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Tuesday 17 March 2026
Fresno Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Ammunition Loaded in a “Ghost Gun”Read the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Raymond Jesse Rodriguez, 29, of Fresno, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Kirk E. Sherriff to 12 years in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, in March 2024, three days after being released from state prison, Rodriguez got into a gunfight where he allegedly shot and killed another individual at an apartment in Fresno. Rodriguez then fled the scene. After a weeklong manhunt, officers found and arrested Rodriguez in Fresno. At the time of his arrest, Rodriguez was carrying a “ghost gun”: an un-serialized and untraceable privately manufactured firearm, with a high-capacity magazine containing 25 rounds of ammunition. The firearm, shown below, was labeled “Polymer 80 Inc.,” a label commonly seen on ghost guns. At the time of his arrest, Rodriguez was serving a term of post‑release community supervision following his most recent felony convictions in Fresno County. Rodriguez pleaded guilty on Dec. 15, 2025.
Recovered un-serialized firearm or ghost gun
The Fresno Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Veneman-Hughes and Cody S. Chapple prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Former Fort Myers Resident Sentenced to Federal Prison for His Role in Firearm Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, FL – Osnyson Desrosiers (Atlanta, Georgia), formerly of Fort Myers, has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kyle Dudek to two years in federal prison for his role in a firearm trafficking scheme. Desrosiers pleaded guilty on November 19, 2025, to conspiring to make a false statement to a firearms dealer and making false statements to a firearms dealer. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court records, in early-to-mid 2022, Desrosiers and his co-defendant, Derick Desir, collaborated to “straw purchase” several dozen Glock handguns from licensed firearms dealers in Florida. While making these firearm purchases, they falsely represented to each firearm dealer that they were the “actual buyer or transferee” of the firearms, even though they knew that the firearms they were purchasing were being unlawfully trafficked to a third party. Evidence uncovered by investigators revealed that these firearms were later smuggled into Canada, where several have since been recovered during various Canadian law enforcement investigations.
In November 2025, Desir was sentenced to 3 years and 10 months in federal prison for his role in the conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon Eth.
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).
Former Fort Lauderdale Tennis Coach Sentenced to 20 Years for Coercing Students to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A former Fort Lauderdale tennis coach has been sentenced to 240 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to coercing and enticing two minors to engage in sexual activity.
U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian imposed the sentence on Daniel James Riggs, 33, on Thursday.
“Children and parents trust coaches with more than athletic instruction. They trust them with safety, guidance, and character,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This defendant abused that trust in the most disturbing way imaginable, using his position to groom and sexually exploit the very students he was supposed to mentor. Twenty years in federal prison reflects the seriousness of that betrayal. The Southern District of Florida will continue to pursue predators who target children and ensure they face the full weight of the law.”
According to court records, Riggs worked as a tennis coach for Team Riggs at a Fort Lauderdale tennis center, where both minor victims were his students. Riggs used multiple social media accounts to communicate with the victims and engage them in sexually explicit conversations. Law enforcement identified several social media accounts used by Riggs through subscriber and billing records. The offense conduct occurred from approximately 2021 through Riggs’ arrest in late 2024.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
FBI Miami investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille Smith prosecuted the case.
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 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-60038.
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Former Employee Sentenced to 8 Months’ Imprisonment for Stealing Cash from Defunct Luzerne County Credit UnionRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Nicole Hilstolsky, age 48, of Swoyersville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to eight months’ imprisonment and two years of supervised release by Senior United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani for one count of theft by a credit union employee. She pleaded guilty to the charge in December 2025.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Hilstolsky admitted at her guilty plea that on October 15, 2018, while she was an employee of the now-defunct WOD Federal Credit Union, she stole $16,247 from the credit union’s teller drawer and safe and blamed the theft on two unidentified armed bank robbers. Hilstolsky further admitted that she called 911 and lied to responding investigators claiming that WOD Federal Credit Union had been robbed, when in fact she had taken the money and hid the money inside the credit union until she could safely remove it days later.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Forty Fort Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney James M. Buchanan prosecuted the case.
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Florencia 13 Gang Member Who Pleaded Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy Charge Sentenced to 14 Years’ ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A member of the Florencia 13 Gang, a criminal organization, who admitted to his role in “racketeering activity,” specifically attempted murder and firearm trafficking, was sentenced to 168 months’ imprisonment.
In addition to his term of imprisonment, Angel Medina-Sahagun, aka “Tito,” 25, of West Valley City, Utah, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered by the court to pay restitution to the victim.
According to court documents and statements made at Medina-Sahagun’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, beginning on an unknown date before 2017, Medina-Sahagun associated himself with Florencia 13, a criminal street gang affiliated with the Surenos. On November 18, 2017, Medina-Sahagun was summoned by another member of Florencia 13 to go to the TRAX station where he assaulted and stabbed a victim multiple times, intending to kill him. Medina-Sahagun also admitted to pointing a gun at the victim’s brother who attempted to intervene during the assault. Additionally, prior to 2022, Medina-Sahagun, while still a member of the Florencia 13, conspired with other members to acquire firearms for the organization. Some of the other members with whom he conspired were felons and therefore restricted from owning or possessing firearms and ammunition. Medina-Sahagun admitted to transferring firearms to juveniles and individuals whom he knew would use the firearms to commit violent crimes.
“My office has zero-tolerance for violent crime in the District of Utah,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “It is our hope Medina-Sahagun’s sentence will deter others from committing violent crimes and bring awareness to these criminal organizations that target children to carry out their criminal behavior.”
The case was investigated by the West Jordan Police Department, Sandy City Police Department, the Salt Lake Area Metro Gang Unit, and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Five more defendants sentenced in large, multi-state, fentanyl distribution caseRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – Five more defendants in a 13-defendant case were sentenced yesterday and today for trafficking fentanyl from Arizona to Montana and other states, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
On Monday, March 16, Sadie Cheryl Sawyer, 37, was sentenced to 48 months in prison and Zane Nicholas Schafer, 35, was sentenced to 30 months. Today, Carrie Jean Bishop, 52, Spring Marie Davis, 50, and Diana Michelle Karnes, 43, were also ordered to federal prison. Bishop received a term of 108 months, Davis 30, and Karnes 96.
All five defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl in November 2025 and Karnes also pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. They will each be on supervised release for five years after they serve their custodial sentences.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided over all five hearings.
The government alleged in court documents that between February 2023 and March 2025, the members of this drug trafficking organization (DTO), headed by Gerad Nigel Punch, transported fentanyl into Montana for distribution. Punch and the coconspirators mailed and transported fentanyl from Phoenix, Arizona, for distribution to local dealers in Texas, Washington, and Montana.
When the fentanyl arrived in Montana, Punch either directly distributed the drugs to local traffickers or arranged for other coconspirators to sell them. Sawyer worked as a local distributor in Montana, buying large quantities of fentanyl from Punch and suppliers in Arizona and delivering the drugs to local dealers. Schafer received at least four packages of fentanyl at his residence in Anaconda for distribution in the surrounding area. Bishop worked with Gerad Punch and others to transport fentanyl into Montana and distributed the drugs to other sellers and local users. Davis connected co-conspirators in Arizona and Montana and directly assisted Gerad Punch in selling over 2,000 grams of fentanyl to an undercover law enforcement officer in Butte in October 2024. Karnes distributed fentanyl in Montana and connected Gerad Punch to purchasers in Montana, in part for forgiveness of drug debts she owed the DTO.
During the investigation of this DTO, law enforcement seized over 10 kilograms of fentanyl. Gerad Punch was previously sentenced on February 23, 2026, to 240 months in prison, and Brooke Cardonia was sentenced on January 28, 2026, to 108 months. Co-defendants Shawn Michael Scholler and Adam Joseph Sarvis are scheduled to plead guilty this week and the remaining defendants, D’Andre Dontae Glass, Dwayne Nyron Punch, Freddie Lee Carter, and Bernard Cowley Glass, Jr. will be sentenced in June and July.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Lowney and Zeno Baucus are prosecuting the case. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Southwest Montana Drug Task Force, which includes agents from the Montana Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation.
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 Montana comprises agents and officers from multiple law enforcement agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana.
Felon Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Distribution of Drugs and Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man who has prior felony convictions was sentenced on Monday by United States District Judge Richard F. Boulware to 132 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release for distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl, and unlawful possession of firearms including a 9mm handgun without a serial number. The government recommended a sentence of 151 months incarceration.
According to court documents, between September 13, 2022, and October 5, 2022, Jason Roon conspired with others to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance. On October 5, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Roon’s residence and found about 606.5 grams of methamphetamine, as well as “owe” sheets reflecting Roon’s distribution of the drugs. During the search, law enforcement located two AR-15 .223 caliber rifles; a .22 caliber rifle; a 9mm handgun with no serial number; a 9mm handgun; a .380 ACP caliber handgun; and a 9mm handgun, and various amounts of ammunition. He has prior felony convictions in Los Angeles, including possession of a controlled substance while armed, possession/purchase for sale narcotics/controlled substance; transport/sell narcotics/controlled substance; and possession of a controlled substance for sale; and in Ventura County, Calif., receive known stolen property and transport a controlled substance.
Roon pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Chrysanthis for the Los Angeles Division, and Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Field Office made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the DEA, FBI, and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
If you have any information about individuals or groups involved in a possible violation of controlled substances laws and regulations to include the growing, manufacture, distribution or trafficking of controlled substances, you are urged to make a report to the DEA online at https://www.dea.gov/submit-tip. You can remain anonymous, and all tips are handled with strict confidentiality.
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Federal Charges Filed Against Carmichael Man for Interstate Threats Against a JudgeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A criminal complaint was unsealed today charging Karl Czekai, 29, of Carmichael, with making interstate threats, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, Czekai is separated from his wife, who moved to Oklahoma with their child to get away from him. Once in Oklahoma, Czekai’s wife filed for a protective order against Czekai, alleging that Czekai has held guns up to her and threatened to shoot her multiple times.
Also, according to court documents, in February 2026, Czekai began making social media posts about his wife and the Oklahoma judge who granted the protective order and is presiding over related proceedings. These posts include:
- Images of Czekai’s avatar pointing a gun at a sitting judge with “FAMILY COURT” signage on the bench;
- Text threatening the judge that she will no longer be safe: “Hello, judge [VICTIM 1] of the Oklahoma City Courthouse remember me...the comfort of your title, the security of your robe, the certainty of your authority - all of that is about to be tested”;
- Text warning that time is of the essence: “tick tock, Your Honor. You will be the first to set the example. I’m going to diss you publicly. to show future judges, and lawyers I’m not f---ing around”;
- Text advising that he carries a gun: “Updated the gun to something more of what I would carry. I only carry a .45 and I’m definitely a 1911 guy”; and
- Text suggesting he is ready to follow through: “This is the breaking point. This is him saying: enough is enough.”
Additionally, and as detailed in court documents, Czekai posted and shared with his wife videos threatening graphic violence against her.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is conducting the investigation with assistance from the Midwest City Police Department and the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Wong is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Czekai faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Drug Dealer Sentenced to 23 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Otis Henderson, 53, to 23 years in federal prison for Conspiracy to Sell and Possession with Intent to Sell 50 grams of Methamphetamine and Distribution of Methamphetamine. A federal jury convicted Inmate Henderson of the charges after trial.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, ATF and DEA began investigating a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization that shipped pounds and pounds of fentanyl and methamphetamine to EDNC in early 2024. ATF purchased multiple pounds of methamphetamine and fentanyl from this organization during this investigation. In 2024, Inmate Henderson acted as a courier for the drug trafficking organization, met up with an individual in a parking lot of a Mexican restaurant in New Bern, NC, and delivered a duffle bag of 10.7 pounds of methamphetamine, packaged in bricks. Inmate Henderson’s co-defendant, Fortunato Beltran, set up the delivery of the methamphetamine and for multiple other drug drops involving fentanyl and meth. Inmate Henderson had multiple previous convictions for drug distribution in North Carolina.
“Cartels spread evil and destroy communities. Pay attention: working as a part-time drug mule for a cartel gets you over 20 years. Be smarter than that. Drugs kill kids.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.
W. 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. The ATF and DEA investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley J. Avera and Special Assistant United States Attorney Alison N. Lester 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. 5:24-CR-71-M-4.
Department of Justice Proposes Rule to More Quickly Achieve Justice in State Death Penalty CasesRead the Press Release
Attorney General Pamela Bondi today announced that the Justice Department has proposed a rule that will empower states to streamline federal habeas review of capital cases. These reforms will reduce by years the period between conviction and execution in state capital cases.
“This proposed rule will help states achieve the promise of swift and effective justice for victims of capital crimes,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We are fulfilling the Department of Justice’s commitment to restoring the death penalty as the ultimate punishment for the worst criminals in America.”
In Chapter 154 of Title 28 of the United States Code, Congress established an accelerated process for the review of federal habeas petitions arising from State capital cases, which otherwise can languish for years at various stages of federal adjudication. The expedited process is available to states that the Attorney General has certified as having established a postconviction capital counsel process including the appointment, compensation, and payment of reasonable litigation expenses of competent counsel.
Since the law’s enactment in 1996, and amendment in 2006, no state has taken advantage of these streamlined procedures—in large part due to the Department’s imposition of additional and heightened barriers on certification. The proposed rule, once finalized, will eliminate these obstacles to certification, enabling more prompt decision of States’ requests for certification. It also will make certification decisions final as opposed to a five-year limited term—a reform that should encourage more states to apply for certification.
The proposed rule advances President Trump’s January 20 executive order Restoring the Death Penalty and Promoting Public Safety and its mandate to ensure that the laws that authorize capital punishment are respected and faithfully implemented and Attorney General Bondi’s promise in her February memorandum Reviving the Federal Death Penalty and Lifting the Moratorium on Federal Executions to assist States in prosecuting capital crimes and implementing death sentences.
The public is invited to participate in this rulemaking by submitting written data, views, or arguments on all aspects of this rule through the methods outlined in the Federal Register notice.
Criminal Alien Sexual Predator from Mexico Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the CountryRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – Marco Olavarrieta-Beranza, also known as “Marco Leonardo Olavarrieta,” 45, of Mexico, was sentenced to twenty-seven months in federal prison after pleading guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This criminal alien sexual predator is precisely the intended target of Operation Take Back America, which was launched by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to repel the invasion of illegal aliens who have threatened the safety of our communities for the past several years. This successful prosecution will ensure this criminal alien spends time in federal prison before being swiftly deported, and thanks to President Trump securing our border we will ensure he stays out of our country for good.”
According to court records, the defendant was deported from the United States in 2019 after being convicted of sexual abuse of a minor under the age of twelve and attempted sexual abuse of a minor under the age of fourteen. Due to these convictions, he was permanently barred from reentering the United States. He illegally returned to the United States and was found in Escambia County, Florida, in November 2025.
Deportation proceedings against him will commence following the conclusion of serving his federal sentence.
“Illegal reentry after deportation, especially by someone convicted of sex crimes, is a grave violation of U.S. law and a direct threat to community safety,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Miami acting Field Office Director Kelei Walker. “It undermines the integrity of the immigration system and places vulnerable populations at risk. Vigorous enforcement of immigration laws, including prosecution for illegal reentry, is essential to deter future violations and to ensure that those who endanger the safety of others are not allowed to remain in the United States.”
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorney Brooke DiSalvo is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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.
Court Revokes Citizenship of Fraudster After $3.8 Million COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Haitian-born fraudster has been stripped of his U.S. citizenship after defrauding COVID-19 relief programs of millions of dollars and concealing his criminal conduct during the naturalization process.
U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith entered an order revoking the citizenship of Joff Stenn Wroy Philossaint, 25, of Fort Lauderdale, after determining that Philossaint illegally procured his citizenship by making false statements to immigration officials.
“United States citizenship is one of the greatest privileges our nation can offer, and it must be earned honestly,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This defendant built his path to citizenship on false statements while stealing millions from programs meant to keep small businesses alive during the pandemic. The court’s order revoking his citizenship restores accountability and reinforces a simple principle: if you lie to obtain immigration benefits and commit federal crimes, you will lose what you unlawfully gained.”
Between April 2020 and May 2021, Philossaint fraudulently obtained COVID-19 relief funds through companies he owned or controlled and by preparing loan applications for others in exchange for kickbacks. The applications contained materially false representations about the applicants’ revenues and payroll.
In total, Philossaint and his co-conspirators prepared and submitted 40 fraudulent loan applications, obtaining approximately $3.8 million in loan proceeds. Philossaint personally received approximately $549,000 through the scheme in the form of loan proceeds and kickbacks.
Before beginning the scheme, Philossaint applied for U.S. citizenship in February 2020. During a sworn naturalization interview on Dec. 15, 2020, Philossaint concealed his involvement in the fraud scheme and falsely denied committing crimes or making misrepresentations to obtain public benefits in the U.S. These false statements allowed Philossaint to unlawfully obtain U.S. citizenship on Feb. 9, 2021.
On Sept. 8, 2022, Philossaint was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of conspiracy to launder money, and unlawful procurement of citizenship. Philossaint later pleaded guilty to the three conspiracy charges, and a jury found him guilty of obtaining citizenship contrary to law.
On June 26, 2023, Philossaint was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison. On Feb. 23, the court granted a motion filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and entered an order revoking Philossaint’s U.S. citizenship.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones; Acting Special Agent in Charge, Jason Xerri , U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Eastern Region; Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Ronald A. Loecker of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Florida Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami made the announcement.
SBA OIG, Investigations Division’s Eastern Region; USSS Miami; FBI Miami; IRS-CI, Florida Field Office; and HSI Miami investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marc Osborne and Shannon O’Shea Darsch prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 25-cr-60161.
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Charleston County School Board Member Indicted for Bribery and COVID FraudRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Charleston returned a five-count indictment, presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, charging Kevin Dion Hollinshead, 64, of North Charleston, for accepting a bribe in exchange for his influence and official action as a Charleston County School District Trustee and for wire fraud and bank fraud related to COVID relief loans.
The indictment alleges that Hollinshead accepted a bribe in exchange for his support of a construction company’s pursuit of an appeal arising from a failed bid for a construction project. Specifically, the indictment alleges that Hollinshead encouraged an executive from the construction company to hire a consultant to assist them in navigating the appeal process. The consultant agreed to kickback a portion of his consulting fee from the construction company to Hollinshead. Moreover, Hollinshead, knowing that the consultant intended to pay him a kickback from his consulting fee, used his official position as a member of the Charleston County School District’s Board of Trustees to influence the appeal process in favor of the construction company.
The indictment a further alleges that in 2020 and 2021, Hollinshead applied for two loans through the pandemic relief programs that were administered by the Small Business Administration. In addition to including false information in the loan applications related to his business’ revenues and employment figures, Hollinshead used the loan proceeds for non-qualifying, personal expenses such as a medical procedure at a clinic in Mexico.
“As alleged, Hollinshead used his position and influence as a school board member for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “Our office will continue to hold elected officials who violate the public trust accountable, particularly when that trust involves the well-being of our children’s education.”
Hollinshead faces a maximum penalty of 30 years' imprisonment, supervised release for three years, and a $1 million fine. Hollinshead is scheduled to appear before the Honorable Molly H. Cherry, United States Magistrate Judge, on March 18 in Charleston.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Whit Sowards and Emily Limehouse are 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.###
CEO and Consultant Plead Guilty to Creating False Books and RecordsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that CHRISTOPHER B. FERGUSON and BRIAN MCFADDEN pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon to falsification of books, records, and accounts for causing the submission of falsified records from Edison Nation, Inc.—a publicly traded diversified consumer products business for which FERGUSON was the CEO and chairman and MCFADDEN was a consultant—in response to an inquiry from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). FERGUSON pled guilty on January 28, 2026, and MCFADDEN pled guilty on March 16, 2026.
“Edison Nation claimed to have over $10 million in orders,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “When FINRA, a self-regulatory organization important to ensuring the integrity of our securities markets, requested documentation to support that, CEO Christopher Ferguson and consultant Brian McFadden caused the company to submit falsified documents. There is no place for that conduct in our markets.”
According to the charging instruments, plea agreements, and statements made in court:
FERGUSON and MCFADDEN caused the submission to FINRA of falsified records related to purchase orders purportedly received by Edison Nation, where FERGUSON was the CEO and MCFADDEN was a consultant. Following the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, Edison Nation expanded its business to include products that were in high demand such as hand sanitizer and face masks. On April 16, 2020, Edison Nation issued a press release announcing that it had “received over $10 million in orders for the purchase of personal protective equipment.”
Although the defendants had discussed a $9 million hand sanitizer purchase with a potential buyer earlier that month, two days before the issuance of the above-mentioned press release, that buyer notified Edison Nation that it was unable to proceed with the transaction. As a result, when the press release was issued, Edison Nation did not, in fact, have “over $10 million in orders.”
On April 23, 2020, about a week after the press release was issued, FINRA requested copies of the purchase orders supporting the “$10 million in orders” referenced in the press release. Thereafter, MCFADDEN asked a business associate at another company to create a $9 million backdated purchase order for hand sanitizer. In response, that other company provided MCFADDEN with the requested purchase order, backdated to April 12, 2020—before the press release was issued. That purchase order did not reflect a true order.
On April 28, 2020, the defendants knowingly caused the submission to FINRA of the backdated purchase order, along with a spreadsheet falsely listing the backdated purchase order as having been received on April 12, 2020. Then, on May 6, 2020, the defendants knowingly caused the submission to FINRA of an email that contained false and misleading statements about the backdated purchase order.
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FERGUSON, 57, of Fishers, Indiana, and MCFADDEN, 40, of Safety Harbor, Florida, pled guilty to one count of falsification of books, records, and accounts, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas W. Chiuchiolo, Maggie Lynaugh, and Samuel P. Rothschild are in charge of the prosecution.
Burlington Tax Return Preparer Sentenced in Connection with Million Dollar Tax Refund SchemeRead the Press Release
Greensboro, N.C. – A Burlington woman was sentenced to 25 months of imprisonment, and one year of supervised release in connection with her preparation of false tax returns, announced United States Attorney Dan Bishop of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC).
Tracey Hernandez, 39, pled guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return on September 5, 2025. The court also ordered Hernandez to pay restitution totaling $2,106,281.
According to court documents, agents with the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division (“IRS-CI”) began investigating Hernandez for preparing and filing IRS false income tax returns for her clients. Hernandez acted as a “ghost preparer,” meaning she did not sign her name on the returns she prepared for clients. IRS data shows that Hernandez prepared and filed over 200 false Forms 1040, United States Individual Income Tax Returns for calendar years 2021 and 2022. The false returns reported, among other things, fraudulent education expenses and refundable education credits, as well as fraudulent Schedule Cs (Profit or Loss from Business) and credits for sick and family leave for certain self-employed individuals.
IRS-CI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Waid of the Middle District of North Carolina is prosecuting the case.
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Bridgeport Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for 2 Gunpoint Robberies in BridgeportRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DERRICK RIVERA, 22, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 144 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release for committing two armed robberies of Bridgeport businesses in 2022.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 11, 2022, Rivera, brandishing a firearm, entered a barbershop located on Wood Avenue in Bridgeport. Rivera then robbed an employee and two customers of cash and fled the barbershop.
On November 25, 2022, Rivera robbed a restaurant located on Wade Street in Bridgeport. During the robbery, Rivera pointed a firearm at the owner, who was behind the register, and demanded cash. Rivera reached across the counter, grabbed the cash and, while fleeing, fired twice in the direction of the owner and other employees. One of the bullets passed through the digital display of the cash register. Shattered pieces of glass and plastic from the register and a shell casing caused injuries to the owner’s face, eye, hand, and stomach.
In a victim impact statement, the restaurant owner stated that the trauma he suffers from the robbery and shooting forced him to sell the restaurant.
Rivera has been detained since his arrest on November 25, 2023. On October 23, 2025, he pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery) and one count of carrying, using, and count of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
This matter was investigated by the Bridgeport Police Department, the Stratford Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.
Bradenton Woman Sentenced for Passport Fraud and Theft Related to Government FundsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida– U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland has sentenced Jane Doe (69, Bradenton), a/k/a Rosario Alaniz, to 15 months in federal prison for passport fraud, Social Security fraud, wire fraud, and theft of government funds. The court also ordered restitution in the amount of $184,904.75. Doe pleaded guilty in December 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, Doe fraudulently obtained a United States passport. Using this fraudulent identity, Doe received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from the Department of Agriculture, as well as benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) through disability insurance benefits. Doe failed to disclose employment and fraudulently secured payments when either no payment was due or in a greater amount than authorized. Doe has received government benefits of approximately $184,904.75.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), the Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne C. Nebesky.
Box Elder man pleads guilty to manslaughter chargesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Box Elder man accused of stabbing another man on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation admitted to charges today, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
The defendant, Trent Justin Taylor, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter, which carries a penalty of eight years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for July 16, 2026. Taylor was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on the evening of December 27, 2025, John Doe and his family planned to leave their house while Taylor and others stayed behind. While Doe was in the process of departing, an altercation ensued between Taylor and his girlfriend. Taylor became agitated and punched a hole in the wall, then declared he was going to kill himself. Doe told Taylor he would not allow Taylor to do that and followed Taylor into the kitchen.
Taylor grabbed a kitchen knife and pointed it at his chest. Doe tried unsuccessfully to wrestle the knife away from him. While Doe and Taylor fought for control over the knife, Doe suffered a stab wound to his chest. According to a witness, both Doe’s hands and Taylor’s hands were on the handle of the knife when the stabbing occurred. Witnesses at the scene immediately attempted to perform life-saving measures, but Doe was pronounced dead at the Northern Montana Hospital. An autopsy confirmed Doe died as a result of the stab wound to his chest.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Chippewa Cree Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.
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Bettendorf Man Sent Back to Federal Prison for over 18 Years for Second Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Bettendorf man was sentenced on March 17, 2026, to 200 months in federal prison for receipt of child pornography and 24 months in federal prison for revocation of his supervised release.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Jacob Lawson Bertrand, 35, was on federal supervised release for a 2016 conviction for possession of child pornography. In October 2024, Bertrand was found to have an unauthorized cell phone while residing at a Davenport residential reentry center. A forensic examination of Bertrand’s phone showed that he used the device to receive, view, and possess more than 3000 images and 600 videos containing child sexual abuse material. Bertrand also had social media accounts which he used to talk to minors and had not reported to the Iowa Sex Offender Registry as required.
At sentencing, the Court also found Bertrand violated the terms of his federal supervised release. In 2016, Bertrand was sentenced to a 78-month term of imprisonment for possession of child pornography in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. He was released from prison in April 2021. In April 2022 and January 2024, Bertrand’s supervised release was revoked. Bertrand’s most recent term of supervised release began in June 2024.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Bertrand will be required to serve a ten-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Bertrand was also ordered to pay $72,000 in restitution.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Scott County Sheriff's Office investigated the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Australian National Arrested on Criminal Complaint Charging Him with Assaulting Federal Officer at Los Angeles International AirportRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An Australian national has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging him with assaulting a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the Justice Department announced today.
Thomas Jesse Bingham, 35, of Melbourne, Australia, is charged with assault on a federal officer. He was arrested Monday at LAX and is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to the complaint and affidavit, on March 15, the victim – an on-duty, uniformed TSA officer – was leaving a restroom located in the sterile area connector between Terminals 6 and 7 at LAX. Upon exiting, Bingham – who was then booked on a flight from Los Angeles to Las Vegas – approached the victim and accused him of taking his backpack and passport. Bingham then forcibly assaulted the victim by grabbing the victim’s uniform, pulling the victim’s TSA identification lanyard off his neck, grabbing and pulling the victim’s hair, and pushing him into a glass wall.
The victim later reported experiencing pain in his hand and back and sought medical evaluation.
Airport police arrested Bingham, whose carry-on bag and passport were later located at a restaurant in Terminal 7 that he previously visited.
Bingham later was released from custody and on Monday was arrested at LAX prior to boarding a flight to the United Kingdom.
A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Bingham would face up to eight years in federal prison.
TSA Office of Law Enforcement / Investigations is investigating this matter with assistance from the Los Angeles Airport Police.
Assistant United States Attorney Eric L. Mackie of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
Arcadia Felon Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a Loaded FirearmRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – Esteban Garcia-Gutierrez (31, Arcadia) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell to six years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, on April 17, 2025, a trooper with the Florida Highway Patrol conducted a routine traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by Garcia-Gutierrez. During the traffic stop, the trooper observed Garcia-Gutierrez—a multi-time convicted felon—unlawfully possessing a loaded .45 caliber pistol, which was seized. Garcia-Gutierrez’s prior criminal history includes convictions and state prison sentences for aggravated battery and felony battery. As a convicted felon he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon Eth.
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).
Another Sentence and Guilty Plea in Mexican-Based Drug Trafficking Ring Involving over 12,900 Pounds of Methamphetamine and 22 DefendantsRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — One defendant was sentenced and one pleaded guilty Monday in an investigation named “Operation Toxic Waste” that involved 22 defendants, 12,900 pounds of methamphetamine, and multiple firearms, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
Sergio Pena, 32, of La Puente, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 15 years and eight months in prison for trafficking firearms and methamphetamine. Also, Ruben Saenz, 38, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Saenz is scheduled to be sentenced on July 13, 2026. He faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison. Sergio Pena pleaded guilty on April 21, 2026.
According to court documents, Operation Toxic Waste was an investigation into a sophisticated drug trafficking ring that resulted in the seizure of over 12,900 pounds of methamphetamine, over 50 pounds of a fentanyl mixture, 39 pounds of cocaine, and 22 pounds of heroin. The drug trafficking organization smuggled methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in portable projectors and batteries, under the guise of a legitimate transportation business. The organization also hid thousands of pounds of methamphetamine inside semi-trucks and hundreds of pounds of liquid methamphetamine in the gas tanks of cars driven across the border. The Mexico-based organization monitored the narcotics using GPS tracking devices hidden with the smuggled drugs.
During the conspiracy, Saenz transported thousands of pounds of methamphetamine in a rented moving truck. In September 2023, officers pulled him over after he left a warehouse in Ontario, California, in a moving truck. Officers found more than 4,700 pounds of methamphetamine inside the truck.
Meanwhile, Pena joined the drug trafficking organization in March 2023. He was a U.S.-based reseller of the organization’s methamphetamine. He mailed and sold large amounts of methamphetamine that had been imported from Mexico. During the period under investigation, he also sold more than a dozen firearms and a machine gun conversion device.
In total, 22 individuals have been charged as part of the drug trafficking conspiracy. In addition to Pena and Saenz, the following ten defendants have either been sentenced or have pleaded guilty and await sentencing:
- Jose Nunez, 44, of Lancaster, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. On Aug. 25, 2025, he was sentenced to 21 years and 10 months in prison.
- Jesus Perez Garcia Jr., 26, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. On Aug. 25, 2025, he was sentenced to 19 years and seven months in prison.
- Adolfo Montiel, 47, of Lancaster, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. On March 31, 2025, he was sentenced to 16 years and four months in prison.
- Calvin Guntetong, 28, of North Hollywood, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. On July 28, 2025, he was sentenced to seven years and one month in prison.
- Jesus Rafael Ulloa Vallejo, 27, of North Hills, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On Jan. 12, 2026, he was sentenced to four years and three months in prison.
- Jacklyn Saenz, 35, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. On Oct. 20, 2025, she was sentenced to three years and five months in prison.
- Luz Maria Cobrera Salazar, 43, of Mexico, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. On March 31, 2025, she was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.
- Allen Khamtrashyan, 30, pleaded guilty on Sept. 23, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 29, 2026, and faces up to 20 years in prison.
- Christian Jair Sanchez Rodriguez pleaded guilty on Feb. 9, 2026, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 11, 2026, and faces up to 20 years in prison.
- Emily Vela, 25, of Van Nuys, pleaded guilty on June 23, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. She is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18, 2026, and faces up to 20 years in prison.
Charges are pending against the remaining defendants, who face varying maximum sentences of between 20 years and up to life in prison. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. And as to defendants who await sentencing, their sentences will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio and Cody S. Chapple are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.) a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.
This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Anchorage doctor sentenced to prison in multi-million-dollar health care, tax fraud schemesRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage doctor was sentenced today to six and a half years in prison for executing a $12.5 million health care fraud scheme and evading over $4 million in taxes on the profits of their 15-year scheme. Her husband and co-defendant was sentenced to three years’ probation, with two years to be served in home confinement for his role in the fraudulent scheme.
According to court documents, since 2005, Dr. Claribel Tan, 61, and her husband, Daniel Tan, 70, operated a rheumatology medical clinic in Anchorage. Dr. Tan specialized in the treatment of autoimmune and musculoskeletal diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and psoriatic arthritis, and prescribed injectable medications to treat those conditions. These conditions are often chronic, degenerative and irreversible, but certain medicines can slow or arrest the progression of such diseases. Mr. Tan performed office and management work for the clinic. As part of their scheme, the Tans deceived their patients about the kinds and doses of medications Dr. Tan administered through injections in the office, and fraudulently billed health insurance plans for reimbursement of medications that the Tans did not purchase or administer to patients.
Beginning in 2009 and continuing through 2024, Dr. Tan routinely and surreptitiously underdosed patients, injected them with free samples or a different medication than prescribed, injected them with expired medication, and injected them with medications purchased by other patients. Covert video recordings of Dr. Tan treating two of her patients confirmed her deceit.
The Tans then knowingly billed insurance plans as if Dr. Tan had provided a proper injection to each patient. Specifically, the Tans claimed to have administered 4,829 units of the medications to patients, and billed the insurance plans for that amount, despite only purchasing 369 units of medication.
Mr. Tan helped execute the scheme in part by creating and submitting fraudulent insurance claims and ordering insufficient medication for the clinic. The Tans also made false statements about the length of Dr. Tan’s office visits with her patients and submitted fraudulent claims to insurance plans for services that Dr. Tan never provided. The Tans’ fraud scheme created significant health risks to the patients and caused a loss of over $12.5 to more than 10 insurance plans.
In July 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant on the clinic, uncovering stockpiles of expired medications prescribed to patients for at-home use, free samples clearly marked as not for sale, and improperly stored and reconstituted syringes of medications. Some of the expired medications, pictured below, were intermingled with other medication stored at the clinic.
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Alaska; U.S. vs Tan et al, Case #: 3:24-cr-00072Following the search warrant execution, the Tans appeared to temporarily begin purchasing all the medications they billed insurance companies for. In 2021, they reverted to fraudulent billing practices, continuing the scheme until they were indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2024.
The Tans also created false tax records to conceal the health care fraud scheme. The Tans knew that the clinic had not purchased the quantity of medications that they billed insurance plans for, and they fraudulently overstated the clinic’s expenses on the clinic’s tax returns for 2014, 2015, and 2017, allowing them to falsely underreport the clinic’s income. From 2018 to 2021, the Tans willfully failed to file tax returns for the clinic. The Tans’ tax fraud scheme caused a loss of over $4.2 million to the IRS.
In November 2025, the Tans both pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud and one count of tax evasion.
In 2024 and 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office seized approximately $10.4 million in health care fraud proceeds from the Tans. At sentencing, the Court ordered Dr. Tan to serve three years on supervised release following the completion of her custodial sentence, as well as the scheduling of a separate hearing to determine restitution. As part of their plea agreements, the Tans agreed to forfeit the seized funds to the U.S. The Tans also submitted today a $6.3 million payment towards their future restitution judgment. The Tans further paid the U.S. an additional $1.8 million to settle civil claims under the False Claims Act arising from the health care fraud scheme. Dr. Tan has also surrendered her medical license.
More information about the case is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ak/united-states-v-tan-et-al. Victims who believe they may be entitled to restitution can email [email protected] for more information.
“For well over a decade, Dr. Tan and her husband operated a fraud scheme and squirreled away millions of dollars at the expense of their patients, callously disregarding the medical needs of those suffering from debilitating diseases so they could become rich,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “Finally, their dangerous deceit is over. Law enforcement seized their fraudulent retirement plan, and Dr. Tan will be spending years in federal prison. I want to thank our attorneys and incredible law enforcement partners for diligently seeking justice in this case.”
“For over 15 years, the Tans deceived unsuspecting patients seeking treatment for debilitating diseases while exploiting the TRICARE program for personal gain,” said John Helsing, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s Western Field Office. “As the investigative arm of the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General, DCIS remains fully committed to holding accountable those who defraud TRICARE and endanger our nation’s warfighters, retirees, and their family members who rely on this program for care.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Tan didn’t just steal from the government or the healthcare system; they let their patients suffer from treatable diseases for financial gain,” said Carrie Nordyke, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “This ruling speaks to the human cost of fraud and our duty to hold criminals accountable for it.”
The DCIS Western Field Office and IRS Criminal Investigation Seattle Division led the investigation, with assistance from the FBI Anchorage Field Office, Defense Contract Audit Agency, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General Criminal Investigations Division, Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration, Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General and State of Alaska Division of Insurance Investigation Unit.
Trial Attorney Dominick Giovanniello of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Beausang and Bill Reed of the District of Alaska prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackie Traini of the District of Alaska led the civil fraud investigation.
UPDATE: This release has been updated to include OPM OIG as an investigating agency.
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Monday 16 March 2026
Young Offender Sentenced to over 10 Years in Federal Prison for Armed CarjackingRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Martavious Wilson, 20, of Memphis, has been sentenced to federal prison for a 2024 armed carjacking. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant, for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentencing today.
According to court documents, on November 9, 2024, Wilson carjacked and robbed a victim at 850 South Third Street while she was putting air in her tire. Wilson, along with another male, approached the victim and pointed a firearm at her, demanding the keys to her car. They struck the victim over the head with a firearm and drove off with her 2019 Toyota Highlander. Wilson was captured by Memphis police officers after crashing into a utility pole while fleeing from police.
Wilson faced a mandatory minimum sentence for brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. On March 10, 2026, U.S. District Court Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Wilson to 130 months' imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "This young offender not only injured and terrorized an innocent victim, but he has also senselessly wasted his own future by committing a violent carjacking. There is a heavy price to pay for a lifestyle of lawlessness, and Wilson will now pay that price with over a decade in a federal prison."
The Memphis Police Department’s Safe Streets Task Force investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Jermal Blanchard prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
York Man Charged with Possessing Guns as A FelonRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Matthew Bair, age 36, of Windsor, Pennsylvania, was indicted on March 4, 2026, by a federal grand jury for unlawfully possessing firearms as a previously convicted felon.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Bair unlawfully possessed an Aero Precision rifle and a Ruger pistol on February 28, 2025, in York County.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 15 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Venezuelan National Convicted of Assaulting Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Robert Antonio Bastardo Llovera, a Venezuelan national residing illegally in the U.S., was sentenced in federal court today to eight months and two days in custody for assaulting a federal officer near Mission Bay.
Bastardo pleaded guilty March 3, 2026, admitting that on July 15, 2025, he assaulted an Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation officer by biting him on the forearm.
During his arrest for an immigration violation, Bastardo engaged in a five-minute struggle with federal officers culminating in the bite. Bastardo was living in the United States without legal immigration status and was ordered removed by an Immigration Judge on June 10, 2025, after failing to appear for court.
“Our office will continue to prioritize the protection of federal officers engaged in their lawful duties,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon.
“Assaulting a federal law enforcement officer is a serious offense and any actions that put agents and officers at risk will not be tolerated,” said Kevin Murphy, acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego. “We will continue to hold all individuals who assault law enforcement or interfere with investigations and operations fully accountable.” This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel F. Casillas and Loren G. Renner.
DEFENDANT Case Number 25-cr-3017-H
Robert Antonio Bastardo Llovera Age: 32 San Diego, California
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Assault on a Federal Officer – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 111(a) and (b)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
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 San Diego comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals, Department of Defense, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Interpol, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
Uruguayan fugitive arrives in the United States to face charges of laundering proceeds of his drug-trafficking organizationRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An alleged cocaine trafficker from Uruguay made an initial appearance in federal court in Alexandria today on charges relating to his alleged role in a money laundering conspiracy.
As alleged in court documents, Uruguayan national Sebastian Enrique Marset Cabrera, 34, is the leader of a large-scale drug trafficking organization that distributed thousands of kilograms of cocaine, including as many as 10 tons at a time, from South America typically to Europe. The Marset drug trafficking organization allegedly traffics cocaine in Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, and elsewhere.
Marset’s close associate, Federico Ezequiel Santoro Vassallo, aka Capitan, was a Paraguay-based transnational money launderer for drug-trafficking organizations and facilitated the movement of millions of dollars of drug proceeds from various countries in Europe to South America and elsewhere. Santoro and his co-conspirators arranged for the collection of narcotics proceeds and utilized couriers and tokens to covertly deliver bulk illicit currency, typically in euros. Santoro’s co-conspirators specialized in placing the illicit currency into the global banking system. He then would direct the movement of the funds internationally, usually via bank wire transfer. Santoro typically directed that the funds be delivered in U.S. dollars and a correspondent bank in the United States would facilitate the transaction.
Santoro and, allegedly, Marset threatened violence to protect their drug-trafficking and money laundering activities.
In January 2021, Marset allegedly was owed more than €17 million from the proceeds of a single shipment of cocaine. Santoro arranged the collection and laundering of at least €5 million of those funds, the vast majority of which was laundered using the U.S. banking system.
Santoro pled guilty on May 21, 2025, and was sentenced on July 23, 2025, to 15 years in prison.
If convicted, Marset faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony T. Aminoff and Catherine Rosenberg are prosecuting the case.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit investigated this case. Significant assistance was provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, U.S. Embassy in Bolivia, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) and Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), Bolivian Minister of Government, Bolivian National Police National Intelligence Unit, DEA New York Task Force, DEA Airwing, DEA Country Offices in South America including Lima, Bogota, Buenos Aires, Asunción, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and Europol.
In coordination with the Department of Justice, the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs announced in May 2025 a reward of up to $2 million under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP) for information leading to Marset’s arrest and/or conviction. This was in addition to a $100,000 reward in Bolivia announced in 2023.
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. 1:23-cr-143.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
marset_superseding_indictment_189113257979.pdf
AttachmentsU.S. Attorney’s Office Honors Law Enforcement Partners for Outstanding Investigative WorkRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Federal, state, and local law enforcement investigations that ultimately led to successful outcomes throughout 2025 were recognized at the U.S. Attorney Office’s (USAO) Law Enforcement Awards ceremony held recently.
“Here in our Northern District of Ohio, we have unique relationship with our partners, and that’s not always the case in other regions,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “It is my honor to recognize these men and women whose diligent investigations allow us to prosecute dangerous criminals to the fullest extent of the law. Criminal investigators can face roadblocks and dead ends. But because of the persistence of these professionals, and their unwavering commitment to protect and help victims, our office can ensure that justice is served.”
The awards recognized outstanding criminal investigations based out of each of the four Northern District’s offices in Toledo, Cleveland, Akron, and Youngstown. These recognitions spanned a range of cases including Department of Justice (DOJ) mission critical areas such as child sexual exploitation, drug trafficking operations, ransomware, and cybercrime.
Akron/Canton Region
Agent of the Year: FBI Special Agent Pete Mauro
The award was given for exceptional performance in several child exploitation cases that resulted in significant sentences for multiple defendants who distributed, received, produced, and possessed child pornography, thus taking dangerous predators off the street.
Task Force Officer (TFO) of the Year: FBI TFO Heather Blohm Stover, of the Medway Drug Enforcement Agency
The award was given to a local law enforcement officer who is a designated member of the FBI Task Force for her exceptional performance in two cases which involved child sex abuse and several cases involving illegal drug trafficking and firearms.
Partnership of the Year: The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Operation Double Eagle
The award was given for exceptional performance in the takedown of an Akron drug trafficking operation that resulted in 17 indictments that charged thirty defendants with drug trafficking and firearms violations. Several defendants have already been sentenced to federal prison and other cases are still pending.
Cleveland Region
Agent of the Year: FBI Special Agent Jeff Kassouf
The award was given for exceptional performance in a multinational and extremely complex cybercrime investigation.
Task Force Officer of the Year: FBI TFO Craig Payne, of the Lorain Police Department
The award was given to a local law enforcement officer who is a designated member of the FBI Task Force for his exceptional performance in two drug trafficking investigations. One case resulted in criminal charges against 15 defendants of the Whitaker drug trafficking organization for possession with intent to distribute and distribution of controlled substances. The second case resulted in a sentence of 21 years in the Freddie Sanchez trial.
Partnership of the Year: FBI Special Agent Milan Kosanovich and FBI Special Agent Matt Richter
The award was given for exceptional performance in a cryptocurrency fraud investigation where the victim lost approximately $425,000. The investigation resulted in a (civil) forfeiture case in federal district court. In the case, the United States forfeited a total of $947,883 and the victim was able to obtain full recovery.
Toledo Region
Agent of the Year: FBI Special Agent Alexander Hunt
The award was given for exceptional performance in a child exploitation case that resulted in criminal charges for coercion and enticement, and for receipt and distribution of child pornography. The investigation also led to the arrest of at least eight other individuals for child exploitation related offenses across Northwest Ohio.
Task Force Officer of the Year: United States Secret Service (USSS) TFO Justin Craig, of the Ohio State Highway Patrol
The award was given to a local law enforcement officer who is a designated member of the USSS Task Force and was given for his exceptional performance in a child exploitation case that resulted in a receipt and distribution of child pornography criminal charge that carries a mandatory minimum of five years in prison up to a maximum of 20.
Partnership of the Year: Northwest Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force
The award was given for exceptional performance in the investigation of a child exploitation case that resulted in the receipt and production of child pornography criminal charges and a sentence of 360 years, as well as a state prosecution for hands-on sex offenses.
Youngstown Region
Agent of the Year: ATF Special Agent Jason Petaccio
and
Task Force Officer of the Year:
DEA TFO Michael Bender, of the Adult Parole Authority
These two awards were given for exceptional performance in the investigation of a fatal shooting that occurred in Warren, Ohio, in August of 2025. SA Petaccio and TFO Bender’s work resulted in the apprehension of multiple suspects and criminal charges that carry up to 15 years in prison.
Partnership of the Year: Homeland Security Investigations/Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force
The award was given for exceptional performance in a drug investigation that resulted in criminal charges of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance and a sentence of 23 years.
District Agency of the Year
United States Marshals Service (USMS)
Under the Leadership of U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott, the USMS received an award for outstanding collaboration with other law enforcement partners. The USMS leads the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF), which is comprised of seven divisions that include Cleveland, Lorain, Painesville, Akron, Canton, Youngstown, Richland, and Toledo. The NOVFTF finds and arrests dangerous fugitives in the Northern District of Ohio. In 2025, NOVFTF arrested 2,709 offenders, seized 106 firearms and over 3,400 rounds of ammunition, approximately $75,000, and over 7 kilograms of narcotics. In addition to apprehending fugitives, the USMS Missing Child Unit dedicates full-time investigators to locating missing and endangered youth. A dedicated team also locates and prosecutes sex offenders who fail to register as required.
Several regional agencies attended the recognition ceremony including:
- Akron Police Department
- University of Akron Police Department
- Adult Parole Authority
- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF)
- Barberton Police Department
- Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- FBI – Northweast Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force
- High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area-Youngstown
- U.S. Homeland Security Investigations
- Lorain Police Department
- Mahoning County Sheriff Office
- Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force
- Medway Drug Enforcement Agency
- Ohio State Highway Patrol
- Summit County Sheriff Office
- Toledo Police Department
- United States Marshal Service
U.S. Attorney Announces Additional Enforcement Action as Part of National Effort to Combat Electrical Stimulation Fraud Scheme and Recover MillionsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced the filing of a complaint under the False Claims Act in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. This is the latest action in the national investigation into the scheme of improper billing using the RST-Sanexas neoGEN-series electric stimulation device. Federal healthcare programs do not reimburse for electrical nerve stimulation treatments furnished in outpatient clinics to treat pain, nor do they cover vitamin injections used in conjunction with such treatments. As detailed below, this District and others have pursued and settled various False Claims Act cases against electrical stimulation providers, recovering millions.
The complaint is against Drs. Michael Glickert and Joseph Novof of St. Louis, Missouri, as well as their integrated chiropractic clinic, The Vanguard Clinic LLC, and Sanexas device distributorship, Fleur de Lis, LLC, alleging violations of the False Claims Act. As alleged in the complaint, Glickert is a chiropractor who helped develop the scheme for billing Sanexas treatment and vitamin injections to insurance and promoted that scheme nationwide. Novof is an emergency room physician who served as Medical Director for Vanguard, as well as two other Sanexas clinics, and distributed Sanexas devices nationwide.
Beginning in late 2018, Glickert promoted Sanexas treatment and vitamin injections as reimbursable by Medicare and provided coding instructions. But the United States alleges that Glickert knew that billing Medicare could be considered fraudulent. And despite later admitting in a federal complaint that their billing of Sanexas treatment and vitamin injections was not covered by Medicare, Glickert continued to bill Medicare. Meanwhile, Novof falsely certified that vitamin injections were medically necessary, despite not even knowing the ingredients in those injections.
“Our office continues to lead the national charge to hold alleged fraudsters accountable for improper Sanexas billing,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “We will continue working closely with our partners at CMS’s Center for Program Integrity, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Justice Department’s Civil Division, and sister U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country to pursue any other providers who inappropriately billed for these devices and caused false claims to be submitted.”
The ongoing national effort to identify and combat electrical stimulation billing fraud is a collaboration between this District, the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (“CMS”) Center for Program Integrity, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”), other federal healthcare programs, state partners, and sister U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country.
The cases in this District have been investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. They have been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Wolfish and Civil Chief Gregory B. David.
Prior DOJ press releases related to the Sanexas national initiative include:
- https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/two-doctors-and-their-medical-practice-pay-more-181000-resolve-false-claims-act
- https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/us-attorney-announces-two-additional-civil-settlements-part-national-effort-combat
- https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/us-attorney-announces-additional-civil-settlement-chiropractor-and-his-practice-part
- https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/rst-sanexas-inc-and-its-owners-agree-pay-15-million-resolve-allegations-they-caused
The investigation and pursuit of this matter illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud, including in the healthcare technology arena. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the FCA. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The claims above are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Two Wilmington Men Charged with Federal Fentanyl and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – Two Wilmington men were arrested March 10, 2026, for unlawfully possessing guns and over 400 grams of fentanyl.
According to court documents, Marcus Warren and Donavan McGriff, both 35, were the subjects of a drug investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the New Castle County Police Department (NCCPD).
On Tuesday, March 10, 2026, members of the DEA, NCCPD, and the Delaware State Police Special Operations Response Team executed search warrants for Warren and McGriff, their residences in Wilmington, and McGriff’s car. Both Warren and McGriff were occupants of the car at the time of the search. The car search revealed over 400 grams of fentanyl pills.
The search of Warren’s residence resulted in the recovery of approximately one kilogram of suspected fentanyl and three guns, including a privately made firearm or “ghost gun” with no serial number. The search of McGriff’s residence resulted in the recovery of an additional gun.
Warren is charged with possession with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. If convicted, Warren faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
McGriff is charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. If convicted, McGriff faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace and DEA Philadelphia Field Division Special Agent in Charge Thomas Hodnett made the announcement.
The DEA and NCCPD investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin B. Smith is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:26-mj-00120.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Two Men Sentenced to Consecutive Life Terms Plus 100 Years for Contract Killing of 17-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Lenard White (38), a/k/a “Len,” “Mike Williams,” and “Stick” and Sheldon Robinson (22), a/k/a “Poboy,” have each been sentenced by U.S. District Judge William Jung to two consecutive terms of life imprisonment, plus 100 years, for the 2023 murder of I.S. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
On October 29, 2025, a federal jury found both men guilty of all charges, including conspiracy to commit murder for hire, murder for hire, premeditated first degree murder, discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence which caused the death of I.S., discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, tampering with witnesses, and obstruction of justice.
According to evidence presented at trial, on February 6, 2023, I.S., a 17-year-old high school student and a member of her school’s tennis team and ROTC program, and her mother, L.P., reported to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office that I.S. had been sexually assaulted. The next day, Robinson came to their house and knocked on the door. When the door was opened, Robinson fired a barrage of gunshots at I.S. and L.P., killing I.S. The bullet that killed I.S. struck her in the back as she ran away from her front door for help. L.P. was struck several times but survived. L.P. collapsed on the ground and watched her daughter die.
The evidence showed the murder was orchestrated by White, the man who had sexually assaulted her, and who had left the state prior to her murder to give himself an alibi. His cousin, Robinson, committed the murder for $6,000.
The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, working alongside the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) immediately began investigating the case. After more than 70 federal and state search warrants, investigators obtained a step-by-step blueprint for how Robinson killed I.S., including the individuals that he had recruited to help him carry it out. Six months after I.S.’s murder, and as the investigation was unfolding, detectives from the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office and ATF agents executed a second search warrant in Robinson’s home. Buried in a wooded area behind his home, investigators recovered the gun Robinson used to murder I.S.
As the investigation continued, White and Robinson repeatedly attempted to hinder the investigation by disposing of evidence, tampering with witnesses, obstructing justice, and making false statements to law enforcement. The two also discussed plans of having another witness against them killed.
A third defendant, Keshawn Woods, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the murder of I.S. On January 13, 2026, Woods was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with substantial assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the State Attorney’s Office for the Fifth Judicial Circuit. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Diego F. Novaes and Samantha Newman.
Twice-Convicted Criminal Alien Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering the CountryRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – Jose Francisco Santizo-Perez, also known as “Jose Mynor Castillo Lazaro,” 41, a Guatemalan national, pleaded guilty in federal court to illegal reentry by a removed alien. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “For too long, criminal aliens have completely disregarded our nation’s borders and immigration laws, but President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi launched Operation Take Back America to repel the invasion of illegal immigration and keep our communities safe. With this successful prosecution, we are one step closer to achieving that goal, and we will continue to aggressively prosecute criminal aliens, like this defendant, who will come to realize we take the robust enforcement of our nation’s borders and laws seriously.”
Court documents reflect that the defendant has been deported from the United States four times and has twice been convicted of illegal reentry by a removed alien, first in 2018 in this district, and again in 2020 in the Western District of Texas. After his most recent deportation in 2021, he illegally returned to the United States and was found in Okaloosa County, Florida, in January 2026. He now faces up to ten years in prison followed by removal from the United States.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes is prosecuting the case.
Santizo-Perez’s sentencing is scheduled for May 18, 2026, at 11:00 am at the United States District Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
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.
Texas Woman Federally Charged with Trafficking over 500 Grams of Meth up I-35Read the Press Release
WACO, Texas – A Roma woman made her initial appearance in a federal court in Waco today after she was arrested for alleged drug trafficking, according to U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, on March 12, Julie Juarez was pulled over for speeding on Interstate 35 in Hill County by a Texas Highway Patrol trooper. The trooper allegedly observed numerous indicators of deception as well as inconsistent travel itinerary pertaining to Juarez’s trip to Dallas. A canine conducted a free air sniff around Juarez’s minivan and alerted to the odor of narcotics. A vehicle search allegedly resulted in the discovery of approximately 480 lbs. of methamphetamine and approximately 40 lbs. of heroin located in an aftermarket compartment.
A criminal complaint alleges Juarez picked up the narcotics in Mexico, crossed into Texas via the Roma Point of Entry, and was traveling to deliver the narcotics in Dallas.
Juarez is charged with possession with intent to deliver at least 500 grams of methamphetamine. If convicted, she faces a mandatory 10 years in federal prison with a maximum sentence of up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Smith-Burris is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Tallahassee Man Indicted for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Zachary Phillip Larson, 29, of Tallahassee, Florida, has been indicted in federal court on one count of distribution of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.
Larson appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for May 5, 2026, before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor.
If convicted, Larson faces a minimum of 5 years’ imprisonment, and up to 20 years’ imprisonment, on the distribution count and receipt counts. Larson also faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment on the possession count.
The case is being jointly investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Tallahassee Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.
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 was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Second Southern Colorado Funeral Home Operator Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal Prison After Pleading Guilty to Defrauding Grieving Families, COVID-19 FundsRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Carie Hallford, 49, of Colorado Springs was sentenced to 216 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and $1,070,413.74 in restitution after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Hallford, who owned and operated Return to Nature Funeral Home in Colorado Springs and Penrose with her then husband and codefendant, Jon Hallford, mishandled at least 190 bodies over four years and defrauded the Small Business Administration (SBA) through fraudulent COVID-19 loan applications. Jon Hallford was sentenced in June 2025 to 240 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $1,070,413.74 in restitution for his role in the conspiracy.
According to the plea agreement, from as early as September 2019 through October 2023, Hallford and her husband failed to cremate or bury at least 190 bodies, despite having collected more than $130,000 from grieving families for funeral services that were never provided. The defendants failed to provide the basic core service it promised to some of its customers, either a cremation or a burial, and continued to collect payment from victims for funeral services and goods.
The plea agreement further states that Carie Hallford handled much of the banking, invoicing, contracting with customers, filing of required paperwork, bookkeeping and communications with customers. Both defendants routinely prepared death certificates for the deceased and then filed those certificates with the State of Colorado’s Electronic Death Registry. On many of the death certificates for the bodies found at the Penrose location, the defendants falsely stated that the “method of disposition” was by either cremation or burial when in truth there was no disposition as the bodies were left decomposing at the Penrose location. To carry out and execute the above fraud scheme, the defendant and her husband worked together to cause multiple interstate wire communications to occur.
The plea agreement goes on to state that from March 2020 to March 2022, Hallford and her husband conspired to defraud the SBA by submitting loan applications containing false information to obtain COVID-19 relief funds. As a result of this fraud, they received three separate disbursements from the SBA, totaling $882,300. The funds were obtained through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, which was established to provide emergency support to businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On October 5, 2023, federal and state officials searched the Penrose location, where they discovered multiple decomposing human remains in hazardous conditions. The toxic environment posed serious health risks to first responders and the public, requiring hazmat suits and strict decontamination protocols. The EPA later condemned and demolished the building, classifying it as a toxic waste site.
“It takes an exceptionally sick person to even think of a fraud scheme like Jon and Carie Hallford’s, let alone carry it out. Their disregard for fundamental human dignity is almost beyond belief,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “I hope the victims take some solace in the serious sentences handed down to both Hallfords. This case doesn’t right the wrongs the victims have suffered, but it does stand as an unequivocal condemnation of the Hallfords’ horrific criminal conduct.”
"The defendant defrauded grieving families she agreed to serve while deceiving the federal government in order to obtain benefits meant to assist businesses during the pandemic,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski. “She denied families well deserved dignity and showed blatant disregard for government rules. She lied and exploited families and systems to enrich her lifestyle with absolutely zero regard for the great harm she caused to so many."
The District of Colorado’s U.S. Attorney’s Office heads one of five national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams, which is focused on combatting and preventing COVID-19 related financial fraud. The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed multiple instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
United States District Judge Nina Y. Wang presided over the hearing.
The FBI Denver Field Office and the United States Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Several other state and local law enforcement agencies including the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Colorado Springs Police Department, the El Paso County Coroner’s Office, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, and the Fremont County Coroner’s Office have made significant contributions to this case.
The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Tim Neff and Craig Fansler.
Case Number: 1:24-cr-00113-NYW
San Bernardino County Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Coercion and EnticementRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Barstow, Calif., man was sentenced today by United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro to 10 years in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release for enticing someone to allow him to engage in sexual acts with the person’s child. While on supervised release, the defendant will be required to undergo sex offender counseling, submit to polygraph testing, submit to computer monitoring, must receive approval before he may work, cannot have knowing contact with minors, and cannot go to or remain at places primarily used by or for children.
According to court documents, between March and May 2023, Clifford Robert Sanchez used Wickr, an online messaging application, as well as text messages and phone calls, to converse with someone he believed had a four-year-old daughter and attempted to arrange a meeting at which he would sexually abuse that child. He described the sex acts that he wished to perform on the child, and he purchased sexual abuse implements that he referred to as “little gifts.” Sanchez also sent child sexual abuse materials to the purported mother and later admitted to moderating a chat room in which child sexual abuse materials were traded. On May 2, 2023, Sanchez met the mother at a restaurant and law enforcement arrested him.
Sanchez pleaded guilty to one count of coercion and enticement. In addition to the prison sentence and supervised release, Sanchez was ordered to pay $41,000 in restitution.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement.
This case was investigated by HSI.
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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Repeat Drug Trafficker Sentenced to over 4 Years for Cocaine Distribution and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Travis L. Ingram, 38, Mosinee, Wisconsin, was sentenced on March 12, 2026, by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 52 months in federal prison for distributing cocaine, maintaining a drug trafficking premises, and money laundering. Ingram pleaded guilty to these charges on December 16, 2025.
During a two-year investigation, police informants purchased cocaine from Ingram on multiple occasions. At the end of the investigation, police seized over a pound of cocaine, a scale, and other evidence of drug dealing from Ingrams’s home pursuant to a search warrant. Further investigation revealed that Ingram laundered over $ 1 million in illegal drug proceeds during a six-year period through bank accounts and casinos.
At the sentencing, Judge Conley noted that Ingram dealt a substantial amount of cocaine in the Marathon County area. Judge Conley further emphasized that Ingram escalated his drug trafficking activities despite two prior convictions for the same crime. Judge Conley found it disturbing that Ingram conducted drug trafficking in front of minors.
The charges against Ingram were the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force comprised of agents from the FBI, Wisconsin State Patrol, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, Portage County Sheriff’s Office, Mountain Bay Police Department, Wausau Police Department and Wisconsin National Guard Counter Drug Program. The Marathon County District Attorney’s Office also assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case.
Federal prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice involving drugs and guns are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the U.S. Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Religious Liberty Commission Hosts Sixth Hearing on Religious Liberty in HealthcareRead the Press Release
Today, the Religious Liberty Commission (RLC) held a hearing to discuss religious freedom in healthcare. The hearing included panels with testimony from medical professionals, parents and students impacted by vaccine mandates, human trafficking survivors, and social services providers. The hearing’s objective was to understand the threats to religious liberties in the medical field from ethical and practical perspectives and identify opportunities to secure religious liberty in this context for the future.
“Today, President Trump's Religious Liberty Commission hearing focused on healthcare, including foster care and social work, and it featured heartbreaking testimony from ordinary Americans who courageously and compassionately stood up to tackle problems like homelessness, human trafficking, and drug addiction,” said Chairman Dan Patrick. “Yet, instead of receiving support from their government, they had their God-given religious liberty rights violated, were threatened with long jail sentences and were fired from their jobs. This hearing, yet again, highlighted the need for our Commission and its important work. Unsurprisingly, nearly all of these violations occurred in Democrat states during the Biden Administration. Later this year, the Commission will deliver strong recommendations to President Trump to ensure believers never have their religious liberty rights violated again, whether in healthcare or any other facet of American society.”The witnesses included:
Dr. Eithan Haim – Dr. Eithan Haim is a general surgeon and trauma surgeon at Hunt Regional Medical Center in Greenville, Texas. During his residency, Dr. Haim served as the anonymous whistleblower that exposed that Texas Children’s Hospital, the largest children’s hospital in the world, was concealing its pediatric transgender medicine program from the public. The Texas Attorney General’s office subsequently opened an investigation into Texas Children’s, with which Dr. Haim assisted in an official whistleblower capacity. Due to his whistleblowing, Dr. Haim was indicted by the Biden DOJ on four felony counts for allegedly violating HIPAA in what was largely seen as a weaponized prosecution. All charges were dismissed with prejudice in January 2025.
Kaley Chiles – Kaley Chiles is a licensed professional counselor practicing in Colorado Springs. She holds a master's degree in clinical mental health and provides talk therapy, specializing in clients dealing with addiction, trauma, sexuality, gender dysphoria, and other mental health concerns. Chiles identifies as a Christian and serves clients who often seek religiously informed care that aligns with traditional biblical understandings of sexuality and gender. Prior to the enactment of a 2019 Colorado law banning conversion therapy for minors, Chiles counseled clients, including minors, in accordance with their self-identified goals, which sometimes included diminishing same-sex attractions or aligning gender identity with biological sex. Since the law’s passage, Chiles has refrained from engaging in discussions with minors that she believes could be interpreted as conversion therapy and alleges that this has hampered her ability to provide full counseling services in line with her and her clients’ religious convictions.
Valerie Kloosterman – The third generation in her family to work in the Michigan health care system, Valerie Kloosterman served her community for 17 years with exemplary performance reviews. After requesting a religious accommodation in 2021 following mandatory diversity training—stating she could not affirm gender-related statements or participate in procedures that conflicted with her Christian beliefs—she was terminated. Valerie filed a federal lawsuit alleging religious discrimination. In 2025, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in her favor, strengthening protections for employees’ constitutional rights.
Dr. Aaron Kheriaty – Dr. Kheriaty is a physician specializing in psychiatry and author of five books. He is a Fellow & Director of the Program in Bioethics, Technology, and Human Flourishing at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. He was Professor of Psychiatry at University of California Irvine School of Medicine and Director of the Medical Ethics Program at UCI Health, where he chaired the ethics committee. He also chaired the ethics committee at the California Department of State Hospitals for several years. He was fired from the University of California after challenging the University's covid vaccine mandate in federal court. Dr. Kheriaty is also a plaintiff in the landmark free speech case Missouri v. Biden challenging government censorship on social media.
Nancy & Isabella Costine – Mother and daughter who have been barred from school for almost seven years because of the vaccine mandate
Ismail Royer – Ismail Royer serves as Director of the Islam and Religious Freedom Action Team for the Religious Freedom Institute. Since converting to Islam in 1992, he has studied religious sciences with traditional Islamic scholars and spent over a decade working at non-profit Islamic organizations. Royer has worked with nonprofits to promote peace between faiths. His writing has appeared in multiple publications and he co-authored an article on Islam on Religious Violence Today: Faith and Conflict in the Modern World.
Karen Amigon – Karen is an advocate for health rights, and for environmental issues affecting our communities today. She began her advocacy journey for health rights in 2019, and continued to build rapport with legislators about the issues that are important to her community. She has a love for empowering the Spanish speaking community of Los Angeles on what calls to action we can take for a better tomorrow.
Jean Marie Davis – Jean Marie Davis is the Executive Director of Branches Pregnancy Resource Center in Brattleboro, Vermont. She has overcome sex trafficking and is an advocate for those facing trafficking, homelessness, and unplanned pregnancy. She is the mother of a nine-year-old son whose life was saved with the help of a pregnancy center. She led Branches in challenging a Vermont law that allowed fines against pregnancy centers for advertising; the statute was later amended in May 2025 to remove provisions targeting such centers.
Sherrie Laurie – Sherrie Laurie is the Chief Executive Officer of the Downtown Hope Center, a religious non-profit in Anchorage, Alaska; it offers over 500 meals a day to those in need and serves as an overnight shelter for homeless women, most of whom are victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence. In January 2018, a biological man, who identifies as a woman, tried to gain overnight access to the women’s shelter. The shelter paid for the individual, visibly drunk and injured, to go to a nearby hospital. A few days later, the individual filed a complaint under Anchorage’s public accommodations law, but a federal court has twice ruled in favor of the Hope Center’s right to uphold its women-only overnight policy.
Pastor Brian & Kaitlyn Wuoti – Pastor Brian Wuoti and his wife, Katy, became licensed foster parents through the Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF) in 2014. Over the years, they fostered numerous children and adopted two brothers, growing their family to five children. Despite a strong record and positive evaluations, their foster license was revoked in April 2022 after they stated during a renewal process that, while they would love and care for any child, they could not affirm beliefs about sexuality that conflict with their Christian faith. In February 2026, Vermont finalized a new policy that will allow the Wuotis to once again qualify.
Bishop Salvatore Cordileone – Salvatore Cordileone is the Archbishop of San Francisco and a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth and also of its Committee for Canonical Affairs and Church Governance.
Dr. Kenneth Prager – Dr. Prager is Professor of Clinical Medicine, Director of Clinical Ethics and Chairman of the Medical Ethics Committee at Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Prager has been a pulmonologist for over 35 years. He is heavily involved in teaching pulmonology and medical ethics to medical students, house officers and nurses. His writings on medicine and medical ethics have appeared in medical journals and textbooks as well as on the Op-Ed pages of The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Dr. Prager is a regular guest lecturer in Israel for the Ben Gurion University MD Program in International Health and Medicine in collaboration with Columbia University Health Sciences. He has received honors for his teaching, clinical expertise, contributions to organ donation, and medical humanism.
Dr. Leslee Cochrane – Dr. Cochrane completed his medical education and residency training at the City of Faith Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is Board Certified in Family Medicine with a Certificate of Additional Qualification in Hospice and Palliative Medicine. He is a member of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the Christian Medical Association. In 2022, Dr. Cochrane joined a lawsuit against California in which the state agreed in a settlement to no longer force doctors to violate their religious beliefs by participating in physician-assisted suicide.
Dr. Susan Bane – Dr. Susan Bane is a board-certified physician who has practiced obstetrics and gynecology for over 28 years, including in private practice at Greenville Obstetrics and Gynecology and serving as a clinical professor at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. She is the founder and CEO of PinkGlasses Consulting, providing health care consulting with a life-affirming vision. After years of helping women deliver babies, she currently serves as the Medical Director for four pregnancy centers in North Carolina, where she oversees the medical aspects of the Centers and sees patients with unintended pregnancies. Dr. Bane serves on the Medical Board for Care Net and Board of Directors for The American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, AAPLOG, serving as the vice-chair and advocacy team leader, as well as the chair of Board of Directors for AAPLOG Action.
Abby Sinnett – Abby is a Board-Certified Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner and the Co-Founder and CEO of Bella Health + Wellness, a nonprofit Catholic healthcare clinic in Colorado that offers life-affirming, dignified healthcare to men, women, and children from all backgrounds and faith traditions. Bella’s OB-GYN practice offers progesterone to pregnant women at risk of miscarriage. When a Colorado law made it illegal for religious healthcare clinics to offer women progesterone for the purpose of treating threatened miscarriages caused by the first abortion pill, also known as abortion pill reversal, Bella Health + Wellness filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado to stop the state from targeting religious healthcare clinics that offer women care in accordance with their faith. The court found that Colorado likely violated Bella’s free exercise rights in three different ways.
Registered Sex Offender from Uxbridge Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Uxbridge man was sentenced on March 13, 2026 in federal court in Worcester for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Scott Morrill, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 10 years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release. In October 2025, Morrill pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. Morrill was arrested and charged in April 2025.
Morrill utilized a Google account to store hundreds of images of CSAM material. Google identified the use of their services to store CSAM and notified the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children. A subsequent investigation identified CSAM material stored both in the defendant’s Google account and on a computer that he possessed at his home.
At the time of the offense, Morrill was on federal supervised release for a 2013 conviction of distribution of child pornography, for which he was sentenced to five years in federal prison.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Uxbridge Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of the Worcester Branch Office 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.
Public Service Alert: Victim Identification in Gift Card Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Public Service Alert: Victim Identification in Gift Card Fraud Scheme
CONCORD – Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire are seeking to identify victims of a sophisticated gift card fraud scheme for potential restitution.
Foreign criminal organizations have stolen millions of dollars in gift cards through elder fraud, romance fraud, sextortion, gift card tampering, and network intrusions. They used these funds to buy high-end electronics and exported them abroad.
Who qualifies for restitution?
You may qualify for restitution if between Oct. 1, 2023, and Sept. 1, 2025, you:
• Had Apple gift card funds stolen;
• Were a victim of fraud or scams and paid scammers with Apple gift cards; or
• Had Apple gift cards that were used without your authorization.
How do I know if I’m a qualifying victim?
You can submit your information using our questionnaire here: Seeking Victim Information Gift Card Fraud Scheme
Your Apple gift card number will be cross referenced with Apple purchases known to be involved in this crime. If matched, HSI will contact you to request proof of purchase of the gift cards. Any identified victims can expect to be contacted within 30 days of the closing of this filing period, which will be open until May 15, 2026.
Do I have to live in New Hampshire to receive restitution?
No, victims in this case can be from anywhere in the U.S.
Any questions can be directed to [email protected].
To learn more about gift card fraud, visit: https://www.ice.gov/hsi/news/hsi-insider/tackling-gift-card-fraud
Portland Man Indicted for Posting Violent Threats OnlineRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— A federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment last Tuesday charging a Portland man with threatening an elected official and a minor victim online.
Travis William Juhr, 41, has been charged with transmitting interstate threats.
According to court documents, Juhr threatened an elected official in Nevada when he left a threatening voicemail and posted on his X account, “I hope you have your doors and windows locked. Because I love a challenge when hunting my PREY…” along with a photograph of the victim.
Additionally, Juhr threatened a minor victim because the victim attended a counter-protest to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The minor victim received several threatening messages from Juhr from different X accounts after the victim’s personal identifying information was posted online.
Juhr made his first appearance in federal court Friday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was arraigned and pleaded not guilty.
If convicted, Juhr faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
The FBI is investigating the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan G. Bodell is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pensacola Member of Outlaws Motorcycle Club Pleads Guilty to ArsonRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – Gregory E. Simonds Jr., 42, of Pensacola, pleaded guilty in federal court to the charge of arson by means of an explosive causing personal injury. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charge.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Targeting, prosecuting, and eliminating transnational criminal organizations, like the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, is one of the principal objectives of Operation Take Back America, which was launched by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to devote the full might of the Department of Justice toward keeping our communities safe from violent thugs like this defendant. With yet another successful prosecution under OpTBA, we are one step closer to that goal, and we will continue to aggressively these cases to deliver the safe streets our citizens deserve.”
Court documents reflect that on February 15, 2025, during an altercation with a group of individuals associated with the Pagans Motorcycle Club in the parking lot of Emerald Coast Harley Davidson on Beal Parkway in Fort Walton Beach, the defendant set off an explosive that damaged the adjacent Jimmy John’s restaurant building and injured one of its employees. Although the defendant drove away from the scene, he was quickly identified and arrested by law enforcement. In his car, officers recovered four more explosive devices, two guns, narcotics and drug paraphernalia, and an Outlaws Motorcycle Club vest that the defendant had been identified wearing during the incident. During a subsequent search of his residence, federal agents seized additional explosive devices, explosive making material and equipment, and other evidence that the defendant was making and selling explosives.
Simonds faces a mandatory minimum term of 7 years’ imprisonment, and up to a maximum term of 40 years’ imprisonment.
The case was the result of a joint investigation by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes.
Simonds’s sentencing is scheduled for June 30, 2026, at 9:00 am at the United States District Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
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.
Owners and CEO of Wholesale Pharmaceutical Company Sentenced for Distributing More Than $92M of Black-Market HIV DrugsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Two owners of a pharmaceutical wholesale company were sentenced Friday to a total of 38 years in prison for orchestrating a complex, nationwide drug diversion scheme that harmed vulnerable HIV-positive patients, placed countless others at risk, and corrupted the supply chain for prescription drugs in the United States.
“Patrick and Charles Boyd did not just commit fraud and cost taxpayers millions of dollars, they preyed upon some of the most vulnerable members of our society: HIV patients who depend on life-saving treatments to manage their disease,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Fraud schemes like this one undermine the integrity of our supply chain for necessary prescription drugs. These defendants will rightly spend years in prison for their reprehensible conduct, which took advantage of people for illicit profit. This case is another example of how the Criminal Division, our United States Attorney partner in the Southern District of Florida, and law enforcement will pursue and seek convictions of those who defraud our systems, endanger our citizens, and seek to line their pockets with fraud proceeds.”
“These defendants treated life-saving HIV medication like street contraband,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “They bought drugs off the street from black-market suppliers, shipped them in dirty boxes and discarded packaging, falsified paperwork, and pushed those medications back into the legitimate pharmaceutical supply chain. The consequences were real. HIV patients received bottles containing the wrong drugs, and at least one patient lost consciousness after ingesting medication that should never have been in that bottle. As a former military prosecutor, federal prosecutor, and trial judge, I have seen how greed can drive dangerous schemes. When criminals gamble with patient safety for profit, federal prison is the result.”
“Friday’s sentence underscores the extreme danger these defendants created,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS‑OIG). “They took life‑threatening actions that showed an alarming disregard for human life in service of nothing more than a payday. Their criminal scheme endangered vulnerable patients, put entire communities at risk, and undermined the integrity of Medicare and Medicaid. HHS‑OIG will continue working with our law enforcement partners — and using every tool in our arsenal — to pursue and dismantle illegal black‑market rings that seek to corrupt the nation’s drug supply and exploit taxpayer‑funded health care programs.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, brothers Patrick Boyd, 47, and Charles Boyd, 43, of Easton, Maryland, founded and owned Safe Chain Solutions, a wholesale distributor of pharmaceutical medications located in Maryland. Charles Boyd was the CEO, while Patrick Boyd was a Managing Partner who oversaw the company’s sales division. The evidence presented at trial showed that Patrick and Charles Boyd conspired with at least five black-market suppliers to purchase HIV drugs obtained through patient “buyback schemes” at steep discounts. One of their suppliers testified at trial that he purchased HIV drugs from patients on the street, removed the original prescription labels, and packaged the bottles in cardboard boxes — sometimes scavenged from trash on pick-up days — before shipping them to the defendants. On one occasion, this supplier used a diaper box he found on the street to ship the drugs. Many of these bottles were dirty, unsealed, and showed obvious signs they had previously been dispensed, such as the two depicted below:
Trial evidence showed that pharmacies complained to Safe Chain Solutions about their illicit conduct. For example, pharmacies reported to Safe Chain Solutions that they received bottles with entirely different drugs in them as early as August 2020.
In another documented complaint, one of their pharmacy customers sent the defendants a photo of the condition in which he received HIV drugs from them:
The customer informed Patrick and Charles Boyd that these bottles of HIV drugs did not meet “safety standards . . . and may present risk for our patients” and returned the drugs.
Evidence admitted at trial included an article shared between the defendants discussing these serious risks, just days before the customer complained. According to the article, “The schemes hurt individuals with HIV, cost taxpayers millions of dollars and drive up the viral load in communities, exposing others to the illness and spoiling the city and state’s mission to drive the number of new HIV diagnoses to zero.”
Despite these early complaints, Patrick and Charles Boyd continued buying cheap, diverted HIV drugs from the same black-market suppliers for many months, and continued selling the drugs to pharmacies along with falsified paperwork designed to fool their customers and regulatory agencies.
A patient who received a bottle of prescribed HIV medication sold to a pharmacy by the defendants testified at trial that Seroquel, an anti-psychotic drug, was actually in his bottle. He testified that he unwittingly ingested the Seroquel and lost consciousness for 24 hours. Evidence at trial established that missing even a single dose of HIV medication can increase a patient’s viral load and heighten community transmission risk in areas with high HIV infection rates. There was at least one additional documented complaint where another HIV patient unwittingly ingested a different drug that was in his bottle.
The trial evidence established the many elaborate steps Patrick and Charles Boyd took to conceal their criminal conduct from detection. They worked with the black-market suppliers behind the back of their own Director of Compliance, who testified that she repeatedly raised concerns throughout the conspiracy but was ignored. They also enlisted attorneys as part of their cover-up. One of those attorneys testified at trial, describing how the Boyd brothers concealed and misrepresented material information while seeking legal advice about pharmacy complaints and reporting obligations to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). According to the evidence, the defendants failed to report numerous incidents to the FDA involving pharmacies that had received incorrect or tampered medications.
Between April 2020 and September 2021, Patrick and Charles Boyd bought and resold more than 28,000 bottles of these black-market HIV drugs. They paid more than $92.8 million for the drugs, which they sold to pharmacies for a profit. Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurers were billed and paid for these illicit drugs.
In October 2025, Patrick and Charles Boyd were convicted at trial of conspiracy to introduce misbranded drugs into interstate commerce; conspiracy to traffic in medical products with false documentation; conspiracy to commit wire fraud; two counts of introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce; and two counts of wire fraud. Patrick Boyd was sentenced to 18 years in prison. Charles Boyd was sentenced to 20 years in prison. In addition to the prison sentences, the defendants were ordered to pay $21,850,000 in forfeiture.
A third defendant, Adam Brosius, previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud with the Boyds and was sentenced to 97 months in prison in connection with his role in the scheme.
HHS-OIG and FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Thor Pogozelski and Trial Attorney Jacqueline Zee DerOvanesian of the Department of Justice’s Fraud Section, with the assistance of Assistant Chief James V. Hayes of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff for the Southern District of Florida handled asset forfeiture.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of eight strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20255.
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Owners and CEO of Wholesale Pharmaceutical Company Sentenced for Distributing More Than $92M of Black-Market HIV DrugsRead the Press Release
Two owners of a pharmaceutical wholesale company were sentenced Friday to a total of 38 years in prison for orchestrating a complex, nationwide drug diversion scheme that harmed vulnerable HIV-positive patients, placed countless others at risk, and corrupted the supply chain for prescription drugs in the United States.
“Patrick and Charles Boyd did not just commit fraud and cost taxpayers millions of dollars, they preyed upon some of the most vulnerable members of our society: HIV patients who depend on life-saving treatments to manage their disease,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Fraud schemes like this one undermine the integrity of our supply chain for necessary prescription drugs. These defendants will rightly spend years in prison for their reprehensible conduct, which took advantage of people for illicit profit. This case is another example of how the Criminal Division, our United States Attorney partner in the Southern District of Florida, and law enforcement will pursue and seek convictions of those who defraud our systems, endanger our citizens, and seek to line their pockets with fraud proceeds.”
“These defendants treated life-saving HIV medication like street contraband,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “They bought drugs off the street from black-market suppliers, shipped them in dirty boxes and discarded packaging, falsified paperwork, and pushed those medications back into the legitimate pharmaceutical supply chain. The consequences were real. HIV patients received bottles containing the wrong drugs, and at least one patient lost consciousness after ingesting medication that should never have been in that bottle. As a former military prosecutor, federal prosecutor, and trial judge, I have seen how greed can drive dangerous schemes. When criminals gamble with patient safety for profit, federal prison is the result.”
“Friday’s sentence underscores the extreme danger these defendants created,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS‑OIG). “They took life‑threatening actions that showed an alarming disregard for human life in service of nothing more than a payday. Their criminal scheme endangered vulnerable patients, put entire communities at risk, and undermined the integrity of Medicare and Medicaid. HHS‑OIG will continue working with our law enforcement partners — and using every tool in our arsenal — to pursue and dismantle illegal black‑market rings that seek to corrupt the nation’s drug supply and exploit taxpayer‑funded health care programs.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, brothers Patrick Boyd, 47, and Charles Boyd, 43, of Easton, Maryland, founded and owned Safe Chain Solutions, a wholesale distributor of pharmaceutical medications located in Maryland. Charles Boyd was the CEO, while Patrick Boyd served as a Managing Partner who oversaw the company’s sales division. The evidence presented at trial showed that Patrick and Charles Boyd conspired with at least five black-market suppliers to purchase HIV drugs obtained through patient “buyback schemes” at steep discounts. One of their suppliers testified at trial that he purchased HIV drugs from patients on the street, removed the original prescription labels, and packaged the bottles in cardboard boxes — sometimes scavenged from trash on pick-up days — before shipping them to the defendants. On one occasion, this supplier used a diaper box he found on the street to ship the drugs. Many of these bottles were dirty, unsealed, and showed obvious signs they had previously been dispensed, such as the two depicted below:
Trial evidence showed that pharmacies complained to Safe Chain Solutions about their illicit conduct. For example, pharmacies reported to Safe Chain Solutions that they received bottles with entirely different drugs in them as early as August 2020.
In another documented complaint, one of their pharmacy customers sent the defendants a photo of the condition in which he received HIV drugs from them:
The customer informed Patrick and Charles Boyd that these bottles of HIV drugs did not meet “safety standards . . . and may present risk for our patients” and returned the drugs.
Evidence admitted at trial included an article shared between the defendants discussing these serious risks, just days before the customer complained. According to the article, “The schemes hurt individuals with HIV, cost taxpayers millions of dollars and drive up the viral load in communities, exposing others to the illness and spoiling the city and state’s mission to drive the number of new HIV diagnoses to zero.”
Despite these early complaints, Patrick and Charles Boyd continued buying cheap, diverted HIV drugs from the same black-market suppliers for many months, and continued selling the drugs to pharmacies along with falsified paperwork designed to fool their customers and regulatory agencies.
A patient who received a bottle of prescribed HIV medication sold to a pharmacy by the defendants testified at trial that Seroquel, an anti-psychotic drug, was actually in his bottle. He testified that he unwittingly ingested the Seroquel and lost consciousness for 24 hours. Evidence at trial established that missing even a single dose of HIV medication can increase a patient’s viral load and heighten community transmission risk in areas with high HIV infection rates. There was at least one additional documented complaint where another HIV patient unwittingly ingested a different drug that was in his bottle.
The trial evidence also established the many elaborate steps Patrick and Charles Boyd took to conceal their criminal conduct from detection. They worked with the black-market suppliers behind the back of their own Director of Compliance, who testified that she repeatedly raised concerns throughout the conspiracy but was ignored. They also enlisted attorneys as part of their cover-up. One of those attorneys testified at trial, describing how the Boyd brothers concealed and misrepresented material information while seeking legal advice about pharmacy complaints and reporting obligations to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). According to the evidence, the defendants failed to report numerous incidents to the FDA involving pharmacies that had received incorrect or tampered medications.
Between April 2020 and September 2021, Patrick and Charles Boyd bought and resold more than 28,000 bottles of these black-market HIV drugs. They paid more than $92.8 million for the drugs, which they sold to pharmacies for a profit. Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurers were billed and paid for these illicit drugs.
In October 2025, Patrick and Charles Boyd were convicted at trial of conspiracy to introduce misbranded drugs into interstate commerce; conspiracy to traffic in medical products with false documentation; conspiracy to commit wire fraud; two counts of introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce; and two counts of wire fraud. Patrick Boyd was sentenced to 18 years in prison. Charles Boyd was sentenced to 20 years in prison. In addition to the prison sentences, the defendants were ordered to pay $21,850,000 in forfeiture.
A third defendant, Adam Brosius, previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud with the Boyds and was sentenced to 97 months in prison in connection with his role in the scheme.
HHS-OIG and FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacqueline Zee DerOvanesian and Alexander Thor Pogozelski for the Southern District of Florida, with the assistance of Assistant Chief James V. Hayes of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff for the Southern District of Florida handled asset forfeiture.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of eight strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Orleans Parish Resident Guilty of Maintaining Residence for Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – RONALD KELLUP, (“KELLUP”), age 77, of New Orleans, pled guilty on March 12, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier to Maintaining a Drug Involved Premises, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 856, announced Attorney David I. Courcelle.
At the sentencing, scheduled for June 18, 2026, he faces up to twenty years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to the indictment, beginning on a time unknown but continuing until at least May 8, 2024, KELLUP and other individuals maintained three residences in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans for the purpose of packaging and distributing narcotics, including fentanyl. Several of these individuals furthered this drug trafficking conspiracy by possessing firearms.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
United States Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Louisiana State Police, and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.
Nonprofit Exec Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for the Largest Public Assistance Fraud in Missouri HistoryRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Monday sentenced a former nonprofit executive who stole $19.7 million from a program meant to feed Missouri children to 16 years in prison and ordered her to repay the money.
Connie Bobo, 46, was executive director of New Heights Community Resource Center at the time, which accepted money to provide meals to low-income, school-age children after school and during the summer.
“Connie Bobo’s trial clearly showed that this was the largest public assistance and pandemic fraud in state history,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus. “Hungry children were turned away when Bobo’s distribution events ran out of food, all because she was spending public money on luxury goods, real estate and an extravagant vehicle.”
“Connie Bobo’s greed is beyond reprehensible. She stole millions of dollars meant to feed low-income children in our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Instead of helping hungry kids, she used that money to buy a $1 million home, a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, and four additional properties—all of which the FBI has now seized. Those stolen funds from a taxpayer- funded program could have provided meals for children across Missouri.”
“This fraudster egregiously purloined American taxpayer dollars administered by USDA that she spent on personal luxuries including a new home,” said Inspector General John Walk for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. “This sentencing reflects the seriousness of stealing millions of dollars from a public program intended to provide meals to children in need. I commend Special Agent in Charge Matthew Wilkins and the dedicated USDA OIG special agents who worked on this investigation, as well as our partners at the FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office for their efforts to hold the defendant accountable.”
Bobo set out to defraud the state from the very outset of her participation in the state’s meal program for children, a sentencing memorandum filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman says. In 2018, she submitted fraudulent state program enrollment documents and created fake board members, fake trainings and fake bylaws designed to induce Missouri to provide her with meal money, the memo says. Bobo submitted hundreds of fraudulent meal reimbursement claims from 2019-2022 and spent millions of dollars in public meal funds on luxury goods, homes for relatives, a new home for herself, a $200,000 Mercedes-Benz G550 Wagon for a romantic partner and a $2.2 million commercial real estate investment, evidence and testimony showed.
Bobo received a total of $19.7 million in state reimbursement funds and spent just $6.8 million on food and milk, evidence showed. The entire $19.7 million was fraudulently obtained because of Bobo’s fraud in enrolling in the program.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Bobo drastically ramped up her scheme, and her receipt of state meal reimbursement money, the trial showed. Many of the children that should have been fed by Bobo were out of school during Covid-19 and were not receiving regular meals.
The memo points out that Bobo produced fictitious food invoices when she learned of the FBI investigation and attendance logs listing fake children, and lied when she testified at trial.
Bobo, 46, of St. Charles, Missouri, was convicted by a jury of three counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and two counts of obstruction of an official proceeding after a three-day trial in October.
Anyone with information about COVID-19 related fraud should contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud at 866-720-5721.”
This case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek Wiseman and Jonathan Clow prosecuted the case.
Nicaraguan National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Forcibly Resisting Federal Agents in Extended Struggle During Immigration ArrestRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Denis Napoleon Corea-Miranda (22) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber to one year and six months in federal prison for forcibly resisting, opposing, or impeding federal officers. Corea-Miranda pleaded guilty on December 2, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court records, on August 26, 2025, agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) attempted to arrest Corea-Miranda in connection with a final order of removal from the United States. While being questioned by agents, Corea-Miranda attempted to flee which led to an extended struggle between agents and Corea-Miranda. During the struggle, Corea-Miranda ended up on top of the agents and held them to the ground. An ICE agent suffered a dislocated shoulder during the attempt to arrest Corea-Miranda. Corea-Miranda ultimately fled on foot before later being arrested by deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang.
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).
Mexican national gets seven years for illegally reentering the U.S.Read the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 44-year-old man who illegally resided in Houston has been ordered to federal prison for unlawfully reentering the country for the fifth time, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Fernando Ramirez-Noria pleaded guilty Aug. 12, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Charles R. Eskridge has now ordered Ramirez-Noria to serve 84 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about his criminal history while illegally present in the country.
Ramirez-Noria has previous convictions for domestic violence, driving while intoxicated and illegal reentry.
Law enforcement first removed Ramirez-Noria in January 2015, and he repeatedly returned. He was last removed in June 2020, but authorities discovered he was again unlawfully in the United States following his DWI arrest in 2023.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis Batarse prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
McCurtain County Resident Pleads Guilty to Transporting Stolen VehicleRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Chance Allen Cathey, age 36, of Tom, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Transportation of Stolen Vehicle, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Indictment alleged that on December 26, 2023, Cathey unlawfully transported a stolen motor vehicle from the State of Oklahoma to the State of Arkansas knowing the vehicle was stolen.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Arkansas State Police, and the Little River County (Arkansas) Sheriff’s Office.
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.
Cathey will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to More Than 9 Years in Federal Prison for Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NICHOLAS KINGSLEY, 42, of Agawam, Massachusetts, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 110 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation into Chinese companies suspected of importing firearms parts, including machinegun conversion devices (“MCDs) and silencers. During the investigation, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) flagged several packages containing MCDs and silencers that were addressed to Kingsley’s residence in Agawam. U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted and searched one of the packages addressed to Kingsley and found three silencers and four MCDs. On April 8, 2024, HSI executed a search warrant at Kingsley’s residence and found a small amount of narcotics, but no firearms. Kingsley was arrested on state drug charges and released on bond.
On April 16, 2024, Enfield Police arrested Kingsley after they stopped a vehicle in which Kingsley was a passenger and found three privately made firearms (“ghost guns”), a silencer, an extended magazine, a Glock MCD, and 45 rounds of ammunition. On April 18, 2024, while Kingsley was detained in state custody, HSI special agents conducted a search of his vehicle in Agawam and seized 14 firearms, several Glock MCDs, magazines, body armor, and approximately 3,000 rounds of various caliber ammunition. A subsequent search of Kingsley’s phones revealed evidence of purchases of MCDs and firearms, including a conversation between Kingsley and a Chinese company discussing an order of MCDs.
Kingsley’s criminal history includes felony convictions for drug, firearm, assault, and larceny offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Kingsley has been detained since his arrest. On December 22, 2025, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of firearms by a felon, unlawful possession of a machine gun, and unlawful possession of a weapon in violation of the National Firearms Act.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Enfield Police Department, and the Agawam Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Lembo.