues its enhanced efforts to uncover fraud and pursue recoveries on behalf of taxpayers,” stated SBA General Counsel Wendell Davis.
On March 27, 2020, the President signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) to provide emergency assistance for individuals, families, and businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The CARES Act authorized the Paycheck Protection Program, administered by the SBA, to provide forgivable loans to eligible small businesses during the national emergency. The PPP provided loans in two draws. For second-draw PPP loans, among other requirements, an applicant could not employ more than 300 employees, including all employees of its affiliates.
The United States Attorney’s Office commenced an investigation after whistleblowers alleged that Kris Agency had knowingly defrauded the federal government by obtaining a PPP loan and loan forgiveness when it was not eligible. The government’s investigation determined that Kris Agency and Career Development Center falsely certified that they, including affiliates, had fewer than 300 employees, and failed to disclose each other as affiliates.
Under the terms of the agreements with the United States, Kris Agency and Career Development Center have agreed to pay $2,347,133.10 to the United States. The claims asserted against Kris Agency and Career Development Center are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
The civil settlement resolves a case brought under the qui tam provisions of the FCA. The FCA authorizes private parties to sue on behalf of the United States and receive a share of any recovery. It also permits the United States to intervene and take over such lawsuits, as it did here.
The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Logan J. Gowdicott and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Franka Cepele of the Office’s Civil Division, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Loan Nguyen and Jude Glashow.
kris_agency_career_development_center_-_so_ordered_settlement.pdfPreviously convicted felon sentenced to federal prison for ammunition possessionRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, Georgia: A previously convicted felon found in possession of ammunition faces years in prison after sentencing in federal court.
Terrell Polen, 37, of Augusta, was sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon, said Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen Jr. sentenced Polen to 52 months in prison and a $1,500 fine, followed by three years of supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Our office has a zero-tolerance approach for convicted felons possessing guns or ammunition, particularly while committing another felony,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “If you’re prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition because of a history of committing crimes, we’ll work with our law enforcement partners to hold those violators accountable.”
As described in court records and testimony, Richmond County sheriff’s deputies responded in November 2024 to a report of a man pointing a rifle and found Polen in possession of ammunition. Under federal law, it is prohibited for previously convicted felons to possess firearms or ammunition, and Polen previously was convicted on state felony charges.
The case was investigated by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry W. Syms Jr.
Previously convicted child sex offender sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempting to access child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for attempting to access and view child sexual abuse material (CSAM) while on supervised release for a previous conviction.
According to court documents, on Jan. 22, 2010, Jesse Lee Wise, 42, was sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison followed by a life term of supervised release following a conviction for attempted enticement of a minor. Wise was released from prison on April 18, 2025, and began his term of supervised release, which included the condition that Wise was only permitted to have access to a flip phone and was not permitted access to any computers, smartphones, or other internet-capable devices.
On August 13, 2025, officers of the U.S. Probation Office (USPO) found Wise in possession of two unauthorized smartphones that Wise had used to attempt to access websites involved with CSAM. A forensic analysis of the devices conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) confirmed that Wise entered CSAM related search terms with the intent to view CSAM videos and images.
HSI Washington, D.C., investigated this case with assistance from USPO.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph L. Kosky prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Know2Protect.gov.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-143.
Peoria Man Sentenced to 36 Months in Federal Prison for Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria man, Alton Blue, 38, was sentenced on May 12, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Jonathan E. Hawley to 36 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for two counts of distribution of methamphetamine.
In December 2024, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents became aware of Blue’s involvement in the distribution of illicit substances in the Central District of Illinois. Blue was identified as a supplier of methamphetamine and participated in multiple drug sales. In total, Blue was responsible for the distribution of at least 1,286.29 grams of methamphetamine.
Blue was arrested on a complaint in May 2025, and a federal grand jury returned an indictment against him in June 2025. He pleaded guilty to both counts in January 2026.
The statutory penalties for distribution of methamphetamine are not less than ten years and up to life imprisonment, not more than a $10 million dollar fine, and a minimum five-year to a maximum life term of supervised release. Blue was eligible for a lower sentence because he was sentenced pursuant to the “safety-valve” provision of 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f).
The Peoria Area Federal Firearms Task Force, comprised of agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Peoria Police Department; the Peoria County Sheriff’s Department; Illinois Department of Corrections; and the Illinois State Police, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Blue 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.
Owensboro Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Federal Prison for Multiple Business Robberies and CarjackingsRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – An Owensboro man was sentenced last week to 24 years in federal prison for an armed robbery spree that involved carjackings and robbing multiple businesses across Jefferson County and Bullitt County, Kentucky.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky and Chief Paul L. Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
Daniel York, 47, of Owensboro, Kentucky, was sentenced to 24 years in prison, followed by 5 years supervised release, for several armed robberies and carjackings he committed over a three-day period in November 2024. On November 4, 2024, York entered Nick’s Vape & Smoke Shop on Preston Highway in Louisville, Kentucky, pointed a firearm at the employee, and took business cash as well as the employee’s vehicle. On November 5, 2024, York entered a Marathon Gas Station on Preston Highway in Louisville, Kentucky, pointed a firearm at the employee, and took business cash and the employee’s phone. On November 6, 2024, York entered O’Reilly Auto Parts in Hillview, Kentucky, pointed a firearm at several employees, and took one of the employees’ vehicles. York was arrested later that same day after leading police in a high-speed chase through Scott County, Indiana, Jefferson County, Kentucky, and finally Jennings, Indiana, while in the last victim’s stolen vehicle.
“York’s offense conduct is among the most heinous prosecuted by our Office. On three separate occasions, he walked into local businesses and held innocent employees at gunpoint. Those folks will live with that trauma for the rest of their lives. York has earned every day of his twenty-four year stay in the federal penitentiary,” stated United States Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner. Mr. Bumgarner further stated, “Congratulations to the men and women of LMPD’s esteemed robbery unit and the Hillview Police Department for locating York, running him down, and building a tremendously successful prosecution.”
“This sentencing makes clear that violent behavior will be met with decisive consequences,” said LMPD Chief Paul L. Humphrey. “This dangerous criminal terrorized people who were simply trying to do their jobs, and we have no place for that in our community. I’m proud of the relentless work of our officers and partner agencies who stopped him before he harmed more people.”
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Louisville Metro Police Department’s Robbery Unit and Hillview Police Department, with assistance from the Department of Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Lantz prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Omaha, Nebraska Woman Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced an Omaha, Nebraska, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. The sentencing took place on May 18, 2026.
Patricia Lawson, 55, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Lawson was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering by a federal grand jury in December 2024. She pleaded guilty on February 23, 2026.
Lawson was part of a multi-state conspiracy that trafficked methamphetamine from Omaha to Sioux Falls. Lawson was responsible for obtaining methamphetamine in Omaha and then distributing it to South Dakota based co-conspirators either by driving the methamphetamine to Sioux Falls herself or meeting with co-conspirators who drove to Omaha. She also sent drug proceeds through multiple money wire transfers directly to people in Mexico at the direction of a co-conspirator. During her involvement in the conspiracy, Lawson was involved in trafficking approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges handled the prosecution of the case.
Lawson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.