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Wednesday 15 April 2026
Clayton Chiropractor Sentenced to 100 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a chiropractor who committed healthcare fraud and issued fraudulent prescriptions for controlled substance to 100 months in prison and ordered him to repay $4.7 million to Medicaid, Medicare and Tricare.
Jerry Dale Leech, 53, of Clayton, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in 2021 to one count of conspiracy, one count of obtaining controlled substances through fraud, one count of receiving illegal kickbacks for referrals and one count of health care fraud. Two of his co-conspirators, Dr. Stanley L. Librach, now 65, of Chesterfield, and Dr. Asim Muhammad Ali, 55, of Creve Coeur, pleaded guilty to similar charges.
In court during Wednesday’s hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Sestric called Leech “the ringmaster of the conspiracy.”
All three men admitted that Dr. Ali and Dr. Librach wrote prescriptions for the powerful pain medication oxycodone and other controlled substances when there was no legitimate medical purpose and while acting outside the usual course of professional practice. As Leech knew, the doctors had not examined the patients, rarely looked at their charts and should have known via drug tests that they were not taking the drugs that they were prescribed or were taking non-prescribed or illegal drugs. Leech actively encouraged the doctors to prescribe controlled substances despite the aberrant drug test results. He also exchanged fraudulent prescriptions to other conspirators for cash or other items of value. The conspirators knew that pharmacies would seek reimbursement for the medications from Medicare and Medicaid. Leech admitted responsibility for at least 94,971 oxycodone pills that had been distributed with no legitimate medical purpose.
In another scheme, they agreed to send urine samples for testing to a lab operated by Dr. Ali, Central Diagnostic Laboratory, in exchange for illegal kickbacks that went to business entities owned by Leech and another co-defendant, Denis J. Mikhlin. CDL then sought reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid for the testing. CDL paid Midwest Marketing, a company run by Leech, at least $150,795 in bribes for the reimbursement CDL received from federal health care programs, which was at least $861,600.
“Jerry Leech and his co-conspirators exploited Medicare and Medicaid and put patients at risk solely for their own financial gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Linda T. Hanley of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG). “Even as our nation continues to address the opioid crisis, these fraudsters executed their schemes by pushing opioid medications without a legitimate medical purpose, thus siphoning critical resources from Medicare and Medicaid and undermining federal health care programs designed to protect vulnerable individuals. HHS OIG, alongside our federal and state law enforcement partners, will continue to pursue those who defraud our health care system to ensure they are held fully accountable.”
“Jerry Leech and the individuals he conspired with misled patients and in essence stole from the healthcare system,” DEA St. Louis Field Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis said. “These acts are unacceptable. We hold practitioners to high standards for a reason and Mr. Leech took advantage of his title helping himself to profits while hurting others along the way. The DEA will not stand for these types of actions.”
Eleven defendants were indicted in 2020, including three doctors, their staff and purported patients. A twelfth was added in 2022. All have pleaded guilty.Mikhlin, 47, of Chesterfield, was sentenced in 2021 to nine years in prison and ordered to repay $181,265. Dr. Librach was sentenced in June of 2025 to 60 months in prison and ordered to repay $2.87 million. Dr. Ali was sentenced in September to 70 months in prison and ordered to repay $1.8 million.
The HHS-OIG, the DEA, the Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Sestric, Derek Wiseman and Jonathan Clow prosecuted the case.
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.
Child Predator Sentenced to 30 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey announced that Devonte Andrew Edwards, 26, of Kalamazoo, was sentenced to 360 months in prison for sexual exploitation of a child. During sentencing, Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou emphasized the importance of protecting the public from Edwards, noting that Edwards himself had once told another person that he wanted to groom and assault children “for the rest of [his] life.”
U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey said, “Devonte Edwards enjoyed finding children to sexually assault, enjoyed making recordings of his sexual assaults, and enjoyed bragging about it to his friends. I doubt he will enjoy being in federal prison for the next 30 years, but that is exactly where he belongs. Sexual predators take note: Keep your hands off of our kids or you will be found, prosecuted and sent to prison for a very long time.”
Authorities began investigating Edwards in the spring of 2025 when Child Protective Services learned that a 13-year-old minor had run away from home with an adult male. Police used forensic examination software to gather evidence from the minor’s phone. The information they gleaned showed the minor had been located near Edwards’s residence during the time of her disappearance. A judge issued a warrant to search his home, and police executed the warrant, seizing Edwards’s electronic devices. On Edwards’s phone, investigators found pictures and videos that showed him sexually assaulting the 13-year-old. They also recovered messages between Edwards and other people with a sexual interest in children. In these messages, Edwards bragged about the sexual assaults that he recorded, stating, “The 13-year-old really made me want to do this for the rest of my life.”
Edwards was charged and detained in Kalamazoo County after the search of his dwelling. Later, a federal grand jury indicted Edwards, accusing him of sexually exploiting a child contrary to federal law. He pleaded guilty as charged on December 17, 2025.
“Anyone who exploits a child should expect to spend decades behind bars, and this 30-year sentence sends that message loud and clear,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “Devonte Edwards admitted to manipulating social media platforms to target underaged girls, a calculated and disturbing abuse of technology. I sincerely thank my team from the FBI Kalamazoo Resident Agency for their exhaustive investigative work, alongside our partners from the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. Parents should remain vigilant, as many apps allow interaction with strangers and can expose children to serious risks. FBI Detroit will continue to pursue those who prey on our children and work to safeguard our communities from predators.”
“This conviction sends a clear message: when local and federal partners work together, we can hold offenders fully accountable,” said David Boysen, Chief of the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. “These cases are complex and often cross jurisdictions, but our collaboration allowed us to build a strong case that led to a significant sentence. Protecting children is our highest priority, and we will continue to pursue these crimes relentlessly.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Roth and Austin Hakes prosecuted it.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Century Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Weapons & ExplosivesRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – Joshua Dean Hardy, 27, of Century, Florida, was sentenced to four years in federal prison for two counts of possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act weapon without a serial number and one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I deeply appreciate the outstanding investigative work of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and our federal law enforcement partners, which led to this successful prosecution and federal prison sentence. We will continue to deliver justice under Operation Take Back America to fulfill the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche that we will stop at nothing to secure the safety of our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.”
Court records reflect that during the early morning hours on July 23, 2025, Hardy shot himself in the leg while patrolling his property in Century, Florida. At the time of the shooting, Hardy was already under investigation for possession of an unregistered silencer located during a November 2023 traffic stop. A search of Hardy’s residence uncovered an additional unregistered silencer, homemade explosives, and a firearm with the serial number removed.
The case was investigated jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher C. Patterson prosecuted this 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 http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Browning attorney fined $100,000 for making a false statement to federal law enforcementRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Browning lawyer who was found guilty by a jury of making a false statement to law enforcement was sentenced today to serve four years of probation and to pay a $100,000 fine, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
Nathan Nicholas Johnson St. Goddard, 45, was convicted by a jury in December 2025 of making a false statement in a sexual abuse investigation.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents and at trial that on September 10, 2024, St. Goddard was interviewed by law enforcement about an allegation of sexual assault that occurred in June 2024. Law enforcement told him about the investigation and said he matched the description of the man and vehicle that dropped off the alleged victim. In a recorded interview, St. Goddard provided what he represented was a full narrative of his interactions with the alleged victim that night and claimed he only gave a ride to an intoxicated girl, which was a false representation because he knew at that time he had sexual contact with her.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, and Glacier County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
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Brockton Man Charged with Making False Statements to Law Enforcement About Firearms Recovered at Crime ScenesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man was charged yesterday in federal court in Boston for allegedly making false statements to law enforcement regarding his disposal of more than 20 firearms he purchased more than a dozen of which later surfaced at various crime scenes across the Northeast, including a Boston homicide.
Klordenzsky Senecharles, 29, has been arrested and charged with making materially false statements. Senecharles was arrested yesterday and released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston.
According to the charging documents, between March 2020 and May 2021, Senecharles purchased a total of 28 firearms and later sold four of them. Of the 24 firearms still registered to Senecharles, 13 firearms were allegedly recovered in connection with criminal activity, including a Feb. 26, 2024 homicide in Boston. According to the criminal complaint, when law enforcement questioned Senecharles about the whereabouts of the 24 firearms, Senecharles claimed that he had sold 21 of the 24 firearms to various Massachusetts registered firearms dealers. When law enforcement contacted the firearms dealers, they allegedly reported that they had no record of purchasing from Senecharles any of the 21 firearms he claimed to have sold them.
The charge of making false statements provides for a sentence of up to five 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 and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan C. Cleary and Colin T. Missett of the Criminal Division are 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.
Bookkeeper for Nonprofit Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing More Than $79,000 from Incapacitated Senior CitizensRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Brenda Denise Walters, 57, of Nappanee, Indiana, has been sentenced to 22 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to ten counts of wire fraud.
According to court documents, in August 2023, Walters was hired by Organization A, a nonprofit that provides programs and services for elderly adults, to serve as a part-time bookkeeper for its Guardianship Program.
The Guardianship Program acts as a court‑appointed legal guardian for incapacitated adults and is responsible for managing the finances of individuals who are unable to manage their own affairs. As bookkeeper, Walters oversaw the financial accounts of approximately twenty‑three program clients. Her duties included taking control of client accounts, paying their bills, and responsibly managing their funds.
For nearly a year, Walters carried out a scheme to defraud mentally incapacitated elderly adults by stealing money from their personal bank accounts for her own benefit.
As part of the scheme, Walters transferred funds from client accounts into bank and credit card accounts she controlled, or used client accounts to pay her personal expenses, including paying her electric and insurance bills, buying clothes, hosting parties, and taking expensive vacations to New York City, Florida, and Pigeon Forge.
To conceal her theft, Walters created falsified bank statements that hid transfers to her personal accounts and fabricated documents to support fraudulent charges. In one instance, she created a fake United Healthcare bill for a client to disguise a transfer she made to her Apple Card. In another, she wrote a check from a client’s account to her mother, falsely labeling it “plumbing,” then deposited the funds into an account she controlled and altered the bank statement to remove evidence of the check entirely.
In total, Walters stole approximately $79,000 from at least six Guardianship Program clients.
“Brenda Walters preyed exclusively on some of the most vulnerable members of our society—elderly Hoosiers who could no longer manage their own finances and entrusted her to safeguard their life savings,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Her conduct was not a momentary lapse in judgment but a calculated scheme to enrich herself at the expense of people who had no ability to defend themselves. This office will continue to pursue justice for victims who are targeted because of their age, incapacity, or dependence on others.”
“Financial exploitation of vulnerable seniors is deeply reprehensible, and this case underscores the importance of vigilance and accountability - particularly when the offender is in a position of trust,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley. “The FBI remains committed to identifying and prosecuting those who exploit that trust for personal gain, and ensuring they are held fully accountable.”
FBI Indianapolis’ Financial Crimes Task Force in collaboration with the Carmel Police Department investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Chief Judge James R. Sweeney II.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Eakman, who prosecuted this case.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcement’s efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is aged 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available from the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. [ET]. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website.
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Belizean Woman Found Guilty of Naturalization FraudRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that a federal jury found Ana Zahia Gonzalez (46, Winter Garden) guilty of Naturalization Fraud. Gonzalez faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and denaturalization as a United States citizen. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 13, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
Gonzalez was indicted on November 19, 2025.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Gonzalez knowingly submitted a fraudulent divorce decree from Belize as part of her naturalization application. Gonzalez entered the United States on a visitor visa in 2006 and overstayed her authorized visit. Five years later, she married a United States citizen, who was unaware that she was still lawfully married to a Belizean man. In 2016, Gonzalez applied for naturalization as a United States citizen and falsely claimed that her previous marriage in Belize had been legally dissolved before remarrying a United States citizen.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Bianca S. Bansal and Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Flanigan.
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).
Belen Man Sentenced for Unemployment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Belen man was sentenced to 41 months in prison for submitting 21 fraudulent unemployment insurance applications using stolen identities during the pandemic.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, between June 18, 2020, to October 15, 2021, Joseph Anthony Martinez, 44, submitted 21 fraudulent unemployment insurance claim applications through the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions using his own name, variations of his name, and the stolen identities of others. In addition to the 21 fraudulent applications, Martinez also modified and pursued a legitimate application that had been filed by another person, without that person’s knowledge. To this end, Martinez provided false employment information and opened bank accounts in other individuals' names without authorization to receive the fraudulent payments. As a result of his fraudulent activities, Martinez received more than $177,000.
Martinez pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, and one count of theft of government property. Upon his release from prison, Martinez will be subject to five years of supervised release.He was also ordered to pay $177,956 in restitution, complete community service, and pay $300 in special penalty assessments.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office. Deputy U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Brawley is prosecuting the case.
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.
Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Deandre Jomar Harris, 32, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 10, 2024, Harris sold approximately 7.22 grams of a substance containing fentanyl to a confidential informant. As part of his guilty plea, Harris admitted that he conducted the transaction and that it occurred in the confidential informant’s vehicle while it was parked near Harris’ residence in Beckley.
Harris further admitted to selling quantities of a substance containing fentanyl totaling approximately 38.4 grams over the course of four transactions between September 11, 2024, and September 24, 2024. Harris sold the fentanyl substance each time to the confidential informant, and each transaction occurred in the confidential informant’s vehicle near Harris’ residence.
Harris is scheduled to be sentenced on August 7, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, and the Beckley Police Department.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin is prosecuting 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. 5:26-cr-7.
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Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – James Tilford Bradley, 50, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 13, 2024, Bradley sold a quantity of methamphetamine to a confidential informant for $100 in a business parking lot in Beckley. As part of his guilty plea, Bradley admitted to conducting the transaction and further admitted to selling quantities of methamphetamine on February 14, 2024, February 28, 2024, and July 22, 2024, each time to a confidential informant.
Bradley is scheduled to be sentenced on August 7, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, and the Beckley Police Department.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons is prosecuting 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. 5:25-cr-117.
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Armenian Man Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Controlled Goods to RussiaRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – An Armenian national pleaded guilty in a federal court in Austin today to participating in a criminal conspiracy to export goods from the United States to the Russian Federation through the Republic of Armenia without the requisite license or authorization from the U.S. government.
According to court documents, from February 2022 until at least August 2024, Kamo Kirakosyan knowingly and willfully combined, conspired, and agreed with others to export and reexport goods subject to the Export Administration Regulations without having first obtained the required licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry & Security. The exported goods included items that could be used for semiconductor manufacturing.
Kirakosyan became the straw or substitute purchaser of the U.S.-origin goods for his co-conspirators shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, and the imposition of additional sanctions and export restrictions on Russia. As part of the scheme, Kirakosyan sent a co-conspirator instructions on opening a bank account in Armenia for the purpose of evading sanctions. While arranging the transshipment of goods to Russia, Kirakosyan represented himself to U.S. companies as the Armenian buyer of goods and did not provide truthful information about the end users, despite the U.S. companies’ requests for end user statements, and despite Kirakosyan’s knowledge that the unauthorized export or reexport to Russia of certain shipments was prohibited without a license. On Feb. 23, 2023, the company Kirakosyan conspired with was designated by Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control on the Specially Designated Nationals List, subjecting the Russian company to U.S. blocking sanctions and a general prohibition on transacting with U.S. persons or entities.
Kirakosyan was initially charged in a criminal complaint on or about July 31, 2024. He was extradited from Germany to the U.S. on Aug. 29, 2025, and pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to violate federal law. He faces up to five 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 for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons, made the announcement.
The FBI San Antonio Counterintelligence Task Force, comprised of the Bureau of Industry and Security of the U.S. Department of Commerce, and other partners, is leading the investigation. The FBI’s Legal Attaché office in Berlin provided significant assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also played a key role in securing Kirakosyan’s extradition to the United States.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Roomberg and Keith Henneke are prosecuting the case with assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
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Aiken Felon Indicted for Illegally Possessing a Gun Following Five Points Traffic StopRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Columbia returned a single-count indictment, presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, charging Devron Jakell Duncan, 33, of Aiken, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to statements made in court, on Feb. 15, 2023, an officer with the University of South Carolina Police Department was patrolling the Five Points area of Columbia. Around 2 a.m., the officer stopped a vehicle driven by Duncan. Duncan refused commands to stay in the vehicle, pushed the officer, and ran. After apprehending Duncan, USCPD officers searched the area and found a loaded 9 mm pistol that Duncan had tossed. Further investigation revealed that Duncan’s girlfriend was the purchaser of the gun and had previously told law enforcement that Duncan stole the gun from her residence.
Duncan has prior convictions for domestic violence, illegally possessing a firearm, and kidnapping, among other offenses. These offenses prohibit Duncan from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Duncan faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. Duncan is currently detained pending trial.
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. PSN is a violent crime reduction strategy 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.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the University of South Carolina Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Timmons is prosecuting the case.
All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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6 Charged in Sumter and Lee County Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Columbia returned a multi-count indictment, presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, charging six individuals for their roles in trafficking cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana.
The following defendants were arraigned in federal court today:- Lorenzo Blackwell, 35, of Bishopville
- Marquis Quintell Durant, 38, of Sumter
- Marcus Martenez McConico, 37, of Sumter
- Kalvin Clay Singletary, 36, of Sumter
- Perry Sherrod Taft, 65, of Sumter
- Nikennia Fatese Carter, 34, of Bishopville
The indictment stems from a Homeland Security Task Force investigation targeting individuals involved in drug trafficking in the Sumter and Lee County areas. During the investigation, law enforcement recovered significant quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, marijuana, and multiple firearms. This operation was also part of the FBI's Operation Spring Cleaning, a surge of law enforcement resources targeting violent gangs and drug activity.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Sumter Police Department, Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, with assistance from the FBI Charlotte Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariyana Gore is prosecuting the case.
All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###13 Charged in Worcester Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Thirteen individuals have been charged for their alleged roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in Central Massachusetts and Puerto Rico that distributed cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl and marijuana.
The following defendants have been charged with one count each of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances:
- Jack Saez Jr., 34, residing in Dayville, Conn.;
- Christopher Rivera Rodriguez, 32, residing in Puerto Rico;
- Jan Carlos Martinez Mendez, 23, residing in Puerto Rico;
- Dayanara Mendez, residing in Dayville, Conn.;
- Shaquille De Jesus Torres, 32, residing in Puerto Rico;
- Gerardo Villegas Rodriguez, 28, residing in the Dominican Republic;
- Sheldon Herring, 48, residing in Worcester, Mass.;
- Duamel Ocasio, 55, residing in Worcester, Mass.;
- Anthony Hines, 57, residing in Worcester, Mass.;
- Stephen Bandilla III, 55, residing in East Brookfield, Mass.;
- Justin Gilchrest, 34, residing in Webster, Mass.;
- Alondra Daleishka Cruz Mendoza, 23, residing in Puerto Rico; and
- Ushuuaniliz Hernandez Rios; 21, residing in Puerto Rico.
According to the charging documents, Saez was the leader of a DTO that was receiving packages through the mail containing kilogram quantities of cocaine from Puerto Rico for distribution in Massachusetts. Over the course of the investigation, more than 10 kilograms of cocaine that had been shipped through the mail from Puerto Rico to addresses in Worcester County was seized. It is further alleged that Saez’s DTO also distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Searches of multiple stash houses and residences in Massachusetts and Puerto Rico allegedly resulted in the seizure of eight firearms along with distribution quantities of other narcotics.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 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; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Jason Buckley, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations; United States Marshals Service; Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco & Firearms; Southern Worcester County Drug & Counter Crime Task Force; Puerto Rico Police Bureau; Massachusetts State Police; and the Auburn, Webster, Worcester, Southbridge, East Brookfield, Gardner, Leicester and Los Angeles Police Departments. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Robinson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Gonzalez Sanchez of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Boston Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal 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 document are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Tuesday 14 April 2026
Woman Who Defrauded Four Federal Needs-Based Programs Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A woman who lied to government agencies to receive benefit funds to which she was not entitled was sentenced to federal prison on April 13, 2026.
Gladys Louise Stephenson, age 48, from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after an October 27, 2025, guilty plea to theft of government property, supplemental security income benefits fraud, and false statement or representation.
Information from the plea and sentencing hearings showed that between March 2017 and April 2022, Stephenson made false statements to the Social Security Administration to receive Social Security benefits. Stephenson concealed her marital status and living arrangements, specifically that she was married to her spouse and that she lived with him. During this time, Stephenson made the same false representations to the Iowa Department of Human Services in connection with her receipt of food and family assistance benefits.
Stephenson also committed fraud in connection with two types of federal benefits authorized during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, Congress authorized forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and other expenses through a program called the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). In May 2021, Stephenson applied for a PPP loan and represented that she operated a sole proprietorship with nearly $100,000 in gross income. She received a PPP loan in the amount of $20,416 from the Small Business Administration based on those false representations. Stephenson spent that money on her personal expenses, including hotel rooms and casino visits. The CARES Act also authorized additional types of unemployment insurance benefits. In January 2021, Stephenson applied for unemployment benefits and falsely said that she had been employed as a housekeeper but could no longer work due to COVID-19. Based on these false statements, Stephenson received unemployment benefits to which she was not entitled.
Stephenson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Stephenson was sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment. She was ordered to make $106,058.97 in restitution. Stephenson was ordered to pay $58,950.97 to the Social Security Administration; $15,123 to the Iowa Department of Human Services; $20,416 to the Small Business Administration; and $11,569 to Iowa Workforce Development. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Stephenson was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on May 11, 2026.
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.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-0096.
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Wewoka Resident Pleads Guilty to Theft in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Megan Renee Burgess, age 47, of Wewoka, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Theft in Indian Country, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Indictment alleged that beginning in January 2017 and continuing on until about November 7, 2022, Burgess did take, and carry away with intent to steal and purloin, the personal property of another, specifically, United States currency exceeding $1,000 in value.
The crime occurred in Seminole County, within the boundaries of the Seminole Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, 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.
Burgess was released on bond pending sentencing.
Virginia Woman Convicted of Identity Theft and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Richmond, Virginia woman has admitted identity theft and money laundering in the Northern District of West Virginia, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Kelli Renee Miller, 43, pled guilty today to aggravated identity theft and transactional money laundering. According to court documents and statements made in court, Miller worked with Michael Vordjorbe to assume the identities of account holders without their knowledge or permission and withdrew funds from accounts at several banks, some in the Northern District of West Virginia. Miller and Vordjorbe deposited the illegally obtained money into another count to hide the theft. The amount of fraudulent funds obtained was $137,000 and the total relevant conduct fraud was between $500,000 and $1.5 million.
Vordjorbe pled guilty in March 2026. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 8, 2026.
Miller faces up to two years in prison for identity theft and faces up to 10 years for money laundering. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eleanor Hurney is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
Investigative agencies include the FBI; the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations; the U.S. Postal Service, Loudon County, Virginia; and the Stamford, Connecticut Police Department.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Vermillion Man Sentenced to over 20 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a man from Vermillion, South Dakota, who was convicted of Attempting to Produce Child Pornography, Possession of Child Pornography, and two counts of Receipt and Transportation of Child Pornography following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Sioux Falls this past January. The sentencing took place on April 13, 2026.
Nicholas Keitges, age 34, was sentenced to 20 years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $16,000, as well as a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $400. Upon release from federal prison, Keitges must register as a sex offender.
Keitges was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2023.
A thorough investigation by the Sioux Falls Police Department, the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations, identified Keitges as an online predator. The investigation discovered that Keitges had started collecting and trafficking in child pornography online, then progressed to playing out his pedophilic fantasies with others online before he was able to befriend and groom a young girl from the Sioux Falls area.
In the Spring of 2022, Keitges used the online platforms Omegle and Snapchat to befriend the 14-year-old girl. He then sexually groomed her and attempted to coerce her into sending him sexually explicit images of her genitalia. When Keitges arrived at her home to meet up for sexual relations, the minor got scared and law enforcement was called. The following year, law enforcement received a CyberTip that discovered Keitges had been using online platforms such as Dropbox and Google to transport files containing child pornography.
The investigation culminated in a jury trial in which Keitges was convicted of one count of attempting to produce child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, and two counts of transportation of child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department, South Dakota DCI, South Dakota ICAC Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Keitges was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
United States Attorney Moore Capito and U.S. Marshals Service Announce Results of Operation Spring SweepRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Moore Capito joined with the U.S. Marshals Service and other law enforcement partners today to announce the successful conclusion of Operation Spring Sweep. The nearly month-long operation targeted noncompliant sex offenders, individuals wanted for sex crimes, and violent fugitives and resulted in 72 felony arrests.
The U.S. Marshals Southern District of West Virginia Cops United Felony Fugitive Enforcement Division (CUFFED) Task Force launched Operation Spring Sweep in partnership with the West Virginia State Police on March 9, 2026. While it officially concluded on April 4, 2026, the work of the task force continues as another of its targeted fugitives was captured in Ohio on April 14, 2026.
“If we’re serious about the future of West Virginia, there is nothing more important than protecting it – so our children can live, work, and thrive here,” Capito said. “We are not followers. We are leaders. That’s the standard in this office, the commitment of our law enforcement partners every day, and the promise the people of West Virginia can expect from all of us moving forward.”
The West Virginia State Police conducted 222 sex offender compliance checks as part of Operation Spring Sweep, and 19 of the resulting arrests were for alleged violations of registration and notification requirements. The arrested sex offenders include Johnathan Matthew Taylor, 30, who was indicted on March 17, 2026, by a federal grand jury on a charge alleging he violated the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The Southern District of West Virginia is a regional and national leader in the successful prosecution of SORNA violations. Part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, SORNA provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.
“Operation Spring Sweep shows exactly who we are – West Virginia is leading this country in being tough on crime, especially crimes against the most vulnerable,” Capito said. “We are targeting violent offenders and sexual predators who refuse to register and think the rules don’t apply to them. They haven’t learned their lesson – but they will. We will find them, and we will bring them to justice. That’s what this operation is about.”
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.
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Video of the press conference is available on the office YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UoPHRZfc-s&t=3s
U.S. Attorney’s Office announces results of “Operation Big Muddy”Read the Press Release
FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois announced today the results of a warrant enforcement operation led by the U.S. Marshals Service and its task force law enforcement partners.
The warrant enforcement operation targeted violent fugitives with felony warrants and identified gang members in the southern counties of the Southern District of Illinois. The coordinated effort was executed over three days by law enforcement officials with the U.S. Marshals Service Southern District of Illinois Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force. The operation resulted in 21 arrests and seized 4 firearms and 12 grams of narcotics.
“The U.S. Marshals led this successful operation to remove dangerous fugitives from our local communities,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “This operation highlights law enforcement at its best. Thanks to the strong leadership of the U.S. Marshals this coordinated operation ensures that these violent fugitives will be brought to justice, all while strengthening partnerships and public safety throughout the Southern District of Illinois.”
Building on its successful “Operation Safe Christmas”, this operation resulted in the arrests of dangerous fugitives. One fugitive, arrested in Edwardsville, Illinois, is charged with three counts of aggravated murder and three counts of murder related to a 1992 fire in Napoleon, Ohio. Another fugitive, arrested in Creal Springs, Illinois, is charged with Crimes Against Persons in Williamson County, Illinois.
“Operation Big Muddy, though executed over just two working days, showcased the precision and effectiveness of the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force in the Southern District of Illinois. The operation strategically targeted the most dangerous offenders, including those wanted for homicide, major drug trafficking, weapons violations, and other violent crimes. Its success underscores not only the task force’s commitment to public safety, but also the strength of its partnerships—without the dedication and collaboration of our law enforcement partners, these results would not have been possible” said U.S. Marshal David C. Davis.
The U.S. Marshals Service Southern District of Illinois Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force consists of participating agencies from the Illinois State Police, Belleville Police Department, Granite City Police Department, Alton Police Department, ATF Chicago, Homeland Security Investigations, Illinois Department of Corrections – Parole, St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department and the Effingham County Sheriff’s Department.
Two Men Charged with Narcotics and Firearms Offenses for Running A Fentanyl Manufacturing Facility in A Residential BuildingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Task Enforcement Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Farhana Islam, and Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Michael Alfonso, announced the arrests of KAREEM ANTOINE TURNER and ALEXANDER DARAVINA on narcotics and firearms charges for operating a fentanyl manufacturing facility in a Brooklyn residential apartment building. TURNER and DARAVINA were arrested on April 13, 2026 and presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker, where they were ordered detained.
“As alleged, Kareem Turner and Alexander Daravina ran an industrial-scale pill mill in a Brooklyn apartment, pumping deadly fentanyl pills onto the streets of New York in mass quantities,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Fentanyl is poison. It kills New Yorkers every day. If you are dealing in fentanyl, you are dealing in death. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will use all resources available to give New Yorkers what they want and what they deserve: the destruction of these deadly factories and their operators in federal prison.”
“These individuals allegedly transformed an apartment into a fentanyl processing plant: mixing, pressing, and packaging fentanyl alongside other deadly narcotics with absolutely no regard for the health and safety of their neighbors,” said DEA New York Enforcement Division Special Agent in Charge Farhana Islam. “This was not just alleged drug trafficking; it was a potential death sentence to others living in the building. The magnitude of this alleged operation, which resulted in the seizure of two pill press machines, one capable of producing thousands of deadly pills per hour, as well as two kilo press machines, underscores the scale and lethality of the threat we face every day. Restoring safety to our neighborhoods is critical, but above all, saving lives remains our top priority.”
“For years, HSI New York special agents and investigators have confronted the devastating impacts of fentanyl and other illicit narcotics, which fracture families, corrode neighborhoods, and turn ordinary apartments into covert pill mills that imperil entire communities,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso. “These arrests are a stark reminder that these crimes are not just numbers on a page, but direct threats to the public's safety and well-being. Through the disciplined collaboration of HSI New York, DEA New York, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and our Homeland Security Task Force partners, we are committed to safeguarding our city and dismantling the criminal enterprises that profit from poison in our neighborhoods.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint:[1]
TURNER and DARAVINA converted a residential apartment in Brooklyn into a “Pill Mill” where they manufactured, stored, and sold kilograms of drugs, including fentanyl. The Pill Mill contained an industrial-scale pill-press machine capable of manufacturing approximately 4,800 tablets per hour, a hand-cranked pill-press machine, two kilogram presses, and other industrial-grade equipment.
Electronic evidence gathered during the investigation revealed multiple pictures of the Pill Mill; messages in which TURNER and DARAVINA discussed the assembly of the pill-press machine; documents, including a troubleshooting guide and handwritten notes, relating to the manufacture of fentanyl; and FaceTime screenshots in which DARAVINA is seen examining drugs and guns. Some of these photographs are included below:
Handwritten Summary of Fentanyl Ingredients
DARAVINA Looking at Bags Containing Narcotics During a FaceTime Call
On April 13, 2026, DEA and HSI agents searched the Pill Mill pursuant to a judicially authorized search warrant and found kilograms of fentanyl and other narcotics in powder and pill form, along with kilograms of ingredients used in the manufacture of fentanyl. They also recovered two loaded guns hidden in a speaker inside the Pill Mill. One of the guns had an extended magazine. In ongoing testing, multiple kilograms of suspected narcotics found in the Pill Mill have tested positive for fentanyl. Photographs from inside the Pill Mill that law enforcement agents took while executing the search warrant are below:
* * *
TURNER, 47, of Brooklyn, New York, and DARAVINA, 45, of the Bronx, New York, are each charged with (i) conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams and more of fentanyl, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, and (ii) using a firearm during and in relation to, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of, that drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, which must be served consecutive to any other prison term imposed, and a maximum term of life in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA and HSI. Mr. Clayton also thanked the New York State Police for its assistance in this case.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Getzel Berger and Joseph H. Rosenberg are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Two Honduran Nationals Sentenced for Their Roles in Years-Long Off-the-Books Payroll SchemeRead the Press Release
Two Honduran nationals were sentenced Tuesday to 204 months and 51 months in prison for their roles in operating a years-long off-the-books cash payroll scheme that facilitated the employment of undocumented aliens working illegally in the United States and caused a loss to the United States of more than $38 million.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2015 to 2022, Iris Villafranca and Osman Donaldo Zapata, both Honduran nationals, conspired together and with others to create a series of shell companies to run an unlicensed check cashing and cash courier service business. These shell companies cashed approximately $89 million in checks from subcontractors in the construction industry, charging them a percentage of the dollar amount of the checks they cashed as a fee for this service. Through this scheme, construction contractors and subcontractors paid their workers in cash without withholding and paying required payroll taxes, allowing them to operate without regard to the workers’ legal authority to work in the United States. The defendants also caused the filing of false tax documents with the IRS to conceal the off-the-books payroll scheme.
In addition, the defendants defrauded workers’ compensation insurance companies by leasing their certificates of insurance to contractors and by providing false and fraudulent information to the insurers about, among other things, the number of workers covered by the insurance and the amount workers were paid.
Villafranca and Zapata both pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. Villafranca also pleaded guilty to four counts of filing false individual income tax returns based on her 2019 through 2022 tax returns, which did not report all the income she earned from the scheme and rental income she earned from real estate she owned.
Villafranca was sentenced to 204 months and Zapata was sentenced to 51 months. Villafranca was ordered to pay more than $38 million in restitution to the United States and forfeit $89 million of criminal proceeds from the scheme and Zapata was ordered to pay more than $2.5 million in restitution to the United States. Francisco Alvarez, who conspired with Villafranca, Zapata and others, was previously sentenced to four years of probation and ordered to pay more than $2.3 million in restitution.
A fourth member of the conspiracy is scheduled to be sentenced in June.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations. ICE ERO Miami (Orlando sub-office), Florida Highway Patrol, Customs and Border Protection, US Marshals Service, State Department and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement have assisted in arrest operations.
Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorney Kavitha Bondada of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Hu of the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
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.
Two Former Postal Workers Sentenced for Theft of U.S. Treasury Checks Valued at More Than $4 Million from Kennedy Airport Mail FacilityRead the Press Release
Earlier today, Kevaughn Wellington and Ky-Mani Straker, each former United States Postal Service (USPS) employees, were sentenced by United States District Judge Diane Gujarati to prison for their participation in a fraudulent scheme through which they sold, for their own financial gain, United States Treasury checks issued by the United States Department of the Treasury. Wellington and others stole the Treasury checks from the USPS mail facility located at John F. Kennedy International Airport (the JFK Mail Facility), where the defendants were previously employed.
Wellington was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to forfeit $100,000, and Straker was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to forfeit $57,945.56. The defendants were further ordered to pay $405,696.98 in restitution. The defendants each previously pleaded guilty to stealing government funds and conspiring to steal government funds.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, New York (USPIS); Matthew M. Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge, United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office (USPS-OIG); Michael L.J. Carpenter, Special Agent in Charge, United States Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA); Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD); and Matt McCool, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service, New York Field Office (USSS), announced the sentences.
“The former postal workers abused their positions of trust at the JFK Mail Facility to fraudulently obtain Treasury checks intended for the well-being of hard-working individuals to whom the funds were owed, and kept the proceeds for themselves,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office is committed to holding accountable individuals who use taxpayer funds to line their own pockets, and today they paid the price for their greed and disregard of the law.”
“The defendants abused their position as USPS employees and turned their employment into a multimillion-dollar criminal enterprise to steal from innocent American taxpayers. Today’s sentence makes it very clear that postal inspectors will investigate and bring to justice anyone who takes advantage of the U.S. Mail,” stated USPIS Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward.
“The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity throughout the Postal Service and its workforce. The special agents of the USPS OIG will vigorously investigate those who choose to steal U.S Mail and defraud the American public. The sentence imposed on the defendants will serve as a reminder that there are severe consequences when individuals commit crimes targeting the U.S Mail. The USPS OIG is thankful for the great longstanding relationships we have developed with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to combat mail theft,” stated USPS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Modafferi.
“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) aggressively investigates individuals who attempt to exploit U.S Treasury refund checks meant for hard working taxpayers for their own private gain,” stated TIGTA Special Agent in Charge Carpenter. “TIGTA's mission is to protect the integrity of our nation's tax administration system. We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who violate federal laws are prosecuted to the fullest extent possible.”
“These defendants undermined the public’s trust in our mail system by stealing more than $4 million in Treasury checks meant for people who were expecting those funds,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “We rely on the integrity of the postal network, and today’s sentencing holds these fraudsters accountable for their illegal and selfish acts. Because of the work of our investigators, law enforcement partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, we have dismantled this fraudulent operation.”
“The defendants' brazen selfishness not only violated the public trust, but directly harmed the citizens they were supposed to serve by illegally siphoning funds -- resources those people were relying on -- for their own personal gain,” stated USSS Special Agent in Charge McCool. “The U.S. Secret Service is committed to preserving this nation’s financial integrity and was proud to have had a role in holding these defendants accountable. I commend the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, the New York Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and our many other law enforcement partners for bringing justice in this case.”
From approximately June 2021 through August 2023, the defendants engaged in a scheme to steal and sell Treasury checks mailed for distribution through the JFK Mail Facility. Wellington, who was employed at the facility as a mail clerk, worked with others to steal parcels containing Treasury checks. Then, together with Straker and others, Wellington sold the stolen Treasury checks for a portion of the face value of each check. As part of the scheme, Wellington stole—and conspired with Straker to sell—over 125 Treasury checks valued at more than $4 million, including checks intended to be individuals’ Social Security benefits, COVID relief and tax refunds. In addition to selling stolen Treasury checks, Straker falsely endorsed and deposited stolen Treasury checks into a bank account and withdrew the proceeds for his own financial gain. Law enforcement uncovered over 350 videos and images from Wellington’s phone depicting Treasury checks that were not addressed to him or Straker.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs and General Crimes Sections. Assistant United States Attorney Elias Laris in in charge of the prosecution.
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.
The Defendants:
KEVAUGHN WELLINGTON
Age: 33
Jamaica, New YorkKY-MANI STRAKER
Age: 26
Orange, New JerseyE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-275 (DG)
Two Cousins Plead Guilty to Federal Crimes in Connection with Nationwide Online Short-Term Rental Booking ScamRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Two cousins – one from Southern California, the other from Colorado – pleaded guilty today to federal crimes related to a double-booking, bait-and-switch scam run nationwide through online short-term property rental platforms.
Shray Goel, 37, of Calabasas, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Shaunik Raheja, 36, of Denver, pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice.
According to their plea agreements, in 2013, Goel and Raheja started an online business, listing properties for short-term rental through online platforms. They operated the business under various legal entities and business names, including Abbot Pacific LLC and Jet Set Work LLC.
The defendants rented properties nationwide, including in Marina del Rey, the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles, and Malibu as well as San Diego; Chicago; Cleveland; Dallas; Denver; Milwaukee; Bloomington, Indiana; South Bend, Indiana; Savannah, Georgia; Nashville, Tennessee; and Austin, Texas.
From October 2017 to November 2019, Goel and Raheja used fake host names and, in certain instances, other people’s identities to list properties. They used these fake host accounts to conceal their own identities, to double-book properties, and to post fabricated positive reviews of their properties. They also used the fake host accounts to continue to list properties after one online platform banned them in 2015 because of repeated host cancellations and guest complaints.
In some cases, Goel and Raheja listed fake addresses, addresses that did not have any rental housing, were unaffiliated with the schemers, or did not exist at all – using these fake addresses to create duplicate listings for a single purported property. The fake addresses also allowed them to evade local rules and regulations governing short-term rentals, and to control who had access to properties.
The crux of the scheme was a double-booking-bait-and-switch practice. To carry out the scheme, Goel and Raheja posted multiple listings of the same property, listing the same property multiple times on a single platform and cross listing the property on multiple platforms. This was done, in part, to maximize the price they could charge for their rentals – by listing different daily rates for the same property and renting to the guest that booked at the highest price. The defendants also did not block calendars of competing listings after a property had been booked and continued to list the booked property as being available for rental on the booked dates.
After a listing had been booked the defendants chose which – if any – guest to host. For an overbooked guest – or a guest they did not want to host – the defendants lied to the guest about why a booked property was unavailable. These false excuses included that the property had a plumbing problem or some other unforeseen issue. The defendants then cancelled the reservation, convinced the guest to cancel, or switched the guest to a different property.
To further their fraud, Goel and Raheja took steps to discredit negative reviews, and they otherwise tried to hide negative reviews from prospective future guests. They posted bogus negative reviews about the guests who panned their listings or called out the fraudulent and deceptive listing practices, and they removed negatively reviewed listings and then re-listed the properties using new listing identifiers, thereby removing the bad reviews.
Goel and Raheja used these and other lies and misrepresentations to trick guests into booking properties they would not have otherwise booked and to profit at the expense of guests and the rental platforms. The last-minute nature of the cancellations also caused guests and the rental platforms to suffer losses when guests were forced to find alternative lodging at the last minute.
Raheja admitted in his plea agreement to lying in April 2023 to federal law enforcement officials investigating the scheme. Raheja falsely stated that he never intentionally overbooked properties and that he was not aware of any intentional overbooking.
United States District Judge Wesley L. Hsu scheduled an August 14 sentencing hearing for Goel, who will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Judge Hsu scheduled a September 11 sentencing hearing for Raheja, who will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
The FBI and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General investigated this matter with assistance from the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kerry L. Quinn and David Y. Pi of the Major Frauds Section are prosecuting this case.
Three-Time Felon Sentenced in Robbery, Illegal Possession of a Firearm and NarcoticsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Naquel Matao Henderson, 28, a three-time convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 56 months in federal prison in connection with a street robbery in Northeast when he crashed a scooter into a car stopped at a traffic light, demanded money from the victim motorist for a new pair of pants, grabbed the motorist’s satchel from around her neck, and then fled from police, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Following a six-day trial, a federal jury convicted Henderson on April 8, 2025, of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, robbery, and unlawful possession of oxycodone. In addition to the 56-month prison term, District Judge Timothy J. Kelly ordered Henderson to serve three years of supervised release. Government prosecutors had asked for a 72-month prison sentence.
Henderson, aka “Marquel,” additionally is currently awaiting trial for a January 2019 murder.
According to court documents, June 24, 2024, a police commander driving an unmarked cruiser requested backup at 2:15 p.m. at 15th and Benning Roads NE. He reported that he had just witnessed a potential robbery.
A motorist had been traveling on the 1400 block of Maryland Ave. when she stopped her car at a traffic light. When the light turned to green, a motorized scooter ridden by Henderson collided with the front driver’s side of her car. The driver got out of her car to check on the damage and to see if the scooter rider was injured. Henderson claimed the crash had damaged his pants and demanded that she give him $100 to buy a new pair.
The driver refused to give Henderson any money and pointed out that it was he who had crashed into her car. Henderson then pushed the driver with two hands and snatched the satchel that was around her body. As Henderson fled down the 700 block of 15th Street, NE, tossing items out of the satchel, two police officers arrived and gave chase. During the foot pursuit, one of the officers observed Henderson crouching down near a backyard fence with a firearm in his hand. Officers eventually tackled Henderson and ordered him to release the firearm.
Henderson fought and resisted while he struggled with an officer over a loaded firearm. Police eventually recovered a Glock 30, .45 caliber pistol with one round in the chamber, and an additional 14 bullets scattered nearby.
Officers searched Henderson and recovered 50 oxycodone pills. The pills were manufactured by two different companies and were stored in two different pill bottles – neither of which listed Henderson as the prescribed user of the narcotic.
At the time of his arrest, Henderson had two prior felony convictions also was on pretrial release in D.C. Superior Court, where he was charged with numerous violent offenses, including conspiracy to commit murder and first-degree murder while armed.
Joining in the announcement were ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Washington Field Office and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar and former U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson.
Surveillance photo of Henderson riding his scooter directly into the front driver’s side of the motorist’s vehicle as she approaches the intersection of 15th and Maryland Ave, NE.
Surveillance photo of Henderson snatching the driver’s satchel away.
Police recovered a Glock 30, .45 caliber pistol with one round in the chamber, and an additional 14 bullets scattered nearby.
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Three men, including illegal alien, sentenced to federal prison for illegal gun possessionRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, Georgia: Three men have been sentenced to substantial prison terms in separate cases for illegally possessing firearms.
The sentencings before U.S. District Court Chief Judge R. Stan Baker were announced by Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. They include:
- Benjamin Greene, 39, of Savannah, was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, and fined $1,500. Greene was convicted at trial in January on a charge of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers found a pistol in Greene’s possession in February 2024 after he stole a car at a gas station and crashed while running from police. Greene has a substantial history of felony criminal convictions and is prohibited from possessing firearms.
- Yeiker Luis Arevalo-Hernandez, 21, a Venezuelan national illegally present in the United States, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to be deported after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Alien. In June 2025, Savannah Airport Police officers were called for assistance at a hotel near the airport. A dispute among several men caused a disturbance at the hotel, and police officers reviewing security footage determined Arevalo-Hernandez possessed two pistols and hid them behind the hotel’s dumpsters before officers arrived. Illegal aliens are prohibited from possessing firearms.
- Arkeem Myers, 36, of Savannah, was sentenced to 77 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. In December 2024, Savannah police officers arrested Myers, a passenger in a vehicle pulled over for a traffic violation, after determining he was in possession of a pistol found under his seat. Myers has a record of repeated felony convictions, including gun charges, and is prohibited from possessing firearms.
“Previously convicted felons and illegal aliens are prohibited from possessing guns – period,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “We are in lockstep with our law enforcement partners in making our communities safer by taking these gun-carrying criminals off our streets.”
The cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Savannah Police Department, and the Savannah Airport Police, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Makeia R. Jonese, Darron J. Hubbard, Timothy P. Dean, and Ryan E. Bondura.
Three Indicted for Wire Fraud Conspiracy Involving PPP LoansRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – On April 14, 2026, a federal Grand Jury in Hammond, Indiana, approved a two-count Indictment charging Charleasa Johnson and Micah Franklin of St. John, Indiana, and Ebony Star Wilson, of Jonesboro, Arkansas, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to fraudulently obtaining Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The Indictment alleges that as part of the conspiracy, the defendants collectively assisted in submitting more than 80 fraudulent PPP loan applications, resulting in the distribution of fraudulent PPP loan funds in an amount over $2 million.
The Indictment also charges Charleasa Johnson and Micah Franklin with conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
As part of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Task Force, this case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin F. Wolff.
The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. This case was also supported by the PRAC which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations.
Tallahassee Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Justin Luis Ruiz, 21, of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of production of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography, two counts of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This case exemplified the threats our kids face online from sexual predators, like this defendant, who seek to sexually exploit and victimize them. Parents must be made aware of these emergent threats to their children, so that they can closely monitor their kids’ access to and use of online platforms to keep them safe. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute these predators for their disgusting crimes as we do our part to keep our kids safe online.”
Court documents reflect that a 2024 investigation by the Rapid City (South Dakota) Police Department uncovered that Ruiz had solicited a minor to send him nude photographs depicting child pornography. Further investigation, including law enforcement’s search of a Tallahassee residence, identified Ruiz communicated online with known and unknown persons, many of them apparently minors, and exchanged child pornography with those individuals.
Ruiz faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment and up to 30 years’ imprisonment for production of child pornography, a mandatory minimum term of 5 years’ imprisonment and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for each count of receipt and distribution of child pornography, and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for possession of child pornography. Upon release from prison, he will serve a minimum mandatory term of 5 years on supervised release, and up to a lifetime of supervision.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 15, 2026, at 10:00 am, at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Tallahassee Police Department and the Rapid City Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Tallahassee Man Indicted for Distribution of Methamphetamine and CocaineRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Tedrick Childs, 46, of Tallahassee, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for one count of distribution of cocaine and one count of distribution of methamphetamine. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.
Childs appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for May 5, 2026 at 8:30 am, before Chief District Judge Allen C. Winsor in Tallahassee, Florida.
Childs faces up to 30 years’ imprisonment on the distribution of cocaine count and not less than 15 years’ imprisonment, and up to Life imprisonment, on the distribution of methamphetamine count.
The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin.
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.
South Bend Man Sentenced to 151 Months in Prison for Controlled Substance OffenseRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Clayton Morgan, 49 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Morgan was sentenced to 151 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Morgan sold about 512 grams of methamphetamine to another person on two occasions. Police obtained a search warrant for his home and recovered an additional 581 grams of methamphetamine. Morgan was serving a term of supervised release from a prior federal felony conviction for drug distribution.
“Clayton Morgan was under federal supervision for a past felony drug conviction when he decided to reenter the illegal methamphetamine business,” said U.S. Attorney Mildred. “That was a mistake. He learned the hard way that federal law enforcement, working with our state and local partners, will hold a person accountable each and every time they violate the laws designed to protect citizens from dangerous narcotics. I commend our law enforcement partners for their excellent work on this matter, and the just outcome it produced.”
“The sentence imposed in this case sends a clear message that drug trafficking will not be tolerated and underscores the threat dangerous drugs pose to our communities. This case also reflects strength of our partnerships. ATF remains committed to working with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the South Bend Police Department as well as our other federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to further reduce violent crime and protect the public,” said ATF Chicago Field Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon.
“Today, DEA reports that methamphetamine seized and tested has reached the highest purity and potency ever recorded. Average purity levels reached nearly 97% in 2025. The Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, along with Mr. Morgan, should be ashamed of themselves for driving Hoosiers to addiction and death through methamphetamine. While on supervised release for a prior federal drug conviction, Mr. Morgan had an opportunity to be a productive member of society, which he threw away. His new stint in federal prison will give him plenty of time to consider the pain and agony he brought to his northern Indiana community. Law enforcement at every level in northern Indiana will never back down to the immorality of drug trafficking. Mr. Morgan’s arrest and conviction are proof of that,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Chip Cooke.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the South Bend Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joel Gabrielse.
Sexual Predator Sentenced to 135 Months in Prison for Enticement of A Minor – Currently Awaiting Trial on State Murder ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Rockland County Sheriff, Louis Falco III, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced that ANTHONY MITCHELL was sentenced today to 135 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Vincent L. Briccetti for enticement and coercion of a minor spanning multiple years when the victim was 13 and 14 years old.
“Anthony Mitchell is a sexual predator,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “He enticed a 14-year-old victim numerous times, both in person and while incarcerated and awaiting trial on state charges for a 2022 murder. New Yorkers know how important it is that Anthony Mitchell and those like him are off the streets. This Office will use all our tools to deliver on that mission. We ask that all New Yorkers be proactive and vigilant in holding predators accountable and ensuring every child can grow up free from exploitation. Individuals with information concerning the sexual exploitation of children are urged to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or use the tips page: https://tips.fbi.gov.”
“The Rockland County Sheriff’s Office was proud to work alongside our federal partners, including the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office, in this investigation,” said Rockland County Sheriff Louis Falco III. “Through strong collaboration and a shared commitment to protecting our community, our collective efforts helped lead to the successful prosecution and sentencing of an individual who preyed on a child. Those who exploit the most vulnerable members of our society will be identified, investigated, and held fully accountable under the law.”
“Already incarcerated, Anthony Mitchell’s depravity extended beyond the walls of his cell as he continued to seek sick satisfaction from the sexual coercion and exploitation of a young teenage girl,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “The FBI continues to stand alongside our local law enforcement partners to hold accountable sexual predators who target our communities’ children.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in related court proceedings:
Between January 2021 and September 2022, MITCHELL induced a 14-year-old female minor (the “Victim”) to create sexually explicit photographs and videos of herself and send them to him.
In or about July 2022, MITCHELL was arrested on state murder and other charges and incarcerated at the Rockland County Jail. For a period of months while incarcerated awaiting trial, the defendant continued to communicate with and demand sexually explicit material from the Victim, which the Victim created and sent to MITCHELL at his direction.
Individuals with information concerning the sexual exploitation of children are urged to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or use the online tips page: https://tips.fbi.gov.
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In addition to the prison term, MITCHELL, 26, of Haverstraw, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Clayton praised the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office, the Town of Haverstraw Police Department, the Town of Ramapo Police Department, and the Village of Spring Valley Police Department. Mr. Clayton also thanked the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance in this case.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ben Arad, Kathryn Wheelock, and Jeffrey C. Coffman are in charge of the prosecution.
Scranton Man Sentenced to 120 Months’ Imprisonment for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Isaiah Postell-Jones, age 25, of Swoyersville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday to 120 months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release by United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani for one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Postell-Jones previously admitted that on March 13, 2024, he knowingly sold over 100 grams of methamphetamine in a parking lot in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, for $900. Postell-Jones further admitted that on two other occasions he sold “sham” methamphetamine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney James M. Buchanan prosecuted the case.
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San Francisco Caregiver Charged with Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – A federal grand jury has indicted Elsie Eclevia Curameng on charges of tax evasion and filing false tax returns for calendar years 2019 through 2022. Curameng made an initial appearance in federal court in San Francisco this morning.
According to the indictment filed April 7, 2026, and unsealed today, Curameng, 68, of San Francisco, is alleged to have evaded assessment of taxes on at least $1.5 million of unreported income. From at least 2008 through 2022, Curameng was an in-home caregiver for a client, G.C., whom she provided support in activities of daily living as well as managed her client’s finances. As part of her financial duties, Curameng paid herself and the client’s other caregivers. From 2019 through 2022, Curameng received hundreds of checks from G.C. totaling over $2.2 million – $1.5 million of those checks were noted as payments for nursing services and vacation pay. Curameng deposited substantially all of those paychecks into her personal bank accounts.
For calendar years 2019 through 2022, Curameng filed tax returns but did not report any of the income from her services to G.C. on those tax returns. As a result, Curameng owed additional taxes that would have been assessed if she had filed accurate returns. Additionally, for tax years 2019 and 2020, Curameng filed not one but two false tax returns that omitted the income from her services to G.C.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and Linda Nguyen, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) - Oakland Field Office, made the announcement.
Curameng was released on bond. Curameng is next scheduled to appear in district court on May 20, 2026 for a status conference before U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $100,000 for each count of tax evasion, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7201, and three years in prison and a fine of $100,000 for each count of filing a false tax return, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206(1). Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara E. Henderson is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Tina Rosenbaum. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by IRS-CI.
San Diego Couple Admit to Two-Year Mail Theft SpreeRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – David Anthony Burge and Kyrsten Renee Bospflug pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that for two years, they stole mail from multiple post offices, apartment complexes and business complexes all over San Diego County – converting other peoples’ checks, credit cards and personal information into more than $150,000 in nefarious profit.
According to their plea agreements, from July 2023 to July 2025, the husband-and-wife team worked as partners in crime, using stolen U.S. Postal Service keys and counterfeit keys manufactured by Burge to access and steal mail from the Bonita Post Office and apartment complexes all over San Diego - on Island Avenue, Georgia Court, Broadway Street, Ohio Street, 31st Street, Riviera Drive, and Pacific Beach Drive.
Burge and Bospflug admitted they altered stolen checks so they could cash them. They also impersonated victims at banks using the victim’s personally identifiable information – such as names, addresses, dates of birth, social security numbers and credit and debit card account numbers - obtained from the stolen mail.
For example, Burge falsely presented himself to at least three different banks posing as one of his victims, using the victim’s actual birth date, Social Security number and other information to open bank accounts in the victim’s name. Burge then mobile deposited stolen checks that were altered to list the victim as the payee, and then he deposited the stolen checks into the bank accounts that he opened and controlled. Bospflug admitting doing the same at two other banks, posing as a different victim.
The plea agreement details how Burge and Bospflug exchanged text messages detailing their crimes. For instance, in February 2024, Burge reported to Bospflug that “mail was scarce” but that “we have 2 amex” and “let’s see what we can do with these checks.” Burge and Bospflug understood “2 amex” to mean two American Express credit cards stolen from the mail, and the reference to “checks” to mean checks intended for others and stolen from the mail. On another occasion, Bospflug texted Burge to ask him to confirm a victim’s social security number. Burge texted back a photograph containing that victim’s PII. Bospflug texted back, “Nice, I remembered it,” to which Burge replied, “[N]ice job … hopefully it works.”
The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on June 25 at 12:30 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Barry Ted Moskowitz.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison Rogge and Eric Olah.
If you believe you may have been a victim of this crime, please contact the United States Postal Inspection Service hotline at 877-876-2455.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 26-cr-00726-BTM
David Anthony Burge Age: 33 Chula Vista, CA
Kyrsten Renee Bospflug Age: 36 Spring Valley, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Mail Theft Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
United States Postal Inspection Service
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Sacramento Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Fentanyl Pill Trafficking that Resulted in an Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sandro Escobedo, 37, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 22 years in prison on Monday for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, and distribution of fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, Escobedo was a distributor of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone M-30 pills and cocaine for an organization that was responsible for importing tens of thousands of fentanyl pills and cocaine from Mexico and distributing them in northern California and elsewhere between May 2019 and January 2021. In October 2019, a teenage victim died of fentanyl poisoning from fentanyl pills that Escobedo distributed.
Fifteen other defendants have pleaded guilty, and 13 have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 19 months to 27 years. Escobedo pleaded guilty on Feb. 19, 2025.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Yuba-Sutter Narcotic and Gang Enforcement Task Force (NET 5), the California Highway Patrol, the Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force (BINTF), the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT), the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, the Sacramento Police Department, the Roseville Police Department, the Manteca Police Department, the Yuba City Police Department, and the West Sacramento Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Mexican authorities to secure the arrest and extradition of Luis Lopez Zamora to the United States from Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Sacramento is composed of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Northern California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California.
Rochester man going to prison for his role in financial fraud scheme involving stolen checksRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Sheldon Marquis Adams, 26, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Between March and September 29, 2023, Adams conspired with others to obtain hundreds of checks that had been stolen from U.S. Postal Service mailboxes in the Rochester, NY, area. Adams and his co-conspirators would then forge or alter the checks with the intent to obtain money from the associated bank accounts. Adams used social media to recruit individuals to cash or deposit the checks into their own accounts and withdraw the money before the issuing bank detected the fraud. If the individuals successfully cashed the checks, they would give the money to the members of the conspiracy in return for a small payment. On September 29, 2023, in furtherance of the conspiracy, Adams was found in possession of 15 pages of blank check stock paper and approximately 335 checks that had been stolen between April and June 2023 from U.S. Postal Service blue collection boxes. Some of the checks had been altered by washing them with acetone.
The scheme involved approximately 227 individual victims and 36 business victims, in addition to the victim financial institutions, and stolen and altered checks totaling approximately $516,912.17.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Postal Inspector-in-Charge Jason Buckley, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Kevin Sucher, the Amherst Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Chamberlin, and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith.
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Raleigh Career Criminal Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Selling Fentanyl and a GunRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Jeremy Hinton to 12 years in federal prison for selling fentanyl in Raleigh. On April 4, 2025, Inmate Hinton pleaded guilty to selling fentanyl.
“Fentanyl poisons our communities, killing our kids and neighbors. This dope dealer has 8 felony convictions for violent crimes in state court before facing federal justice for profiting off the pain and desperation of addicts, ruining their families. The only thing more deadly than fentanyl is fentanyl and guns—and that’s what this defendant was selling. Let this sentence warn anyone pushing this poison. Simple Lesson: Drugs Kill, Prison Awaits – Do Right.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.
The Raleigh Police Department (RPD) and ATF conducted two controlled purchases of fentanyl from Inmate Hinton. During the second controlled purchase, Inmate Hinton also sold a Glock 36 handgun. When law enforcement ultimately tried to pull Inmate Hinton over to arrest him, he sped off in a car chase, ultimately evading them. Later that day, law enforcement again tried to pull Inmate Hinton over, and he fled again, driving over 80 miles per hour. Inmate Hinton got sentenced as a career offender because of his egregious criminal history, which includes felony convictions for breaking and entering, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, selling cocaine, possessing drugs with the intent to sell them, and shooting a gun into occupied home.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. RPD and ATF investigated the case, and Assistant United States Attorney Casey L. Peaden prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-365-M-RJ.
Potomac Gardens Cocaine Dealer Sentenced to 12 Months for Role in Large-Scale Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Lawrence Smith, 55, a resident of Fairfax, Virginia, was sentenced today to 12-months-and-a-day in prison for his role in a large-scale cocaine distribution conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“Lawrence Smith was a regular participant in a drug operation that fed narcotics into a District of Columbia neighborhood in Southeast,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This prosecution was the product of a long-term federal wiretap investigation which dismantled this conspiracy that was poisoning the Potomac Gardens community. Today’s sentence reflects our commitment to pursuing every link in that chain.”
Smith pleaded guilty on Jan. 9, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine. In addition to the 12-month sentence, Judge Kelly ordered Smith to serve three years of supervised release. The government had requested a sentence of 15 months.
According to court papers, the FBI began a long-term investigation in 2024 into drug trafficking at the Potomac Gardens housing complex in Southeast Washington. As part of that investigation, agents obtained authority to wiretap phones used by Ronald Hunt and Garrett Isley, alleged leaders of the conspiracy whose cases are pending. Intercepted calls revealed that Smith regularly communicated with Isley and obtained narcotics from him on an almost every-other-day basis, then redistributed them to others. In his plea agreement, Smith admitted responsibility for distributing between 200 and 300 grams of cocaine.
Co-defendant Maurice Tutt was sentenced on March 13, 2026, to 10 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Co-defendant Michael Augment pleaded guilty on March 4, 2026, to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Augment’s sentencing is pending.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office with valuable assistance from the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, the D.C. Housing Authority Police, Virginia State Police, Montgomery County Police, and Fairfax County Police.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Solomon S. Eppel and Nihar Mohanty.
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Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dcPoteau Resident Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Sexual Exploitation MaterialRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Clifford Elmo Smith, age 41, of Poteau, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Possession of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Indictment alleged that beginning on or about April 20, 2025, and continuing until on or about January 13, 2026, Smith knowingly possessed one or more matters which contained visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, transported by, in, and affecting interstate and foreign commerce, which Smith accessed with the intent to view.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, 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.
Smith will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Pippin represented the United States.
Pine Ridge Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Killing His Nephew on the Pine Ridge ReservationRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on April 13, 2026.
Eric Anduja, 53, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Anduja was charged by a Superseding Information with Voluntary Manslaughter. He pleaded guilty on January 6, 2026.
In May 2025, Anduja became intoxicated and got into a disagreement with Alban “Boots” Vitales. During the argument, Anduja ultimately stabbed Vitales in the neck with a kitchen knife. Vitales ran from the residence where the argument had taken place, sought help, and passed away on the front door step of a neighbor’s home.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.
Anduja was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ASHLAND, Ky. – A South Point, Ohio, man, Michael Merrick, 26, was sentenced on Tuesday by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning to 360 months for the production of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, in September 2024, a minor victim reported that she had been sexually assaulted by Merrick, and he had taken sexually explicit pictures of her using his phone. On September 27, 2024, law enforcement searched Merrick’s phone and located the sexually explicit photos. Merrick admitted to sexually abusing the minor victim and to producing sexually explicit images of the victim in Boyd County, Kentucky.
Under federal law, Merrick must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 25 years.
Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Todd Kelley, Ashland Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Ashland Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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North Carolina man sentenced to 12 years in prison for drug trafficking and firearms crimesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A North Carolina man was sentenced yesterday to 12 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, on June 4, 2024, law enforcement conducted a controlled purchase of 14.16 grams of methamphetamine and 1.18 grams of fentanyl from Donjuan Murphy, 23, of Hertford, in Virginia Beach. On June 18, 2024, in Chesapeake, law enforcement executed state warrants from North Carolina and Virginia. When law enforcement attempted to take Murphy into custody, he initially tried to escape by backing his vehicle into a law enforcement vehicle and refused to put the car in park and exit it. He eventually complied with commands and was taken into custody.
From Murphy’s vehicle, investigators recovered, among other items, 38.76 grams of fentanyl; 2.54 grams of methamphetamine; 80.55 grams of cocaine; 816.94 grams of marijuana; Oxycodone, Buprenorphine, and Naloxone; four firearms, including one equipped with an extended magazine and another that had been reported stolen; ammunition; and $9,246.
Murphy previously was convicted of multiple felonies, including convictions in North Carolina for assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and possession of a firearm by a felon. As a convicted felon, Murphy cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division and Chesapeake Police Department investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin M. Comstock and Amanda L. Cheney 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 protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-34.
New Jersey Company Agrees to Repay $3.25 Million in CARES Act FundingRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A civil settlement was unsealed showing that a New Jersey company agreed to pay back $3.25 million after receiving too much funding from the CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program it was ineligible to receive, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
In 2020, Congress enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, commonly known as the “CARES Act.” Qualifying businesses were authorized to obtain a forgivable disaster loan to preserve jobs in industries impacted by COVID-19. When the CARES Act was amended, applicants were allowed to seek a second round of disaster relief funding, with restrictions on funding for single corporations. Additionally, corporations seeking a second disbursement could not employ more than
300 employees.Under the Federal False Claims Act, private individuals act as qui tam, “whistleblowers,” and may bring lawsuits against entities that have committed fraud against the government. A qui tam Civil Complaint was filed by GNGH2, Inc. in March 2024, alleging that Eurecat U.S. Incorporated (Eurecat) violated the False Claims Act. Court documents show that Eurecat allegedly employed more than 9,000 people and is a subsidiary of a large publicly traded company, Albemarle Corporation. Eurecat is a New Jersey business corporation with its principal place of business in Houston, Texas. They also operate a chemical plant in
McAlester, Oklahoma.Court documents allege that Eurecat applied for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan from the Small Business Administration in May 2020 and received $2,736,400, which was forgiven. In February 2021, Eurecat applied for a second PPP loan and received an additional $2,000,000. After receiving the funds, they sought loan forgiveness a second time, and it was granted in August 2021.
In the Settlement Agreement, Eurecat admitted to exceeding the employee threshold to be eligible for a second-draw PPP loan. They agreed to pay the United States $3,250,000, of which $2,068,44.44 is restitution. After the restitution is paid, the United States will pay GNGH2, Inc. $325,000 as its statutory share under the False Claims Act for bringing the suit.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Cooper represented the Northern District of Oklahoma, and the Small Business Administration’s Office of General Counsel assisted in the litigation of this case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division's prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at Justice.gov/OPA/pr/justice-department-takes-action-against-covid-19-fraud.
New Hampshire Man Indicted for Cyberstalking and Child Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Londonderry, N.H. man was arrested today for allegedly cyberstalking a Massachusetts victim through social media, text messages and various online platforms. Among numerous other things, the defendant allegedly posted sexually provocative statements, including a post that indicated the victim wanted to be sexually assaulted. The defendant also allegedly directed others on social media to produce, post and repost sexually explicit material of the victim.
Brad Cerullo, 46, was indicted on one count of cyberstalking and one count of sexual exploitation of children. Cerullo was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on March 25, 2026 and released by the Court on conditions, over the government’s objection.
According to the charging documents, between March 2021 and May 2025, the victim received approximately 72 text messages on her cell phone from at least 26 unknown senders, many from VoIP numbers. Several of the text messages referenced her photos or personal information on impersonation Twitter accounts. It is alleged that two of the unknown VoIP numbers were traced to Cerullo.
Over 340 of the victim’s images, including sexually explicit images and videos stolen from a secure device in the victim’s possession, and at least 10 accounts, including four accounts containing the victim’s name, were allegedly used to impersonate and/or further a campaign to shame, defame, harass, or otherwise cause the victim substantial emotional distress.
It is further alleged that child sexual abuse material of an approximately 12-year-old minor victim, who was known to the defendant, was found in some of Cerullo’s online accounts.
The charge of stalking by electronic means provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of sexual exploitation of children provides for a sentence of no less than 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, five years to life of supervised release and fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Wayne Tracy, Acting Chief of the Haverhill Police Department made the announcement today. The Andover and Londonderry (N.H.) Police Departments provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and member of the Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.Mitchell Man Sentenced to over 2 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Mitchell, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on April 13, 2026.
Dakota Moore, 24, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Moore was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in October 2025. He pleaded guilty on January 2, 2026.
On August 5, 2025, law enforcement officers were looking for a certain vehicle after receiving reports that someone in the vehicle had fired shots. When law enforcement found the vehicle, they found Moore inside the vehicle and in possession of a firearm. Moore is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior conviction for a felony crime.
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). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.
Moore was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Missouri Woman Sentenced to Prison for $3.8 Million International EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Monday sentenced a woman to 90 months in prison for embezzling $3.8 million from her employer with the help of co-conspirators in China.
Judge Clark also ordered Bridget Thebeau, now 46, of St. Charles County, to repay the money. Her lawyers brought checks totaling $104,500 to court.
As part of her scheme, Thebeau struck a deal with some of her employer’s suppliers in China to inflate purchase orders in exchange for kickbacks. She altered some purchase orders and issued others that were fictitious. Between 2015 and 2023, she altered 152 purchase orders and issued 82 completely fictitious purchase orders, for a total of $3.82 million. In return, her co-conspirators wired more than half of that money to her personal bank account. When asked at sentencing to explain what she did with money, Thebeau provided what Judge Clark deemed to be incomplete and untruthful answers.
It was a crime motivated purely by greed, Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf wrote in a sentencing memo. Thebeau did not have a drug problem, financial issues or mental health problems that might have motivated her to steal from her employer. Judge Clark characterized Thebeau’s embezzlement scheme as one of the worst he’s seen during his time on the bench.
Thebeau tried to hide her crime with fraudulent shipping labels and fraudulent bills of lading issued by the China-based suppliers, fraudulent invoices that she created and claimed she had issued to the company’s customers and false information she supplied to the company’s owner and accountants. When her embezzlement was discovered, she deleted records from the company’s server, submerged her laptop in a sink full of water, tried to destroy evidence on her cell phone and deleted information that was stored in the cloud, according to testimony in Monday’s hearing.
The owner of Thebeau’s former company is no longer able to retire and has been forced to sell assets to try and keep the company afloat, the sentencing memo says.
Thebeau pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in May of 2025 to five counts of wire fraud
The U.S. Secret Service and the Chesterfield Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On April 9, 2026, U.S. District Court Judge Aida Delgado-Colón sentenced Félix Ebdiel Muñiz-Rivera to 240 months (20 years) in prison and 15 years of supervised release for sexual exploitation of two five-year-old female minors, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. Muñiz-Rivera was indicted on August 28, 2025, arrested on August 29, 2025, and plead guilty on December 18, 2025.
According to court documents, Félix Ebdiel Muñiz-Rivera, 21, of Camuy, Puerto Rico, from June 2025, through in or about August 2025, did knowingly employ, use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce two five year old female minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct, and the visual depiction was produced and transmitted using materials that have been mailed, shipped, and transported in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce, that is, a cellular phone device.
According to the facts admitted during the change of plea hearing, Muñiz-Rivera sexually assaulted two female minor victims and recorded the acts in his cellular phone. On August 7, 2025, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents received a duty call from the Police of Puerto Rico (POPR) regarding a potential child pornography case. This occurred while the POPR were at a Public Housing Project in Quebradillas, Puerto Rico, conducting a drug trafficking operation. While at the scene, a POPR agent observed defendant Muñiz-Rivera engaging in what appeared to be a drug transaction. The officer went after the defendant, but he ran off, leaving his cellphone behind. The cellphone was unlocked and opened, and the agent was able to observe a video/image of a female infant, and close to the infant’s genital area, was a male adult genital member. Evidence obtained from a federal search warrant of defendant’s cellphone revealed another video produced by the defendant containing child sexual exploitation material with the two five-year-old female minor victims.
“The Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners will aggressively investigate and prosecute those criminals who exploit and harm children,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “I thank the dedicated Police of Puerto Rico and HSI agents and prosecutors who investigated and charged this case for their tireless efforts to protect the most vulnerable in our community. Exploitation of our children has no place in civilized society.”
HSI San Juan Acting Special Agent in Charge Yariel Ramos said: “Two decades behind bars underscore the profound gravity of crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. This 20-year sentence reflects not only the enduring harm inflicted on victims, but also our unwavering resolve to hold offenders fully accountable.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elba Gorbea of the Crimes Against Children, Human Trafficking and Immigration Unit, prosecuted the case. The Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force led by HSI was in charge of the investigation, with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Department. To report suspicious activities, call 787-729-6969.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Man Sentenced for StalkingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ALFRED HUMBLES (“HUMBLES”), age 55, a former resident of Gretna, Louisiana, was sentenced on April 8, 2026, after previously pleading guilty to Stalking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2261A(2)(B), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, from November 2018 until January 28, 2019, HUMBLES sent harassing and intimidating communications to a former girlfriend living in Texas. On November 29, 2018, the former girlfriend sent an email to HUMBLES indicating to him that the relationship was over, to stop having contact with her and that law enforcement had been notified. Approximately 25 texts and emails were quoted in the Indictment. Among them, on January 9, 2019, HUMBLES emailed the victim and stated “I can’t think of one reason why you should be walking around breathing.” On January 23, 2019, HUMBLES emailed the victim and stated “…you don’t know what I’m capable of and you’re not untouchable.”
U.S. District Court Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon sentenced HUMBLES to time served which amounted to forty-seven (47) months in custody and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Maestri, Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachal Cassagne were charge of the prosecution.
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Longtime Bucks County Teacher Sentenced to Seven and a Half Years in Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Richard Adamsky, 66, of Warminster, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 90 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release by United States District Judge Gerald J. Pappert for child pornography offenses. Judge Pappert also ordered Adamsky to pay a $30,000 fine, $38,000 in victim restitution, a $10,000 Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act assessment, and a $20,000 assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act.
The defendant was charged by indictment in September of last year and pleaded guilty in December to one count of receipt and attempted receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
At the time of his arrest, Adamsky was a 7th and 8th grade teacher at Nativity of Our Lord grade school in Warminster, Pa., and had taught there for 38 years.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, Adamsky knowingly received a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct on or about June 15, 2024. Additionally, he possessed two computers and two flash drives containing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. These depictions included prepubescent minors and minors under 12 years of age.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Fort Washington Resident Agency, the Warminster Township Police Department, Upper Merion Township Police Department, and Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maureen McCartney.
Long-Time Fugitive Sentenced to 70 Months’ Incarceration for Multimillion Dollar Mail Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A German man who orchestrated a massive mail fraud scheme by mass mailing false and fraudulent psychic solicitations was sentenced to 70 months’ incarceration in Newark federal court, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.
Georg Ingenbleek, 59, a citizen of Germany, was indicted in 2020 and has been a long-time fugitive. He was apprehended in Bolzano, Italy in 2024 and extradited to the United States in May 2025 to face the indictment, which charged him with two counts of mail fraud. Ingenbleek previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to the two counts of mail fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From at least 2011 through 2016, Ingenbleek created numerous direct mail solicitations supposedly from world-renowned psychics, falsely and fraudulently offering recipients individual psychic services and objects that would result in great fortune. Many of the letters falsely promised that the psychic services being offered were free of charge. Ingenbleek then directed co-conspirators to send fraudulent billing notices to the same victims that stated that the victims owed money for psychic services and that failure to pay would be “prosecuted to the full extent of the law.” The fraudulent billing notices falsely represented that the victims owed fees and threatened to take legal action if the victim did not send a check, usually for $20 to $50. Through his fraudulent psychic mailing campaign, Ingenbleek obtained more than $13 million dollars from victims.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi ordered forfeiture in the amount of $13,618,921.19 and imposed a three-year term of supervised release.
U.S Attorney Frazer credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen; special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan; and special agents of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso, with the investigation leading to the charges, and HSI Rome and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for providing significant assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from Italy.
The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorney Olta Bejleri of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Daniel Rashbaum, Esq., Miami, Florida.