Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
14 October 2026
Medical Spa Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Employment Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
A Parker, Colorado man pleaded guilty on October 2, 2026, to willfully failing to pay over employment taxes on behalf of the medical spa business he owned and operated.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Spencer Carrado owned and operated “Spectrum Med Spa,” also known as “SculptedMD,” a “medical spa” operating in various locations. Carrado exercised control over SculptedMD’s financial affairs. He also was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from his employees’ wages and paying those funds over to the IRS, as well as filing quarterly employment tax returns with the IRS. From the third quarter of 2020 through the fourth quarter of 2024, however, Carrado withheld taxes from his employees’ wages, but did not pay over those taxes to the IRS or file all required quarterly employment tax returns. In total, Carrado caused a tax loss to the United States exceeding $600,000.
Carrado pleaded guilty to one count of willful failure to account for and pay over trust fund taxes. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 11, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Stuart A. Wexler of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section is prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Maryland Man Indicted on Tax Charges in Connection with DOJ National Tax Fraud Enforcement SurgeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced, today, that a Maryland man is facing indictment as part of a nationwide enforcement action led by the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, Internal Revenue Service, and Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation targeting tax fraud and related offenses.
Between early September and today, the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Tax Section, and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, participated in the Department’s first-ever National Tax Enforcement Surge. The surge of nationwide resources resulted in prosecutorial actions against 76 defendants whose alleged and proven crimes intended an estimated loss of revenue to the federal government of more than $490,000,000.
In the District of Maryland, Martin Herrera Navarrete, 66, of Glenn Dale, is charged with willful failure to collect, account, and pay over taxes, and willful failure to file tax returns. The charges stem from Navarrete failing to account for and pay over trust fund taxes owed to the IRS on behalf of Navarrete’s employees. This prosecution is part of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald, DOJ Fraud Division; Frank Bisignano, Chief Executive Officer, Internal Revenue Service; and Chief Jared Koopman, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
“This prosecution sends a clear and strong message that we will root out fraudsters, charge cheaters, and bring justice to those who think our tax laws don’t apply to them,” Hayes said. “Tax fraud not only harms the federal government, but also adversely affects every American who plays by the rules. We’re committed to continuing to work with our law-enforcement partners to apply these laws, which is essential to maintaining fairness, accountability, and public confidence.”
According to the indictment, Navarrete, who served as sole owner and sole corporate officer of Navarrete Brothers Construction, Inc. (NBC), exercised significant control and authority over NBC’s finances. Among his responsibilities, he was supposed to collect trust-fund taxes, account for employment taxes by filing Forms 941 with the IRS, and pay the IRS the trust fund taxes for NBC’s employees.
However, from September 2020 through December 2025, Navarrete allegedly willfully failed to truthfully account for and pay over the taxes owed to the IRS on behalf of NBC’s employees, which were withheld from employees in trust for the U.S. Treasury. The indictment further alleges that Navarrete willfully failed to file U.S. Corporate Income Tax Return and Individual Tax Return forms for calendar years 2020-2024.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
If convicted, Navarrete faces a maximum of five years in federal prison for willful failure to collect, account, and pay over taxes, and a maximum of one year for willful failure to file tax returns.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes commended the IRS-CI for its work in the investigation. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Rosenthal and Fraud Division Trial Attorney Catriona Coppler who are prosecuting this federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
# # #
Man Posing as San Francisco 49er Indicted in Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— A Sacramento County, California, man charged in a wire fraud scheme made his initial appearance in federal court Tuesday before a U.S. magistrate judge. A federal grand jury in Portland has returned an indictment charging 35‑year‑old Daejon Labrayae Delenar Love with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
According to the indictment, Love and a co‑conspirator solicited victims to invest in fraudulent high‑yield investment opportunities, including an “expedited account” that promised unusually large and rapid returns. To gain victims’ trust, Love allegedly presented himself as a wealthy real estate investor or a current or former NFL player.
The indictment further alleges that Love used online dating and social media profiles containing fabricated personal and financial information, developed romantic relationships with victims, and staged displays of wealth to persuade victims to send cash or wire funds. Instead of investing the money as promised, Love allegedly used it for personal expenses, including travel, lodging, high‑end vehicles, clothing, jewelry, and other purchases.
Love was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and was ordered detained pending a jury trial scheduled to begin on December 15, 2026.
If convicted, Love faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. He will also be required to forfeit any property obtained with proceeds from the scheme.
The FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan Chinwuba and Christopher Cardani are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
In April, the Department of Justice announced the establishment of the National Fraud Enforcement Division, a new unit dedicated to investigating and prosecuting fraud. The division supports the President’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, led by Vice President J.D. Vance, which coordinates government‑wide efforts to reduce fraud, waste, and abuse in federal benefit programs.
Maine Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Filing False Returns for ClientsRead the Press Release
A Maine man pleaded guilty on October 7, 2026, to filing false tax returns for himself and others and defrauding clients by diverting a portion of their refunds to himself without their authorization.
According to court filings and statements made in court, Thierry Musese operated a tax preparation business out of an Auburn, Maine barbershop. For the 2021 and 2022 tax years, Musese prepared tax returns for clients that reported fabricated business losses, false fuel tax credits, and improper residential energy credits. These false items generated inflated refunds that the taxpayers were not entitled to receive. Additionally, Musese defrauded clients by diverting a portion of his clients’ tax refunds to himself without their knowledge or authorization. Musese continued preparing false returns even after the IRS revoked his electronic filing credentials. During this same period, Musese also filed false personal tax returns for himself.
Musese pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return, one count of filing a false tax return and one count of wire fraud. Musese faces up to three years in prison for each count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return and filing a false tax return and up to twenty years in prison for the count of wire fraud. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Andrew B. Benson for the District of Maine made the announcement. Trial Attorney Likhitha Butchireddygari of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Green for the District of Maine are prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Lower East Side Gang Member Charged in Connection with 2021 Manhattan Murder of Sixteen-Year-OldRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Pete Gizas, and Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, announced today the arrest and unsealing of a seven-count Indictment charging RAJAHSHUWEH RHODES, a/k/a “Skii Dot,” a/k/a “skiidot.b,” a/k/a “bdot,” in connection with the October 15, 2021 murder of Isaiah Levine who was sixteen years old when he was shot in the side of the head while standing on a sidewalk in Manhattan. RHODES will be presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman.
“Those choosing to engage in gang violence, terrorize our neighborhoods, and put innocent lives at risk will be held accountable for their actions,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. “The residents of the Lower East Side, just like everyone in this city, deserve safety, accountability, and peace. The passage of time does not mean a case is forgotten, and we will pursue every lawful avenue to bring justice to offenders and to victims and their family members who will always have the unwavering support of the men and women in this Office.”
“As alleged, the defendant’s gunfire shattered an ordinary moment on a Manhattan sidewalk, taking the life of 16-year-old Isaiah Levine, injuring a second victim, and leaving a household and community to live with the consequences,” said HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Gizas. “Justice, even years later, cannot restore the life of a teenager taken far too soon from his loved ones and the city he called home. Today, nearly five years to the day of Isaiah's murder, we seek to provide a measure of closure to Isaiah’s family and to New Yorkers who deserve to feel safe on the streets of Manhattan and throughout our city. Together with the NYPD and the Southern District of New York, HSI New York stands resolute in our shared commitment to deliver answers for those whose lives have been forever changed by gang violence.”
“This defendant, a member of the New York Blood Brim Army, allegedly shot two people, murdering a 16-year-old, in a busy Lower East Side neighborhood,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “Gun violence anywhere in our communities will not be tolerated, and the NYPD will continue to go after violent gangs, take guns off our streets, and hold the drivers of violence accountable. I thank our investigators and law enforcement partners for their diligent work on this case and commitment to keeping New York City safe.”
As alleged in the Indictment, and based on statements made in public court proceedings:
From at least 2019 through in or about 2026, RHODES was a member and associate of the New York Blood Brim Army, a violent gang that operates throughout New York City, among other locations, and whose members engage in murders, robberies, and the trafficking of controlled substances, including marihuana. On or about October 15, 2021, in connection with a gang-related dispute, RHODES shot sixteen-year-old Isaiah Levine in the head and killed him at the intersection of Delancey Street and Suffolk Street in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. RHODES’s gunfire also struck another individual in the leg, who survived.
* * *
RHODES, 23, of Manhattan, New York, is charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a mandatory term of life in prison or death; one count of attempted murder and assault in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison; one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, which carries a maximum term of five years in prison; and three counts of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence or a drug trafficking offense, each of which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison.
The statutory minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. McDonald praised the outstanding investigative efforts of HSI New York’s Violent Gangs Task Force, the NYPD, including the Intelligence Officers of the NYPD’s Police Service Area 4, 7th Precinct Detective Squad, and Manhattan South Homicide Squad.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent Organizations and Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Stone and Kathryn Wheelock are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
^
As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth in this release constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
2026.10.08_-_rhodes_-_indictment.pdf
Leader of Brooklyn-Based Ninedee Gang Sentenced to Life in Prison for Racketeering and the Murder of a Former Government WitnessRead the Press Release
Today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Maliek Miller, a leader of the Ninedee Gang, a violent criminal enterprise operating out of the Louis H. Pink Houses (Pink Houses) in East New York, Brooklyn, was sentenced by United States District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall to a mandatory sentence of life in prison. Miller was convicted in June 2024 following a jury trial of murder in-aid-of-racketeering for the murder of former federal witness Shatavia Walls in July 2020 and related crimes, including racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder in-aid-of racketeering, unlawful use and possession of firearms, being a felon in possession of ammunition and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentence.
“It is our hope that today’s sentence brings some solace to the family of Shatavia Walls for her senseless murder,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “For his brutal crimes of conviction, Miller will spend the rest of his life in a federal prison.”
“Today’s sentence is the product of close collaboration between the Metro Safe Streets Task Force and our partners at the NYPD and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York to hold violent offenders accountable. While nothing can undo the loss of Shatavia Wells, this outcome ensures Miller is held fully accountable for his crimes. Dismantling violent gangs remains a priority for the FBI as we work to safeguard communities from their ruthless violence,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
“Maliek Miller, a leader of the Ninedee Gang, orchestrated the murder of Shatavia Walls for daring to cross him,” said NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “With today’s life sentence, this defendant will never again threaten our communities, and the streets of East New York are safer because of it. I thank our investigators, partners at the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for their work to hold this criminal. The NYPD will continue to break up violent gangs, take guns off our streets, and keep our communities safe, and cases like this are a reminder of the significance of that work.”
As proved at trial, Miller was a leader of Ninedee Gang, a violent gang affiliated with the “5” and “6” Pink Houses apartment buildings that engaged in ongoing gang-related violence within and outside of the New York City Housing Authority complex. The Ninedee Gang’s main rivalry, dating back over a decade, was against a rival gang operating in the “7” and “8” buildings in the Pink Houses. Ninedee Gang protected its turf from rival gang members through violence and sought to silence anyone perceived to be working with law enforcement. Miller and other Ninedee Gang members planned the murder of Shatavia Walls because she had previously testified at a federal criminal trial against a Ninedee member in the Eastern District of New York.
In June 2019, Walls testified for the government during United States v. Boykins, 18-CR-338 (ERK), a federal criminal trial in the Eastern District of New York. Shakeem Boykins, the defendant in that trial, was a Ninedee gang member charged with being a felon in passion of a firearm in connection with shooting Walls at the Pink Houses in 2017. Boykins was convicted at trial and sentenced to 110 months’ imprisonment. Prior to Boykins’s trial, posters were placed around the Pink Houses that stated: “Shatavia Been a Rat And She Still Ratting.” After the trial, Walls became a high-value target for the Ninedee Gang, as they held her responsible for Boykins’ incarceration.
On July 4, 2020, Walls and others were involved in a physical altercation with members of Ninedee, including Miller’s cousin, for lighting fireworks around young children. Miller went to the scene of the altercation, called Walls a “snitch,” fought with Walls and fired a shot in the air. Following the altercation, Miller agreed with other Ninedee Gang members to kill Walls and set a plan to do so in motion.
On July 7, 2020, Walls was spotted by a Ninedee Gang hit team, who chased her down a path at the Pink Houses. She was shot numerous times by Ninedee Gang members Quintin Green and Joe Santana. Ninedee Gang member Shakur Bey destroyed the clothing that Green and Santana wore during the shooting by throwing the items down an incinerator chute. Ninedee Gang member Kevin Wint, who was not present at the murder, rented a hotel room at a Best Western Hotel near John F. Kennedy International Airport to provide a place where the shooters could hide out overnight. Walls died of her injuries ten days later. After Walls died, Miller and Wint texted each other about celebrating with champagne.
Miller’s co-defendants pleaded guilty for their roles in the murder and were sentenced to terms of incarceration as follows: Green was sentenced to 420 months imprisonment; Santana was sentenced to 264 months’ imprisonment; Wint was sentenced to 110 months’ imprisonment; and Bey was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily J. Dean and Irisa Chen are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Intelligence Analyst Eungee Hwang and Intelligence Specialist Ashley Hinkson. Former Paralegal Specialist Elizabeth Reed also provided assistance with the case.
The Defendant:
MALIEK MILLER
Age: 33
Brooklyn, New YorkDefendants Who Were Previously Sentenced:
SHAKUR BEY (also known as “Speedy”)
Age: 29
Brooklyn, New YorkQUINTIN GREEN (also known as “Wild Child”)
Age: 26
Brooklyn, New YorkJOE SANTANA (also known as “Baby Joe”)
Age: 22
Brooklyn, New YorkKEVIN WINT (also known as “Kev G”)
Age: 33
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-331 (LDH)
Las Vegas Woman Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for the Sex Trafficking of ChildrenRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas woman was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon to 168 months in prison to be followed by 20 years of supervised release for child sex trafficking. The government requested 240 months in prison.
“Human trafficking and child exploitation are devastating crimes that prey on some of the most vulnerable members of society, and the Department of Justice is committed to preventing and prosecuting these cases and to vindicating the rights of victims and survivors,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “We will not rest in our efforts to protect our most vulnerable, and anyone who seeks to abuse and exploit them will be met with the full force of the law.”
“Tori Mangum’s calculated decisions were outright reprehensible, inflicting profound and permanent devastation on innocent children,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Field Office. “This case serves as a stark warning that sex trafficking thrives quietly within our own communities. The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain aggressively committed to identifying, disrupting, and dismantling anyone who dares to exploit children.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, Tori Mangum, also known as Tori Magnum, recruited multiple children to engage in sexually explicit conduct with adults. Mangum advertised the children through prostitution ads depicting the child in a salacious manner through images taken by Mangum or at her direction. Mangum also coordinated the sexual encounters between the children and adults, and she retained a portion of the money earned from the sex acts.
Mangum pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking of children.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Afroza Yeasmin 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 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.
###
Kyle Man Found Guilty at Federal Trial for Assault in Pine Ridge ReservationRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a jury has convicted Brandon Brave Heart, age 42, of Kyle, South Dakota, of Assault by Striking, Beating, or Wounding and Simple Assault following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on October 8, 2026.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of one year in custody and/or a $100,000 fine, one year of supervised release, and a $25 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Brave Heart was indicted for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon by a federal grand jury in September 2024.
On July 23, 2024, shortly before 7:30 pm, the victim and his family were at the Common Cents convenience store located at Sharp’s Corner near Kyle, SD. The victim had his back to the door when Brave Heart entered the store. Brave Heart walked towards the victim from behind and struck him with a closed fist in the back of the head. The victim fell to the ground, and Brave Heart continued to strike the victim. During the assault, Brave Heart used fists to punch the victim and his tennis shoes to kick the victim twice in the face.
This matter is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby VanDenBerg prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date has yet to be set.
Kansas Business Owner Sent to Prison for Employment Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
A Kenyan national and Missouri businessman was sentenced on October 5, 2026, to 51 months in prison today for willfully failing to pay over employment taxes to the IRS on behalf of the company he owned and operated.
According to documents and statements made in court, Ephantus Mwangi, 48, a resident of Missouri, owned and operated True Payment Solutions, Inc., a Kansas-based business that sold credit-card processing services and card readers to merchants. Mwangi also owned True POS Solutions, Inc, a separate business that offered similar services.
True Payment Solutions typically employed between 20 and 30 people at a time. Because Mwangi was responsible for all financial matters at the business, Mwangi was required by law to withhold Social Security, Medicare and federal income taxes from the wages of his employees and then pay over those funds to the IRS each quarter, as well as file quarterly employment tax returns with the IRS. From at least the third quarter of 2017 through at least the fourth quarter of 2018, however, Mwangi withheld employment taxes from his employees’ wages, but he willfully failed to pay over these taxes to the IRS or file employment tax returns. In total, Mwangi withheld $331,404.33 in taxes from his employees’ wages that he did not pay over to the IRS.
Mwangi also willfully failed to pay over employment taxes due from True Payment Solutions. Instead, from 2016 to 2019, Mwangi transferred more than $1.5 million from the corporate bank accounts of True Payment Solutions and True POS Solutions Inc. to his personal bank accounts. During this time, he spent more than $200,000 on loan payments for various luxury vehicles, including a Hummer H2, a Cadillac Escalade, two Range Rovers, two Mercedes, and a Lexus. He also used these funds to rent an 11,000 sq. ft. mansion as a second home in San Antonio for $13,000 per month and to pay for private school tuition for his children. Additionally, between 2016 and 2019, Mwangi transferred a total of $763,000 in funds to “TRUE PAYMENT SOLUTIONS, EA LTD,” in Kenya, Africa. Mwangi also frequently visited a casino for 10 to 12 hours at a time.
Mwangi also willfully failed to file individual income tax returns for the years 2017 and 2020, and he filed 2018 and 2019 individual income tax returns after the deadline had passed. Mwangi did not file corporate income tax returns for Mwangi also willfully failed to file individual income tax returns for the years 2017 and 2020, and he filed 2018 and 2019 individual income tax returns after the deadline had passed. For the years 2017 through 2019, Mwangi did not file corporate income tax returns for True Payment Solutions or True POS Solutions, Inc.
In total, Mwangi caused a tax loss to the U.S. government exceeding $1.5 million.
Mwangi was previously scheduled to be sentenced on April 27, 2026. He failed to appear in court on this date and remained a fugitive from justice for approximately six weeks, until he was arrested during a traffic stop. During the stop, Mwangi falsely identified himself to law enforcement by providing a false name and birth date.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Daniel D. Crabtree ordered Mwangi to serve 3 years of supervised release and pay $1,597,835.24 in restitution to the United States.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser for the District of Kansas made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service and the Texas State Police.
Trial Attorney J. Parker Gochenour of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Huschka of the District of Kansas prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Justice Department Opens Investigation of Pennsauken, New Jersey’s Allegedly Unconstitutional Permit DelaysRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department opened an investigation to determine whether Pennsauken, New Jersey deprives citizens of their right to bear arms through egregious and unjust delays in issuing firearm licenses. The Second Amendment protects the right to keep and bear firearms — including the right to carry firearms. The investigation focuses on the Pennsauken Township Police’s permitting system; the investigation does not support any armed obstruction of federal or local law enforcement.
“I have directed the Civil Rights Division, through our Second Amendment Section, to defend law-abiding citizens from local authorities who infringe on the right to safely carry legal firearms,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our investigation aims to discover if allegations of unconstitutional delays in firearm permitting are true, and if so, to fix it.”
It is a violation of the Second Amendment for government officials to delay issuing permits to purchase or carry firearms. In 2022, the Supreme Court held in New York State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n, Inc. v. Bruen that a state’s permitting process is put towards “abusive ends” when “lengthy wait times in processing license applications or exorbitant fees deny ordinary citizens their right to public carry.” Here, it is alleged that Pennsauken, through the Pennsauken Township Police Department, uses just such “abusive ends” to improperly limit Second Amendment rights.
The Civil Rights Division’s Second Amendment Section enforces the Second Amendment. If you believe your right to keep and bear arms is being infringed, please submit a complaint through www.justice.gov/crt/second-amendment-section.
Jacksonville Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Assaulting Officers Conducting Immigration OperationRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Jennifer Susan Cruz (41, Jacksonville) has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison by Senior U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger for assaulting officers conducting an immigration operation. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, on January 13, 2026, federal immigration officers, assisted by the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), were conducting an operation in Jacksonville to locate and administratively arrest aliens who were illegally present in the United States. Cruz was driving by and recording on her cellphone as an FHP trooper was pulling over a vehicle for a traffic infraction. Cruz parked near the site of the traffic stop and yelled at the trooper as she continued to record. Immigration officers subsequently determined that the two occupants of the vehicle they had pulled over were illegally present in the United States.
Another trooper approached Cruz and spoke with her about using her cellphone while driving. During this interaction, Cruz was argumentative and recorded the encounter on her cellphone. The trooper told Cruz that he had no issue with her recording and that his concern was solely her unsafe and unlawful use of a cellphone while operating a motor vehicle.
During the encounter, Cruz made unsolicited and inflammatory statements, asking whether the trooper supported the “Nazis,” which she clarified as referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and asking him not to shoot her in the face. The trooper advised Cruz that ICE officers were present in an official capacity and that he was not there to discuss personal or political beliefs, but solely to address her traffic violation.
The trooper asked Cruz for her driver license. She stated that she did not have it but that she had a photograph of it on her cellphone. Cruz showed the trooper the photo of her license and the trooper told Cruz to remain in her vehicle while he conducted further investigation. A records check revealed that Cruz’s license was suspended as of June 17, 2025. Because Cruz’s license was suspended, the trooper requested a tow truck to impound Cruz’s vehicle, as she was not legally authorized to operate it.
While the trooper was waiting for the tow truck, Cruz drove away. Multiple troopers immediately activated their emergency lights and sirens and maneuvered their patrol vehicles to box in Cruz’s vehicle. After the vehicle was stopped, the trooper advised Cruz that the traffic stop had not concluded and that her vehicle was going to be towed because her license was suspended. The trooper told Cruz to exit the vehicle and surrender the keys so that the vehicle could be released to the towing company.
Cruz exited the vehicle but immediately became verbally hostile and repeatedly refused to surrender the keys despite multiple directives to do so. In response to the trooper’s directives, Cruz said that she was “ready to go” and, when asked, stated that she meant that she was ready to fight. When a trooper attempted to retrieve the keys from Cruz, Cruz struck the trooper in the face with a closed fist. Multiple officers then converged on Cruz to arrest her for the assault.
Cruz resisted arrest, including attempting to strike and kick the officers. As Cruz continued to struggle, officers carried her to an FHP patrol vehicle. While they were taking her to the vehicle, she attempted to kick the trooper whom she had punched.
As officers were attempting to place Cruz inside the vehicle, she kicked at an ICE officer, a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent, and the trooper who had conducted the traffic stop. She struck the CBP agent and the ICE officer, whose left hand was injured. During the attempt to place Cruz in the patrol vehicle, the trooper deployed his taser, which did not subdue her. Officers eventually secured Cruz in the patrol vehicle, but she continued kicking at the vehicle’s windows, roof, and in-car camera.
The trooper who Cruz punched sustained injuries to her face, ear, nose, and left hand as a result of the altercation with Cruz. The trooper was treated at the scene and then went to a hospital for further treatment.
“By refusing to comply with lawful commands and assaulting officers during a law enforcement operation, the defendant in this case caused physical harm to officers and placed the public at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. “Now, she will face the consequences of her actions.”
“Assaulting law enforcement officers who are carrying out their lawful duties is intolerable,” said Homeland Security Investigations Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge Tim Hemker. “HSI is committed to upholding the rule of law, especially against those who attack the men and women sworn to protect our communities and enforce our laws.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.
Illegal Alien from Nicaragua Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking Approximately 23 Pounds of Fentanyl in the District of UtahRead the Press Release
ST. GEORGE, Utah – An illegal alien from Nicaragua was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment today after law enforcement recovered approximately 104,000 fentanyl pills that weighed approximately 23 pounds, during a traffic violation in August 2025.
The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Ann Marie McIff Allen, comes after Hector Luis Castillo-Reyes, 23, residing illegally in Fresno, California, pleaded guilty on July 20, 2026, to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. In addition to his term of imprisonment, Castillo-Reyes was sentenced to three years of supervised release. Additionally, upon his release, Castillo-Reyes will be remanded to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation proceedings.
According to court documents and statements made at Castillo-Reyes’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, on August 14, 2025, a San Juan County Deputy Sheriff stopped Castillo-Reyes for a traffic violation. A dog sniff was conducted and the K9 alerted positive to the presence of illegal narcotics. During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement recovered approximately 104,000 blue M30 fentanyl pills inside of a toolbox set in the rear cargo area of the vehicle. Castillo-Reyes admitted to picking up the bag containing the fentanyl pills and transporting them in exchange for payment.
“This case highlights the excellent coordination of our state, federal, and tribal partners in removing this poison from our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “We are grateful to DEA, SBI, BIA, ICE, and the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office for working together with our office to ensure that the 104,000 seized fentanyl pills never reached our communities.”
The case was investigated jointly by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Utah Department of Public Safety State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), and the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Assistant United States Attorney Joseph M. Hood of the U.S. 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.
Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Lawrence, Mass. pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Eddy Antonio Perdomo, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for Nov. 13, 2026. Perdomo was charged in August 2026.
Perdomo previously pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien in July 2025. He was subsequently sentenced to time served (approximately four months in prison) on Sept. 5, 2025 and removed from the United States on Sept. 15, 2025. It is alleged that sometime after his September 2025 removal, Perdomo illegally reentered the United States without permission.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and David T. Wesling, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Conroy of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Haverstraw Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Enticing Multiple Minors to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, announced today that OSCAR MATA LEMUS was sentenced to 16 years in prison by United States District Judge Cathy Seibel for his enticement of three minors to engage in sexual activity. Judge Seibel also imposed a 15-year term of supervised release to follow the prison term. The sentencing today followed MATA LEMUS’s guilty plea on November 25, 2025.
“Oscar Mata Lemus’s conduct is the nightmare of any parent,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. “Today’s sentencing illustrates that we will continue to use every tool available to law enforcement to prosecute and punish those who sexually exploit children.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in related court proceedings:
On or about April 20, 2024, Oscar Mata Lemus, who was 23 years old at the time, communicated online with a 14-year-old minor (“Victim-1”). Mata Lemus told her he was 16 years old and persuaded Victim-1 to meet him in person to engage in sexual activity. On or about April 23, 2024, Mata Lemus went to Victim-1’s home in Rockland County, New York, entered her bedroom through a window, and engaged in sexual activity with her.
A federal investigation revealed that that, prior to his abuse of Victim-1, Mata Lemus abused at least two other minors. In or about January 2024, Mata Lemus met Victim-2, a 14-year-old, via social media. As with Victim-1, Mata Lemus told Victim-2 that he was 16 years old. Mata Lemus met Victim-2 in the Bronx on numerous occasions between January 2024 and April 2024, and they engaged in sexual activity. Mata Lemus took photos and videos of the sexual activity, some of which were recovered from his phone in connection with the investigation.
In addition, in or about June 2023, Mata Lemus met Victim-3, a 15-year-old in Mississippi, via social media. Mata Lemus told Victim-3 that he was 17 years old. At MATA LEMUS’s direction, Victim-3 sent him sexually explicit images of herself. She also engaged in numerous live video sessions, during which Mata Lemus requested that Victim-3 engage in sexual acts for him on camera.
On November 25, 2025, Oscar Mata Lemus entered a guilty plea to an Information, charging him with three counts of enticement, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(b).
* * *
In addition to the prison term, OSCAR MATA LEMUS, 26, of Haverstraw, was sentenced to 15 years of supervised release.
Mr. McDonald praised the efforts of the FBI, Town of Ramapo Police Department, Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force, which is comprised of special agents and task force officers from the FBI, U.S. Probation, New York State Police, New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Putnam County Sheriff's Office, Westchester County DAs Office, Rockland County DAs Office, NYPD, Westchester County PD, and the Yonkers, New Rochelle, Mount Vernon, Greenburgh, White Plains, Peekskill, Ramapo, Clarkstown Police Departments, in connection with this investigation.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorney Marcia S. Cohen is in charge of the prosecution.
Hartford Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Cocaine Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ISMAEL ROMAN, also known as “Poochie, ” 47, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarah F. Russell in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment and four years of supervised release for a cocaine trafficking offense and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in January and February 2026, an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force revealed that Jose Colon, also known of “Uncle Benny,” was attempting to purchase several kilograms of cocaine and was in possession of a large amount of cash to complete a purchase. Investigators arranged a meeting with Colon at his residence on Pearl Street in Hartford on February 19, 2026. Prior to the meeting, investigators observed Roman, who was carrying a backpack, and an associate enter Colon’s apartment. Colon, Roman, and their associate were arrested a short time later after a court-authorized search of the residence revealed approximately $52,000 in cash, which had been concealed in a small cooler within the backpack.
Roman has been detained since his arrest. On June 1, 2026, he pleaded guilty to attempting to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
In October 2022, Roman was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 41 months of imprisonment for a cocaine trafficking offense and he was on federal supervised release at the time of his arrest in this case.
Colon pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.
This investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force, which includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reed Durham.
Harrisburg Man Sentenced to over 15 Years in Prison for Drugs and Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Rodney McMillian, age 44, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on October 1, 2026, to 188 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Keli M. Neary for distribution of fentanyl pills and firearms trafficking.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, McMillian was sentenced for his role in the drug trafficking and firearms trafficking conspiracy that was the subject of an undercover investigation conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. During the course of the investigation, undercover officers purchased over three kilograms of methamphetamine, 1,600 fentanyl pills and seven firearms from the conspirators. McMillian was the source of the firearms and the fentanyl pills.
At sentencing, Judge Neary found that McMillian’s long criminal history of violence, drug trafficking, and firearms offenses warrant imprisonment of 188 months in prison. The Judged noted that previous periods of incarceration had not deterred McMillian from returning to commit crimes. McMillian had previously entered a guilty plea to fentanyl trafficking. His trafficking of firearms was considered part of the Judge’s sentencing.
Co-defendants Devonte Betts, Lamar Waters, and Tyrese Nealy entered guilty pleas to drug trafficking offenses. They are scheduled for sentencing in the coming months.
The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Assistant United States Attorney lead the investigation. Michael A. Consiglio is prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
# # #
Former Postal Employee in Sutter County Indicted for Embezzling Postal Money OrdersRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Kyree Hall, 26, of Sacramento, charging him with theft of government property, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. The indictment was unsealed following his arrest today.
According to court documents, Hall was an employee of the U.S. Postal Service in 2025, and worked as the sole clerk in the Rio Oso Post Office in Sutter County. Using his position, between March and May 2025, Hall issued at least 56 USPS money orders payable to himself and falsely recorded that they had been paid for by various people. The theft cost the U.S. Postal Service approximately $55,505.
The U.S. Postal Service-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica M.A. Alegría is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Hall faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Former Massachusetts State Official Charged with SNAP FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Former Massachusetts state official, Lamar Cook, has been arrested for fraudulently obtaining Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, receiving over $500 per month, while on court ordered pretrial release in connection with a pending state indictment for alleged cocaine trafficking and firearm offenses.
Lamar Cook, 46, of Springfield, Mass., was arrested today on a criminal complaint charging him with one count of SNAP fraud and wire fraud. Cook will appear in federal court in Boston later today.
In 2023, the Governor of Massachusetts appointed Cook to serve as the Western MA Deputy Director in Springfield, Mass. Cook was terminated in October 2025 after he was detained at the Springfield State Office building and later charged by the Hampden District Attorney’s Office for alleged drug and firearm offenses. According to court documents, Cook earned a yearly salary of $130,227 and was later paid $22,374.29 in net pay for accrued vacation leave following his termination. The Commonwealth later “realized an error in paying Mr. Cook for accrued vacation leave time, the Commonwealth attempted to reverse the direct deposits, but it could not do so due to insufficient funds available in the accounts.”
According to court filings in the federal criminal case, Cook’s bank account continued to hold balances of approximately $13,000 as of January 2026 and over $8,800 in April 2026.
Cook also allegedly received a federal and state tax refund in May 2026 from his employment with the Governor’s Office for the 2025 calendar year in the amount of $2,497.88.
Additionally, according to court documents, Cook’s mother won approximately $1 million in the Massachusetts Lottery in early 2026. Cook’s mother allegedly made numerous Zelle payments to him totaling approximately $12,000 between May and June 2026.According to the charging documents, Cook applied for SNAP benefits on April 6, 2026 and falsely claimed zero income, less than $100 in his bank account, and to be living in a two person household consisting only of himself and his minor child. According to the affidavit, Cook in fact maintained at least one bank account that held more than $8,800 on the date of his SNAP application and received thousands of dollars in additional deposits, including the payments from his mother. It is further alleged that Cook failed to disclose that his fiancée and her mother lived with him at his Springfield residence and his fiancée earned income exceeding $80,000 annually from the City of Springfield Public Schools.
“The alleged conduct is simply egregious. SNAP benefits are intended to put food on the table for struggling families who cannot make ends meet, not for those who allegedly hide income to circumvent the financial requirements, much less travel to Disney World. Mr. Cook allegedly lied about his income and the makeup of his household in order to receive over $540 per month in SNAP benefits. All this occurred while Cook was on pretrial release for charged state drug and firearm offenses,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley. “What kind of system allows for someone like this defendant to receive taxpayer funded benefits? I find it disturbing that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts could not prevent this from happening, nor could it recover the ill-gained $22,000 payment for earned vacation time -- which was also paid out with taxpayer money.”
“It is an unconscionable betrayal of the public trust for a former state official with a pending indictment for drug and gun offenses to then also steal SNAP benefits from the American taxpayer – food assistance benefits intended for low-income Americans,” said U.S. Department of Agriculture, Inspector General John Walk. “This former state employee lied about his income and family situation to cheat the program. He will now face justice.”
“Fraud against public benefit programs is ultimately a theft from taxpayers and from the beneficiaries these programs are intended to serve,” said Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG remains committed to protecting the integrity of taxpayer-funded programs and ensuring that those who seek to exploit them for personal gain are held accountable.”
Cook received approximately $546 per month in SNAP benefits. Cook’s SNAP benefits were allegedly used regularly at grocery and retail stores in Massachusetts and on a July 2026 trip to Florida. Retail surveillance and transaction records show Cook’s fiancée frequently used his EBT card to make purchases for the household, despite not being listed as a member of his household on Cook’s SNAP application.
According to court documents, at the time Cook submitted his application for SNAP benefits, he was on release for a pending Hampden County Superior Court indictment charging him with trafficking more than 200 grams of cocaine, conspiracy and firearm offenses stemming from an October 2025 investigation.
The charge of SNAP fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Foley; USDA IG Walk; and HHS IG Coviello made the announcement. Valuable assistance Massachusetts State Police, Hampden County District Attorney’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations in New England and the Springfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts. Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected benefit fraud in Massachusetts by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621).
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Florida Man Sentenced to Prison for Tax Refund FraudRead the Press Release
A Florida man was sentenced on October 6, 2026, to 36 months in prison for filing a false tax return on behalf of a trust he controlled as part of a $4.2 million refund fraud scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, McDonald Preval, of Miami, filed numerous false tax returns for himself and trusts he claimed to control. The trust tax returns reported that the trusts had earned significant income and made tax withholding payments to the IRS, purportedly entitling the trusts to large tax refunds. In fact, the trusts did not have the claimed income, and did not make payments in the amounts claimed on the returns, and therefore were not entitled to the refunds Preval claimed. He also filed tax returns for 2023 that did not include the income from his employment. The false tax returns Preval caused to be filed on behalf of purported trusts and himself collectively sought tax refunds totaling more than $4.2 million. Preval obtained more than $580,000 from his scheme, which he used to pay off the mortgage loan on his house and other personal expenses.
Preval pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false tax return. In addition to a term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga ordered Preval to pay $580,647 in restitution to the IRS and to serve one year of supervised release.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Melissa Siskind and Kavitha Bondada of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Tax Section prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Five defendants sentenced for fraudulent transactions totaling over $800,000Read the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – Five people have been sentenced to prison after engaging in a fraudulent scheme that stole over three-quarters of a million dollars from a company that provides cash access services to casinos and online sports betting operators.
According to court documents, the following defendants pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and were sentenced to:
- Jeremy Cushing, 53, of Topeka was sentenced to 95 months in prison;
- Rachael Matoian, 36, of Topeka was sentenced to 38 months in prison;
- Cassandra Williams, 39, of Spring Valley, California was sentenced to 12 months in prison;
- Abraham Ruiz, 44, of Joplin, Missouri was sentenced to 34 months in prison; and
- Leroy Noll, 46, of Newton was sentenced to 12 months in prison.
Starting approximately July 2021 and continuing until March 2024, Cushing, Williams, Ruiz, Matoian, and Noll participated in a scheme to defraud a casino and online gaming services company. After identifying customers, the members of the conspiracy would obtain personal identifying information of the customers and use it to create fake driver’s licenses. The co-conspirators would then withdraw funds from customers’ accounts. The defendants repeated this numerous times at various casinos throughout the United States.
“This case underscores how criminals can exploit stolen personal information for financial gain,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “We urge the public to safeguard their identifying information and to immediately report any unusual account activity. Working together, we can disrupt schemes like this and protect our communities from financial exploitation.”
“In a world where technology and advancement has made it easier for people to participate in gaming activities - traditional methods of fraud are still being used. This scheme used a method of fabricating official identity documents to commit wire fraud. This sentencing should be a healthy reminder to all: no matter who you try to defraud or how you try to do it, the FBI will bear all resources to seek justice and to bring closure for victims,” said Chris Ormerod, FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Prairie Band Potawatomi Tribal Police Department, and Jackson County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Debenham prosecuted the case.
###
Essex County Convicted Felon Sentenced to 124 Months in Prison for his Role in an Armed Carjacking with an Assault Rifle, Along with Firearms and Narcotics OffensesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today for his role in using an assault rifle during an armed carjacking, as well as possessing two firearms and controlled substances with the intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Quadir Whitehead, 32, of Newark, previously pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to six counts of an indictment charging him with one count of carjacking, one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, two counts of conspiracy, one count of possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon and one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Judge Arleo imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On August 6, 2020, Whitehead and two accomplices committed a gunpoint carjacking in Irvington, New Jersey. During the carjacking, Whitehead ordered one of the two victims to get out of the car while pointing an assault rifle at that victim. Thereafter, Whitehead got into the car and drove away. On September 5, 2020, law enforcement officers saw Whitehead engaging in narcotics activity in Newark and arrested him. After arresting Whitehead, law enforcement officers recovered a distribution quantity of narcotics, as well as one assault rifle and one revolver, which Whitehead admitted were the same firearms that were used in the carjacking in Irvington.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Arleo sentenced Whitehead to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents and members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark; members of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda and Chief of Police Sharonda Morris; and members of the Irvington Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Tracy Bowers, with the investigation leading to the charges and guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted as part of the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The Newark VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, Union County Jail, New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, New Jersey Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Levin, Chief of the Cybercrime Unit, and Vincent D. Romano of the National Security Unit in Newark.
###
Defense counsel: Stephen Turano, Esq.
Eight Defendants Charged in Newburgh Narcotics ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., Superintendent of the New York State Police (“NYSP”), Steven G. James, and Chief of the City of Newburgh Police Department (“CNPD”), Brandon Rola, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging eight defendants with conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine in the vicinity of West Parmenter Street in Newburgh, New York. The defendants—Maurice Owens, a/k/a “Mo Nice,” Shaka Eggleston, a/k/a “Shak,” Troy Smith, a/k/a “Castro,” Robert Morganfield, a/k/a “MJ,” Houston Brown, a/k/a “Euro,” Walter Herring a/k/a “Noodles,” Jason LOWE, a/k/a “Boogie,” and James Tyrone Hayes, a/k/a “Country”—were presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victoria Reznik. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern.
“Our Office and our law enforcement partners will work tirelessly to keep dangerous drugs off the streets of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. “As alleged in the indictment, these defendants participated in a conspiracy to flood the streets of Newburgh with a steady flow of crack cocaine. This conspiracy allegedly transformed Newburgh’s West Parmenter Street into an open-air drug market, where they have conducted thousands of narcotics transactions in broad daylight, poisoning the neighborhood with illicit drugs for their own profit.”
“The FBI Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force works every day alongside our state and local partners to combat violent crime, and part of that means ridding the streets of illicit narcotics,” said Assistant FBI Director James C. Barnacle, Jr. “As alleged in the indictment, these eight individuals made it their business to sell drugs in a shameless open-air market. This FBI will stop at nothing to dismantle these drug networks and make our communities safer as a result.”
“The drug trafficking alleged in this case threatens the safety and quality of life of Newburgh residents,” said NYSP Superintendent Steven James. “These arrests reflect the sustained work of our investigators and our federal and local partners to disrupt narcotics distribution and hold those responsible accountable. We remain committed to working together to protect our communities and make neighborhoods safer for the people who call them home.”
“This case demonstrates the strength of our partnership with the FBI and our shared commitment to keeping the City of Newburgh safe,” said CNPD Chief Brandon Rola. “The City of Newburgh Detective Division played an important role in this joint investigation, and our detectives and officers assisted in apprehending all of the targets as part of our ongoing work to restore safety to West Parmenter Street. I thank the FBI and everyone involved for their hard work, coordination, and dedication to our community. Our participation in the FBI Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force remains an important part of our efforts to protect the City of Newburgh and hold offenders accountable.”
As alleged in the Indictment, and based on statements made in public court proceedings:
From in or about 2025 through in or about October 2026, OWENS, EGGLESTON, SMITH, MORGANFIELD, BROWN, HERRING, LOWE, and HAYES conspired to distribute large volumes of crack cocaine in the vicinity of West Parmenter Street in Newburgh, New York, primarily through hand-to-hand narcotics transactions. In the course of this investigation, law enforcement conducted more than sixty controlled purchases of crack cocaine, involving each member of the conspiracy charged in this Indictment. Moreover, each of the eight defendants charged in this conspiracy were observed on surveillance video, regularly conducting apparent narcotics transactions on West Parmenter Street over the course of the last several months. A review of surveillance video collected through this investigation indicates that members of the conspiracy would often conduct dozens of narcotics transactions each day in the vicinity of West Parmenter Street.
* * *
OWENS, 48, of Rock Tavern, New York, EGGLESTON, 28, of Newburgh, New York, SMITH, 57, of Cornwall, New York, MORGANFIELD, 57, of Newburgh, New York, BROWN, 31, of New Windsor, New York, HERRING, 45, of Newburgh, New York, LOWE, 39, of Newburgh, New York, and HAYES, 56, of Newburgh, New York, are charged with narcotics conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The statutory minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. McDonald praised the outstanding investigative efforts of the FBI Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, the New York State Police, the New York Police Department, the City of Newburgh Police Department, the Town of Newburgh Police Department, the Town of New Windsor Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and the Port Jervis Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ioannis Drivas and Patricia Reville are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
###
^
As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth in this release constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
26_cr_475_maurice_owens_et_al_-_redacted_indi.pdf
Eastern District of Texas joins DOJ Fraud Division, IRS, and IRS-CI in National Tax Enforcement Surge exposing over $490M in tax fraudRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas –The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas today announced results as part of a nationwide enforcement action led by the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, the Internal Revenue Service, and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation targeting tax fraud and related offenses. The Eastern District of Texas was a key participant in this surge effort.
Between early September and now, federal prosecutors across the country facilitated fraud enforcement actions against 76 defendants and more than $90 million in intended loss to American taxpayers.
“Tax fraud is not fraud against the federal government or the IRS,” said U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. “Tax fraud is fraud against the American people. Federal income tax is used to fund programs that support American children, families, veterans, the disabled, and the elderly, and tax fraud directly impacts those programs.”
“Tax fraud is a crime that comes with a litany of victims. Criminal return preparers often steal the identities of the taxpayers that hire them, steal large chunks of the fraudulent refunds, and target the communities that can least afford it. Employment tax fraud steals from your personal contributions to Social Security, Medicare and other programs you thought you were paying into. Tax evaders simply want to enjoy their lives by having you and I pay for it,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr., of IRS-CI's Texas Field Office. “We are taking back what they stole and taking away their freedom to deter them from stealing again, but that won’t stop every criminal. If you don’t want to be a victim, select your return preparer carefully, avoid the temptation for a fraudulent better refund and report suspected fraud on IRS.Gov.”
In the Eastern District of Texas, U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs announced that five defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing for tax fraud.
On September 23, 2026, Antwon Pierre Sadler, 41, and Raegan Samone Hagler, 29, both of Longview, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to aid or assist in tax fraud. According to information presented in court, Sadler and Hagler worked at a tax preparer business owned by Marneitha Scott and operated under the name of F.A.S.T. Financial Firm (“FAST”) with two locations in Longview. Scott, Hagler, and Sadler devised a scheme to defraud the United States by creating and instructing other tax preparers to create fraudulent entries on client tax returns, including claims for business losses when the client had no business. The tax returns were filed by Scott, Hagler, and Sadler or other employees and the tax preparation business was paid a fee by the clients for preparing and filing the returns. Their conduct resulted in a known tax loss for tax years 2019 – 2022 of at least $400,000.00 and an estimated tax loss of at least $5 million. Scott pleaded guilty to the same offense on February 18, 2026. All three defendants are awaiting sentencing.
On October 1, 2026, Jerome Theodore Powell, Jr., 51, of Horn Lake, Mississippi, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to file false claims. According to information presented in court, Powell was involved in a conspiracy which involved filing fraudulent tax returns for fictitious businesses and trusts that were created for the sole purpose of obtaining tax refunds. The scheme resulted in a tax loss of $4,192,028 and an attempted loss of approximately $17 million. Powell is awaiting sentencing.
On October 6, 2026, Joy Nicole Murphy, 36, of Mabank, Texas, pleaded guilty to aiding or assisting in tax fraud. According to information presented in court, Murphy operated a tax return preparer business in Gun Barrel City. She executed a scheme to file returns on behalf of her clients containing false and fraudulent information to ensure larger refunds. The scheme resulted in a tax loss of more than $350,000. Murphy is awaiting sentencing.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
###
District of Minnesota Joins DOJ’s Fraud Division, IRS, and IRS-CI to Expose More than $490M in Tax Fraud in National Tax Enforcement Surge; Minneapolis Father and Son Plead Guilty to $9 Million Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that a Minneapolis father and son pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States on October 9 and October 1, respectively. These pleas are part of nationwide enforcement actions led by the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, Internal Revenue Service, and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation targeting tax fraud and related offenses. The District of Minnesota was a key participant in this surge effort.
The father also pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Between early September and today, the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Tax Section and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country participated in the Department’s first-ever National Tax Enforcement Surge. The surge of nationwide resources resulted in prosecutorial actions against 76 defendants whose alleged and proven crimes intended an estimated loss of revenue to the federal government of more than $490,000,000.
“My office is committed to investigating and prosecuting those who take money from American taxpayers for their own enrichment. No one is entitled to funds that are not theirs, and we commend the work of our law enforcement partners who made these guilty pleas possible,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
“Most taxpayers work hard, play by the rules, and pay what they owe,” said Marta C. Grijalva, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “This father and son decided the rules didn’t apply to them. They didn’t just file false tax returns. They taught others how to cheat, recruited people into their scheme, and treated our tax system like their own personal payday. Every dollar stolen through fraud comes at the expense of honest taxpayers, and every scheme like this one chips away at the public’s trust in a system we all depend on. IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners will keep digging, following the money, and holding accountable those who mistake the honor system for an invitation to steal.”
According to documents and statements made in court, between June 2022 and October 2024, LaMar Javis Burgess, 44, and his son, LaMar Dazjar Burgess, 24, of the Minneapolis area, prepared and filed false federal income tax returns for themselves and others claiming refund amounts they and the other taxpayers were not entitled to receive. The defendants prepared and filed false 2021 tax returns claiming refundable sick and family leave tax credits available to certain self-employed individuals unable to work due to COVID-19. They also prepared and filed false 2022 tax returns claiming certain refundable tax credits.
During the conspiracy, LaMar Javis Burgess sought and obtained videos and instruction manuals educating himself on how to file false federal tax returns, including a guide titled “TurboTax Sauce The ‘Self-Employed’ Way.” He worked with his son and others to promote the tax fraud scheme. In exchange for filing false tax returns, he charged taxpayers a $10,000 fee from a portion of their tax refunds.
Both the father and son solicited others to provide them with their names, addresses, Social Security numbers, photo identification and bank account information to enable them to prepare and file the false tax returns. The returns included employment and tax credit information they knew to be false.
In total, the defendants prepared or filed at least 300 false and fraudulent federal tax returns claiming at least $9.2 million in refunds.
During a search warrant executed at his home in Golden Valley, Minnesota, federal investigators found that LaMar Javis Burgess was in possession of a Glock model 19, 9 mm semi-automatic handgun. The handgun contained a loaded fifteen round magazine. An empty magazine, an extended high-capacity magazine, and a high-capacity drum magazine were also found on the closet shelves, and loose ammunition rounds were in a bag inside the closet. The handgun was a reported stolen firearm. Because LaMar Javis Burgess has certain prior felony convictions, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
LaMar Javis Burgess is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for conspiracy and 15 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
LaMar Dazjar Burgess is also scheduled to be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for conspiracy. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case, with assistance from the FBI, HSI, ATF, Minneapolis Police Department, Fridley Police Department, Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office and Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office.
Trial Attorney J. Parker Gochenour of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Kline of the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.
This press release details one way in which this office has contributed to ensuring that all Americans pay their fair share. To see the successes of other offices, please see this press release here.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
District of Arizona Joins DOJ Fraud Division, IRS, and IRS-CI in National Tax Enforcement Surge Exposing More Than $490 Million in Tax FraudRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – The District of Arizona today announced charges as part of a nationwide enforcement actions led by the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, Internal Revenue Service, and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation targeting tax fraud and related offenses. Arizona was key participant in this surge effort.
Between early September and today, federal prosecutors from 35 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country jointed the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Tax Section to participate in the Department’s first-ever National Tax Enforcement Surge. The surge of nationwide resources resulted in prosecutorial actions against 76 defendants whose alleged and proven crimes intended an estimated loss of revenue to the federal government of more than $490,000,000.
As part of this surge, on Sept. 22, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a 17-count indictment against Nicholas Raymond Ponce, 52, of Tempe, Arizona. Ponce is alleged to have defrauded the United States of over $1.6 million by filing fraudulent quarterly tax returns on behalf of his companies, Reduce My Card, LLC and OPM Management Group, LLC, and falsely claiming that he was entitled to COVID-related tax credits based on wages paid to Form W-2 wage employees. In reality, Ponce’s companies had zero W-2 wage employees during the relevant period and he was not entitled to the tax credits.
Ponce was charged with three counts of Filing False Claims for Refund and 14 counts of Theft of Government Funds. A conviction for Filing False Claims for Refund carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A conviction for Theft of Government Funds carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Both carry up to a $250,000 fine.
Additionally, Pacifique Kashosi, 44, of Phoenix, Arizona, was convicted by a federal jury on Sept. 25, on two counts of Subscribing and Filing a False Tax Return and 18 counts of Aiding and Assisting in the Preparation and Filing of False Tax Returns. The total alleged loss to the government for Kashosi’s tax scheme is $900,000. He is scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 7, before U.S. District Court Judge John J. Tuchi. Kashosi faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 for each count.
This press release details one way in which this office has contributed to ensuring that all Americans pay their fair share. To see the successes of other offices, please see this press release.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-175_National Tax Enforcement Surge
# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest newsDenver Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison After Pleading Guilty to Bank Fraud, Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Steve Randall Howe, 74, of Denver, Colorado, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, two years of supervised release, restitution in the amount of $1,253,691.84, and a fine of $15,000 after pleading guilty to one count of bank fraud, and one count of money laundering.
According to the plea agreement and facts established at the sentencing hearing, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Howe obtained $1,243,799.91 in emergency Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans based on false representations made to six different banks. In each PPP loan application, the defendant made false representations about the business listed on the application including as to the business’ number of employees and average monthly payroll. Most of the businesses had no employees or business function. He additionally submitted to the lenders fabricated payroll and tax documents which had not been filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Howe used a majority of the funds not on payroll, but on the lease and purchase of a home, retail purchases, monetary transfers to China, payment for legal services, travel expenses, subscriptions, and gym memberships. The loans were forgiven by the Small Business Administration before any of the defendant’s purported businesses made a single payment.
“This sentence continues to send a clear message that the District of Colorado will not tolerate theft from the American taxpayer,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “We will always seek out criminals who abuse public funds for personal gain.”
“During the pandemic, financial assistance programs were created to keep businesses and employees afloat, not to line the pockets of greedy opportunists,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski. “This case is a reminder that the FBI aggressively continues to pursue criminals who think they can defraud the federal government and American taxpayers.”
“Howe saw the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to defraud the government, depriving small businesses and families of the support they needed,” said Scott Brown, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation Phoenix Field Office. “This case demonstrates our ongoing commitment to pursuing individuals who abused these pandemic relief programs and ensuring they are held accountable.”
United States District Judge Nina Y. Wang presided over the sentencing.
The investigation was handled by the FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation Denver Field Offices.
Assistant United States Attorneys Craig Fansler and Taylor Glogiewicz handled the prosecution.
On April 7, 2026 the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Case Number: 1:25-cr-00197-NYW
DOJ’s Fraud Division, IRS, and IRS-CI Expose More than $490M in Tax Fraud in National Tax Enforcement SurgeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division), along with the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, today announced a nationwide series of enforcement actions targeting tax fraud.
Between early September and today, the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Tax Section and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country participated in the Department’s first-ever National Tax Enforcement Surge. The surge of nationwide resources resulted in prosecutorial actions against 76 defendants whose alleged and proven crimes intended an estimated loss of revenue to the federal government of more than $490,000,000.
“Every dollar stolen through tax fraud is a dollar taken from the American people,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “What we uncovered during this concentrated surge is only the tip of the iceberg. The Department of Justice is committed to expanding our investigations and exposing schemes designed to evade accountability, because there is no safe haven for fraudsters.”
“The Fraud Division is resolved to protect American taxpayers from criminal actors on every frontier of fraud, including tax fraudsters seeking to steal the wealth of America,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Over six weeks, the Fraud Division’s Tax Section, 35 U.S. Attorneys' Offices, and IRS Criminal Investigation took action against over 70 defendants who sought more than $490 million from the Treasury. Today’s results send a clear message to fraudsters: those who intentionally lie to steal the money of the American people should expect to answer for their conduct in federal court.”
“This enforcement surge delivered results for taxpayers,” said IRS CEO Frank J. Bisignano. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are working across government to go after fraud, hold bad actors accountable, and protect the integrity of our nation’s tax system.”
“If there was ever any question whether criminal tax enforcement remains a priority, today’s actions should dispel all doubt. These cases send an unmistakable message that individuals and businesses who deliberately cheat the tax system will be held accountable,” said Jarod Koopman, Chief of IRS Criminal Investigation and Chief Tax Compliance Officer. “The investigations announced today involve hundreds of millions in identified tax losses to the United States, funds that should have supported the programs and services Americans depend on every day. When taxpayers evade their legal obligations, the burden does not disappear, it is shifted to law-abiding Americans.”
The Department’s prosecutors returned 23 actions with new charges against 31 defendants. The estimated intended loss to the public fisc arising from the allegations against these defendants exceeds approximately $350,000,000. In addition to returning these new charges, the Fraud Division’s Tax Section and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices partook in around 39 other enforcement actions — trials, guilty pleas, and sentencings. These events affected another 45 defendants whose actions produced an estimated intended loss of nearly $140,000,000.
National Tax Enforcement Surge MapNotable Cases
1) United States v. Martin Navarrete (Indictment) – $2,800,000 – District of Maryland
According to the indictment, Navarrete, who served as sole owner and sole corporate officer of Navarrete Brothers Construction Inc. (NBC), exercised significant control and authority over NBC’s finances. Among his responsibilities, Navarrete was tasked with collecting trust-fund taxes, accounting for employment taxes by filing Forms 941 with the IRS and paying the IRS the trust-fund taxes for NBC’s employees.
From September 2020 through December 2025, Navarrete allegedly willfully failed to truthfully account for and pay over the trust-fund taxes owed to the IRS on behalf of NBC’s employees. Additionally, Navarrete willfully failed to file U.S. Corporate Income Tax Return and Individual Tax Return forms for calendar years 2020–2024.
2) United States v. Sherita Booker (Information) – $11,806,165 – Northern District of Ohio
On Sept. 30, Sherita Booker, of Cleveland, was charged with aiding or assisting in the preparation of false and fraudulent federal income tax returns. She allegedly prepared false returns and obtained large, fraudulent refunds for hundreds of clients, primarily using three programs: (1) COVID-19 sick leave credits for non-existent businesses and employees; (2) Refunds of purported fuel taxes paid for off-road (farm) use; and (3) Claims for refunds of taxes purportedly overpaid in previous years.
3) United States v. Marty Allen Linville (Sentencing) – $2,595,679 – Western District of Arkansas
Since at least 2010, Marty Allen Linville, age 58, owned and operated Malco Inc., a trucking business located in De Queen, Arkansas, where he had employees and paid them wages. Linville provided his employees with Forms W-2 that reported withholdings paid to the IRS on their behalf. However, Linville did not separately file the Forms W-2 with the Social Security Administration or make the required tax deposits. More than one employee reported to Linville that their tax return refunds were frozen because no Form W-2 was on file with the IRS. Linville pled guilty to 2 counts of Willful Failure to Account for and Pay Over Trust Fund Taxes. Linville was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment and ordered to pay restitution, including penalties and interest, in the amount of $3.8 million.
4) United States vs. Duncan John MacDonald, Sarah Duren, Richard Ronald Cayce, and Thomas Weickgenant (Indictment) – $200,000,000 – Northern District of Texas
Four Texas residents charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States and other crimes for promoting an illegal tax shelter. According to the indictment, the defendants promoted and sold a fraudulent trust scheme that was used to shelter more than $1.5 billion of income, causing an estimated tax loss to the IRS of more than $200 million. The defendants allegedly sold clients the tax shelter for fees that often exceeded $100,000 by fraudulently telling clients that they could assign their income to sham trusts to defer paying taxes in perpetuity, all while continuing to enjoy the benefit and control over their assets and income. The defendants also allegedly encouraged some clients to backdate their trusts and file amended income tax returns claiming refunds for prior years’ taxes.
5) United States v. Ephantus Mwangi (Sentencing) – $1,500,000 – District of Kansas
A Kenyan national and Missouri businessman was sentenced to 51 months in prison for willfully failing to pay over employment taxes to the IRS on behalf of the credit-card processing services companies he owned and operated. During this time, he spent more than $200,000 on loan payments for various luxury vehicles, including a Hummer H2, a Cadillac Escalade, two Range Rovers, two Mercedes, and a Lexus. He also willfully failed to file individual income tax returns for the years 2017 and 2020, and he filed 2018 and 2019 individual income tax returns after the deadline had passed.
6) United States v. Nelai Mitchell (Sentencing) – $13,800,000 – Eastern District of North Carolina
Nejlai Mitchell, an owner of a North Carolina tax return preparation business was sentenced to 60 months in prison for conspiring to prepare false returns claiming fraudulent refunds based on COVID-19 tax credits. From approximately April 2022 through May 2023, Mitchell and seven employees filed false tax returns seeking fraudulent refunds based on the paid sick and family leave credit, a credit passed by Congress to aid struggling businesses during the COVID-19 global pandemic. The conspiracy resulted in a total of approximately $23.9 million in fraudulent tax refund claims. The IRS paid out approximately $13,890,697 of that amount.
Five other return preparers were sentenced for their roles in the scheme. On Sept. 3, Tiffany Moody was sentenced to 26 months in prison. On July 8, Shaneen Ray was sentenced to 18 months in prison, Eyoubo McBurney was sentenced to 18 months in prison, and Sylvia Swindell was sentenced to 16 months in prison. On July 9, Katrena Stanback was sentenced to six months in prison.
7) United States v. Gustavo Rojano Salazar, Gabriel Rojano Salazar, and Andres Huerta Rendon (Indictment) – $74,000,000 – Northern District of Georgia
Two brothers and a third man were charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, mail fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, all arising out of a $74 million scheme to defraud the IRS through the filing of fraudulent tax returns. According to the indictment, the three men, who are Mexican citizens, obtained Mexican identification documents in the names of third parties. They used these identification documents to obtain Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN) with the IRS used by an individual who was required to file a federal tax return, but who did not have or was not eligible to receive a Social Security number. After receiving the ITIN information, the co-conspirators prepared and filed fraudulent tax returns in the names of the Mexican ITIN holders. Each of these returns resulted in refunds, which the co-conspirators directed to be mailed to post office boxes they controlled. The co-conspirators then collected the resulting U.S. Treasury refund checks issued in the names of the Mexican ITIN holders and cashed them using a check cashing company. In total, the three co-conspirators and others cashed more than 16,000 U.S. Treasury tax refund checks worth over $74 million.
8) United States v. Pedro Cabrajal (Indictment) - $4,900,000 – District of New Jersey
New Jersey man charged with willful failure to account for and pay over employment taxes, tax evasion and willful failure to file income tax returns. According to the indictment, from 2012 to 2020, Pedro Carbajal, of Sparta, New Jersey, operated Option Staffing Services LLC, an employee-leasing business that was nominally owned by another individual. During this period, Carbajal allegedly did not file quarterly employment tax returns with the IRS or pay the required trust fund and unemployment taxes on behalf of his company’s employees. Carbajal allegedly failed to pay over a total of approximately $4.9 million in taxes to the IRS.
9) United States v. Jose Da Costa Gomez (Indictment) – No public loss announced – Southern District of Florida
Business owner charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, filing false tax returns with the IRS, wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud. According to the indictment, Da Costa Gomez was the owner of a series of businesses Da Costa Gomez and his family members allegedly used the companies’ funds to pay tens of millions of dollars of personal expenses and failed to report those payments as income to the Internal Revenue Service. Da Costa Gomez and others also allegedly evaded Florida sales and use taxes on purchases by having items shipped out of Florida and then surreptitiously bringing them back to the state or submitting false resale certificates to sellers.
10) United States v. John Labee (Indictment) – $6,900,000 – Western District of Texas
Defendant charged with conspiring to file false claims and filing false claims. From approximately October 2021 through July 2022, Labee and co-conspirator Andrea Dotson allegedly agreed to have Labee prepare and file false tax returns on behalf of Dotson’s business, Divine Grinde. Although Divine Grinde had minimal operations and no employees, Labee and Dotson allegedly conspired to file nine false tax returns that falsely claimed the Employee Retention Credit and the Sick and Family Leave Credit based on completely fabricated wage and tax figures. Dotson previously pleaded guilty on March 10, 2026, for her role in the offense. In total, Labee and Dotson’s fraudulent claims sought refunds of approximately $6.9 million, of which the IRS paid over $1.1 million. Dotson kept a portion of the tax refunds for herself and allegedly provided the remainder to Labee.
11) United States v. Pacifique Kashosi (Trial) – Loss to be determined at sentencing – District of Arizona
Phoenix tax preparer convicted at trial for aiding and assisting in the filing of false tax returns and filing false personal income tax returns. Kashosi prepared false tax returns for his clients that reported false Covid tax credits, false fuel credits and false business losses. The false tax returns claimed thousands of dollars in fraudulent refunds. In cases like this one, the intended loss is often millions of dollars and can result in significant prison time.
12) United States v. Marquis Al Bey (Guilty Plea) – $35,000,000 – District of Maryland
Marquis Al Bey, of Forney, Texas, pleaded guilty on Sept. 17, for his role in a tax refund fraud conspiracy that sought to obtain more than $35 million in fraudulent refunds through the filing of false tax returns. Bey prepared tax returns for clients, including clients located in Maryland, that sought large tax refunds that the individuals and entities listed on the returns were not entitled to receive. Bey charged clients for his tax return preparation services and, in some cases, required that clients agree to pay him a percentage of any resulting refund. As part of his plea, Bey admitted to preparing seven false returns between 2017 and 2021 for his co-defendant and another individual in Maryland that collectively sought more than $35 million from the Internal Revenue Service. Two of those returns resulted in the IRS issuing refunds totaling more than $10 million to Bey’s clients.
13) United States v. LaMar Dazjar Burgess and LaMar Javis Burgess (Guilty Pleas) – $9,200,000 – District of Minnesota
Father and son, LaMar Javis Burgess and son LaMar Dazjar Burgess, participated in a scheme to fraudulently obtain tax refunds by filing false income tax returns based primarily on COVID-related sick and family leave credits, fuel tax credits, and false withholdings. For tax years 2022 and 2023 Javis and his son prepared and/or filed at least 300 false income tax returns claiming at least $9.2 million in fraudulent refunds.
14) United States v. Ronald Chrichlow and Gordon Chrichlow (Guilty Pleas) – $978,126 and $1,643,172 – District of New Jersey
Two brothers plead guilty to stealing more than $978,126 and $1,643,172, respectively, in tax refunds. Ronald Chrichlow and Gordon Chrichlow both filed a false 2022 Form 1041, U.S. Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts, on behalf of their trusts. These Forms 1041 falsely reported that the trusts made tax payments to the IRS when they had not and claimed refunds as a result. In response to IRS collection efforts, the Chrichlow brothers mailed forms to the IRS on which they falsely claimed not to be residents of the United States and falsely claimed that their 2022 income was tax exempt pursuant to a tax treaty. The Chrichlow brothers also failed to file their personal income tax returns in some years, despite earning income and being legally obligated to file.
15) United States v. Lakeibia Fannin (Sentencing) – $1,400,000 – District of Nevada
Illinois woman sentenced to 13 months in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States by making false claims for refunds based on COVID-19 tax credits. Lakeibia Fannin conspired with others, including Candies Goode-McCoy, from June 2022 through November 2023 to file tax returns seeking fraudulent refunds based on false Employee Retention Credits and Sick and Family Leave Credits. Fannin and her businesses were not eligible to receive these refundable credits in the amounts claimed. In total, Fannin claimed more than $3.5 million in fraudulent refunds, of which more than $1.4 million were paid.
16) United States v. McDonald Preval (Sentencing) – $4,200,000 – Southern District of Florida
Florida man was sentenced to 36 months in prison for filing a false tax return on behalf of a trust he controlled as part of a $4.2 million refund fraud scheme.
McDonald Preval, of Miami, filed a number of false tax returns for himself and trusts he claimed to control. The trust tax returns reported that the trusts had earned significant income and made tax withholding payments to the IRS, purportedly entitling the trusts to large tax refunds. In fact, the trusts did not have the claimed income and did not make payments in the amounts claimed on the returns and therefore were not entitled to the refunds Preval claimed. He also filed tax returns for 2023 that did not include the income from his employment. The false tax returns Preval caused to be filed on behalf of purported trusts and himself collectively sought tax refunds totaling more than $4.2 million. Preval obtained more than $580,000 from his scheme, which he used to pay off the mortgage loan on his house and other personal expenses.
Federal Partners Represented at the 2026 Tax Fraud Surge Event
U.S. Attorney Partners (In-Person Attendance):
U.S. Attorney Kelly Hayes for the District of Maryland
U.S. Attorney Kevin Holmes for the Western District of Arkansas
U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas
U.S. Attorney David Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio
IRS Partners (In-Person Attendance):
IRS CEO Frank Bisignano
IRS-CI Chief Jarod Koopman
IRS-CI Deputy Chief Gary Shapley
U.S. Attorneys’ Office Whose Districts Participated in the Tax Fraud Surge (35):
District of Alaska, District of Arizona, Western District of Arkansas, District of Colorado, Middle District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Kansas, Eastern District of Louisiana, Western District of Louisiana, District of Maryland, District of Maine, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, District of Minnesota, Southern District of Mississippi, Western District of Missouri, Eastern District of North Carolina, District of New Jersey, District of Nevada, Eastern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Northern District of Ohio, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Eastern District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Northern District of West Virginia.
***
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
D.C. Felon Found with Glock Pistol Sentenced to 29 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- Sequan Collier, 29, a previously convicted felon residing in the District, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 29 months in federal prison in connection with his illegal possession of a loaded Glock pistol when police encountered him parked illegally with two additional armed men while he was on supervised release for a previous firearms offense, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Collier pleaded guilty on June 29 before Judge Timothy J. Kelly to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 29‑month prison term, Judge Kelly ordered Collier to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on March 16, 2025, at approximately 1:42 a.m., officers with the Metropolitan Police Department approached a black Audi A6 illegally parked in a no parking zone in the Logan Circle neighborhood. Collier was in the driver’s seat, accompanied by three other men, two of whom were also armed.
After Collier stepped out of the vehicle, officers recovered a Glock Model 29, 10mm handgun from his waistband. The firearm was loaded with 15 rounds—14 in the magazine and one in the chamber.
At the time, Collier had three prior felony convictions in D.C. Superior Court for offenses punishable by more than one year of imprisonment and was on supervised release for a 2023 firearms conviction involving another loaded Glock recovered from his pants. Collier had served 22 months in prison for that offense yet reoffended just six weeks after his release. As a convicted felon, Collier was prohibited from possessing any firearm.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington Field Division.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Naseef under the president’s Make DC Safe and Beautiful Again initiative. The initiative targets violent crime by prioritizing federal prosecution of armed repeat offenders and removing illegal firearms from District neighborhoods.
25cr81
Follow us on X, Instagram, and YouTube
Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc
Convictions through Guilty Pleas and Sentencings in Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) Prosecutions (October 5 through October 9, 2026)Read the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, Héctor Ramírez-Carbó, Acting United States Attorney, in conjunction with our partner agencies in the Homeland Security Task Force (“HSTF”) announce the following prosecutorial results for the week of October 5 through October 9, 2026. The HSTF is a permanent, interagency law enforcement task force created by executive order to combat transnational criminal organizations—including cartels, trafficking networks, and foreign terrorist organizations.
Convictions through Guilty Pleas:
- On October 6, 2026, Gregory Vega-De Jesús pleaded guilty to transportation of illegal aliens, in Criminal Case 26-317 (MAJ). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with conspiring to bring illegal aliens to the United States for financial gain, aiding and assisting entry of an aggravated felon into the United States, and transporting illegal aliens within the United States. Defendant was arrested on July 22, 2026. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for January 21, 2027. AUSA Steven Liong-Rodríguez is in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On October 8, 2026, Roberto Crispín Padilla pleaded guilty to Count One in Criminal Case number 25-272 (SCC). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Defendant was arrested on July 10, 2025. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for January 20, 2027. AUSAs Laura Díaz-González and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On October 8, 2026, Ángel Luis Álvarez Torres pleaded guilty to Counts One and Seven in Criminal Case number 25-272 (SCC). According to the indictment, the defendant was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Defendant was arrested on July 10, 2025. The court set defendant’s sentencing date for January 20, 2027. AUSAs Laura Díaz-González and Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
Sentencings:
- On October 5, 2026, Eli Y. Couvertier-Pollock, a.k.a. “Tata/Maike/Maike Casiano” was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Camille Vélez-Rivé to fifteen (15) years of imprisonment to be followed by ten (10) years of supervised release for his participation in a violent drug trafficking organization that worked out of various Public Housing Projects in the Carolina and San Juan areas, principally the Sabana Abajo Public Housing Project. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on December 5, 2024, in Criminal Case 24-453 (MAJ), and pleaded guilty on June 16, 2026. AUSAs Laura Díaz González and Joseph Russell are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On October 6, 2026, Alejandro Veliz was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Raúl Arias Marxuach to 24 months of imprisonment and 4 years of supervised release for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of more than five grams of methamphetamine. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on April 24, 2026, in Criminal Case 25-203 (RAM), and pleaded guilty on December 9, 2025. AUSA Camille García Jiménez was in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On October 7, 2026, Joshua E. Bula-Cartagena, a.k.a. “Inquilino/El Corista” was sentenced by United States District Court Judge María Antiongiorgi-Jordán to ten (10) years of imprisonment to be followed by eight (8) years of supervised release for his participation in a violent drug trafficking organization that worked out of various Public Housing Projects in the Carolina and San Juan areas, principally the Sabana Abajo Public Housing Project. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on December 5, 2024, in Criminal Case 24-453 (MAJ), and pleaded guilty on July 9, 2026. AUSAs Laura Díaz González and Joseph Russell are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On October 8, 2026, Ángel M. Franqui-González, a.k.a. “Blanquito” was sentenced by United States District Court Judge María Antiongiorgi-Jordán to six (6) years of imprisonment to be followed by six (6) years of supervised release for his participation in a violent drug trafficking organization that worked out of various Public Housing Projects in the Carolina and San Juan areas, principally the Sabana Abajo Public Housing Project. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on December 5, 2024, in Criminal Case 24-453 (MAJ), and pleaded guilty on June 11, 2026. AUSAs Laura Díaz González and Joseph Russell are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
- On October 9, 2026, Melvis Marcano González was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Pedro Delgado to 70 months of imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 225 kilograms of cocaine aboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. According to court documents, defendant was indicted on April 12, 2022, in Criminal Case 21-317 (PAD), and pleaded guilty on July 14, 2026. AUSA Camille García Jiménez was in charge of the prosecution of the case.
These prosecutions are 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 Juan comprises agents and officers from the following federal partners: FBI, ICE-HSI, CBP (OFO, AMO and Border Patrol), the U.S. Marshals Service for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, DEA, ATF, IRS, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of State, and the U.S. Secret Service, the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA, TSA, FAA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The HSTF also has the following state and local law enforcement partners as participating agencies: the Puerto Rico Police Department; the San Juan, Carolina, Guaynabo, Barceloneta, and Ponce Municipal Police Departments, the Puerto Rico National Guard – Counter Drug Program; the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda); the Puerto Rico Port Authority; and the Virgin Islands Police Department.
###
College Park Man Sentenced for Impersonating a Child Online to Entice Young Girls to Send Him Explicit Images and VideosRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Dye’Shuan Green, who pressured girls as young as nine years old to send him sexually explicit photos and videos online, has been sentenced to nearly 17 years in federal prison for production of child sexual abuse material.
“The Court’s sentence holds a predator accountable for his reprehensible acts and ensures he won’t victimize another child for most of the next two decades,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg, “This case also serves as a reminder to parents and caretakers about the dangers deviant criminals like Green pose to young people online.”
“Posing as a child and then pressuring children, among the most vulnerable members of our society, to produce sexually explicit and harmful material is unconscionable,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI, alongside our local, state, and federal partners, will relentlessly work to bring justice to the victims and their families.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2022, a mother in Columbus, Georgia reported to the Columbus Police Department that her daughter had been manipulated by a man, who was posing as a child online, to send nude images of herself. The FBI then conducted a multi-year investigation, which revealed that Green had preyed on young girls across the country.
The investigation established that Green targeted young girls on social media and gaming sites and pretended that he was a boy their age. Green befriended them, convinced them that he loved them and wanted a relationship with them, and discussed having sex with them. Green then relentlessly begged and threatened victims to produce sexually explicit photos of themselves to send him, and many girls sent nude images to him. A review of Green’s phone and social media accounts showed that he chatted online with hundreds of young girls as part of his scheme.
On October 13, 2026, U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Geraghty sentenced Dye’Shuan Green, 23, of College Park, Georgia, to 16 years, 10 months in prison to be followed by 15 years of supervised release. Green pleaded guilty to one count of production of child sexual abuse material and four counts of enticement to create child sexual abuse material on June 29, 2026.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance provided by the Columbus Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew R. LaGrone and Leanne M. Marek prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Chicago-Area Rap Promoter Sentenced for Role in Nationwide Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Chicago man was sentenced on Oct. 8, 2026 in federal court in Springfield, Mass. for his role in a nationwide wire fraud conspiracy that victimized businesses and individuals across the United States.
Steven Hayes, Jr. 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to three years of probation. The government recommended a sentence of 4-6 months in prison. Hayes was also ordered to pay $2,728 in both restitution and forfeiture. In May 2026, Hayes pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Hayes was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2020 along with five co-defendants, including rap promoter Antonio Strong, rap artists Herbert Wright and Joseph Williams, their associate Demario Sorrells and celebrity barber Terrence Bender. In February 2026, Hayes proceeded to trial, which resulted in a hung jury.
Beginning in at least March 2017 through November 2018, Hayes, Strong, Williams, Sorrells, Wright and Bender conspired to defraud numerous businesses and individuals throughout the United States by using unauthorized and stolen payment card account information of real individuals – including the actual cardholders’ names, addresses, security codes and account expiration dates. Generally, because the payment card information was authentic, the defrauded businesses and individuals successfully processed the fraudulent transactions and provided the goods and services to Hayes and his co-conspirators. The actual cardholders discovered these transactions on their accounts and disputed the charges with their card companies who then charged back the transactions to the businesses and individuals, who consequently suffered losses in the amounts of the unauthorized transactions.
Hayes and his co-conspirators used illicit account information to obtain, among other things, a private jet charter flight, a New York City villa rental, designer puppies from a pet boutique and car insurance. In total, Hayes was responsible for $44,814 in victim losses.
On July 28, 2023, Wright pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of making a false statement to a federal official, and on Jan. 11, 2024, was sentenced to three years’ probation and was ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture of $139,968 and a $5,500 fine. On Feb. 2, 2024, Sorrells pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and, on Aug. 29, 2024, was sentenced to three years’ probation and ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture of $106,481. On March 8, 2024, Williams pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and, on Aug. 13, 2024, was sentenced to three years’ probation and ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture of $155,392. On May 22, 2024, Strong pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud and, on Oct. 29, 2024, was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture of $2,159,874. On Nov. 14, 2024, Bender pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and, on Feb. 27, 2025, was sentenced to three years’ probation and ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture of $103,811.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Andrew Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office and Trial Attorney Kyle Crawford of the of the Criminal Division’s White Collar and Corporate Enforcement Section prosecuted the case.
Camarillo Man Federally Charged with Abusing His Access as Civilian Contractor to Illegally Film U.S. Naval Base Activities and EquipmentRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Ventura County man is scheduled to be arraigned today on federal charges that he abused his access to a U.S. naval base as a civilian contractor by entering restricted areas to photograph and film sensitive military equipment, airplanes, and training exercises, then sharing these images and videos with others.
Todd Jeremy Senff, 46, of Camarillo, is charged with 14 misdemeanors: 11 counts of violation of a defense property security regulation and three counts of entering military property for an unlawful purpose.
His arraignment is scheduled for this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to court documents, Senff worked for a Navy construction services contractor at Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC). This naval base houses a population of approximately 19,000 personnel and is comprised of three installations, including NBVC Point Mugu. Point Mugu houses several naval logistics commands and naval weapons testings commands, including unique facilities to conduct weapons research, development, and evaluation.
NBVC also provides direct access to the Point Mugu Sea Range, which is the Navy’s largest instrumented sea range and supports air, surface, and submarine operations and exercises. It also supports weapons testing, missile defense support, and multinational training exercises.
In September 2023, NBVC awarded a three-year construction contract to Senff’s employer for various projects. Senff was involved in approximately four of these projects, and he obtained a credential that granted him access to portions of the naval base.
From June 2024 to September 2024, Senff used his access to NBVC to unlawfully take photographs and videos of sensitive military equipment and military exercises. He then sent some of the unlawfully taken photographs and videos to his associates, along with messages regarding military activities.
The United States Navy strictly regulates photography on naval installations to protect and secure U.S. Department of War property against, among other things, sabotage and subversive actions. NBVC Point Mugu maintained posted signage in conspicuous and appropriate places stating that photography was prohibited.
An information merely contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Senff would face a statutory maximum sentence of one year in federal prison for each count of violation of a defense property security regulation and a statutory maximum sentence of six months in federal prison for each count of entering military property for an unlawful purpose.
The FBI and Naval Criminal Investigative Service are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Joseph S. Guzman of the National Security Division is prosecuting this case.
California Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking a MinorRead the Press Release
Keynin McGee, 27, of Oakland, California, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking a minor in the Eastern District of California.
According to court documents, McGee met the minor victim in 2021 through Instagram. After months of speaking with her, McGee bought the victim a bus ticket for her to travel to meet him in person. When she arrived, McGee picked the victim up at the bus station, bought her clothing, and took her to a hotel. He then posted photographs of the victim online on a website commonly used to buy and sell sex. McGee then drove the victim to outdoor areas in Oakland and San Francisco known for commercial sex work and instructed her to solicit sex buyers in passing cars. Because of his conduct, the minor victim engaged in commercial sex acts with multiple buyers.
“Exploiting a child for financial gain is reprehensible and heinous,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Yesterday’s guilty plea of Keynin McGee to sex trafficking of a minor, who he lured to meet him in person then trafficked her for commercial sex in the Oakland and San Francisco areas, reflects our commitment to protecting children from the scourge of sex trafficking. The Criminal Division will continue to pursue and prosecute vile individuals who victimize and traffic minors.”
“This guilty plea illustrates the dedicated work of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors to investigate and stamp out sex trafficking and to hold traffickers accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant for the Eastern District of California. “Protecting vulnerable victims requires sustained collaboration, thorough investigations, and a commitment to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law. We will continue working together to identify and support victims and bring to justice those who exploit them.”
“Keynin McGee reduced his young victim to a commodity to be bought and sold for his own gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Tosh of FBI Sacramento. “Anyone who seeks to exploit children will face relentless pursuit from the FBI and our law enforcement partners. We will hold traffickers fully accountable for the harm they inflict. Together, we can protect the vulnerable and create a safer future for every child.”
McGee pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a minor. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 19, 2027, and faces a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Deputy Chief Leah Branch of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa for the Eastern District of California are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Bureau of Prisons Correctional Officer Indicted for BriberyRead the Press Release
Earlier today, an indictment was unsealed charging Melissa Brooks, a correctional officer employed by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), with taking bribes as a public official and conspiracy to do the same. Brooks was assigned to the Metropolitan Detention Center located in Brooklyn, New York (MDC Brooklyn) and agreed to accept the illegal payments from inmates and others acting on behalf of inmates who were involved in smuggling contraband into the MDC. Brooks was arrested this morning and will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Cho.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Ryan Geach, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, Northeast Region (DOJ-OIG); and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the indictment and arrest.
“As alleged, the defendant betrayed her duty as a correctional officer, endangering the safety of MDC staff and inmates, all to satisfy her own greed,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office is committed to rooting out corruption at all levels of government and will hold the defendant accountable for her actions.”
“It is critical to the safety and security of the federal prison system that Correctional Officers perform their work with honesty and integrity,” stated Special Agent in Charge Geach. “The DOJ OIG will continue to diligently work with its law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of bribery and other wrongdoing by prison staff,” stated DOJ-OIG Special Agent in Charge Geach.
“Inmate and officer safety is at direct risk if contraband is allowed to enter prisons. Allegedly, Corrections Officer Melissa Brooks was bribed to allow contraband into MDC, putting her own financial interests above the safety and security of those she was sworn to protect. The FBI will continue to root out such corruption, so that all of New York is a safer place,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
As alleged in the indictment, Brooks has been employed by the BOP as a correctional officer since July 2024. As a correctional officer, Brooks was responsible for maintaining security and good order within the MDC, including by ensuring that inmates did not possess contraband. Brooks’s conduct was governed by regulations prohibiting officers from accepting gifts or other things of value from inmates or their family members or associates. However, between July 2024 and December 2025, Brooks allegedly accepted cash payments from associates of MDC inmates on multiple occasions in return for smuggling contraband into the MDC. For example, on October 18, 2024, she received $5,000 via a peer-to-peer payment service from an individual who had received $5,000 just minutes earlier from the sister of an MDC inmate. And on December 15, 2025, she exchanged text messages with the same MDC inmate, who was using a contraband phone, in which the defendant recognized the potential consequences for her actions. After the inmate indicated that he thought Brooks was going to bring him contraband, she responded: “😂😂😂these mf are trying to throw my ass in jail baby.”
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of bribery, Brooks faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Wang is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Johnson Peow.
The Defendants:
MELISSA BROOKS
Age: 37
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-CR-280 (BMC)
melissa_brooks_indictment.pdfBowie County man sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a childRead the Press Release
TEXARKANA, Texas – A Texarkana, Texas man has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for child exploitation violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Caleb Layne Crawford, 26, pleaded guilty to production of child pornography and was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder III on October 13, 2026.
According to information presented in court, in December 2024, law enforcement authorities received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) reporting the upload of several images of child pornography from an account associated with Crawford. Investigation into the report revealed Crawford used his cell phone to produce sexually explicit photos of the child victim and then distributed the images to individuals via a social media application.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Department of Army Criminal Investigations Division, Texas Department of Public Safety - Criminal Investigations Division, and Texarkana, Texas Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Richards.
###
Bosnian National Sentenced for Violating International Sanctions Against North KoreaRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Bosnian national was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to federal export and sanctions violations by conspiring and attempting to broker the sale of Man Portable Air Defense Systems, which are anti-aircraft missiles.
According to court documents, Sasa Micev, 43, a citizen of Bosnia, is an international arms dealer. In that capacity, Micev worked with a co-conspirator based in New Mexico. Together, Micev and his co-conspirator worked with others to violate and evade restrictions imposed by the U.S. department of the Treasury under the North Korea Sanctions Regulations by brokering the purchase of SA-18 Igla portable surface-to-air missiles from North Korea without the required license or approvals from the Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control.
On multiple occasions in 2020, Micev and a co-conspirator discussed unlawfully acquiring the Igla missiles and Micev provided pricing information, participated in efforts to obtain the items through falsified documentation, and worked to procure the weapons from North Korea despite knowing that such transactions were prohibited under U.S. and international laws.
In late 2020, Micev and the co-conspirator traveled to Ankara, Turkey to meet and complete the sale of the Igla missiles. However, after a price dispute with the North Koreans, the sale fell through.
“U.S. sanctions mean little if those who knowingly evade them face no consequences,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “This defendant helped carry out an international scheme to conduct business that U.S. law prohibited, and this sentence holds him accountable for his role. I am proud of the investigators and prosecutors whose hard work and dedication brought this case to sentencing in New Mexico. Their commitment to seeing this prosecution through is a testament to the caliber of the people who serve in this district.”
“Those who knowingly attempt to circumvent U.S. export controls and international sanctions to facilitate the illicit trafficking of military weapons pose a serious threat to our national security and global stability,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan G. McRae. “Their willingness to profit from prohibited weapons transactions demonstrates blatant disregard for the law. HSI aggressively pursues those who traffic in restricted military technology and hold them accountable for their actions.”
Micev pleaded guilty to violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the North Korean Sanctions Regulations and was sentenced to 60 months in prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan G. McRae of Homeland Security Investigations El Paso made the announcement today.
The Department of Homeland Security Investigation’s Albuquerque and Phoenix field offices investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tavo Hall and Holland Kastrin for the District of New Mexico are prosecuting the case with the assistance of the Trial Attorney Maria Fedor of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Bosnian National Sentenced for Violating International Sanctions Against North KoreaRead the Press Release
A Bosnian national was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to federal export and sanctions violations by conspiring and attempting to broker the sale of Man Portable Air Defense Systems, which are anti-aircraft missiles.
“U.S. sanctions mean little if those who knowingly evade them face no consequences,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico. “This defendant helped carry out an international scheme to conduct business that U.S. law prohibited, and this sentence holds him accountable for his role. I am proud of the investigators and prosecutors whose hard work and dedication brought this case to sentencing in New Mexico. Their commitment to seeing this prosecution through is a testament to the caliber of the people who serve in this district.”
“Those who knowingly attempt to circumvent U.S. export controls and international sanctions to facilitate the illicit trafficking of military weapons pose a serious threat to our national security and global stability,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan G. McRae of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso. “Their willingness to profit from prohibited weapons transactions demonstrates blatant disregard for the law. HSI aggressively pursues those who traffic in restricted military technology and hold them accountable for their actions.”
According to court documents, Sasa Micev, 43, a citizen of Bosnia, is an international arms dealer. Micev worked with a co-conspirator based in New Mexico and others to violate and evade restrictions imposed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury under the North Korea Sanctions Regulations by brokering the purchase of SA-18 Igla portable surface-to-air missiles from North Korea without the required license or approvals from the Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control.
On multiple occasions in 2020, Micev and a co-conspirator discussed unlawfully acquiring the Igla missiles and Micev provided pricing information, participated in efforts to obtain the items through falsified documentation, and worked to procure the weapons from North Korea despite knowing that such transactions were prohibited under U.S. and international laws.
In late 2020, Micev and the co-conspirator traveled to Ankara, Turkey to meet and complete the sale of the Igla missiles. However, after a price dispute with the North Koreans, the sale fell through.
Micev pleaded guilty to violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the North Korean Sanctions Regulations.
HSI’s Albuquerque and Phoenix Field Offices investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tavo Hall and Holland Kastrin for the District of New Mexico are prosecuting the case with the assistance of the Trial Attorney Maria Fedor of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Belton Man Guilty of Production, Transportation, and Possession of Child Pornography and Cyberstalking of a MinorRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Belton, Mo., man pleaded guilty to production of child pornography, transportation of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and cyberstalking of a minor.
Carter Anderson, 32, was charged by an indictment in December 2025 for Anderson’s criminal conduct occurring between October 2021 through January 2025. In his guilty plea, Anderson admitted that he engaged in a course of conduct in which he obtained sexually explicit images and videos of three minor victims by various means, including through a pattern of threats over the internet. Anderson admitted that he met one of his minor victims through the Snapchat messaging application. Anderson admitted that, after obtaining the minor victim’s sexually explicit images and videos, he threatened to publicly release them if the minor victim did not send him additional and increasingly graphic sexually explicit images and videos.
Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of not less than 15 years and up to 70 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Luna. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Heart of America Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Arizona Man Charged with Four Sexual Assaults of a ChildRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona man has been indicted in connection with four alleged sexual assaults on a child that occurred over a three-year period on the Navajo Nation.
According to court documents, between June 2017 and June 2020, Roman B. Ortiz, 36, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, engaged in or attempted to engage in sex acts with a minor under 12 years old, doing so at a residence located within the exterior boundaries of the Navajo Nation.
Ortiz is charged with four counts of aggravated sexual abuse. Ortiz will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Ortiz faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison per felony charge.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Special Agent in Charge Justin A. Garris of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Alumnus admits to threatening to shoot up McKendree UniversityRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A former student of McKendree University appeared in federal court Thursday to accept responsibility for sending threats to injure and kill students at the school.
Rustin A. Berkshire, 40, of Vincennes, Indiana, pleaded guilty to one count of interstate communication with a threat to injure and one count of cyberstalking.
“Anyone threatening a mass shooting on campus should expect the full weight of federal law enforcement. We treat these threats with the utmost seriousness and act on them immediately,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft.
According to court documents and information presented during the hearing, Berkshire admitted to sending messages on Sept. 3, 2025, to McKendree University stating he wanted to hurt students in a mass shooting. Having received several threatening messages, university officials contacted law enforcement, who responded to patrol the campus.
Berkshire’s cyberstalking charge stems from related criminal conduct in which he harassed online and mailed threatening correspondence to a victim from September 2018 through September 2025.
“We consistently collaborate with our university partners to keep their campuses safe,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Special Agent in Charge Ryan Presley. “Any threat aimed at students or educators is taken seriously and investigated without delay. This case underscores the importance of those partnerships and our shared commitment to preventing harm.”
Charges for interstate communication of threat to injure and cyberstalking are each punishable by up to 5 years’ imprisonment. Berkshire’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 10, 2026.
The FBI Springfield Field Office led the investigation with assistance from the McKendree University Office of Public Safety and the Illinois State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali Burns is prosecuting the case.
Abita Springs Man Indicted for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – RAYMOND T. KNESEL (“KNESEL”), age 60, of Abita Springs, Louisiana was indicted on October 9, 2026, for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(b), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to the indictment, between September 24, 2026, and September 28, 2026, KNESEL persuaded and enticed an individual he believed to be a fifteen-year-old female to engage in illegal and illicit sexual activity.
If convicted, KNESEL faces a mandatory minimum of ten (10) years and up to a lifetime in prison, at least five (5) years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. KNESEL may also be required to register as a sex offender.
U. S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Mary Anne Flippo of the Public Integrity Unit and Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force is in charge of the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
* * *
13 October 2026
Window Rock Man Pleads Guilty to AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Window Rock man pleaded guilty to assaulting and seriously injuring a man by stabbing him.
According to court documents, on June 17, 2025, Jacoby Edo Begay, 25, and enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, stabbed John Doe in the chest with a knife, causing serious bodily harm.
Begay pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. At sentencing Begay faces up to 10 years in prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Special Agent in Charge Justin A. Garris of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case.
Williamstown Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Possessing Sexually Explicit Materials of a MinorRead the Press Release
RUTLAND – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on October 13, 2026, Arick Miller, 39, of Williamstown, Vermont, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mary Kay Lanthier to a term of 120 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 15-year term of supervised release. Miller pleaded guilty to possession of child sexual abuse materials (also known as child pornography) on June 4, 2026, and agreed, pursuant to the terms of a written plea agreement, to be sentenced for using a minor in the production of a sexually explicit video.
According to court records, Miller was arrested in July 2023 on unrelated charges, and his phone was seized and later released to a witness. The witness saw on Miller’s phone sexually explicit images and videos of a minor who had been entrusted to Miller’s custody, and reported what was seen to the police. After Miller was released from jail in mid-August 2023, Miller made several efforts to impede the investigation by destroying explicit photographs and videos, lying to investigators, coaching witnesses to lie in court, and creating fake text messages to impugn the motives of those he thought were talking to law enforcement. Investigators nevertheless found video and photographic evidence of Miller’s abuse of this minor and Miller’s attempt to conceal it on multiple devices and computer accounts seized during the investigation.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the collaborative investigatory efforts in this case of Homeland Security Investigations, the Vermont State Police, the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Vermont Department of Children and Families.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana E. Hill. Miller was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Sam Ansell.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Unveils First Annual Project Safe Neighborhoods ReportRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci today announced the release of the first Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Annual Report highlighting the district’s ongoing efforts to reduce violent crime by enhancing law enforcement partnerships across federal, state, and local agencies, including Virginia sheriff’s offices, police departments, and Commonwealth’s Attorney’s.
This year’s report underscores the significant impact of three major PSN operations conducted in Danville, Roanoke, and Lynchburg. Each of these initiatives focused on identifying and prioritizing drivers of violent crime and removing them from the community, as well as seizing illegal firearms and narcotics from our streets.
The report reflects the Department of Justice’s renewed emphasis on deepening collaboration with law enforcement at every level. By unifying resources, intelligence, and investigative capabilities, PSN aims to enhance the effectiveness of crime reduction strategies to promote community safety and the role of law.
“The extraordinary success of combined law enforcement operations in Danville, Roanoke, and Lynchburg over the last year is a direct result of the cooperation, dedication and professionalism of our local, state, and federal partners. This office will seek maximum accountability against those who violate federal law in the Western District of Virginia and further enhance partnerships to ensure that every citizen of this district can live with safety and dignity in their communities,” First Assistant United States Attorney Tracci said today.
The PSN initiative remains the Department of Justice’s flagship program for reducing violent crime, built on the principles of evidence-based strategies, targeted enforcement, and rapid response to violent crime.
The full Project Safe Neighborhoods Report for the Western District of Virginia is now available to the public and can be found here.
Tolland Strip Club Owner Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
KENNETH DENNING, 69, of Holland, Massachusetts, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 16 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for offenses stemming from his operation of the Electric Blue, a strip club in Tolland, Connecticut, where he and his employees promoted and facilitated prostitution.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Denning owned and oversaw the operation of the Electric Blue, which employed dancers who performed nude dances and lap dances for customers. The Electric Blue was owned by “Denning Enterprises,” a holding company nominally owned by Denning’s wife but controlled by Denning, from the 1990’s until it was sold in January 2025.
Denning and his employees typically required dancers to pay a “house fee” of up to $50 each shift, and dancers were encouraged to engage in commercial sex transactions with customers in private and semi-private rooms, including a “lap dance room,” “VIP rooms” and “Champagne rooms.” Customers, who had paid a cash cover charge to enter the Electric Blue, paid the club a fee, typically in cash, to use one of the private rooms, and then negotiated an additional fee directly with the dancer. The dancers kept these negotiated fees, which often were hundreds of dollars. Club employees collected the cash received by the club, placed the cash in envelopes noting the source of the cash, and then placed the envelopes in a safe in Denning’s office. They referred to this cash as “Kenny’s money,” and used this money to pay business expenses and fund Denning’s personal expenditures, including trips to casinos where Denning spent large sums of money. As an example, on February 23, 2023, Denning deposited approximately $21,700 in cash at the Mohegan Sun Casino for gambling purposes.
Denning and his bookkeeper provided spreadsheets of the Electric Blue’s purported income to the club’s tax return preparer that purposefully omitted “Kenny’s money.” On March 16, 2023, investigators seized $45,421 in cash from a safe inside Denning’s office at the Electric Blue. Documentation found with the cash indicated that approximately $39,751 of the cash represented “Kenny’s money” that was collected between March 2 and March 15, 2023. Based upon an extrapolation analysis of this two-week period, investigators calculated that Denning and employees caused nearly $3 million in material taxable business receipts not to be reported to the IRS for the 2020, 2021, and 2022 tax years.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the distribution of Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”), through the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”), which provided working capital to eligible small businesses to meet operating expenses. Denning applied for and received an EIDL loan during the pandemic by falsely certifying that the business did not “present live performances of a prurient sexual nature.” On the EIDL application, Denning characterized the Electric Blue’s business activity as “Eating & Drinking Places.” In July 2020, the Electric Blue received $149,900 in EIDL funding. Denning almost immediately transferred $20,000 of those funds from the Electric Blue’s business bank account into his personal bank account.
Denning was arrested on May 15, 2024. On May 19, 2026, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to use an interstate facility to promote or facilitate prostitution, one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and two counts of engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from unlawful activity.
Judge Bolden ordered Denning to pay restitution of $549,999 to the IRS and $150,000 to the SBA. Denning also agreed to forfeit $1,525,842, including the $45,421 seized from the Electric Blue in March 2023, and $1,047 seized from his residence at the time of his arrest.
Denning, who is released on a $250,000 bond, is required to report to prison on November 17.
This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection – Liquor Control Division, and the Massachusetts State Police, with the assistance of the Willimantic Police Department and the Manchester Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Dearington and Alexis L. Beyerlein.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Three Individuals Arrested for Attempting to Steal More Than $2 Million in Treasury ChecksRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Stanley Richardson Joseph (28, Brooklyn, NY), Kallie Nicole Valerie Halliday (26, Brooklyn, NY), and Kristy Marie Bochecchio (47, Tampa) have been charged in a federal indictment with conspiracy, theft of government money or property, and aggravated identity theft. If convicted on all counts, each faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies the defendants that the United States intends to forfeit the proceeds traceable to the offenses. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Joseph, Halliday, and Bochecchio intercepted U.S. Treasury checks, which had been placed in the mail to be delivered to the victims. Once the defendants obtained the checks, they created counterfeit driver licenses to match the names and identities of the victims. They then used these counterfeit licenses to open new accounts at various financial institutions and deposited the stolen Treasury checks.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations, New York. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Merrilyn Hoenemeyer.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Thirteen-time felon convicted on firearms possession chargesRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A federal judge convicted a Richmond man today on charges of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on March 6, 2024, officers of the Richmond Police Department’s Strategic Violence Interdiction Unit observed Maurice Tyquan Brown, 35, driving out of a parking lot in a reckless manner and notified marked units to initiate a traffic stop. Brown failed to stop. He abandoned the car in a parking lot and attempted to flee on foot. As officers pursued, Brown tossed a handgun and separately tossed a firearm magazine. After officers apprehended Brown, they recovered the firearm, which had a round in the chamber, and the loaded magazine about fifteen feet from the firearm.
At the time of his arrest, Brown had 13 prior felony convictions. As a convicted felon, Brown cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
Brown faces up to 15 years in prison when sentenced on March 2, 2027. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge David J. Novak delivered the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Miller is prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
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. 3:26-cr-39.
The Department of Justice Announces Results of Law Enforcement and Private Industry Joint Disruption Week Targeting Online Scam Accounts and Transnational Criminal Networks Operating in West AfricaRead the Press Release
Note: B-roll and photos related to the enforcement actions can be obtained at: https://spaces.hightail.com/space/UACsRDqzHp
Transnational criminal scam networks operating from West Africa suffered major disruptions last week during a coordinated international “Joint Disruption Week,” an effort that produced arrests, seizures, and the largest-ever takedown of fraudulent social media accounts linked to scam centers in the region, announced the Department of Justice.
“Criminals beware: Law enforcement from around the world are working together, and with private industry, to find you, stop your schemes, and bring you to justice,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division’s Cyber-Enabled Scam Initiative (CSI) was built for this brand of collaboration. The millions of bogus social media accounts taken down and dozens of arrests that took place as part of Joint Disruption Week are just the beginning. I want to thank the United Kingdom (UK)’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and its Director General, Graeme Biggar, for hosting this effort, as well as everyone who participated. I am especially grateful to the courageous law enforcement officers in Ghana and Nigeria who put themselves in harm’s way to seize evidence and arrest the criminals who prey on innocent people.”
“Transnational fraud demands a transnational response,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia, founder of the Scam Center Strike Force. “I have partnered with the NCA and the Crown Prosecutor for England and Wales to push forward cases on both sides of the Atlantic; criminals are not hindered by borders and neither are we. We will deploy our team wherever in the world transnational criminals target innocent victims.”
The “Joint Disruption Week” events mark the first coordinated effort focused specifically on West Africa, underscoring the growing global commitment to dismantling increasingly sophisticated transnational scam networks.
The operation included members of the U.S. Department of Justice, the Scam Center Strike Force under the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, FBI, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), the UK’s NCA, the Nigerian Joint Case Team on Cybercrimes, the Nigeria Police Force - National Cybercrime Center, Ghanaian Cyber Security Authority, and private sector partners.
Additional participants included law enforcement agencies from Australia, Canada, Ghana, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, along with INTERPOL and additional cybercrime units. Several tech giants also played a key role. The large-scale effort was hosted by the UK NCA in London.
“Thanks to brilliant partnership with the Department of Justice and the private sector, across multiple African countries, we arrested dozens of criminal actors, seized hundreds of devices, identified at least $11 million in potentially freezable funds, and truly saved lives,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This is what happens when law enforcement executes with precision across the interagency. We are demolishing Scam Centers across the globe and crushing a criminal industry preying on American citizens.”
“Fraud is a global problem and it takes partnership working across international boundaries to tackle it,” said Nick Sharp, Deputy Director of Fraud at the NCA. “Hosting such a rich and dedicated team of law enforcement and technology companies at NCA’s headquarters enabled us to utilize the power of partnerships and strike back at a significant set of criminals who inflict misery on thousands of victims of fraud. Fraudsters can operate from anywhere and will target victims both domestically and globally. The NCA will continue to work with international and private sector partners to tackle fraudsters working upstream, overseas and online. Collaborating in this way sends a clear signal to criminals that the combined capabilities of law enforcement and industry means that we will relentlessly pursue them and the infrastructure they rely on no matter where they operate.”
During the week beginning Oct. 6, investigators and industry partners exchanged real-time intelligence across jurisdictions, enabling rapid identification and disruption of scam centers in Nigeria, Ghana, and other African countries. Many of the targeted operations were tied to schemes victimizing individuals in the United States, UK, and other countries around the world.
Several private industry partners, including Meta, Adobe, Binance, Coinbase, Cyjax, Elliptic, Chainalysis, Flashpoint, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Silent Push, Starlink and TRM Labs collaborated with international law enforcement in the event, and voluntarily took action on their own networks to disrupt scammers using their platforms to perpetrate fraud. These companies reported to the Department that they “removed more than 3.7 million accounts, Pages and Groups targeting people in the U.S., UK and beyond, and shared leads on over 30 suspected scam centers with law enforcement, resulting in dozens of arrests, the rescue of trafficking victims, and cryptocurrency seizures. In total over $11 million dollars in potential freezable funds were identified by the private sector partners. Meta played a key role in coordinating the event and encouraging broad private sector participation to maximize scam compound disruption.
Among the key accomplishments:
A consortium of international law enforcement agencies made 28 arrests of individuals tied to the criminal scam operations, including:
- In Ghana, in the Accra suburb of Sasaabi, authorities arrested 19 individuals and seized 303 electronic devices. In addition, authorities identified 117 victims of human trafficking that are now pending repatriation to Nigeria. An additional 89 victims of the scam were identified with an approximate loss of $8.3 million. During the last week of September alone, authorities made scores of arrests at six locations, identified 34 trafficking victims, and seized 129 electronic devices. The Ghana operation was led by the Ghana Cyber Security Authority, Ghana Police Service Criminal Investigation Department, National Security Service, with support from the NCA, FBI, and Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
- In Nigeria, authorities arrested nine individuals during the enforcement period, and 53 electronic devices.
- The disrupted schemes included law enforcement impersonation scams, digital “arrest” extortion schemes, cryptocurrency investment fraud (also known as “pig butchering”), and a variety of other online fraud operations targeting global victims.
According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), investment scams were reported 72,984 times in 2025, with cryptocurrency investment fraud comprising 72 percent of that category. Reported losses from these scams rose from $3.96 billion in 2023 to $5.8 billion in 2024. Reported losses for investment scams with a cryptocurrency nexus rose 24 percent in 2025 to over $7.2 billion, according to IC3’s released 2025 annual report. Those figures, based largely on victim reports, are believed to significantly underrepresent actual losses, as many victims do not report to law enforcement. According to one government report, a conservative estimate of the annual value of funds stolen by scam syndicates worldwide approached $64 billion as of the end of 2023.
Strengthening Accountability for Transnational Scam Operations
Criminal scam centers operating in West Africa mirror those uncovered in Southeast Asia — highly organized enterprises that recruit workers, train them in social engineering, and deploy multi‑platform fraud campaigns targeting global victims. While technology companies can significantly disrupt online infrastructure used to perpetuate these schemes, true accountability requires sustained law enforcement action against the individuals and organizations behind them.
The FBI, The Scam Center Strike Force, and its international partners remain committed to advancing this model of public‑private collaboration and expanding global efforts to dismantle criminal networks responsible for online fraud.
Victims in Ghana scam center Scam center in Ghana U.S. Federal agencies working at NCA in London Electronic devices seized in Ghana Electronic Devices Seized in Ghana Scammers in GhanaOn March 6, 2026, President Trump signed an Executive Order directing the Administration to prioritize cybercrime, fraud, and predatory schemes draining American families of their life savings. Through the Executive Order, President Trump is unleashing every available tool to stop foreign-backed criminal networks that exploit vulnerable Americans through cyber-enabled fraud. The Criminal Division’s Cyber-Enabled Scam Initiative, Scam Center Strike Force under U.S. Attorney Pirro, and the Homeland Security Task Force National Coordination Center (NCC) are critical in executing the mission outlined in the President’s Order.
The Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, through its Cyber-Enabled Scam Initiative (CSI), works to disrupt and stop cyber-enabled criminal networks that prey on Americans. CSI brings together expert prosecutors from across the Division to accelerate the prosecution of cyber-enabled financial crimes, including investment and crypto scams, government imposter schemes, romance and inheritance scams, financially motivated sextortion, lottery and sweepstakes scams, and other predatory schemes. With nationwide jurisdiction and global reach, CSI leverages every available tool to dismantle criminal operations, pursue bad actors, recover criminal proceeds, and obtain justice for victims. The Criminal Division partners with U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country.
The Scam Center Strike Force was officially launched by U.S. Attorney Pirro in November 2025 to address the growing threat posed by Chinese organized crime syndicates operating scam centers, primarily in Southeast Asia. The Strike Force targets cryptocurrency investment fraud, cyber-enabled fraud, human trafficking, and money laundering operations that have cost American victims billions of dollars. The Scam Center Strike Force has been joined in its work by the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, Justice Department’s Criminal Division, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, and HSI, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Alaska, Hawaii, Eastern North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Western Washington. The Strike Force works in collaboration with other federal agencies, including the Treasury and State Departments. The Strike Force works in strategic partnership with private industry and calls on all U.S. businesses to take more proactive steps to protect users from scam operations.
The Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF)’s NCC, established by Executive Order, is responsible for coordinating Federal efforts to detect, disrupt, dismantle, and deter — including by involving the private sector as appropriate — cyber-enabled criminal activity conducted by foreign Transnational Criminal Organizations and associated networks that target U.S. persons, businesses, critical infrastructure, or public services.
Texas Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud the United StatesRead the Press Release
A Texas man pleaded guilty on September 17, 2026, for his role in a tax refund fraud conspiracy that sought to obtain more than $35 million in fraudulent refunds through the filing of false tax returns.
According to court documents, Marquis Al Bey, of Forney, Texas, owned and operated Creative Associates, Inc., a tax return preparation business that advertised that it was located in North Carolina. Through Creative Associates, Bey prepared tax returns for clients, including clients located in Maryland, that sought large tax refunds that the individuals and entities listed on the returns were not entitled to receive. Bey charged clients for his tax return preparation services and, in some cases, required that clients agree to pay him a percentage of any resulting refund.
As part of his plea, Bey admitted to preparing seven false returns between 2017 and 2021 for his co-defendant and another individual in Maryland that collectively sought more than $35 million from the Internal Revenue Service. Two of those returns resulted in the IRS issuing refunds totaling more than $10 million to Bey’s clients. Bey received a 10% share of these proceeds. Bey used a portion of these funds to purchase a home in Texas.
In December 2023, a grand jury in Maryland returned a superseding indictment charging Bey and his codefendant with multiple offenses related to their refund fraud scheme, including conspiracy to defraud the United States, aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, and theft of government funds.
Bey’s sentencing is set for January 22, 2027. Bey faces up to five years in prison, as well as a term of supervised release and monetary penalties.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. As part of his plea, Bey has agreed to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $3,145,598.21.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Melissa Siskind and Emerson Gordon-Marvin of the National Fraud Enforcement Division are prosecuting this case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Texas Man Indicted for Conspiring to Defraud the United States Out of $6.9MRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in the Western District of Texas returned an indictment on September 15, 2026 charging John Labee of Austin, Texas, with conspiring to defraud the United States by making false claims for tax refunds.
According to court documents, from approximately October 2021 through July 2022, Labee and co-conspirator Andrea Dotson allegedly agreed to have Labee prepare and file false tax returns on behalf of Dotson’s business, Divine Grinde. Although Divine Grinde had minimal operations and no employees, Labee and Dotson allegedly conspired to file nine false tax returns that falsely claimed the Employee Retention Credit and the Sick and Family Leave Credit based on completely fabricated wage and tax figures. Congress created the Employee Retention Credit and the Sick and Family Leave Credit to provide emergency financial assistance in connection with the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dotson previously pleaded guilty on March 10, 2026, for her role in the offense.
In total, Labee and Dotson’s fraudulent claims sought refunds of approximately $6.9 million, of which the IRS paid over $1.1 million. Dotson kept a portion of the tax refunds for herself and allegedly provided the remainder to Labee.
Labee is charged with conspiring to file false claims and filing false claims. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for conspiring to file false claims and 5 years in prison for each count of filing false claims.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division and U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Marissa Brodney and Trial Attorney Caroline Pearson of the National Fraud Enforcement Division’s Tax Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.