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Friday 1 May 2026
Pharmacy Technician Pleads Guilty to $5.6M Health Care Fraud Scheme and Illegal Distribution of OxycodoneRead the Press Release
DETROIT — A Michigan man pleaded guilty yesterday to defrauding health care benefit programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, by billing for prescription medications that he never dispensed and providing unlawful prescriptions of oxycodone to drug traffickers in exchange for cash.
According to court documents, Ali Naserdean, 32, of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, was a pharmacy technician at three metro-Detroit pharmacies. From 2019 through 2022, Naserdean and his co-conspirator submitted false and fraudulent claims to health care benefit programs for prescription drugs that were not ordered by a doctor and never dispensed to the patient. Naserdean and his co-conspirator used forged prescriptions from doctors to hide their scheme, when the patient had never seen the listed doctor and the medication had never actually been prescribed. Naserdean and his co-conspirator caused over $5.6 million of loss to Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Additionally, from 2019 through 2022, Naserdean provided unlawful prescriptions of oxycodone to drug traffickers in exchange for cash, without regard to whether the prescriptions were actually prescribed by physicians or dispensed in good faith.
Naserdean pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and possession with intent to illegally distribute oxycodone. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 1 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division; U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. for the Eastern District of Michigan; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan of the FBI Detroit Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas Ethridge of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI Detroit Field Office, HHS-OIG, and the City of Dearborn Police Department investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Jeffrey A. Crapko of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Kuebler for the Eastern District of Michigan prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of eight strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
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Pensacola Man Indicted for Distributing Fentanyl and Possession with Intent to Distribute Meth, Fentanyl and MarijuanaRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – Kamron Jasmane Fountain, 22, of Pensacola, Florida, has been indicted in federal court on three counts of distribution of fentanyl and one count possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges.
Fountain appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Hope T. Cannon for his initial appearance at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida. Trial is scheduled for June 22, 2026, at 8:30 am in Pensacola before District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
If convicted, Fountain faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment for each drug distribution count and at least 10 years and up to life imprisonment on the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana count.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas S.P. Geeker.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
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 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.
Peabody Man Sentenced to over Four Years in Prison for ExtortionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Gangster Disciple gang member from Peabody, Mass. was sentenced in federal court in Boston for making threats of physical violence to extort money from two victims.
Damien Willette, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 51 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In September 2025, Willette pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make interstate communications with the intent to extort and making interstate communications with intent to extort. Willette was indicted in March 2025 along with co-conspirators William Walley and Michael O’Shea.
Willette, who was incarcerated with his alleged co-conspirators, threatened two individuals – a former Gangster Disciple who was recruited into the gang by Willette (Victim 2) and their romantic partner (Victim 1) – while serving state prison sentences.
Willette expected Victim 2 to provide him with financial assistance during his incarceration from November 2020 to May 2024, as well as to his fellow incarcerated gang members. Gangster Disciple gang members refer to this practice as “aid and assistance.” Willette told Victim 2 that he would be “blessed out” of the gang if he continued to provide “aid and assistance.” However, Victim 2 attempted to disassociate from the Gangster Disciples gang soon after his recruitment. When Victim 2 stopped providing assistance, Victim 1 continued on his behalf.
On or about March 2023, Willette and his alleged co-conspirators started threatening the victims with physical violence if they stopped providing money to them while they were incarcerated. For example, Willette warned the victims that if they failed to provide “aid and assistance,” Victim 2 would not be “blessed out” when Willette was released from state prison. Willette specified that he would have gang members pistol whip the victims that “it’s going to be bad for you and everyone you know” if they failed to provide “aid and assistance.”
Michael O’Shea was sentenced in January 2026 to 51 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release.
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 Massachusetts Department of Correction and the Lawrence Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Pakistani National Pleads Guilty for Leading an International Human Smuggling OrganizationRead the Press Release
A Pakistani man pleaded guilty yesterday for leading an international human smuggling conspiracy that brought illegal aliens from Pakistan into the United States using sham film production companies.
According to court documents, Abbas Ali Haider, 49, of Sialkot, Pakistan, operated two fake Pakistan-based companies – Diamond TV World Productions and Multimedia Advertising Ltd. – to bring Pakistani nationals illegally into the United States. From approximately September 2019 through September 2023, Haider fraudulently obtained visas for Pakistani nationals to travel to Ecuador, Cuba and Colombia under the cover of legitimate business travel when their real destination was always the southern U.S. border. Posing as employees of Haider’s fake companies traveling to work on films, the Pakistani nationals were admitted to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Haider’s network then guided them to the U.S.-Mexico border where they illegally crossed into California, Texas, and Arizona. For this, Haider charged each person as much as $40,000.
Haider was extradited to the United States from Mexico in July 2025.
Haider pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States for private financial gain and bringing in illegal aliens for profit. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 30, and faces a minimum penalty of three years in prison and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine for the District of Arizona, and Acting Special Agent in Charge, Kevin P. Murphy of HSI San Diego, made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations Calexico led U.S. investigative efforts, working in concert with HSI’s Brasilia, Quito, Tijuana, and Caribbean attaché offices and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s International Interdiction Task Force; U.S. Border Patrol; the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Miami; and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations office in Detroit provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Haider.
The investigation and indictment were supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 455 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 400 U.S. convictions; and more than 350 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
Trial Attorney Bethany Allen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section on detail from the Office of International Affairs and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Kreamer Hope and Evan Wesley for the District of Arizona are prosecuting the case.
Over 250 New Federal Immigration Cases Added in Western District of TexasRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 253 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from April 24 to April 30, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for numerous DWIs, violent crime, sex crime, drug trafficking, and multiple prior removals.
Among the new cases, Julian Hernandez, a U.S. citizen, was arrested in El Paso and charged with alien smuggling. A criminal complaint alleges U.S. Border Patrol agents observed four individuals run toward a vehicle parked in a parking lot, lay down in an effort to conceal themselves and, after the vehicle drove toward them, entered the vehicle. Agents responded and followed the vehicle to a residential area, where they allegedly observed the driver running away from the vehicle. The driver, allegedly determined to be Hernandez, was caught and the four illegal aliens were placed under arrest. The complaint alleges Hernandez attempted to transport four illegal aliens to a stash house and had been offered $200 for each individual he successfully transported.
Guillermo Gonzalo Taperia-Ruiz, an illegal alien from Guatemala, was found approximately six miles east of the Fort Hancock Port of Entry. He had previously been removed from the U.S. for the fourth time on Oct. 31, 2025, and has been convicted multiple times for charges including statutory rape, assault causing bodily injury, domestic assault, and a DUI.
Geronimo Reyes-Delgadillo, an illegal alien from Mexico, was found approximately 25 miles east of the Fort Hancock POE. He was last removed in 2015. In 2010, Reyes-Delgadillo was convicted of sexual assault and sentenced to 18 months of probation.
Mexican national Francisco Antonio Marquez Sanprano was taken into ICE custody from the Bastrop County Jail, where he had been arrested for an alleged DWI. Marquez Sanprano has been convicted for DWI twice before and was also previously convicted for one count of failing to stop and give information and one count of giving false information. He’s been removed from the U.S. three times.
Jose Alberto Castro-Gatica, also an illegal alien from Mexico, was taken into ICE custody from the Travis County Jail following his second DWI conviction. Castro-Garcia has also been removed from the U.S. three times and, in January 2020, was twice convicted for improper entry by an alien.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
These cases are 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.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Oklahoma City Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for $1.1 Million Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – NATASHA ALLMON, 49, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 20 months in federal prison for health care fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to public records, from January 2021 through December 2023, Allmon had an agreement with Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) to provide behavioral health counseling services. During that time, Allmon submitted, and caused to be submitted, thousands of false and fraudulent claims to BCBS for behavioral health counseling sessions purportedly provided to family members. Court records allege that Allmon routinely claimed to have provided 60-minute psychiatric treatment sessions to family members nearly every day of the year and, at times, claimed to have treated beneficiaries for more than 24 hours in a single day. In total, Allmon submitted approximately $1.4 million in claims for services, receiving close to $1.1 million in reimbursements from BCBS.
On August 1, 2025, Allmon was charged by Information with health care fraud. Allmon pleaded guilty on August 15, 2025, and admitted she knowingly executed a scheme to defraud a healthcare benefit program.
At a sentencing hearing on April 28, 2026, U.S. District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti sentenced Allmon to serve 20 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release. Allmon was also ordered to pay nearly $1.1 million in restitution to BCBS. In announcing his sentence, Judge DeGiusti noted the prolonged nature of Allmon’s fraud scheme, the significant loss to BCBS, and the seriousness of health care fraud against private and governmental insurers.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney D.H. Dilbeck prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
O.C. Medical Scan Provider Agrees to Pay $8.3 Million to Resolve False Claims Allegations It Unlawfully Paid Doctors KickbacksRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – An Orange County-based provider of medical scans has agreed to pay $8.3 million plus additional money based on future revenue to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it violated federal law by paying referring cardiologists excessive fees to supervise positron emission tomography (PET) scans.
Modern Nuclear Inc. (MNI), a La Habra-based mobile PET scan company, agreed to pay a total of $8,334,350.
“Paying illegal kickbacks to doctors so they refer patients undermines the integrity of federal health care programs and needlessly increases costs,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Patients deserve care based on their medical need and not on a doctor or company’s financial interest. Our office will continue to bring such cases to hold wrongdoers accountable.”
“We will diligently pursue and hold accountable healthcare providers that seek patient referrals through illegal kickbacks and other unlawful financial inducements,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “By rooting out financial relationships between healthcare providers and referring physicians that corrupt the medical decision-making process, we will continue to protect and safeguard taxpayer dollars.”
According to the Justice Department, from September 2016 to January 2025, MNI knowingly submitted false or fraudulent claims to federal health care programs arising from violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute. Specifically, MNI allegedly paid kickbacks to referring cardiologists in the form of above-fair market value fees, ostensibly for cardiologists to supervise PET scans for the patients they referred to MNI.
These fees substantially exceeded fair market value for the cardiologists’ services because MNI paid the referring cardiologists for time they spent in their offices caring for other patients or while they were not on site at all, or for additional services beyond supervision that were never or rarely actually provided.
MNI purported to rely on an attorney-opinion letter regarding fair market value that the United States alleged was premised on fundamental inaccuracies and that the consultant ultimately withdrew.
In connection with the settlement, MNI entered into a five-year corporate integrity agreement (CIA) with the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). This agreement requires, among other compliance provisions, that MNI implement measures designed to ensure that arrangements with referring physicians are compliant with the Anti-Kickback Statute.
The agreement also requires that MNI implement a compliance program to identify and address the Anti-Kickback Statute risks associated with other financial arrangements and retain an Independent Compliance Expert to perform a review of the effectiveness of the compliance program.
“Paying kickbacks to physicians — as alleged in this case — can undermine the integrity of the Medicare program by interfering with impartial medical decision-making,” said Special Agent in Charge Robb R. Breeden of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS‑OIG). “This resolution demonstrates our agency’s continued commitment to holding Medicare providers accountable and ensuring that medical decisions are driven by patient needs, not illegal incentives.”
“As alleged in this civil settlement, Modern Nuclear compromised the Federal health care system,” said Special Agent in Charge John Helsing of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Western Field Office. “DCIS remains committed to combating health care fraud by holding providers accountable and protecting TRICARE, the Department’s primary health care program, from abuse. The work done by DCIS, our investigative partners, and the Department of Justice ensures that resources are preserved for the legitimate care of our service members, their families, and retirees.”
The civil settlement resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by relators Matt Lieberman and James Whitney. Under those provisions, a private party or relator can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Lieberman v. Modern Nuclear, Inc., et al. (No. 8:23-cv-01646-DOC-KES) (C.D. Cal.). The relators will receive 16% of the total recovery in this matter.
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 Central District of California, with assistance from the HHS-OIG and the Defense Health Agency Office of Inspector General.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the HHS at (800) HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Assistant United States Attorney Paul B. La Scala of the Civil Division’s Civil Fraud Section and Senior Trial Counsel Sanjay M. Bhambhani of the Justice Department’s Civil Division handled this matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Newburgh Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography, and Extortionate Interstate CommunicationsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that CARSEN MANSFIELD was sentenced to six years in prison by U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel for receipt and distribution of child pornography and extortionate interstate communications. MANSFIELD previously pled guilty to one count of receiving and distributing child sex abuse material and one count of extortionate interstate communications.
“Carsen Mansfield didn’t just traffic in sexually explicit images and videos of children—he threatened them to create more,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “In a city where kids are online every day, that kind of conduct is especially dangerous, and we will go after anyone who uses the internet to prey on them. New Yorkers want their children protected from this heinous conduct and we’re listening.”
According to the Information, plea agreement, other public court filings, and statements made in court:
On August 1, 2024, MANSFIELD, while in Newburgh, New York, communicated with an individual (“Individual-1”) on X (then Twitter). MANSFIELD used the X username “expogirlsss.” MANSFIELD and Individual-1 discussed exchanging sexually explicit content with each other. The defendant said, “[b]et and is there anything you’d like to trade in return? Or just take a look?” Individual-1 replied, “just take a look and if I like I’ll maybee trade.” The defendant replied, “[o]kay, I’ll send some tonight.”
MANSFIELD then sent Individual-1 approximately 2 videos. One of the videos is of a topless woman on her knees with a penis in her mouth (“Adult-1”). MANSFIELD described Adult-1 as his “sister.”[1]
Individual-1 then messaged MANSFIELD, “u expose ppl?” MANSFIELD replied, “[y]eah I do, but upon request.” MANSFIELD then sent Individual-1 approximately 7 additional videos and 5 images, one of which was a sexually explicit video of a minor, Minor Victim-1, fully naked and masturbating (“Video-1”). MANSFIELD then messaged Individual-1, “[u] got anything for me or nah? I was really hoping for at least a lil sum.” MANSFIELD had originally received the video of Minor Victim-1 on SnapChat from Minor Victim-1. Minor Victim-1 confirmed that MANSFIELD shared the video without her consent.
On or about August 4, 2024, MANSFIELD, while in Newburgh, New York, communicated with Minor Victim-2, who was located in Michigan, on Discord. MANSFIELD used the Discord username “nonme45.#0.” The defendant sent Minor Victim-2 a series of sexually explicit photographs (the “Minor Victim-2 Photos”). At the time that the Minor Victim-2 Photos were taken, Minor Victim-2 was 14 years old.
After sending Minor Victim-2 the Minor Victim-2 Photos, MANSFIELD then demanded that Minor Victim-2 send him additional sexually explicit material. MANSFIELD threatened that if Minor Victim-2 did not send him additional content, then he would release nude photos of Minor Vicitm-2. MANSFIELD stated, “[w]ell I have these pictures and if you don’t send me more I’m going to send them to your friends and family.” He added, “[y]our my slut now [and] failure to make me happy will end up exposed to your friends and family.” Minor Victim-2 told MANSFIELD that she was not going to send him pictures and asked him to delete them. MANSFIELD replied that he was “gonna pay you to make some stuff for me while I had these pics,” and “[b]ut if you don’t wanna do stuff I’ll just post everything it’s fine.” Minor Victim-2 asked MANSFIELD why he was threatening her. MANSFIELD replied, “I love power, and tbh most of the time I do this to sisters of people to get videos of them sucking off their brothers but you are an exception.”
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In addition to the prison term, MANSFIELD, 24, of Newburgh, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Clayton praised the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, Detroit Field Office, as well as the Town of Newburgh Police Department.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia M. Reville and Margaret Vasu are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] Adult-1, who is not MANSFIELD’s sister, confirmed that MANSFIELD shared the video without her consent.
Muskogee County Resident Pleads Guilty to Misprision of FelonyRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jessica Ann James, age 41, of Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to an Information of one count of Misprision of Felony, punishable by up to three years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Information alleged that beginning in or about October 2024, and continuing until on or about December 16, 2025, James, having knowledge of the actual commission of a felony cognizable by a court of the United States, to wit, Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), concealed the same and did not as soon as possible make known the same to some judge or other person in civil or military authority under the United States.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
James will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia Staubus represented the United States.
Multiple Aliens Charged with Illegally Voting in Federal Elections and Making False Statements while Applying for U.S. CitizenshipRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Four resident aliens in New Jersey were charged in separate criminal complaints in connection with illegally voting in federal elections and making false statements while applying for United States citizenship, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.
According to the separate criminal complaints filed against them, David Neewilly, 73, of Atlantic County; Jacenth Beadle Exum, 70, of Bergen County; Idan Choresh, 43, of Monmouth County; and Abhinandan Vig, 33, of Monmouth County, were non-citizens when they registered to vote in New Jersey. On their respective voter registration forms, however, they falsely certified and attested that they were United States citizens. In order to register, and to vote, in federal elections, a person must be a United States citizen.
“As alleged, the defendants broke federal law by voting in elections they were not eligible to participate in, and then made false statements under oath to conceal that conduct. Today’s charges reflect this Office’s commitment to protecting the integrity of our election system, and ensuring that those who attempt to circumvent both our voting laws and our naturalization process are held accountable.”
- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer
“This administration will not tolerate aliens who attempt to vote in our elections when they know they are not eligible,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “As alleged, these green card holders lied in order to register to vote and then lied again to immigration authorities by falsely claiming never to have voted in a federal election. This Justice Department will use every authority to protect the integrity of U.S. elections, including by prosecuting any noncitizens who lie about their legal status in an attempt to vote.”
“Securing our elections from criminal actors here at home and around the world is one of the top priorities for this FBI,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Noncitizens voting is a federal crime - period - and while other administrations may have looked the other way in the past, those days are over. We continue to work around the clock with our interagency partners to ensure those who engage in such conduct will not get away with it.”
“HSI is actively investigating and rooting out election fraud wherever it can be found,” said ICE Director Todd M. Lyons. “This case shows that there is still work to do. Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, HSI is committed to ensuring integrity in our election systems and ensuring that American citizens — and only American citizens — are electing American leaders.”
“The subjects are alleged to have knowingly circumvented one of our most sacred rights as citizens, the right to vote. The FBI and our partners will continue to pursue justice for those in violation of federal law, and keep the integrity of our elections intact,” said FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy.
“This case highlights HSI’s dedication to safeguarding the integrity of the nation’s democratic and immigration processes,” said HSI Newark Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy. “HSI remains committed to collaborating with law enforcement partners to identify and address violations that threaten public trust in federal institutions.”
According to the criminal complaints, each of the defendants, still without United States citizenship, cast ballots in at least one federal election. Neewilly voted in the 2020 and 2024 general elections, Beadle Exum and Vig voted in the 2020 general election, and Choresh voted in the 2022 general election. The 2020 and 2024 general elections each included the election for the office of President and Vice President of the United States, and the 2022 general election included the election for Members of the House of Representatives.
The criminal complaints also allege that after illegally voting in federal elections, the defendants each applied to become United States citizens by submitting applications for naturalization (an “N-400”). An N-400 requires the applicant to swear under penalty of perjury that the information provided in the application is complete, true, and correct. Each of the defendants falsely claimed in their respective N-400 to have never registered, or voted, in any federal elections.
Neewilly was charged with Voting by an Alien in a Federal Election, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 611; and False Statements in Relation to Naturalization, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1425(a). He had an initial appearance on April 22, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sharon A. King in Camden federal court.
Choresh was charged with Voting by an Alien in a Federal Election, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 611; Procurement of Citizenship or Naturalization Unlawfully, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1425(a); and False Statements in Relation to Naturalization, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1015(a). He had his initial appearance on May 1, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cari Fais in Newark federal court.
Vig was charged with Procurement of Citizenship or Naturalization Unlawfully, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1425(a). He had his initial appearance on May 1, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cari Fais in Newark federal court.
Beadle Exum was charged with False Statements in Relation to Naturalization, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1015(a); and False Statements in Relation to Naturalization, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1425(a). She had her initial appearance on May 1, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cari Fais in Newark federal court.
If convicted, the defendants face the following maximum sentences:
CountOffenseMaximum Penalties1Voting by an Alien in a Federal Election, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 6111 year’s imprisonment2False Statements in Relation to Naturalization, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1015(a)5 years’ imprisonment3False Statements in Relation to Naturalization / Procurement of Citizenship or Naturalization Unlawfully, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1425(a)10 years’ imprisonmentU.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy; and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, with the investigations.
These cases were brought under the United States Attorney’s Office’s Election Integrity Task Force, a coalition of federal law enforcement partners focused on preserving and protecting the integrity of elections conducted in the District of New Jersey.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark J. McCarren and Joseph McFarlane of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Bleiberg of the Criminal Division.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaints are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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neewilly.complaint.pdf choresh.complaint.pdf beadleexum.complaint.pdf abhinandan.complaint.pdfMobile PET Scan Provider to Pay $8.33 Million to Resolve Allegations of False Claims Act Violations Based on Unlawful Kickbacks to Medical PracticesRead the Press Release
Modern Nuclear Inc. (MNI), a provider of mobile positron emission tomography (PET) scans headquartered in La Habra, California, has agreed to pay a total of $8,334,350.71, plus additional amounts based on future revenues, to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it paid referring cardiologists excessive fees to supervise PET scans in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS). This settlement is based on MNI’s ability to pay.
The United States alleged that between Sept. 1, 2016, and Jan. 14, 2025, MNI knowingly submitted false or fraudulent claims to federal health care programs arising from violations of the AKS. Specifically, MNI allegedly paid kickbacks to referring cardiologists in the form of above-fair market value fees, ostensibly for cardiologists to supervise PET scans for the patients they referred to MNI. The United States alleged these fees substantially exceeded fair market value for the cardiologists’ services because MNI paid the referring cardiologists for time they spent in their offices caring for other patients or while they were not on site at all, or for additional services beyond supervision that were never or rarely actually provided. MNI purported to rely on an attorney-opinion letter regarding fair market value that the United States alleged was premised on fundamental inaccuracies and that the consultant ultimately withdrew.
“We will diligently pursue and hold accountable healthcare providers that seek patient referrals through illegal kickbacks and other unlawful financial inducements,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “By rooting out financial relationships between healthcare providers and referring physicians that corrupt the medical decision-making process, we will continue to protect and safeguard taxpayer dollars.”
“Paying illegal kickbacks to cardiologists so they refer patients undermines the integrity of federal healthcare programs and needlessly increases costs,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “Patients deserve care based on their medical need and not on a doctor or company’s financial interest. Our office will continue to bring such cases to hold wrongdoers accountable.”
“Paying kickbacks to physicians — as alleged in this case — can undermine the integrity of the Medicare program by interfering with impartial medical decision-making,” said Special Agent in Charge Robb R. Breeden of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS‑OIG). “This resolution demonstrates our agency’s continued commitment to holding Medicare providers accountable and ensuring that medical decisions are driven by patient needs, not illegal incentives.”
“As alleged in this civil settlement, Modern Nuclear compromised the Federal health care system,” said Special Agent in Charge John Helsing of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Western Field Office. “DCIS remains committed to combating health care fraud by holding providers accountable and protecting TRICARE, the Department’s primary health care program, from abuse. The work done by DCIS, our investigative partners, and the Department of Justice ensures that resources are preserved for the legitimate care of our service members, their families, and retirees.”
In connection with the settlement, MNI entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with the HHS-OIG. The CIA requires, among other compliance provisions, that MNI implement measures designed to ensure that arrangements with referring physicians are compliant with the AKS. The CIA also requires that MNI implement a compliance program to identify and address the AKS risks associated with other financial arrangements and retain an Independent Compliance Expert to perform a review of the effectiveness of the compliance program.
The civil settlement resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by relators Matt Lieberman and James Whitney. Under those provisions, a private party or relator can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Lieberman v. Modern Nuclear, Inc., et al.,case number 8:23-cv-01646-DOC-KES in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The relators will receive 16% of the total recovery in this matter.
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 Central District of California, with assistance from the HHS-OIG and the Defense Health Agency Office of Inspector General.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The matter was handled by Senior Trial Counsel Sanjay M. Bhambhani of the Justice Department's Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul B. La Scala for the Central District of California.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Note: Language from the Defense Criminal Investigative Service quotation has been updated from a previous version
Minneapolis Men Sentenced for RICO and Fentanyl Trafficking ConvictionsRead the Press Release
In the last week, Tyreese Giles, 25, and Ernest Ketter, 30, both of Minneapolis, were sentenced after each was found guilty by a jury at trial. On April 23, Giles was sentenced to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Conspiracy, which included a gang-related murder. On April 29, Ketter was sentenced to 95 months in prison and three years of supervised release after a separate jury convicted him of a drug trafficking conspiracy.
“These defendants terrorized their communities,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Members of this gang armed themselves and hunted down suspected rivals on the streets of Minneapolis and openly sold fentanyl, an extremely deadly drug. These sentences exemplify the Criminal Division’s unwavering commitment to holding gang members and their associates accountable and to restoring safety to communities plagued by violence.”
“These sentences reflect the sustained, coordinated effort required to dismantle a violent gang that brought fear and deadly drugs into the Minneapolis community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Joseph Persails of ATF’s St. Paul Field Division. “ATF and our partners leveraged crime gun intelligence and complex investigative tools over several years to hold these individuals accountable. This outcome sends a clear message that those who drive violence and traffic fentanyl will be identified, investigated, and brought to justice. We are grateful for the continued partnership and dedication of all agencies involved in this investigation.”
“The Highs and their associates caused untold damage to our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “These defendants were part of a racketeering organization engaged in murder, gun crimes, assaults, robberies, and fentanyl trafficking. The sentences handed down in this case cannot repair the death and destruction these defendants created, but they should send a message to others seeking to glorify crime and violence at the expense of our neighborhoods. The FBI and our partners will use every available resource to stop those who seek to prey on our communities.”
“Tyreese Giles and Ernest Ketter treated entire neighborhoods like territory to control — through violence, fear, and profit,” said Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Chicago Field Office. “These sentences send a clear message: if you build a criminal enterprise on bloodshed, you will be held to account. IRS-CI special agents followed the money — tracking illicit proceeds and exposing the financial lifelines behind this violence — to help our federal, state, and local partners dismantle this organization and protect the people of Minneapolis. Cases like this show how IRS-CI plays a critical role in all types of investigations. When we expose the financial engine driving violent crime, we don’t just disrupt these groups — we help take them off the streets and make our communities safer.”
“Yesterday’s sentencing is an example of the resolve of U.S. Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners to uncover and bring to justice drug traffickers who, through their network of criminal enterprise, prey on our communities” said Inspector in Charge Bryan Musgrove of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Denver Division. “We will not tolerate these criminals distributing lethal substances such as fentanyl while participating in other criminal activities and destroying the lives of many who fall victim to addiction and despair. Let this be a warning that no matter where you are, you will be held accountable for your illegal activity, restoring safety to the communities we serve.”
Giles was convicted in May 2025 for his involvement in the Highs — a violent Minneapolis street gang that controlled territory north of West Broadway Avenue, including a gang-related 2021 murder. Highs members and associates committed murders, narcotics trafficking, weapons violations, burglaries, assaults, and robberies on behalf of the enterprise. Ketter was an associate of the Highs convicted of conspiring to distribute fentanyl in June 2025.
On Sept. 9, 2021, a prominent Highs member was shot and killed at a barbershop in Minneapolis. About two hours later, suspecting that members of a rival gang ─ the Lows ─ were responsible for the killing, Giles and others traveled to Low’s territory looking for rivals to retaliate against. Surveillance footage showed Giles outside the open Pennwood Market in Minneapolis, where he found the victim and opened fire. As the victim tried to flee, Giles killed him outside of the store, shooting him in the back as he tried to hide.
At Ketter’s trial, evidence showed that he was a high-level supplier of fentanyl pills to the Highs. In October 2022, a search of Ketter’s residence turned up illegal firearms, including a machine gun, drug distribution materials, and approximately 30 grams of fentanyl pills and powder. Text messages showed that Highs members owed Ketter money for 20 kilograms of drugs he had previously supplied.
The case is the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF, FBI, IRS Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Department of Corrections, and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
Trial Attorneys Brian W. Lynch and Alyssa Levey-Weinstein of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Albania Concepcion and Rebecca Kline for the District of Minnesota prosecuted this case.
Melbourne Man Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Enticing Overseas Minors to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Kasey James Caudill (29, Melbourne) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe to life in federal prison for coercing and enticing minors to engage in sexual activity. Caudill pleaded guilty on August 5, 2025. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, in August 2024, Caudill persuaded, induced, enticed, or coerced a minor to engage in the production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). In addition, between August 10 and 12, 2024, Caudill persuaded, induced, enticed, or coerced another minor to engage in the production of CSAM. The victims were both located in the Philippines. Caudill sent money to the children’s caregiver via PayPal in return for the videos and images of CSAM of her children, ages 7 and 12.
“Those who target, exploit, and abuse children should know that we will leave no stone unturned to bring them to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. “I applaud our law enforcement partners for their diligence and cooperation in investigating this case beyond our borders.”
“Protecting children from exploitation is a sacred duty, and it is through unwavering collaboration, determination, and courage that law enforcement agencies across the globe are able to locate and rescue victims of these heinous crimes from monsters and bring them to justice,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge Tim Hemker. “This level of accountability demonstrates the power of partnership and the relentless commitment of HSI Orlando, HSI Manilla, HSI Portland (Maine), and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office to safeguard the most vulnerable members of our communities.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, and Florida Department of Corrections Probation and Parole. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kaley Austin-Aronson and Patrick Flanigan.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to 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.justice.gov/psc.
Medford Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Abusing a Minor VictimRead the Press Release
MEDFORD, Ore.—A Medford, Oregon, man was sentenced to federal prison today for sexually abusing a minor victim in his care and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
David Michael Burnett, 37, was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison and a lifetime term of supervised release.
According to court documents, starting in June 2024, Burnett sent five videos of himself sexually abusing a minor victim in his care. Investigators seized Burnett’s devices and found over 300 videos and almost 8,000 images of CSAM.
On August 1, 2024, a federal grand jury in Medford returned a two-count indictment charging Burnett with sexual exploitation of children and distribution of child pornography. On February 3, 2026, Burnett pleaded guilty to both counts.
U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Medford Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Judith Harper.
This case was brought in collaboration with 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. 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Maryland Man Indicted on Unauthorized Computer Access Related to a Maryland Medical System and Identity Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A Maryland man is facing federal indictment stemming from an unauthorized computer access scheme involving a Maryland medical system.
Matthew Bathula, 41, of Clarksville, is charged with two counts of unauthorized access to a protected computer, and one count of aggravated identity theft while working as a pharmacy clinical specialist for Company A, a medical system located in the District of Maryland.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office.
“Bathula’s alleged actions are a reprehensible invasion of privacy. He betrayed the trust of his employer and co-workers, as he gained access into the private worlds of nearly 200 victims without their knowledge or consent,” Hayes said. “We, along with our law-enforcement partners, are committed to holding individuals accountable who commit cybersecurity crimes, thereby harming unsuspecting people.”
“Matthew Bathula is accused of weaponizing technology to spy on hundreds of unsuspecting victims for eight years,” Paul said. “I am proud of the swift and thorough response by FBI Baltimore’s team of investigators who handled this case with urgency, care, and sensitivity. They worked diligently to identify and notify each of the 195 victims, who are located around the country, in just four months. The FBI will always investigate, pursue, and hold accountable those who hide behind screens and keyboards to exploit and violate the privacy of others.”
According to the indictment, between July 2016 and September 2024, Bathula intentionally accessed Company A computers without authorization and obtained information from protected computers. Through this unlawful access, Bathula obtained victims’ usernames, passwords, cookies, images, videos, and other data.
Bathula also used various cyber intrusion techniques — such as keylogging, cookie managers, mailbox-rule creation, and file masquerading — to obtain access to personal and professional accounts of people who were current or former employees, in a relationship with a current or former employee, and others affiliated with Company A. This enabled Bathula to access victims’ online services such as Google Photos, iCloud Photos, Gmail, and Microsoft 365, and social media accounts. Additionally, the mailbox rule Bathula created automatically deleted incoming emails with the subject heading Critical Security Alert. This rule prevented Company A cybersecurity personnel from knowing their accounts were compromised.
Bathula’s repeated exportation of browser cookies allowed him to import cookies into an internet browser and access victims’ accounts on other devices without their authorization. This enabled Bathula to maintain unauthorized access to victims’ accounts on his personal electronic devices from locations outside of Company A’s network.
Additionally, between February 2023, and continuing through July 2024, Bathula installed a spyware software program on one or more of Company A’s computers. Through using the software, Bathula conducted video surveillance of people present at Company A, and recorded victims without their consent, including people engaged in breast pumping.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
If convicted, Bathula faces up to 10 years in federal prison for unauthorized access to a protected computer (Company A), five years for unauthorized access to a protected computer (victims) and a maximum of two years for aggravated identity theft. By statute, the aggravated identity theft must run consecutive to any sentence imposed on Count Two. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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MEDIA ADVISORY: Subject Arrested and Federally Charged for Deadly Berea Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky will be holding a press conference to provide an update and information regarding the arrest and federal charges of the suspect in the deadly Berea bank robbery.
WHERE: U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Kentucky, 260 W. Vine Street, Suite 300—Lexington, Ky. 40507
WHEN: FRIDAY, May 1, 2026 at 2 p.m.
CONTACT: Gabrielle Dudgeon, Public Affairs Specialist(859) 229-7996
Luzerne County Man Indicted for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Andrew John Murphy, age 42, of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, was indicted on April 28, 2026, by a federal grand jury on child exploitation charges.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Murphy produced child pornography from around December 2023 through April 2026. The indictment also alleges that Murphy distributed child pornography on or about April 21, 2026.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle A. Moreno 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 maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 50 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. 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 are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Little Sioux Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Little Sioux man was sentenced on April 21, 2026, to 50 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child pornography.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, law enforcement seized electronic devices during a search of the Harrison County residence of Trevor John Collison, 34. A forensic examination of the seized electronic devices showed that Collison used the devices to produce numerous hidden camera images and videos containing child sexual abuse material of five minor victims.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Collison will be required to serve a 10-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Collison was also ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, Council Bluffs Police Department, and Alaska State Patrol investigated the case.
April was National Child Abuse Prevention Month and marked the two-year anniversary of the Department of Homeland Security’s national public awareness campaign “Know2Protect: Together We Can Stop Online Child Exploitation.” Resources are available at www.Know2Protect.gov.
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, 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.
Lincoln Man Sentenced to 188 Months’ Imprisonment for Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Jaden D. Reiman, 31, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on April 23, 2026, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Reiman to 188 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Reiman’s release from prison, he will begin a four-year term of supervised release.
This case involves a Mexican source of supply of methamphetamine who supplies the Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa, areas with methamphetamine via a local network of drug couriers. The conspiracy involves customers calling the source’s TextNow number and ordering drugs. The source then sends a courier to meet them and complete the transaction.
On August 23, 2023, investigators observed the Reiman meet with a known drug courier at an Omaha location and conduct a drug transaction. Investigators followed Reiman and conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle he was riding in as a passenger. After a canine alerted to the odor of narcotics coming from within the vehicle, a search of the vehicle revealed approximately 174 grams of actual methamphetamine concealed in a water bottle. The investigation revealed Reiman had ordered the methamphetamine from his source of supply and received it from the courier who investigators had seen meet with Reiman. A search of Reiman’s phone revealed numerous contacts with the methamphetamine source. Reiman intended to distribute some or all of the methamphetamine found in his possession.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
Lime Springs Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
A man who distributed methamphetamine was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison.
Dustin George Burnikel, age 45, from Lime Springs, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 27, 2025, guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance.
Between June 2022 and January 2024, Burnikel received packages containing controlled substances through the mail from an individual in California. In August 2023, Burnikel sold methamphetamine to an individual who was working with law enforcement. In October 2023, Burnikel sold methamphetamine to an undercover officer.
Burnikel was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Burnikel was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Burnikel is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the United States Postal Inspector Service, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Iowa State Patrol, the Howard County Sheriff’s Office, the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office, and the Waterloo Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-2036.
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Last week of April sees another 244 charged as part of Operation Take Back America effortsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 239 cases have been filed in immigration and border security-related matters from April 24-30, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The Southern District of Texas filed a total of 163 criminal complaints for illegal entry, while another 53 people face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. The cases also include charges against 28 people allegedly involved in human smuggling. Most have prior felonies such as narcotics, violent crime, immigration crimes and more.
As part of the new cases, Mexican national Jose Luis Anguiana-Ruiz was allegedly removed from the United States just a few weeks ago – April 6. However, authorities discovered him again in the country near Mercedes, according to the charges. The criminal complaint alleges he has a conviction for aggravated sexual assault of a child.
Law enforcement also allegedly discovered Honduran national Degny Oshmarlin Molina-Villatoro near Roma, despite having been previously removed June 2, 2025. According to the complaint, he has previous convictions for aggravated assault, carrying a concealed weapon and two illegal reentries.
Four more felons were also allegedly found in the McAllen area despite having been removed previously - Maria Asucena Martinez-Hernandez, Guadalupe Gutierrez-Moreno, Homero Rodriguez-Martinez and Servando Morales-Diaz, all of Mexico. The charges allege all had been previously removed following their various convictions of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, felony possession of marijuana, importation of meth, illegal reentry, burglary of a habitation and/or assault on a public servant.
All six did not have legal authorization to be in the country, according to the allegations, and face up to 20 years in federal prison, if convicted.
In addition to the new cases, a federal jury in Houston found 36-year-old Mexican national Luis Alberto Banda Acosta guilty of unlawfully reentering the country without authorization. The defense attempted to convince the jury he was involuntarily present under duress and had been kidnapped and forced to swim across the border. However, the jury heard evidence he was freely residing in the United States, including traveling to multiple locations, receiving pay stubs and making purchases at a lingerie store.
In another trial victory, a Laredo jury convicted a 21-year-old Laredo man of transporting an alien and conspiring to do so following a three-day trial. On Dec. 15, 2025, Erik Rafael Salas drove a white pickup truck, traveling in tandem with another suspected smuggling vehicle. He soon led authorities on a high-speed chase near Laredo while transporting several illegal aliens. Salas crashed into a private gate after spike strips punctured his tire. He then bailed out of the vehicle along with the aliens. One of them testified how she feared for her life as Salas drove recklessly to evade authorities and even asked him to stop. Salas now faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
In Corpus Christi, Jesus Grimaldo aka Chuy received a 121-month sentence for leading a human smuggling organization that resulted in death. The court found a death occurred during the scheme and would not have happened but for his leadership role. The investigation began after authorities discovered a deceased man in Brooks County who died from heat exposure. Analysis of the victim’s phone revealed multiple payments to Grimaldo through CashApp and Zelle. Authorities determined he arranged transportation from the Rio Grande Valley and profited from smuggling individuals in extreme heat, including in vehicle trunks.
The cases are referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are 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.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than 10 million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Kanawha County Man Sentenced to More than 15 Years in Prison for Federal Drug Crime and Supervised Release ViolationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jonathan Kennedy, 45, of St. Albans, was sentenced on Thursday, April 30, 2026, to 15 years and eight months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and for violating supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between May and August 2025, Kennedy participated in a conspiracy that distributed methamphetamine in St. Albans and elsewhere. As part of his guilty plea, Kennedy admitted that a co-conspirator in California shipped several pounds of methamphetamine to locations in Kanawha County during the time period. Kennedy further admitted that he took possession of the methamphetamine and re-distributed it after arranging for another co-conspirator to pick up the shipments at the delivery locations.
Kennedy also admitted that he provided half-pound quantities of methamphetamine to a co-conspirator in St. Albans on May 30, 2025, and June 24, 2025, each time after the co-conspirator contacted him seeking methamphetamine for re-distribution to a customer. On June 25, 2025, Kennedy distributed approximately 690 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in St. Albans.
On August 22, 2025, law enforcement officers intercepted a package en route to a Dunbar address and found it contained approximately 38 pounds of methamphetamine. Officers replaced most of the methamphetamine with a non-narcotic substance before the package was delivered to the Dunbar address. Kennedy admitted that he arranged for a co-conspirator to pick up the package and deliver it to a St. Albans address where Kennedy later took possession of it. Officers approached and arrested Kennedy shortly after he picked up the package.
At the time of this offense, Kennedy was serving a term of supervised release as a result of his October 4, 2022, conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Kennedy possessed a Dickinson model XXPA 12-gauge shotgun on June 30, 2022, the opening day of the Charleston Sternwheel Regatta, during an incident at Jet Life Apparel on Leon Sullivan Way in Charleston in which shots were fired. Law enforcement officers recovered the shotgun and a second firearm in an alley near the business following the incident. Both firearms were loaded with high-capacity drum magazines.
Today’s sentence includes eight months for violating supervised release. Kennedy has a long criminal history that includes eight felony convictions, six of them for federal offenses.
“This isn’t just a drug case — this is a three-decade campaign of destruction. Nearly 40 pounds of meth, shipped in from California, funneled straight into our community like poison through a pipeline,” said United States Attorney Moore Capito. “Even prison didn’t stop him. Even supervision didn’t slow him. That tells you exactly who we’re dealing with. We stayed on him because the stakes were too high to do anything less. Today, that pipeline is shut down, and this community is safer for it. And let this be understood — if you bring this kind of poison here, we will hunt you down and make sure you don’t get a second chance to do it again.”
Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-166.
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Illegal Alien from El Salvador Indicted: Two Counts of Assault on a Federal Officer with a Deadly Weapon and one count of Destruction of Government PropertyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment Thursday against Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, 36, a national of El Salvador residing in Stanislaus County, charging him with two counts of assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon and one count of destruction of government property, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, on the morning of April 7, 2026, four federal immigration officers conducted an operation in the city of Patterson to locate and arrest Mendoza Hernandez because he is illegally present in the United States. Officers stopped Mendoza Hernandez near an onramp to Interstate 5 by activating their emergency lights. Mendoza Hernandez pulled over on the right shoulder.
During the stop, Mendoza Hernandez identified himself and an agent informed Mendoza Hernandez that he was being detained and instructed him to step out of the vehicle. Despite repeated requests, Mendoza Hernandez kept his car running and did not comply with agent requests. Mendoza Hernandez eventually drove forward and hit an agent with his vehicle. Mendoza Hernandez then quickly shifted the vehicle in reverse and abruptly accelerated in a rapid backward motion. While in reverse, Mendoza Hernandez violently collided with the front of a law enforcement vehicle parked behind Mendoza Hernandez.
After striking the front of the agents’ vehicle, Mendoza Hernandez’s vehicle then directly faced two of the agents assisting in the stop. After a brief pause, Mendoza Hernandez accelerated forward toward the agents. One of the agents was in the direct path of Mendoza Hernandez’s vehicle and jumped out of the way to avoid being hit. Mendoza Hernandez jumped the center median and drove the wrong way against traffic toward the freeway. He then crossed the median, stopping his car on the side of the road.
During this incident, and in response to the vehicle’s movements, agents discharged their firearms at the vehicle and hit Mendoza Hernandez several times. Agents rendered medical aid at the scene and Mendoza Hernandez was transported to the hospital. After receiving medical treatment, Mendoza Hernandez was medically cleared and taken into FBI custody on Monday, April 13, 2026.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department helped secure the scene and provided substantial public safety assistance while Mendoza Hernandez recovered in the hospital. The Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office provided substantial support following the incident. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hitt is prosecuting the case.
On April 20, 2026, the District Court ordered Mendoza Hernandez to remain detained pending trial in this matter.
If convicted of the assault charges, Mendoza Hernandez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count. If convicted of the destruction charge, Mendoza Hernandez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Husband and Wife, and a Third Individual Charged with Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging José M. Ayala-Rivera, his brother Erick Osorio-Rivera, and Erick’s wife Bianca Vidal Vázquez-Millán with the unlicensed business of dealing in firearms, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) are in charge of the investigation.
According to the indictment, beginning on a date unknown but no later than October 2024 and up to August 2025, the defendants, not being licensed importers, manufacturers, dealers, and collectors of firearms, did knowingly conspire to transport into and receive in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico firearms purchased in the state of Massachusetts. The object of the conspiracy was to use the United States Postal Service to, covertly and without notice, transfer, trade, give, transport, and deliver firearms purchased or otherwise obtained outside of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to persons residing in Puerto Rico.
Defendants Osorio-Rivera and Vázquez-Millán acquired firearms in Massachusetts, where they resided, and arranged for them to be sent to Puerto Rico via the Priority Mail service from the U.S. Postal Service. Defendant Ayala-Rivera received the firearms in Puerto Rico and stored them in a residence.
All defendants are facing one count for: (1) conspiracy to receive firearms from out of state, (2) transfer firearms out of state, and (3) send firearms via a common carrier without written notice. Osorio-Rivera and Vázquez-Millán are facing one count for shipping a firearm without providing notice to the carrier. If convicted, each defendant faces a sentence of up to five years in prison.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; Jason Stankiewicz, Special Agent in Charge of ATF Miami Field Division; and Bladismir Rojo, Postal Inspector in Charge, Miami Division made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Pedro Casablanca and Jeanette M. Collazo-Ortiz, Chief of the Violent Crimes Section, are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Honduran Illegal Alien Sentenced to Time Served for Illegal Re-Entry of a Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – CARLOS ROBERTO GUARDADO-RAMIREZ (“GUARDADO-RAMIREZ”), age 46, a native of Honduras, was sentenced on April 22, 2026 by United States District Judge Greg Gerard Guidry, after previously pleading guilty to re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8 United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. GUARDADO-RAMIREZ was sentenced to time served, one-year of supervised release, and payment of a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee. He has been detained in federal prison since December 10, 2025.
According to court records, the defendant was found in the United States on December 3, 2025, having reentered the United States without authorization from the Attorney General of the United States after being previously deported on May 4, 2006. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans received information that an individual identified as GUARDADO-RAMIREZ, had been previously removed from the United States and had returned. GUARDADO-RAMIREZ was arrested by ICE Enforcement and Removal Officers in LaPlace, Louisiana on December 3, 2025, in the Eastern District of Louisiana for re-entering the United States after removal.
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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Border Patrol in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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High-Ranking Sinaloa Cartel Member Sentenced for Drug Distribution and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. – A Mexican national and high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel was sentenced last week by the Honorable Catherine C. Eagles, Chief/Senior United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC) to 336 months of imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine hydrochloride and a concurrent 240 months of imprisonment for conspiracy to commit money laundering. The sentence will be followed by a total of five years of supervised release.
Emmanuel Martimiano Leon-Soto, age 42, of Naco, Mexico, was charged along with 37 other individuals in November 2024 by a federal grand jury seated in the Middle District of North Carolina with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine hydrochloride. Leon-Soto is also known as Manny, Jose Manuel Lopez-Castro, Jesus Lopez Castro, Pedro Beltran Zazueta, Pedro Zazueta Beltran, Emmanuel Gomez, Emanuel Leon, Emanuel Leon-Soto, Manuel Leon Soto, Jose Manuel Lopez Castro, and Emanuel Pena Gomez. He was one of 10 defendants in the case also charged with conspiracy to launder the proceeds of the drug trafficking scheme.
Prior to his indictment, Leon-Soto was designated as a Regional Priority Target (RPOT) by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. He is a high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel (also known as Cartel de Sinaloa, Mexican Federation, and Guadalajara Cartel), which has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist. Cártel de Sinaloa is one of the world’s most powerful drug cartels and one of the largest producers involved in the smuggling, importation, and distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine into the United States.
“Mexican Cartel kingpins poisoning America will face justice in every judicial district in our country. Leon-Soto and his co-conspirators distributed staggering amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine in our district and beyond,” said Dan Bishop, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina. “The sentencing represents the culmination of a broad collaboration of law enforcement partners determined to disrupt and dismantle Sinaloa Cartel operations in our homeland. Be assured we will continue to use all available resources to attack the criminal organizations that flood our streets with dangerous drugs.”
“Today marks a significant victory for the many law enforcement agencies that worked together to dismantle this organization,” said Rodney M. Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division. “The Postal Inspection Service remains committed to protecting the integrity of the mail, disrupting illicit drug trafficking, and safeguarding the American public. This success is a direct result of the strong collaboration among our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners.”
“This arrest strikes at the heart of a cartel network responsible for flooding our communities with deadly drugs,” said Mark M. Zito, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in North and South Carolina. “HSI and our partners are relentless in pursuing those who profit from addiction and violence. We will continue to dismantle criminal organizations and protect the public from the devastation caused by fentanyl and other narcotics.”
“Today’s sentence underscores our unwavering commitment to bringing drug traffickers to justice,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Working alongside our law enforcement partners, we will continue to target those who threaten the safety and well-being of our communities.”
“This sentencing sends a strong message to those criminals trafficking drugs. We are committed to identifying and dismantling drug trafficking and money laundering networks by targeting the individuals who facilitate or profit from these operations,” said Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins, Charlotte Field Office, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. “Our special agents utilize their financial expertise and legal authority to collaborate with partner agencies, tracing illicit financial activity to disrupt the distribution of fentanyl and other drugs within the United States.”
“The Marshals are committed to reducing violent crime by taking criminals off the streets,” said Catrina A. Thompson, U.S. Marshal for the Middle District of North Carolina. “We are proud to play our part in disrupting these networks and helping to reduce the availability of dangerous drugs and make all of our communities safer.”
Investigating agencies include the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS Criminal Investigation, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement, Moore County Sheriff’s Office, Harnett County Sheriff’s Office, Fayetteville Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office, Candor Police Department, Mesa (Arizona) Police Department, Davie County Sheriff’s Office, Forsyth County Drug Task Force, Mooresville Police Department, Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, and Surry County Sheriff’s Office.
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 utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Pousson, Randall Galyon, and Nicole DuPré.
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Harrison County methamphetamine dealer sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for drug trafficking violationRead the Press Release
MARSHALL, Texas – A Marshall man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for a drug trafficking violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Avis Delynn Jones, 41, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap on May 1, 2026April 15, 2026.
According to information presented in court, on March 17, 2023, a search warrant was executed at Jones’ University Avenue residence in Marshall resulting in the discovery of 440.7 grams of methamphetamine concealed in children's backpacks found in the kitchen. In addition, investigators found cocaine, marijuana, a stolen firearm, U.S. currency, and distribution paraphernalia such as digital scales and plastic bags.
Jones also has prior Texas felony convictions for injury to a child, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance, out of both Harrison and Gregg counties.
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 case was investigated by the FBI; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Marshall Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucas Machicek.
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Gregg County man guilty of federal firearms violations in Longview drive-by shootingRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A Longview man has pleaded guilty to federal firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Jamichael Devorea O’Quinn, 21, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a machine gun before U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell on May 1, 2026.
According to information presented in court, on May 18, 2024, the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office responded to a drive-by, machine-gun shooting of a high school graduation party near Longview. Eyewitnesses and gunshot victims identified O’Quinn as a shooter. Further investigation revealed O’Quinn publicly bragged on a social media platform about his distinctive blue machine gun conversion device, commonly referred to as a Glock Switch, while warning of his willingness to use the weapon.
The attached images of social media posts were presented in court, which included multiple images of a pistol with a distinctive blue machine gun conversion device installed on its slide.
O’Quinn was arrested on July 26, 2024, during a traffic stop in Longview, during which a firearm outfitted with a machine gun conversion device was seized. Ballistic testing confirmed the firearm was the same gun used in the shooting on May 18, 2024.
O’Quinn faces up to 10 years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing 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 U.S. Probation Office.
O’Quinn has also been indicted in Gregg County and charged with murder in an unrelated drive-by shooting. An indictment is not proof of guilt, and a defendant is considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
“Our focus in this case was to bring some measure of justice for the victims of this shooting. The illegal possession of a machine gun cannot, and will not, be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. “The families of Longview deserve to live free of fear. My office, federal agents, and local law enforcement will never tire in their efforts to root out and hold accountable those who inflict violence on our communities.”
District Attorney John Moore said, “The Gregg County District Attorney’s Office is proud to work with our partners to share a strategy that has improved public safety in Gregg County.”
“ATF is proud to stand alongside our local, state, and federal partners in bringing this offender to justice. This case highlights the real and growing danger posed by illegal machine gun conversion devices, which turn firearms into extremely lethal weapons. Through strong collaboration and determined investigative work, we were able to hold a violent offender accountable and make our communities safer. We will continue to prioritize cases like this to disrupt criminal activity and protect the public.” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Garner
“The Longview Police Department will not tolerate illegal fully automatic weapons in our city,” said Longview Police Chief Anthony Boone. “We will continue to utilize every available state and federal resource to combat criminal activity in Longview, Texas. We are thankful for the partnership and support of the Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
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.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Longview Police Department; the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office; the Gregg County District Attorney’s Office; and the Texas Department of Public Safety. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin Farahnak and Emil Mikkelsen.
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Grand jury indicts six defendants in financial fraud scheme impacting victims across the countryRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging six defendants with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft for their roles in a financial fraud scheme. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison and a maximum of 30 years. Named in the indictment are:
- Jeffrey Fleischer, 36
- Crystal Velez, 36
- Blaine Webster, 40
- Reginald Seals, 47
- Johnny Ray Mcduffie, 36
- Anthony Zorilla A/K/A Anthony Velazquez, 28, all of Buffalo, NY.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Bonanno, who is handling the case, stated between August 2023 and May 2024, the defendants are accused of conspiring to fraudulently obtain funds from financial institutions by depositing stolen United States Treasury checks into bank accounts opened by the defendants. The defendants used fraudulent identification documents to open the accounts and then withdrew the funds from those bank accounts.
According to the indictment, the defendants obtained stolen United States Treasury tax refund checks that were payable to other persons, and then used fraudulent identification documents to open bank accounts in the names of the persons the tax refund checks were payable. The checks would then be deposited into the fraudulent bank accounts, allowing the defendants to withdraw or transfer the funds from the accounts for their benefit. Accounts were opened at various financial institutions including Northwest Bank, Evans Bank, Good Neighbors Credit Union, ServU Credit Union, Sweet Home Federal Credit Union, Erie Federal Credit Union, Corning Credit Union, Greater Niagara Federal Credit Union, Cornerstone Community Federal Credit Union, and High Point Federal Credit Union. The financial institutions were located in Buffalo, Amherst, Getzville, Niagara Falls, Painted Post, and Corning, NY, and Erie, Pennsylvania. The defendants are accused of stealing the identities of more than 12 victims living in NY, Florida, New Jersey, Virginia, Connecticut, and Oregon, with estimated losses totaling more than $1,300,000.
The Department of Justice has created the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Bonanno. The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr., the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Michael Carpenter, Northeast Field Division, the United States Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Charles T. Perras, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia, the North Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief Keith Glass, the Town of Niagara Police Department, under the direction of Chief Craig Guiliani, the Amherst Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Chamberlin, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, and the Erie and Niagara County Crime Analysis Centers.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Former U.S. Congressman and Lobbyist Convicted of Acting as Unregistered Agents of Venezuela in Connection with $50 Million ContractRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal jury in Miami found a former U.S. Congressman and lobbyist guilty of secretly lobbying on behalf of the Venezuelan government and laundering millions of dollars tied to that work, in violation of the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA).
“These convictions expose a simple truth: the defendants sold access and influence to a hostile foreign regime for money,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “They accepted millions tied to the Maduro regime, concealed that relationship from the United States government, and used trusted personal and political relationships to secretly advance the interests of Venezuela’s regime. In South Florida, where so many families fled communist oppression, that kind of betrayal carries real weight. The Foreign Agents Registration Act exists to protect transparency and safeguard our democracy from covert foreign influence. If you secretly act on behalf of a foreign government in violation of federal law, you will be investigated, prosecuted, and convicted.”
"Today’s verdict sends a clear and powerful message: our democratic processes are not for sale to foreign adversaries. Choosing to prioritize personal greed over legal transparency, David Rivera and Esther Nuhfer violated the Foreign Agent Registration Act by lobbying for the interests and benefit of the Venezuelan government,” said Brett Skiles, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami. “Using coded messages and laundering millions of dollars to fund personal lifestyles and political campaigns, these defendants thought they could operate in the shadows. This conviction proves that no matter how much 'coded language' is used or how high-ranking the conspirators may be, the FBI and its partners will remain steadfast in identifying and investigating those who covertly serve foreign interests at the expense of the American public's trust."
“This verdict underscores what can be achieved when federal partners combine their investigative strengths,” said Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Florida Field Office. “Following the money is what IRS Criminal Investigation does best, and our agents worked tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to uncover the illegal activity driving this foreign influence scheme. IRS Special Agents will continue to pursue criminals, regardless of how sophisticated the scheme or influential the individuals involved.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, David Rivera, 60, and Esther Nuhfer, 51, obtained a $50 million contract with a subsidiary of Venezuela’s state-owned and state-controlled oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), to advance the interests of the Venezuelan regime in the U.S. Without registering as foreign agents as required by law, Rivera and Nuhfer lobbied U.S. officials — including then-U.S. Senator Marco Rubio and U.S. Representative Pete Sessions — and arranged meetings between U.S. policymakers and high-ranking Venezuelan officials, including then-President Nicolas Maduro and then-Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez. In text message exchanges, Rivera and Nuhfer used coded language to describe their activities.
The evidence further showed that Rivera used approximately $600,000 from the contract proceeds to fund his Florida state congressional campaign, among other personal uses. Nuhfer used approximately $455,000 of the proceeds for the purchase of a residence in Key Colony Beach.
The jury found Rivera guilty of conspiracy to violate FARA, a violation of FARA, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and four counts of engaging in transactions in criminally derived property. Nuhfer was convicted of conspiracy to violate FARA, a violation of FARA, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and one count of engaging in transactions in criminally derived property.
Rivera faces a maximum sentence of 60 years in prison. Nuhfer faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones; Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Ronald A. Loecker of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Florida Field Office, made the announcement.
Senior Trial Counsel Harold Schimkat, Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Cruz, and Trial Attorney David Ryan of the Justice Department’s National Security Division are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-20552.
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Former IRS Revenue Agent Charged with Embezzling more than $12 Million and Money Laundering as the Then-CFO and Controller of New Jersey-Based CompanyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County man and former Revenue Agent for the Internal Revenue Service was arrested on April 30, 2026 for embezzling more than $12 million and money laundering as the then-Chief Financial Officer and Controller of a fuel company based in New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
“As alleged in the complaint, Robert McCloughy — a former IRS Revenue Agent entrusted to enforce the tax laws — used his position as a company’s CFO and Controller to steal more than $12 million and then launder the proceeds for his own benefit. This Office is committed to rooting out sophisticated financial fraud and holding accountable those who illegally exploit their positions to enrich themselves at the expense of others.”
- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer
Robert M. McCloughy, 43, of Carlstadt, New Jersey was charged in a three-count complaint with one count of wire fraud and two counts of engaging in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property. McCloughy is expected to have his initial appearance on Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cari Fais in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
McCloughy previously served as a Revenue Agent with the Internal Revenue Service. In or around 2009, McCloughy was hired by a New Jersey-based fuel company (“Company-1”), where he served interchangeably as the CFO and Controller. From around March 2017 through March 2025, McCloughy misappropriated approximately $12 million from Company-1, separate and apart from what he was paid in the normal course. He did so through at least two methods: (1) causing Company-1’s payroll company to pay him unauthorized “expense” reimbursements; and (2) causing unauthorized transfers to be made from Company-1’s bank accounts to his personal bank accounts. To hide the fraud, McCloughy made false entries in Company-1’s books and records. Then, once McCloughy received the misappropriated funds, he engaged in money laundering transactions, including gambling large sums at online sportsbooks and casinos.
The charge of wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross amount of any pecuniary gain that any persons derived from the offense or of any pecuniary loss sustained by any victims of the offense, whichever is greatest. Each charge of money laundering carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the amount of criminally derived property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater.
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.
U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer credited special agents of IRS — Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Maltese with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marko Pesce, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division in Newark and Carolyn Silane, Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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mccloughy.complaint.pdfFlorida Woman Sentenced to over Five Years in Prison for Interstate Travel to Engage in Sexual Conduct with A Minor and for Victim TamperingRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On April 30, 2026, Kasey Lynn Skaggs, 27, of Jacksonville, FL, was sentenced to 63 months imprisonment by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following her imprisonment, Skaggs will be on supervised release for 15 years and will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Skaggs agreed to plead guilty to two counts in the indictment charging her with one count of interstate travel for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2423(b); and one count of tampering with a victim to destroy evidence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(b)(2)(B).
According to court filed documents, investigators with the Homeland Security Investigations-Internet Crimes Against Children (HSI-ICAC) Task Force and local law enforcement investigated a report of child sexual abuse in 2024. Investigators found that from December 2023 to February 2024, Skaggs, along with co-defendant and husband, Jeffrey Lee Robertson, traveled across state lines on three different occasions into the Eastern District of Tennessee to have sex with a 14-year-old female. On the victim’s phone, investigators located text and social media messages between the two defendants, enticing and talking to the minor about illicit sexual acts they would do together. Further evidence was found of the two defendants instructing the victim to destroy evidence of their communication when they believed they had been caught.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by HSI-ICAC, 9th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Department of Energy, Office of Inspector General and Lenoir City Police Department.
This investigation was led by HSI-ICAC Task Force Officer Cortney Dugger.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.
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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
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Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to Sixteen Years in Federal Prison After Fatal Overdose of Indianapolis WomanRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Arieon Lofton, 27, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 16 years and two months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
According to court documents, on July 26, 2025, the victim, identified as “J.A.,” began texting an unsaved phone number to arrange a trade involving suboxone strips and Xanax. The following day, J.A. agreed to exchange 150 suboxone strips for 15 Xanax bars, $50, and a gram of “slow.” On July 30, 2025, a friend discovered J.A. unresponsive inside her apartment. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators recovered text messages arranging the drug transaction between J.A. and a phone number registered to Valencia Griffin. Griffin is currently incarcerated in the Indiana Department of Correction, serving an 11‑year sentence for dealing a narcotic drug, and did not physically possess the phone at the time the messages were sent.
However, investigators uncovered multiple three‑way calls involving Griffin; her boyfriend, Martell Marshall, who is also incarcerated; and Arieon Lofton, who was not in custody. A subpoena revealed that the phone number used in the drug deal consistently pinged at an apartment belonging to Lofton’s girlfriend.
On August 21, 2025, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers and the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant for the phone. When officers arrived, Lofton initially approached the door but retreated into a bedroom instead of answering. His girlfriend eventually allowed officers inside. While searching for the phone, officers observed marijuana, burnt joints, and two white pills in plain view. They subsequently obtained a State of Indiana search warrant to search the residence for narcotics.
Inside the master bedroom, officers located four active cell phones plugged in, along with five additional phones in a bathroom drawer. They also recovered two 9mm Taurus firearms, $2,573 in cash stored in shoeboxes, approximately 400 grams of fentanyl, more than 1,000 counterfeit Xanax pills, one pound of marijuana, a pill press, and multiple bottles of lactose hidden inside the dishwasher. Suboxone strips prescribed to J.A. were also found in the dishwasher. Forensic analysis confirmed that substances recovered from the dishwasher contained 327.09 grams of acetyl fentanyl and 66.92 grams of fentanyl.
The fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl supplied by Lofton led to J.A.’s fatal overdose. Investigators found no other drug‑related conversations on J.A.’s phone besides those with Lofton, and records showed she had been purchasing narcotics from him since at least March 10, 2025. The coroner determined that J.A. died from acute mixed drug intoxication, with bromazolam, acetyl fentanyl, and fentanyl present in her system.
At the time of the offense, Lofton was on supervised release following a 22‑month federal sentence for attempted robbery. He also has previous convictions for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, driving while suspended and false identity.
“My thoughts are with J.A.’s loved ones as they continue to grieve an unimaginable loss. Lofton’s actions showed a clear disregard for human life, and the consequences were devastating. It is impossible to know how many others might have been harmed had investigators not acted when they did,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Lofton’s actions were not a mistake—they were a deliberate pattern of choices that cost a young woman her life, and he will now spend years in federal prison answering for every one of them.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Justin R. Olson.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter A. Blackett, who prosecuted this case.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, as little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal, depending on a person’s body size, tolerance, and past usage—a tiny amount that can fit on the tip of a pencil. Seven out of ten illegal fentanyl tablets seized from U.S. streets and analyzed by the DEA have been found to contain a potentially lethal dose of the drug.
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Federal Jury Finds Lionel Duncan Guilty of Methamphetamine and Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On April 29, 2026, LIONEL ANTOINE DUNCAN a/k/a “Headbaby,” age 36 of Thibodaux, LA was found guilty by a jury, after previously being indicted, of conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 841(b)(1)(C) (Count One),and Use of Communications Facility, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 843(b) (Count Four), following a three day trial before United States District Judge Brandon S. Long, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.
According to the evidence at trial, DUNCAN, as part of his role in the “Murdagang” drug trafficking organization, supplied local dealers in the Marydale community of Thibodaux, LA with methamphetamine and cocaine until approximately 2024. The investigation into DUNCAN revealed that during the timeframe of the charged conspiracy, he frequently communicated, via telephone, with other members of the drug trafficking organization. A search warrant executed at DUNCAN’s residence in June 2024 resulted in the seizure of DUNCAN’s nine cellular telephones. Information extracted from one of his phones included communications involving methamphetamine between DUNCAN and one of his methamphetamine sources of supply.
As to Count One, DUNCAN faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years up to life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000 fine, at least five (5) years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. As to Count Four, DUNCAN faces a term of imprisonment of up to twenty (20) years, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, and at least three (3) years of supervised release. Each count also carries the payment of a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. Sentencing in this matter is scheduled for July 28, 2026.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Thibodaux Police Department, Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Stuart M. Theriot and Briana N. Williams, both of the Narcotics Unit, are in charge of the prosecution.
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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Federal Grand Jury Indicts Man for Attempted Kidnapping and Stalking of Memphis MayorRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A federal grand jury in the Western District of Tennessee has returned a two-count indictment charging Trenton Abston, 25, of Memphis, with the attempted kidnapping and stalking of Memphis Mayor Paul Young. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant, of the Western District of Tennessee, announced the return of the federal indictment today.
As alleged in the indictment and established in other court proceedings: On June 15, 2025, Abston drove his car and parked outside the mayor’s neighborhood. Abston then climbed an 8–10-foot privacy fence to avoid neighborhood security and used his phone to navigate on foot to the mayor’s home. Abston had rope and duct tape with him in the car and carried a taser with him in his hoodie. Abston then rang the doorbell of the mayor’s home at approximately 9:30 PM, while the mayor and his family were inside. The taser in Abston’s pocket was clearly visible on recorded doorbell camera footage. No one answered the door, and Abston left the area.
The Memphis Police Department was later able to identify Trenton Abston as the suspect and arrested him. Abston admitted to police that he went to the mayor’s home because he was angry and wanted to have a confrontation with the mayor. Police later found a storage unit belonging to Abston and found written surveillance notes where Abston noted the movements of the guards around the mayor’s neighborhood, as well as addresses, telephone numbers, and names of family members of Mayor Young and other local elected officials.
On June 20, 2025, officers found an Apple AirTag that Abston placed on the mayor’s official government vehicle. Police also discovered that this was not Abston’s first time stalking the mayor, and that Abston tried to physically force his way into the mayor’s office at City Hall on April 4, 2024.
Abston is federally charged with one count of attempted kidnapping and one count of stalking. The attempted kidnapping offense carries a sentence of up to 20 years, and the stalking offense carries a sentence of up to 5 years in federal prison. If Abston is convicted of the charged offenses, a federal judge will determine the sentence to impose on the defendant after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.
Abston was originally charged by criminal information in the Shelby County Criminal Court, Division 10, with the Class D Felony offense of Attempted Kidnapping. On April 14, 2026, the defendant entered a best interest Alford plea of guilty as charged. After a lengthy sentencing hearing, the state Criminal Court Judge placed the defendant on judicial diversion probation for a period of 4 years, with Community Corrections supervision and other conditions of release, over the objection of the state prosecutor. Under applicable state law, if the defendant successfully complies with the conditions of his term of judicial diversion probation and supervision, he will be eligible to have the original charge dismissed and his criminal record expunged.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, “Targeting elected officials for political violence is dangerous and absolutely unacceptable, and this office has zero tolerance for such threatening conduct. Because the state court disposition is manifestly inadequate to vindicate the substantial federal interests of the United States to prioritize and protect the safety of public officials, the defendant must be charged and held accountable under federal law.”
This case was investigated by members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Memphis Police Department (MPD).
Assistant United States Attorneys J. William Crow and Gavin A. Smith are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
FCI Schuylkill Inmate Charged with Possession of Prohibited ObjectsRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Antwan Edward Johnson, Jr., age 27, of North Carolina, was indicted on April 28, 2026, by a federal grand jury on charges of possession of a prohibited object in prison.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Johnson, while an inmate at the Federal Correction Institution Schuylkill (FCI Schuylkill), in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, possessed a cell phone and a six-inch sharpened plastic weapon with a cloth handle on January 10, 2026.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is six years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. 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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FCI Dublin Correctional Officer Sentenced to over 4 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Abusing Female Inmate, Lying to Federal AgentsRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Former Bureau of Prisons correctional officer Jeffrey Wilson was sentenced today to 52 months in prison for sexually abusing a female inmate at the Federal Correction Institution in Dublin, California, a low-security federal prison for females, and for making false statements to federal agents. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers handed down the sentence.
Wilson, 34, of Eureka, Calif., pleaded guilty on Aug. 7, 2025, to five counts of sexual abuse of a ward and one count of making a false statement to federal agents.
Wilson was employed from July 2021 to September 2022 as a correctional officer at FCI Dublin, where he served as a health technician/paramedic. In that role, he was responsible for providing emergency assessment and medical care to the female inmates.
According to his plea agreement, around August 2021, he began interacting with a victim inmate after she began taking medication prescribed to her for seizures. He encouraged the victim to transfer from the prison to the FCI Dublin Camp where there were fewer medical staff who would see their interactions.
Wilson admitted to engaging in sexual acts on multiple occasions with the victim. He also provided the victim with a $60 pre-paid credit card and a cellphone while she was at the FCI Dublin Camp. The victim used that cellphone to take naked pictures of herself and send them to Wilson.
When he was interviewed by special agents from the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG), Wilson falsely stated that he never had sexual contact with the victim inmate and that he had never given her contraband.
United States Attorney Craig Missakian, DOJ OIG Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Hunt, and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Cobo made the announcement.
Wilson is the ninth correctional officer to have either pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial as part of an ongoing federal investigation into sexual abuse of inmates at FCI Dublin. FCI Dublin was closed in 2024.
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FCI Dublin Investigation
As part of the Department of Justice’s ongoing investigation into FCI Dublin, 10 FCI Dublin correctional officers have been charged with crimes related to the sexual abuse of the female prisoners at the facility. The status of these cases is below:
DefendantCase NumberStatusWarden Ray J. Garcia4:21-cr-00429-YGRConvicted on all counts by jury on Dec. 8, 2022; sentenced to 70 months in prisonCO John Bellhouse4:22-cr-00066-YGRConvicted on all counts by jury on Jun. 5, 2023; sentenced to 63 months in prisonCO Darrell Smith (a/k/a “Dirty Dick Smith”)4:23-cr-00110-YGRCase dismissed on December 22, 2025, following two hung juriesChaplain James Highhouse4:22-cr-00016-HSGPleaded guilty on Feb. 24, 2022; sentenced to 84 months in prisonCO Ross Klinger4:22-cr-00031-YGRPleaded guilty on Feb. 10, 2022; sentenced to one year of home confinementCO Enrique Chavez4:22-cr-00104-YGRPleaded guilty on Oct. 27, 2022; sentenced to 20 months in prisonCO Andrew Jones4:23-cr-00212-YGRPleaded guilty on Aug.17, 2023; sentenced to 96 months in prisonCO Nakie Nunley4:23-cr-00213-YGRPleaded guilty on Sept. 5, 2023; sentenced to 72 months in prisonCO Lawrence Gacad4:25-cr-00181-YGRPleaded guilty on Aug. 7, 2025; sentenced to one year of home confinementCO Jeffrey Wilson4:25-cr-00180-YGRPleaded guilty on Aug. 7, 2025; sentenced to 52 months in prisonAssistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Paulson, Alethea Sargent, Sailaja Paidipaty, and Molly Priedeman are prosecuting these cases with the assistance of Veronica Hernandez, Soana Katoa, and Amala James. The prosecutions are the result of an investigation by DOJ OIG and the FBI.
El Cajon Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Conspiracy to Sex Traffic 15-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Samuel Melvin Cooper of El Cajon was sentenced in federal court today to 121 months in prison for directing a 15-year-old girl to perform commercial sex acts for his financial benefit in San Diego, Phoenix and Tucson.
Cooper pleaded guilty on October 14, 2025, to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking through Force, Fraud or Coercion. According to his plea agreement, Cooper was arrested in September 2024 by San Diego Police detectives during a traffic stop in an area known for street-based prostitution. Police discovered Cooper was tracking locations of two female teens, ages 15 and 18, on a cell phone application – a common method used by pimps to track the location of commercial sex victims under their control.
The case was further investigated by the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force. The investigation revealed that Cooper had traveled by car with the 15-year-old to Arizona for the purpose of commercial sex work for Cooper’s financial benefit. Text messages revealed that Cooper intended to leave the 15-year-old victim stranded in Arizona if she did not make enough money through commercial sex work.
According to his plea agreement, Cooper admitted he also exploited another 15-year-old girl by directing her to engage in commercial sex for Cooper’s financial benefit. Sexually explicit videos and photographs of Cooper engaged in sexually explicit conduct with this second minor were recovered. Cooper was aware of the minor’s age as her date of birth, including the year, was Cooper’s unlock code for his cell phone.
“We won’t allow children to be bought and sold,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “This sentence reflects the profound harm caused when predators exploit minors for profit.”
“Let this sentence stand as a clear and stern warning; there is no refuge for those who exploit or abuse children. I am proud of our Human Trafficking Task Force that investigated this case to ensure that Cooper would be held fully accountable,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Although nothing can undo the pain the victim has endured, we hope this sentence offers a measure of closure and a sense that justice has been served. My office will continue to pursue justice relentlessly, support survivors every step of the way, and diligently investigate these crimes. Above all, we remain steadfast in our commitment to protect the children of California and ensure they can grow up safe, supported, and free from harm.”
In the government’s sentencing memo, prosecutors noted that when San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force officers tried to interview the first 15-year-old victim after the defendant’s arrest, she was crying hysterically, denied any involvement in prostitution and refused to cooperate with the investigation. The victim’s mother has written a victim-impact statement to the court about how the girl is still a runaway and lost to her and her family. “That letter speaks more powerfully to the lasting trauma of living on the streets and being conditioned at such a young age that your worth is tied to commercial sex than any attorney can capture in words,” the government’s memo said.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Ko and Lyndzie M. Carter.
If you believe you or someone you know has been a victim of human trafficking, investigators ask that you contact the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24cr2623-JO
Samuel Melvin Cooper Age: 21 El Cajon, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking by Force/Coercion, 18 U.S.C., Section 1594(c)
Maximum penalty: Life imprisonment; $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force
San Diego Police Department
Homeland Security Investigations
The San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force is a cooperative effort involving the California Department of Justice, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, California Highway Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, National City Police Department, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, San Diego City Attorney’s Office, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Probation Department, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, San Diego Police Department, Southwest Border High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
This case is the result of the ongoing efforts of the Special Victims Unit. Formed in April 2025, the SVU is tasked with leading collaborations between federal and local law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of cases involving sex trafficking and child exploitation, civil rights, and labor trafficking. The SVU oversees the Southern District of California liaisons to the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force and Project Safe Childhood
Dutchess County Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Receipt and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that JORDAN WATSON was sentenced to 78 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román for receipt and distribution of child pornography. WATSON previously pled guilty to two counts of receiving and distributing child sex abuse material.
“Jordan Watson crossed a clear legal and moral line by pressuring children to produce sexually explicit images,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “This kind of conduct deepens the harm to victims and spreads far beyond a single interaction. It affects families and communities here in New York, and we will hold accountable those who engage in this reprehensible conduct.”
According to the Information, plea agreement, other public court filings, and statements made in court:
In July and August 2021, WATSON—who was 23 years old at the time, but pretended to be 16 years old—while in Wappingers Falls, New York, communicated with a 12-year-old girl in Arizona (“Victim-1”) and a 12-year-old girl in Indiana (“Victim-2”) online, and persuaded each to engage in sexually explicit conduct, to produce a visual depiction of such conduct, and to transmit one or more images or videos depicting that conduct to him over the Internet.
For example, over Snapchat, WATSON engaged in sexually explicit conversations with Victim-1. On July 18, 2021, WATSON described in graphic detail how he wanted to have sex with Victim-1 and asked Victim-1’s age. Victim-1 initially told WATSON that she was “14” years old, although she was 12 years old at the time. Later that same day, WATSON messaged Victim-1 “Send the pics”; “Send me stuff if you’re horny . . .”
On July 26, 2021, WATSON engaged in further conversations with Victim-1, the context surrounding which indicated that suggested that he was requesting or had requested sexually explicit material. Among other things, WATSON directed Victim-1 to “[p]ut them on infinity,” which is a reference to a setting on Snapchat that makes a video play on loop, so the video keeps repeating without stopping until the recipient closes it. The same day, Vicitm-1 messaged Snapchat Account-1 “I’m almost 13,” reflecting her true age of 12.
On August 1, 2021, Victim-1 sent WATSON a sexually explicit video of herself masturbating.
WATSON also engaged in sexually explicit conversations with Victim-2 over Snapchat. For example, on August 3, 2021, WATSON asked Victim-2 “how old are you”; Victim-2 responded that she was “13,” although she was in fact 12 years old. WATSON then messaged Victim-2 “[l]ater TN you should show me something and I wanna fuck you it’ll be nice to see your titties bounce.” Several hours later, on August 4, 2021, WATSON sent Victim-2 numerous messages asking her to send sexually explicit images or videos of herself to him. WATSON messaged Victim-2 “What would you send me”; “You can go to the bathroom and do some stuff please I’ll fuck you whenever you want”; “No pussy that’s what my dicks gonna be in and send videos playing with them”; “If you do it in the red you gotta send another pic of just your pussy.” WATSON then directed Victim-2 to send “[t]its and face in bathroom and a video fingering yourself.” When Victim-2 expressed concern that, if she sent WATSON sexually explicit videos, he would post them online, WATSON responded, “Please a quick pussy playing video no one will know.”
On August 5, 2021, WATSON messaged Victim-2, among other things, “Finger yourself for me”; “Show me and send like 20 videos put them on infinity so I can jerk off to them”; “And spit on the brush and suck on the brush and show your face cuz I wanna think that I’m fucking you.” Victim-2 responded “my wifi is slow but some are sending”; “6 videos.” WATSON responded, “Send more please I’m horny asf for you.”
Shortly thereafter, on August 5, 2021, Victim-2 sent two videos to WATSON: a sexually explicit video of herself masturbating with a hairbrush, and video in which her face is visible, in which Victim-2 puts the same hairbrush in her mouth.
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In addition to the prison term, WATSON, 27, of Wappingers Falls, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Clayton praised the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia M. Reville and Stephanie Simon are in charge of the prosecution.
District of Arizona Charges 217 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from April 25 through May 1, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 217 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 126 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 74 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 13 cases against 17 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Laura Rowell. On April 27, 2026, Laura Rowell was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit. On April 25, Border Patrol Agents received a report of three potential illegal aliens getting into a truck on Route 19. Agents located the vehicle and attempted to stop the driver, Rowell, to perform an immigration inspection. Rowell failed to yield and accelerated to over 100 miles per hour. She eventually slowed down and started to make a U-turn in a driveway before getting out of the vehicle and surrendering. Agents discovered four passengers wearing camouflage hiding in Rowell’s truck, who were eventually determined to be citizens of Mexico and Guatemala, all unlawfully present in the United States. Agents discovered that Rowell was transporting the illegal aliens to Phoenix for payment. [Case Number: 26-MJ-05980]
United States v. Carlos Abraham Echeverria-Rodriguez, et al. On April 28, 2026, Carlos Abraham Echeverria-Rodriguez and Yadira Zueth Rivera-Cervantes were charged by criminal complaint with Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit. On April 27, Border Patrol Agents observed headlights approaching an area at a known load-up spot to pick up illegal aliens then watched the driver speed off. Agents attempted to stop the driver to conduct an immigration inspection. The driver slowed, and two individuals wearing camouflage exited the vehicle. The driver drove off again at a high rate of speed. Agents apprehended the camouflaged individuals, who were determined to be citizens of Mexico, all unlawfully present in the United States. Agents then located the truck and apprehended the driver, Echeverria-Rodriguez, and the passenger, Rivera-Cervantes. Agents discovered that the two had picked up the illegal aliens with the intent of transporting them to Phoenix for payment. [Case Number: 26-MJ-06082]
United States v. Kevin Mejia-Quintanilla. On April 27, 2026, Kevin Mejia-Quintanilla was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit. On April 26, Border Patrol Agents received information that a driver was traveling up and down a highway, appearing to look for areas to stop and pull off. Agents then observed the driver pull over before merging back onto the highway. Agents attempted to stop the driver, Meija-Quintanilla. He failed to yield, and agents pursued his vehicle. Agents ahead of the pursuit set up a vehicle immobilization device and successfully spiked two of the tires on the vehicle. When the vehicle came to a stop, agents observed four individuals inside who were wearing camouflage. The camouflaged individuals were determined to be citizens of Mexico, all unlawfully present in the United States. Agents discovered that Mejia-Quintanilla was transporting the illegal aliens to Phoenix for payment. [Case Number: 26-MJ-06058]
United States v. Alberto Santiago. On April 24, 2026, Alberto Santiago was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of Illegal Aliens. On April 23, agents received information regarding a suspicious vehicle traveling on I-10 westbound that appeared to be carrying approximately 10 individuals. Homeland Security Investigations Agents located the vehicle and saw several individuals in the rear cargo area. The agents also observed that the driver had an obstructed view and was speeding in a construction zone. A sergeant with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office initiated a vehicle stop, at which point, the driver of the vehicle, Santiago, pulled over and jumped out while the vehicle was still moving. Santiago was ultimately apprehended and taken into custody. Law enforcement identified 11 passengers in the vehicle, including five juveniles. Some of the passengers wore camouflage clothing, and similar clothing littered the inside of the vehicle. Law enforcement learned that Santiago, the driver of the vehicle, was transporting the illegal aliens. Immigration checks confirmed that all 11 passengers were citizens of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-3115]
United States v. Selvin Mauricio Romero-Flores and Mynor Aroldo Ramirez-Vasquez. On April 29, 2026, Selvin Mauricio Romero-Flores and Mynor Aroldo Ramirez-Vasquez were charged by criminal complaint with Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens. On April 28, a deputy with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office observed a vehicle traveling westbound on I-10. A records check revealed that the vehicle had an expired registration, so the deputy initiated a traffic stop. When the driver pulled over to the shoulder of the road, four men got out and ran east into the desert. Inside the vehicle, the deputy found the driver, Romero- Flores; a passenger, Ramirez-Vasquez; and a man lying in the rear cargo area of the vehicle. The deputy also saw camouflage clothing on the passenger-side floorboard. Immigration checks confirmed that the man in the rear cargo area was a citizen of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States. It was discovered that both Romero-Flores and Ramirez-Vasquez were transporting illegal aliens for payment. [Case Number: 26-MJ-5177]
These cases are 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-069_May 1, 2026, Immigration Enforcement
Des Moines Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Exploitation and Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines man pleaded guilty on May 1, 2026, to three counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a child and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to public court documents, Tyler Boyd Pavlick, 33, placed a mini video camera in the tank of a porta-potty at three Central Iowa events: co-ed middle school and high school cross-county meets, one held in State Center on September 23, 2025, and another held in Osceola on September 30, 2025; and an arts, craft, and harvest event held in Des Moines on October 4, 2025. Pavlick placed the cameras with the purpose of creating visual depictions of minors lasciviously exhibiting their anus, genitals, or pubic area. Law enforcement seized electronic devices during a search of Pavlick’s Des Moines residence on October 15, 2025, including mini cameras that were the same model as those seized by police from the porta-potties in State Center and Des Moines. One of the electronic devices seized from Pavlick’s residence contained video footage of minors using the porta-potty at the Osceola event, including footage of a minor under the age of 12.
Pavlick is scheduled to be sentenced on July 31, 2026 at 9:15am. Each of the three counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a child carry a mandatory minimum sentence of at least 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. The possession of child pornography charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the United States sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The FBI Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force, Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, Des Moines Police Department, and Iowa DCI Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force are investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorney Adam Kerndt is prosecuting the case.
Department of Justice Seeks to Enforce Subpoena Against Hospital that Performs Sex-Rejecting Procedures on MinorsRead the Press Release
Note: View petition for enforcement here.
Yesterday, the Department of Justice’s Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas filed a petition in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas to enforce a subpoena issued to Rhode Island Hospital demanding records related to pediatric sex-rejecting procedures.
According to the filed petition, the Department of Justice served a subpoena under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act on Rhode Island Hospital as part of its investigation into the distribution of certain prescription drugs to minors with gender dysphoria and related disorders, including puberty blocking drugs and cross-sex hormones. To date, Rhode Island Hospital has not complied with the subpoena.
“The Department of Justice expects and demands full compliance with validly issued subpoenas like the one at issue here,” said Brett A. Shumate, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division. “Non-compliance with lawful process is never an option.”
Additional information about the Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/enforcement-affirmative-litigation-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, visit its website at www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx.
US Petition for Enforcement.pdfCriminal Illegal Alien from Mexico Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Mario Lopez-Martinez, 33, of Mexico, was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to illegal reentry into the United States. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Our nation’s immigration laws are not mere suggestions that can be brazenly disregarded by illegal aliens cutting in line in front of the thousands of other immigrants trying the right way to enter and remain in our country. Criminal aliens, like this defendant who continued breaking our nation’s laws after his illegal reentry, pose a very real threat to our public safety, and my office will aggressively prosecute such offenders to the fullest extent of the law.”
Court documents reflect that the defendant, a citizen of Mexico, departed the United States in 2017 after an Immigration Judge entered an Order of Removal. He illegally returned to the United States two additional times in 2019 and 2020. The defendant was convicted of Driving Under the Influence in 2022 in Gadsden County and Fleeing from a Law Enforcement Officer and Resisting without Violence in 2026.
“Repeated illegal reentry into the United States is a serious offense, and those who disregard court orders and federal statutes will be held accountable,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “Protecting the integrity of our immigration system is essential to public safety and the rule of law.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Eric W. Welch 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.
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.
Convicted Felon from East Boston Indicted for Unlawfully Possessing Machinegun and Ghost GunsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An East Boston man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for being a felon in possession of a firearm and for possession of a machinegun. Three privately made firearms (ghost guns), four machine gun conversion devices, a 3D printer, five magazines and 31 privately made firearm receivers were allegedly found during a search on March 31, 2026.
Angel Negron, 47, was indicted on one count of felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a machinegun. Negron was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on March 2026. He remains detained pending a hearing scheduled for May 6, 2026.
According to the charging documents, between Jan. 14, 2026, and March 2, 2026, Negron ordered 29 firearm parts to his apartment via his eBay account. Additionally, on March 3, 2026, Negron allegedly submitted an online complaint to a firearm company, saying that a trigger he purchased from the company’s eBay store did not fire his firearm properly. In that communication, Negron allegedly included a photograph of a firearm with a 3D printed frame.
During a search of Negron’s apartment on March 31, 2026, three privately made firearms (ghost guns), four machine gun conversion devices, a 3D printer, five magazines and 31 privately made firearm receivers were seized:
In 2007, Negron was convicted in Suffolk Superior Court of possession of a firearm without a license and carrying a loaded firearm, for which he was sentenced to 30 months in the house of correction.The charge of felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of a machinegun provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Jason Buckley, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Robinson of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 30 Months for Drunk Driving Crash with Loaded Gun and Intent to Distribute DrugsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Curtis Nathaniel Suber, 35, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 30 months in prison in connection with unlawfully possessing a loaded firearm while driving drunk and carrying drugs he intended to sell, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
On Nov. 26, 2025, Suber pleaded guilty before Judge Beryl A. Howell to unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In addition to the 30-month prison term, Judge Howell ordered Suber to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 46-month prison term.
According to court papers, about 12:30 a.m. on Oct. 22, 2025, MPD officers observed a silver vehicle speeding through an intersection in the 1300 block of Florida Avenue NE. Officers followed and found the vehicle crashed into a residential apartment building. The vehicle’s airbags had deployed, and smoke was rising from the car. As officers approached, Suber stepped out holding a half-empty bottle of Hennessy.
Officers recovered a loaded Glock .45 with 23 rounds in the magazine wedged between the driver’s seat and the center console. Suber’s backpack contained marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms, oxycodone, and ecstasy, along with a set of digital scales and $4,200 in cash. Suber tested positive at the time of arrest for cocaine, amphetamines, and fentanyl.
Suber had been convicted in 2023 of carrying a pistol without a license and had completed a term of supervision for that offense just over a year before his arrest in this case.
The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Office.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Howland of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section.
This case was prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative.
Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful is a law enforcement initiative in support of President Trump’s Executive Order to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
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Colombian Transnational Robbery Crew Member Sentenced to 57 MonthsRead the Press Release
The last member of a transnational Colombian robbery crew in Miami was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for his role in a series of robberies of and thefts from jewelry couriers that targeted high-end retailers and resulted in losses exceeding $5 million. Leroy Ortega, also known as “el Enano,” 43, of Miami, was the last of 11 defendants to be sentenced as part of a series of indictments targeting a South American theft group operating in the Southern District of Florida.
The 11 defendants were each convicted as part of Operation Boujee Bandits, an investigation of a Colombian South American theft group targeting jewelry salespersons in South Florida and elsewhere. The investigation resulted in three indictments and an information that charged robberies and money laundering activity from September 2019 to July 2021.
According to court documents, Ortega was part of a group that forcefully took jewelry and other property from victims they believed were in the business of buying and selling jewelry throughout South Florida. To commit the robberies, defendants rented vehicles using false identification documents to follow jewelry salespersons from the International Jewelry Exchanges or the Seybold Jewelry Building. They would then rob victims of the jewelry that they were transporting, sometimes brandishing a knife-like weapon to ensure victims’ compliance.
Ortega admitted that he committed two robberies. On Oct. 16, 2019, Ortega and his co-defendants identified a person they believed was carrying a case of jewelry. In fact, the victim was not a jewelry courier but rather a professional photographer who had been photographing jewelry. Following the victim to a shopping center, co-defendant Allan Lucas, 33, of Miami, pushed the photographer and Ortega grabbed the photographer’s case, which contained photography equipment and a computer. The photographer chased Ortega and Lucas to their get-away car. When the photographer tried to open the car door to get his case back, Ortega reversed the car, causing injury as the photographer was thrown to the ground.
Then, on Nov. 7, 2019, Ortega and his co-conspirators, including defendants Andres Barahona Poveda, 51, a national of Colombia, and Edwin Castillo, 45, of Pembroke Pines, robbed a jewelry salesman of approximately $125,000 of assorted jewelry. Ortega and his co-conspirators followed the salesman to his business in Miami Beach. As the salesman sat in the vehicle, Ortega approached and smashed the salesman’s windows while another co-conspirator took the salesman’s backpack containing the jewelry. When the salesman tried to exit the vehicle, Ortega held the salesman’s door shut trapping him inside the vehicle. To conduct the robbery, defendant Carlos Morales, 47, of Miami rented a vehicle using a fraudulent Venezuelan driver’s license.
Ortega pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy and two counts of Hobbs Act robbery.
Defendants convicted under this operation, in addition to Ortega, include:
- Allan Lucas, 34, of California, who was sentenced to 168 months in prison;
- Diana Grisales Basto, 41, a national of Colombia, who was sentenced to 97 months in prison;
- Carlos Morales, 48, of Florida, who was sentenced to 60 months in prison;
- Giovanni Cardenas, also known as “El Mono,” 40, a national of Colombia, who was sentenced to 110 months in prison;
- Andres Barahona Poveda, 51, a national of Colombia, who was sentenced to 87 months in prison;
- Edwin Castillo, 45, a national of Colombia, who was sentenced to 108 months in prison;
- Demian Gonzalez Contreras, 30, a national of Colombia, who was sentenced to 74 months in prison;
- Victor Fabian Valenzuela, 39, a national of Colombia, who was sentenced to 57 months in prison;
- Hernando Rodriguez Mahecha, also known as “Nando,” 42, a national of Colombia, who was sentenced to 60 months in prison; and
- Mark Simon, 57, of New York, was sentenced to 57 months in prison.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.
The FBI Tampa Field Office is leading the investigation of the case with valuable assistance from the FBI Miami Field Office, Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, Miami-Dade Police Department, Miami Beach Police Department, Tampa Police Department, Boca Raton Police Department, Palm Beach Sherriff’s Office, Boynton Beach Police Department, Fort Pierce Police Department, and the Jewelry Security Alliance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, provided significant assistance.
Trial Attorneys Lakeita F. Rox-Love and Deputy Chief Kelly Pearson of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Dobbins for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Chicago Tribune Op-Ed by Andrew S. Boutros and Christopher C. Amon: The New Dawn of Federal Anti-Violence Initiatives in ChicagoRead the Press Release
“It’s Halloween, and somebody is going to die tonight.” Those were the chilling words of a Chicago gang member who made good on his threat by firing a hail of bullets into a car on Halloween night in 2009 in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood. A passenger in the car was shot multiple times and died. It’s a tragedy we sadly see all too often in Chicago. It also was entirely preventable.
I, Andrew S. Boutros, was then a new assistant U.S. attorney in Chicago when I received a call from an experienced federal agent about a large-scale case that had just been reassigned. Turns out the gang member who committed the drive-by murder had been under federal investigation for months. Prior to Halloween, federal agents coordinated undercover firearm purchases from him and referred the matter for federal prosecution. Federal agents had identified the defendant as highly dangerous and volatile, but the U.S. attorney’s office had opted not to charge him then while prosecutors looked for more evidence. The agent soon came to meet with me, and he did not mince words. I heard him; he was right.Working alongside another assistant federal prosecutor returned multiple indictments charging nearly two dozen members of that violent gang and others. All defendants were convicted and sent to prison. But should the case have sat for as long as it did in the quest for better evidence and case building? After all of our experience, the answer to that question is almost always: No.
As I, Andrew, embark on my second year leading the Chicago U.S. attorney’s office and working closely with many law enforcement partners, including Christopher Amon, special agent in charge with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, I can now do something about cases that trouble me, such as what happened in Humboldt Park in 2009.
We, Andrew and Christopher, decided to chart a different course, which we will describe here.
With dozens of newly minted federal criminal prosecutors coming on board in Chicago, many with deep experience handling violent crime cases in federal and state courts around the country, we are building the team to do it. Indeed, we will do it, all while we continue to prosecute corrupt public officials, narco-terrorists, drug traffickers, large-scale fraud, corporate crime, government benefit schemes, child predators, human traffickers and other worthy federal targets. Just scroll through our office’s news releases from last year and this year — including the first-ever annual report we issued in January: Under fresh office-wide leadership, we are doing significantly more with far fewer resources.
On the violent crime front, there has long been a perception from some in Chicago that federal prosecutors must turn to large-scale conspiracy cases against street gangs as a centerpiece of urban violence reduction. The theory is intuitive: Dismantle the organization, incapacitate its leadership and send a deterrent message that reverberates across the streets. These noteworthy prosecutions, often built under racketeering or similar statutes, are resource-intensive, multiyear undertakings that culminate in sweeping indictments, dramatic news conferences and lengthy sentences. They are also, as a primary strategy for reducing today’s street violence, not the principal tool for the job.
If the goal is reducing shootings this week, next month or even this year, the overwhelming evidence based on empirical research and law enforcement experience — including Christopher’s more than two decades of experience in multiple cities — as well as common sense, points toward rapid, targeted and responsive interventions that interrupt violence in real time.
This is the strategy that gets results quicker. It’s the strategy that reduces violent crime and saves lives. It means measuring success not by the size of an indictment but by the absence of violence and, even more pointedly, the prevention of violence. And with the summer months ahead, it’s the strategy that will drive our violent crime initiatives at the federal level here in Chicagoland.
Long-term federal gang and violence cases are built deliberately and painstakingly. Investigations often take years, involving wiretaps, informants, controlled drug and firearm transactions, financial tracing and coordination across agencies. Arrests and charges often occur long after the individuals contributed to cycles of violence and retaliation. That means by the time an indictment is returned, the factual narrative typically reflects a backward-looking account of conduct that may stretch over a decade. That retrospective orientation is inherent to the model. It is designed to tell a comprehensive story of enterprise criminality, not to disrupt the next retaliatory shooting.
Violence, however, operates on a different clock. Most shootings are not the product of hierarchical gang directives or long-term conspiracies; they are reactive, situational and often impulsive. A slight, a social media post, a perceived encroachment on territory, a dispute involving a girlfriend can escalate into lethal violence in hours or even minutes. The individuals involved are frequently known to local law enforcement and community members. What is missing is not information. What is needed is clear deterrence and accountability through immediate arrest, detention and prosecution of worthy targets. Arresting and federally charging a dangerous felon in possession of a firearm before he shoots someone are far more effective — and decent — actions than prosecuting that defendant for murder after he has already killed somebody.
There is also a mismatch in scale. Long-term federal gang and violence prosecutions are designed to take down organizations. But as the data shows, violence is largely concentrated among a small number of individuals and increasingly smaller, yet no less violent and lethal, groups of street gangs and crews. Strategies that focus on rapid, targeted intervention operate at the right level of analysis and on the right timeline. They are not about building perfect courtroom cases; they are about preventing the next act of violence.
When it comes to dangerous offenders, simple and straightforward gun cases spearheaded through violent crime prevention centers like ATF’s Chicago Gun Intelligence Center and charged swiftly by federal prosecutors can do more with less to immediately curb violence in Chicago. As the head of ATF Chicago, I, Christopher, have seen firsthand that by leveraging technology such as ballistic evidence, law enforcement can identify the true drivers of violence to intervene early and disrupt the violence cycle. In doing so, we can focus on individuals with extensive criminal histories who illegally possess guns as well as those linked to prior shootings.
Federal law can also serve as a backstop when state prosecutions face complicated legal or factual scenarios, such as self-defense. In those instances, perpetrators can be charged under federal firearms statutes that carry a maximum 15-year prison sentence.
Critically, real-time prosecutions also are far less resource-intensive. A single long-term federal gang case can consume enormous prosecutorial, investigative and judicial resources. Agents are tied up for years. Prosecutors devote substantial time to managing multidefendant litigation, complex evidentiary records and massive volumes of discovery. Even successful prosecutions may not bring about the desired force-multiplier effects. Convictions have frequently resulted in retrials for one reason or another. Lengthy prison sentences imposed years after the crime may not influence other individuals making split-second decisions in volatile situations.
Meanwhile, those same law enforcement resources, if redeployed toward proactive intervention such as gun prosecutions and rapid-response initiatives, can produce swift, predictable justice that is more immediate, measurable, exact and effective in reducing violence, even if they lack major headlines, courtroom drama, celebrated outcomes and obvious career advancement.
Rapid-response strategies are not ad hoc; they depend on structured, robust collaboration among law enforcement partners and prosecutors. In Chicago, when it comes to anti-violence work, we are lucky to have first-rate federal agents and experienced federal, state and local leadership in place at all those levels, including FBI Special Agent in Charge Doug DePodesta, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Todd Smith, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino, U.S. Marshal LaDon Reynolds, Chicago police Superintendent Larry Snelling, Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly, Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart, Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and many others.
This shift in mindset took hold in the federal law enforcement community many years ago, even if it has not made its way to some former prosecutors and others who practiced decades ago or never really practiced in this space at all. Those who reminisce about large-scale, multiyear violence prosecutions often speak of a bygone era when prosecutors and defendants operated with beepers, typewriters, fax machines, Dictaphones and cassette players — as opposed to the lightning speed of social media, encrypted messaging apps, drones and other forms of modern technology, such as computers, the internet and smartphones.
The Chicago U.S. attorney’s office and the ATF’s Chicago Field Division play a key role in providing investigative and prosecutorial muscle for tough-on-crime enforcement that quickly disrupts the cycle of violence and leads to safer streets and fewer victims. The next shooting will not be prevented by a case that will be indicted three years from now. It will be prevented by what happens in the next 24 to 72 hours.
The tragic murder of that young man in Humboldt Park years ago is a prime example of what we speak. But his senseless death has informed the thinking of today’s law enforcement leaders, who are working, strategizing and innovating to try to prevent such tragedies from happening again.
Against that backdrop, at the U.S. attorney’s office and ATF, our collective focus squarely resides in acting now, all while upholding the most cherished traditions of our storied offices.
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Andrew S. Boutros is United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. Christopher C. Amon is Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This Op-Ed was published in the Chicago Tribune on April 29, 2026.
Central Valley Men Indicted for Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment Thursday against Ruben Garcia, 49, of Turlock, and his brother-in-law Heriberto Ayala, 48, of Delhi, charging them with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, between Nov. 1, 2025, and April 15, 2026, Garcia and Ayala worked together to sell methamphetamine. During the investigation, law enforcement agents used a confidential source to conduct methamphetamine purchases from Garcia and Ayala in the cities of Turlock and Delhi.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Modesto Police Department, the Stockton High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force conducted the investigation with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Campbell is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, each defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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.
California Man Sentenced to 144 Months in Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining $59 Million in Public Benefits and Laundering Proceeds to ChinaRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Bruce Jin, age 61, a resident of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced on April 30, 2026, to 144 months in prison by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments in the amount of approximately $59 million.
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.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Jin previously pleaded guilty on January 29, 2025, and admitted that he and his coconspirators Brian R. Cleland, age 72, and Carlos A. Grijalva, age 60, both of Los Angeles, California, along with other unnamed coconspirators, conspired to obtain state unemployment compensation funds, and other public funds, through fraudulent means. Jin, Cleland, Grijalva, and others entered into a series of agreements to make it appear as if they were operating legitimate businesses selling masks and other COVID19 personal protective equipment. The funds that the defendants obtained and laundered through their companies were derived from fraudulently obtained state unemployment compensation (“UC”) benefits. The indictment alleges that Economic Impact Payments, or “stimulus payments,” were also obtained through fraudulent means.
Unnamed members of the conspiracy, including some believed to be located in China, established thousands of accounts at banks across the United States using the personal identifying information (“PII”) of identity theft victims. From there, fraudulent UC claims were generated and paid to these accounts, including accounts in the names of people residing in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. These fraudulent UC claims were also generated by fraudsters based in China. As a result of this fraudulent activity, millions of dollars in fraudulent UC payments were made by Pennsylvania, Virginia, Florida, and other states.
After UC funds were paid out, they were then transferred from identity theft victims’ accounts to companies controlled by Cleland, Jin, and Grijalva. For instance, Jin, through companies that he controlled known as Ample International and Jin Commerce, received over $12 million in UC funds from the accounts of identity theft victims. In addition, the defendants used ACH processing—a type of electronic bank-to-bank transfer—to obtain over $45 million in fraudulent funds from the accounts of identity theft victims. This money mostly went from the accounts of identity theft victims to companies controlled by Cleland and Grijalva, including MexUS Service, Group Mex USA, CCB Group, GC Accounting, and CLECO. After that, Cleland and Grijalva transferred over $30 million to Jin’s companies and over $6 million to a company controlled by an associate of Jin.
After Jin received the fraudulent funds, either from identity theft victims’ accounts or from Cleland and Grijalva through ACH processing, he then made international wire transfers totaling over $35 million to a bank account associated with a company in China, which is known in the Indictment as “COMPANY 2.” Jin also transferred over $2 million directly to the individual in China who controlled that company, who is referred to as “COCONSPIRATOR 2” in the Indictment.
Jin was ordered to forfeit over $59 million in US currency, along with other properties.
Cleland and Grijalva have both pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced in May 2026.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ravi Romel Sharma and K. Wesley Mishoe and U.S. Department of Justice Trial Attorney Patrick B. Gushue prosecuted the case.
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Thursday 30 April 2026
United States Files Suit Against Naples Immunologist for False and Fraudulent Claims in Connection with Subcutaneous Immune GlobulinsRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – The United States has filed a civil complaint in federal district court against Dr. Kevin Rosenbach, a doctor practicing in allergy and immunology in Naples Florida, and Kevin P. Rosenbach, M.D. P.A. The complaint alleges that Dr. Rosenbach and Kevin P. Rosenbach, M.D. P.A knowingly caused false claims for subcutaneous immune globulins to be submitted to Medicare Part B. As part of these claims, Dr. Rosenbach would change or add diagnoses to a rare immunodeficiency disease for patients who did not meet the definition of that disease to obtain Medicare Part B coverage. The complaint further alleges that by falsely diagnosing patients, Dr. Rosenbach caused the submission of false claims to Medicare Part B by special pharmacies dispensing immune globulins, resulting in a loss of over $1.9 million to Medicare Part B.
“The United States Attorney’s Office will vigorously pursue and prosecute those who violate the law and compromise the integrity of federally funded programs,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. “This action sends a message that our office will continue to protect Medicare funds and the valuable healthcare services the program provides.”
The claims asserted against Dr. Rosenbach are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
This case was investigated by the Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General. It is being litigated on behalf of the United States by Assistant United States Attorney Chad Spraker.
Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.