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18 March 2026
Honduran National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Aggravated Identity Theft and Associated Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Cristian Daniel Diaz-Garcia (age 27), an illegal alien from Honduras, has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday to three years and two months in federal prison for aggravated identity theft, false representation of a Social Security number, and making a false claim of United States citizenship for employment purposes. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Archer Western-de Moya Group Joint Venture II (Joint Venture) is enrolled in E-Verify, a web-based system through which employers electronically confirm the employment eligibility of their employees. Diaz-Garcia was an illegal alien from Honduras with no lawful status in the United States. On August 17, 2021, Diaz-Garcia applied for employment with the Joint Venture in Pinellas County and filled out an I-9 form for use in the E-Verify system. On that form, Diaz-Garcia falsely identified himself as a United States citizen and used another person’s means of identification to defeat the E-Verify system.
After getting fired in 2022, Diaz-Garcia purchased additional means of identification of a different U.S. citizen, without that citizen’s knowledge. On February 1, 2023, Diaz-Garcia again applied for employment with the Joint Venture in Pinellas County and filled out an I-9 form for use in the E-Verify system. On that form, Diaz-Garcia falsely identified himself as this other United States citizen and used that person’s means of identification to defeat the E-Verify system.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration–Office of the Inspector General, the United States Border Patrol, the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Wheeler, III, and Assistant United States Attorney Karyna Valdes.
Honduran Illegal Alien Sentenced for Illegal Reentry of Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MIGUEL ANGEL LOPEZ-MEJIA (“LOPEZ-MEJIA”), age 34, was sentenced on March 17, 2026 after pleading guilty on January 20, 2026, to illegal reentry of a previously removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to the charging document, LOPEZ-MEJIA, a Honduran national, was found in the United States on October 16, 2025, having reentered the United States, without authorization from the Attorney General of the United States, after being previously deported on July 15, 2022. U.S. District Judge Darrel James Papillion sentenced LOPEZ-MEJIA to an imprisonment term of time served, (1) year of supervised release and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. LOPEZ-MEJIA was also ordered to be transferred into the custody of United States Customs and Border Protection for removal to Honduras.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Customs and Border Protection in investigating this case. Special Assistant United States Attorney Frederick Veters, Jr., of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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Haverhill Man Charged with Investment FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Haverhill man was charged in federal court in Boston with fraudulently obtaining $350,000 in investor funds.
Luciano Schipelliti, 28, was charged with one count of wire fraud and has agreed to plead guilty before Senior United States District Judge F. Dennis Saylor on a date to be set by the Court.
According to the charging documents, in the fall of 2018, Schipelliti established the Superstars Fund and raised roughly $275,000 to invest in cryptocurrency. By 2019, through a series of bad investments, Schipelliti allegedly lost all the money in the Superstars Fund. He did not, however, tell any of the investors that he had lost the money. Instead, according to the charging documents, beginning in approximately November 2020, Schipelliti began sending monthly newsletters to investors that falsely reported that the Superstars Fund continued to grow in value.
Based on the misrepresented performance of the Superstars Fund, in approximately February 2021, Schipelliti allegedly launched a new fund, the TTM Fund. He raised approximately $350,000 to invest in cryptocurrency. Schipelliti allegedly lost all the money in the TTM fund by September 2021. According to the charging documents, Schipelliti lost most of the money in the TTM Fund investing in cryptocurrency and also used some of the money in a manner inconsistent with the terms of the TTM Fund’s operating agreement.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.Harrison County Man Admits to Trafficking Fentanyl, MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Clarksburg, West Virginia man has admitted to working with others to sell fentanyl and methamphetamine and possessing firearms in furtherance of his drug crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Matthew Ryan Lester, 33, pleaded guilty to federal drug and firearm charges. According to court records, Lester admitted to conspiracy to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine and 40 grams of fentanyl as well as possession of firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking crimes. Investigators recovered 900 grams of methamphetamine, 240 grams of fentanyl, multiple firearms, and more than $8,000 in cash during searches of his home and vehicle.
Lester is facing at least 10 years and up to life in prison for the drug count and faces at least 5 years for the firearms charge. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; and the Philippi Police Department investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Fentanyl has been designated by President Donald Trump as a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality which poses a grave threat to public safety, even in trace amounts. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration.
Four Illegal Aliens Charged in Connection with Alien Smuggling Interdiction off the Coast of Miami-Dade CountyRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Four illegal aliens were charged by federal complaint for their roles in an alien smuggling venture that led to a high-speed maritime pursuit off the coast of Miami-Dade County, during which law enforcement was forced to disable the vessel to stop it.
According to court records, Theron Don Mills, 26, of The Bahamas; Oswaldo Sisa Heredia, 39, of Ecuador; and Joel Perez-Matos, 41, and Pablo Antonio Alvarez Rodriguez, 33, both of the Dominican Republic, made their initial appearance on Monday after attempting to evade law enforcement in a vessel carrying multiple undocumented migrants heading towards the U.S.
The suspect vessel, operated by Mills, was initially detected approximately 21 miles east of Miami-Dade County and traveling west toward shore. On March 11, just before midnight, a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) law enforcement vessel located the boat approximately two miles from shore.
When law enforcement approached, the vessel fled. Despite law enforcement activating lights and sirens, the vessel continued to evade authorities. After the vessel failed to stop, agents first discharged warning rounds. When that did not work, disabling rounds were discharged into the engine, ultimately bringing the vessel to a halt.
Law enforcement identified 15 aliens onboard the small center-console vessel. All were transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter WILLIAM FORES for biometric screening and records checks.
Those checks revealed that Mills, Sisa Heredia, Perez-Matos, and Alvarez Rodriguez had previously been deported from the U.S.
All four Defendants are charged with illegal re-entry of a deported alien. Mills is also charged with encouraging and inducing aliens to enter the U.S., based on his role as the vessel’s operator. If convicted, Mills faces up to five years in prison on the inducement charge, and each defendant faces up to two years in prison on the illegal reentry charges.
The remaining 11 aliens were not charged and were repatriated to The Bahamas.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jose R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
HSI Miami is investigating the case, with assistance from CBP AMO and the USCG.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner Stiehl is prosecuting the case.
An indictment/complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.sdfl.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.sdfl.uscourts.gov, under case number 26-mj-2508.
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Former San Diego State University Police Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Possessing Sexually Explicit Videos Featuring ChildrenRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former sergeant with the San Diego State University Police Department pleaded guilty today to possessing more than 600 files that contained sexually explicit videos and images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Paul Aurelio McClain, 46, of Menifee, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. He has been in federal custody since March 2025.
According to his plea agreement, in July and August of 2024, law enforcement conducting an undercover operation on a peer-to-peer network determined that an Internet Protocol (IP) address linked to McClain’s home in Riverside County had been used to possess a sexually explicit video of a girl who appeared to be approximately 6 to 8 years of age.
In March 2025, federal agents executed search warrants at McClain’s home and seized multiple digital devices, including a hard drive that contained videos of girls who appeared to be approximately 8 to 10 years old.
Law enforcement found other CSAM files during this investigation, totaling more than 600 files.
McClain admitted in his plea agreement that he knowingly possessed CSAM that he downloaded from the internet onto his digital devices, that he knew the files contained depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, that he knew the depictions involved the use of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and that the CSAM depicted real children who were less than 18 years old.
He further admitted to knowingly possessing CSAM that he downloaded from the internet depicted prepubescent minors and minors who had not yet reached the age of 12 years old.
United States District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett scheduled a June 24 sentencing hearing, at which time McClain will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter with assistance from the West Covina Police Department, the San Bernardino Police Department, the Riverside County Child Exploitation Team, and the San Diego State University Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Cory L. Burleson and Sonah Lee of the Riverside Branch Office are prosecuting this case.
Former High School Teacher Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Coercing Minors to Produce Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that KOSTAS FEKKAS, a/k/a “Constantine Fekkas,” a/k/a “C.J. Justice,” was sentenced to 13 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel for coercing and enticing two minors to send him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves. FEKKAS previously pled guilty on September 5, 2025, before Judge Seibel.
“Teachers are entrusted with the safety, mentorship, and care of our children,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Instead of keeping them safe, Kostas Fekkas coerced a 12-year-old girl and a 16-year-old teenager into sending him sexually explicit photographs and video of themselves. Today’s 13-year sentence reflects the seriousness of that betrayal and the profound harm caused to these victims. This Office will never stop aggressively pursuing predators who sexually exploit our city’s children. If you suspect sexual exploitation, please reach out to our law enforcement partners.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in related court proceedings:
In or about 2022, FEKKAS, coerced a 12-year-old girl (“Victim-1”) to send him sexually explicit photographs and video of herself via Snapchat. When law enforcement searched FEKKAS’s cellphone in March 2023, they found a video of Victim-1 masturbating, along with still shots taken of the same video. Additionally, from October 2022 through September 2023, FEKKAS engaged in sexually explicit text-message conversations with a 16-year-old teenager (“Victim-2”) and coerced and enticed her to send him photographs and video of herself engaging in sexually explicit activity, which Victim-2 sent to FEKKAS.
Any individuals with information concerning the sexual exploitation of children are asked to contact Homeland Security Investigations through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2423 or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing-impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196.
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In addition to the prison term, FEKKAS, 36, of Hartsdale, New York, was sentenced to 10 years of supervised release.
Mr. Clayton praised the efforts of HSI and the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Ly is in charge of the prosecution.
Florida Man Sentenced to Five Years for Orchestrating Multimillion-Dollar Medicare Billing Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that TED ALBIN was sentenced to five years in prison for his role in orchestrating a multimillion-dollar Medicare fraud scheme. The defendant was convicted on June 24, 2025, following a 12-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl, who imposed today’s sentence.
“Ted Albin used fraudulent prescriptions to cheat Medicare out of millions,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Schemes like this cost every New Yorker, including by driving up healthcare costs and diverting resources from seniors and the disabled who need care. Today’s sentence makes clear that those who cheat Medicare will face serious consequences.”
According to court documents, statements made in court, and evidence presented at trial:
From approximately 2016 through April 2021, ALBIN operated Grapevine Professional Services (“Grapevine”), a medical billing company, which he used to submit fraudulent reimbursement claims for durable medical equipment (“DME”), including back braces, knee braces, wrist braces, and shoulder braces. ALBIN submitted thousands of fraudulent claims on behalf of DME supply companies that had engaged Grapevine for its billing services, including multiple DME supply companies owned and controlled by ALBIN and his sister, Erin Foley. ALBIN’s fraudulent claims were based on prescriptions for DME which he knew had been illegally purchased with kickbacks paid by the DME supply companies. Many of the kickback-tainted prescriptions billed by ALBIN were generated with forged doctor’s signatures and without regard to the medical need of the patients for whom braces had been prescribed. ALBIN knew of the fraudulent nature of the claims he submitted to Medicare and nonetheless continued to submit such claims, over and over, for years. In total, the DME companies for which ALBIN submitted claims billed Medicare for over $38 million, on which Medicare paid out over $12 million.
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In addition to the prison term, ALBIN, 49, of Stuart, Florida, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. The Court deferred the calculation of restitution until a later date.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Kinder, Jackie Delligatti, Brandon Thompson, and Ryan Finkel are in charge of the prosecution.
Firearms Trafficking Nets D.C. Man 160 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Stuckey, 36, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 160 months in federal prison in connection with conspiring to traffic firearms from North Carolina into the District, including handguns illegally converted to machine guns, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Stuckey pleaded guilty on Jan. 13, 2026, before Judge Loren L. AliKhan to one count of firearms trafficking conspiracy. In addition to the 160-month prison term, Judge AliKhan ordered Stuckey to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, from at least August 2022 until July 2024, Stuckey worked with a co-conspirator to acquire and traffic firearms. The co-conspirator purchased multiple Glock pistols from licensed firearms dealers in North Carolina through straw purchases, falsely certifying on federal ATF forms that he was the actual buyer. The co-conspirator then transferred the firearms to Stuckey in the District. Stuckey is a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms and knew his receipt of the guns constituted a felony.
On May 15, 2024, law enforcement stopped a vehicle being used by Stuckey in the 500 block of Parkland Place SE. Inside a backpack bearing Stuckey’s name, officers recovered two loaded Glock pistols. One of the Glocks had a machine gun conversion device installed, effectively converting it into a weapon able to fire continuously with one pull of the trigger. Officers also seized 10.2 grams of methamphetamine, about 64 grams of marijuana, and drug distribution packaging.
On July 1, 2024, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at Stuckey’s residence in the District. Inside officers found a loaded Glock pistol converted to a fully automatic weapon, two additional machine gun conversion devices, magazines, ammunition, approximately 23 grams of cocaine base packaged for distribution, and drug distribution supplies.
Stuckey previously had been convicted of multiple felony drug and firearm offenses, which prohibited him under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement of the sentencing were ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Office and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
This case was investigated by the ATF Washington Field Office and the MPD. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James B. Nelson and Solomon S. Eppel.
24cr307
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Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dcFelon Sentenced to 24 Months for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – David Oday Smith, 39, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 24 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded handgun, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Smith pleaded guilty on Nov. 10, 2025, before Judge Randolph D. Moss to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. In addition to the 24-month prison term, Judge Moss ordered Smith to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on July 14, 2025, Metropolitan Police Department Crime Suppression Team officers observed Smith near a bus stop carrying a bag that appeared to be weighed down by an object. When officers approached, Smith fled on foot, throwing the bag over a fence behind a nearby business. A witness standing nearby observed Smith toss the bag. Officers recovered the bag and found a Glock 27 .40 caliber pistol loaded with one round in the chamber and 14 rounds in the magazine. Police found Smith on the porch of a nearby residence and placed him under arrest.
Smith had been previously convicted in Prince George's County, Maryland, of second-degree murder, first-degree assault, and use of a handgun during a crime of violence, for which he was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2009. He served about 15 years of that sentence before his release. That prior felony conviction made his firearm possession in this case a federal offense.
This case was investigated by the ATF Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Liss as part of the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Initiative.
Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful is a law enforcement initiative in support of President Trump's Executive Order to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenses, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
25cr207
Federal Correctional Officer Indicted for Sexually Abusing Inmate at the Metropolitan Detention Center in BrooklynRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, an indictment was unsealed charging James Johnson, a current employee of the United States Bureau of Prisons (BOP), with sexual abuse, sexual abuse of a ward, and making false statements to federal law enforcement officers, all arising from the defendant’s sexual abuse of an inmate he was responsible for guarding while working as a correctional officer at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York (MDC). Johnson was arrested earlier today and is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Chief Magistrate Judge Vera M. Scanlon.
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 Office (FBI); and Ryan T. Geach, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) announced the arrest and charges.
“As alleged, Johnson leveraged his position as a correctional officer to take advantage of a man he was supposed to be protecting in his capacity as a prison guard and used his access to gratify his own sexual desires,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office is steadfast in its commitment to root out corruption and abuse within federal prisons, especially when that abuse is perpetrated at the hands of guards and jeopardizes the safety and security of the institution and the inmates.”
Mr. Nocella thanked the New York State Police for its assistance with the investigation.
“The alleged sexual abuse of an inmate by a federal correctional officer is a grave betrayal of public trust and will not be tolerated,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle. “Federal correctional officers are sworn to protect, not prey upon, those in their care. No one is above the law and we will continue to work tirelessly to hold accountable those who violate the rights of federal inmates.”
“The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General will continue to aggressively investigate allegations of sexual abuse by federal Correctional Officers and, with our partners, bring these perpetrators to justice,” stated DOJ OIG Special Agent in Charge Geach.
As alleged in court documents, in May 2025, Johnson was employed by the BOP as a correctional officer and mentor coordinator at the MDC. On at least two occasions during that month, Johnson ordered an inmate at the MDC (John Doe) to accompany him from John Doe’s assigned unit to other locations at the MDC where the defendant sexually abused him. The evidence of this sexual abuse included DNA evidence secured through a court ordered search warrant.
Further, Johnson took steps to conceal his actions and lied to federal agents during an interview about his conduct. Specifically, when asked if he had ever engaged in any sexual acts with inmates, Johnson answered unequivocally that he had not.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the charges, Johnson faces up to life in prison.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Human Trafficking and Civil Rights and Public Integrity Sections. Assistant United States Attorneys Megan E. Farrell and Turner Buford are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Johnson Peow.
The Defendant:
JAMES JOHNSON
Age: 36
New York, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-CR-060 (RER)
Falls Church man sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempting to distribute his vast collection of child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Falls Church man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for attempted distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, Devin Sinclair Buries, 49, shared his CSAM collection with other users on BitTorrent. On Nov. 15, 2023, law enforcement searched Buries’ residence and seized a desktop computer and Buries’ cellphone. Buries built the computer, which contained six hard drives. One was the operating hard drive and the other five contained CSAM. Buries had over 200 videos and over 19,000 images of CSAM.
After his arrest, Buries fled to Ukraine. He was returned to the United States and arrested on Sept. 22, 2025, to face federal charges. Buries pled guilty on Dec. 18, 2025.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated this case with assistance from Fairfax County Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Government of Ukraine to secure Buries’ arrest and September 2025 extradition from Ukraine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Withers prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-252.
Eau Claire Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Possessing Methamphetamine for DistributionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Nicholas J. Fisher, 41, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 10 years in federal prison for possessing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine intended for distribution. The prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Fisher pleaded guilty to this charge on December 19, 2025.
On May 3, 2025, law enforcement arrested Fisher on a probation warrant. Upon searching his vehicle, they discovered approximately 1,322 grams of methamphetamine, along with drug-dealing paraphernalia.
At the sentencing, Judge Peterson considered that Fisher had a decades-long history of criminal conduct but also that his crimes were primarily driven by his addiction and did not involve violence.
The charge against Fisher was the result of an investigation conducted by the Eau Claire Police Department with assistance from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Stelljes prosecuted this case.
Federal prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice involving drugs and guns are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
East Chicago Woman Sentenced to 12 Months and 1 Day in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Rose Henderson, 62 years old, of East Chicago, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Henderson was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in prison and ordered to pay $364,779 in restitution.
According to documents in the case, in August 1989, Henderson’s mother began receiving social security benefits at the age of 62. Six years later, Henderson became her mother’s representative payee, and in that capacity, she had a fiduciary duty to use the benefits for her mother’s care and support. The following year, Henderson’s mother passed away, but Henderson did not notify the Social Security Administration (“SSA”) of her death. Henderson continued collecting her mother’s benefits for more than two decades. During that time, she periodically submitted false paperwork to the SSA claiming that her mother was still alive and that she was using the funds for her mother’s benefit. Instead, she spent the money on herself, including multiple cruises, frequent trips to Las Vegas, and large cash withdrawals at casinos in northwest Indiana. In total, between September 1996 until March 2021, Henderson defrauded the SSA out of $364,779.
“Henderson stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from a government assistance program designed to help the most vulnerable members of society and used it for decades to support a lifestyle that is beyond the reach of many members of the community,” said United States Attorney Mildred. “Through the hard work of the Office of the Inspector General of the Social Security Administration, and the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern Division, the Defendant was arrested, prosecuted, and sentenced. We will, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to hold accountable those who defraud government programs and put critical benefits at risk.”
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Steven J. Lupa and Zachary D. Heater.
Dubuque Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who distributed over seven pounds of methamphetamine was sentenced on March 17, 2026, to a decade in federal prison.
Michael Scott Boen, II, age 33, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 23, 2025, guilty plea to distribution of a controlled substance following a conviction for a serious drug felony.
Evidence at sentencing showed that between September 2024 and January 2025, Boen sold more than seven pounds of methamphetamine. In October 2024, law enforcement officers stopped Boen in Dubuque, Iowa, and seized 12 grams of methamphetamine from his car. Two weeks later, Boen attempted to sell a stolen gun to a drug dealer in exchange for more methamphetamine. Officers searched his house in January 2025 and located additional methamphetamine.
Boen was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Boen was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment and must also serve an eight-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Boen is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and former Special Assistant United States Attorney Jared Manternach and was investigated by the Dubuque Police Department, the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, the Dubuque Drug Task Force, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-1016. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Dominican National Extradited to the United States for Allegedly Laundering Proceeds from Elder Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national has been extradited to the United States for his alleged role in a transnational “call center” operation in the Dominican Republic that tricked hundreds of elderly victims in the United States into believing that their grandchildren or other close family members were in trouble and needed money. In total, the investigation identified over 400 victims with an average age of 84, including at least 50 in Massachusetts, and more than $5 million in losses.
Gerardo Heriberto Nuñez Nuñez, 42, was arrested in August 2025 in the Dominican Republic at the request of the United States and extradited on March 18, 2026. He appeared in federal court in Boston today and was detained pending trial. The defendant was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024 and is charged with one count of money laundering conspiracy.
According to the charging documents, the defendant allegedly served as a money launderer for a sophisticated “call center” operation in the Dominican Republic that defrauded hundreds of elderly victims in the United States. English-speaking employees of the call center carried out what are commonly known as “grandparent scams,” in which they tricked elderly victims into believing that their grandchildren or other close family members were in trouble and needed money. One employee would call victims and pretend to be a grandchild who was in an accident. Then, another employee would allegedly follow up with another call, pretending to be the grandchild’s attorney, asking for a sum of money to pay for the grandchild’s attorney’s fees. Callers would instruct elderly victims to provide cash to “runners” in the United States.
As alleged in the indictment, the defendant laundered illicit proceeds from the operation back to the Dominican Republic. The defendant provided the call center operators with access to bank accounts in the names of purported businesses. The runners would then deposit cash from victims into those bank accounts. The defendant also arranged for the runners to hand-deliver cash from victims to individuals in New York and elsewhere. The defendant then provided cash to the call center operators in the Dominican Republic. The defendant allegedly charged the call center operators a fee of approximately 8 to 10 percent in exchange for transmitting scam proceeds from the United States to the Dominican Republic.Charges were unsealed in August 2025 against the defendant and 12 others who operated the call center or served as runners. Members of the public who believe they may be victims of this case, or other elder fraud scams, should contact [email protected] or call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). Suspected fraud can also be reported on the FBI’s IC3 Elder Fraud Complaint Center.
The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the amount of laundered funds, whichever is greater. 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 Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition to the United States of Nuñez Nuñez. Valuable assistance was provided by the Dominican National Police; División Especial de Investigación del Crimen Organizado Internacional (DEICROI); Central de Investigaciones Criminales (DICRIM); and the Ministerio Publico. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dayton man who exploited teens online sentenced to more than 22 years in prisonRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A Dayton man who preyed on minors online on multiple social media and messaging platforms was sentenced in federal court here today to 270 months in prison for coercion and enticement.
David A. Snell, 37, used multiple usernames and fake identities to connect with victims. According to court documents, from May to July 2024, Snell used various Reddit accounts to identify and target vulnerable minors, and to communicate with two minor females, 16 and 17 years old. Snell groomed these minors and coerced and enticed them to send him child pornography images and videos – including degrading depictions of sexual activity and acts of self-harm – for Snell’s sexual enjoyment.
Snell was charged federally in August 2024 and pleaded guilty in September 2025.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit, announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Thomas M. Rose. Assistant United States Attorney Christina E. Mahy is representing the United States in this case.
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. Attorney’s 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.
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Cowansville, Quebec Man Who Attempted to Enter the United States with Child Sexual Abuse Materials Sentenced to 24 MonthsRead the Press Release
Rutland, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on March 17, 2026, Anthony Hamel, 25, of Cowansville, Quebec, Canada, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mary Kay Lanthier to a term of 24 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release. Hamel previously pleaded guilty to Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) Involving a Minor Under the Age of 12.
According to court records, Hamel applied to enter the United States from Canada at the Morses Line Port of Entry (POE) on May 9, 2025. Based on his responses to screening questions, Hamel was referred to a secondary inspection by the Customs and Border Protection Officer (CBPO). During the secondary inspection, Hamel indicated that he was entering the United States to meet an 18-year-old high school student with whom he had been talking online for approximately six months. CBPOs conducted a manual search of Hamel’s cellular phone during the secondary inspection, and they discovered what appeared to be CSAM on the device. The CBPOs contacted the Burlington Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to assist with the investigation. HSI investigators responded to the Port of Entry, confirmed the suspected CSAM on the phone, interviewed Hamel, and later searched the phone in depth pursuant to a federal search warrant. Investigators ultimately located approximately 268 videos and 33 images of CSAM on the device, including depictions of the sexual assaults of prepubescent children, toddlers, and infants and at least two depictions involving bondage, discipline, sadism, or masochism.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the vigilance and investigatory efforts of the Office of Field Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the subsequent support by Special Agents with Homeland Security Investigations. “Every day, Customs and Border Protection Officers protect Americans by performing vital screening functions at our Ports of Entry. This case underscores the importance of CBP’s work, and the need to vet those who cross our borders.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Lasher. Hamel was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Barclay Johnson.
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.
Convicted Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Failing to Register as Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Demarco Latrel Patterson, age 30, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Failure to Register as Sex Offender, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
The Indictment alleged that Patterson was convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country in the Eastern District of Oklahoma on October 6, 2021, and was required to register as a sex offender, and that from December 9, 2025, until January 15, 2026, Patterson failed to register and update his registration despite entering, leaving, or residing in Indian country, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, and that during that time, Patterson resided in a home within a two-thousand foot radius of a school.
The charge arose from an investigation by the United States Marshals Service.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Patterson will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Morgan Muzljakovich represented the United States.
Consent Judgment Entered Against Bucks County Company Resolving Allegations of False Claims for Billing Group Art Classes in Assisted Living and Adult Day Facilities as Occupational TherapyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney David Metcalf announced today that the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has entered a consent judgment against Segal Arts, LLC, and its sole owner and manager, Irina Segal. In its complaint against Segal and her business, the United States alleges that they violated the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3729–3733, by submitting or causing the submission of claims for payment to Medicare for one-on-one occupational therapy services that were not provided. Instead of the medically necessary one-on-one therapeutic exercise described in Segal Arts’ Medicare billing, Segal Arts provided group arts-and-crafts sessions to Medicare beneficiaries at assisted living and similar facilities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
“This investigation and its resolution by consent judgment reflect our ongoing focus on pursuing individuals who defraud Medicare, especially when occupational therapy providers in the Medicare program should be providing medically necessary services to our older adult populations,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf.
“Civil enforcement is an important component in safeguarding the integrity of the Medicare program,” said Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Philadelphia Regional Office for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This agreement demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that Medicare program dollars are only paid for services that were actually provided to patients.”
Among other things, the complaint alleges that, even after Segal was interviewed and educated by HHS-OIG agents about the individual, skilled therapy requirements associated with the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code used in the billing, Segal Arts failed to repay to the Medicare program the amounts it had reimbursed for non-covered, group art sessions. The consent judgment requires Segal to repay $200,000, based on her ability to pay.
The allegations are described in detail in the complaint. The case is captioned United States of America v. Segal Arts, LLC, Civil No. 26-1693 (E.D. Pa.).
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca S. Melley and litigative consultant Priscilla Brandon.
All claims in the complaint are allegations only. There has been no determination of civil liability.
Charleston Felon Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Gun, Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Deon Lathel Gibson, 40, of Charleston, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence presented in court revealed that in December 2023, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), while conducting surveillance, observed Gibson meet with a known drug trafficking target. Deputies with the Charleston County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) conducted a traffic stop on Gibson as he drove away. During the vehicle stop, Gibson attempted to fight multiple deputies on the side of the road. After Gibson was quickly secured and placed under arrest, CCSO deputies located 446.9 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded .380 pistol in the vehicle. Gibson also had $2,300 in cash.
Gibson and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to prior convictions for possession with intent to distribute crack. His prior drug convictions also made him eligible for an enhanced sentence.
At the time of his arrest, Gibson was on state bond after being accused of killing two people in a vehicular hit-and-run.
United States Richard M. Gergel sentenced Gibson to 20 years imprisonment to be followed by 10 years of court ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Charleston Police Department, and Charleston County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Lietzow prosecuted the case.###
Cambridge Man Indicted for Sex Trafficking Multiple WomenRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Cambridge man has been indicted for trafficking four women and attempting to traffic a fifth victim. One victim was a minor when she was first trafficked.
Daniel Rodriguez, 36, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of sex trafficking of a minor, four counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, one count of attempted sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and one count of knowingly persuading, inducing, enticing, and coercing an individual to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution. Rodriguez is currently held in state custody and will be arraigned in federal court in the coming weeks.
According to the indictment, Rodriguez allegedly forced four separate women, one of them beginning when she was a minor, to engage in commercial sex from 2018 until as recently as January 2026. Rodriguez also allegedly attempted to force a fifth victim to engage in commercial sex on his behalf in 2017. According to previously filed documents, Rodriguez’s trafficking enterprise involved travel to Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, New Jersey, Connecticut and Maine.
According to publicly filed documents, Rodriguez was arrested on state charges in January 2026 after leading the police on a high-speed chase in Randolph, MA, ultimately crashing the car with one of his victims in it. Rodriguez is alleged to have used multiple tactics to force his victims to engage in commercial sex on his behalf, including but not limited to physical violence, stalking and fraud.
The charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion and attempted sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion carry minimum mandatory sentences of 15 years in prison, with a maximum sentence of life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of sex trafficking of a minor carries a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison, with a maximum sentence of life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of coercing a person to travel for purposes of prostitution provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks Special Agent in Charge of Federal Bureau of Investigations; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Riley and Craig Estes of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit are prosecuting the case.
If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please contact [email protected].
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.
California Man Sentenced to Five and Half Years in Prison for Loan Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Frank Hamilton, 55, of Simi Valley, California, who previously pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy affecting a financial institution, was sentenced to 66 months in prison, two years’ supervised release, and restitution of $6,093,024.90 by United States District Judge Wendy Beetlestone yesterday for loan fraud conspiracy, in which Hamilton and his co-schemers defrauded multiple banks, other lenders, and the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) out of millions of dollars in loans that were either funded or guaranteed by the SBA.
As detailed in case filings and admitted to by the defendant, prior to the pandemic, Hamilton and his conspirators started filing fraudulent applications for SBA 7(a) loans, which are loans funded by banks and other lenders and partially guaranteed by the SBA. During the pandemic, Hamilton and his co-conspirators transitioned to Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”), which were funded by the SBA, and Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans, which were funded by banks and other lenders but fully guaranteed by the SBA. PPP loans were also eligible for forgiveness if a large percentage of the loan was used to pay employees, as the goal of that program was to enable businesses to continue to pay their employees during the pandemic despite the loss of a company’s business due to the pandemic.
To obtain these loans, Hamilton advised his conspirators how to submit false loan applications and helped them generate fake documents, including false tax returns, to support the false applications. In addition, Hamilton assisted conspirators in obtaining “shelf companies,” that is, companies that had been created by a vendor who registered a non-functioning business in a state, paid all required fees for several years, and then sold the company “off the shelf” so that it could be used by individuals who needs to make it appear that they had a company that had been in business for a significant length of time.
Hamilton also helped conspirators open bank accounts and obtain websites and email addresses for those non-functioning companies. Moreover, he sometimes even joined his conspirators on phone interviews with lenders. To conceal the scheme and give the fraudulent submissions more legitimacy, Hamilton often used names of conspirators or their non-functional companies in the applications and back-up documents of other conspirators as employees or vendors of the non-functioning companies.
In addition to assisting others to apply for fraudulent loans, Hamilton applied for fraudulent loans for one of his own minimally-functioning companies, as well as three shelf companies that he owned. As a result of this sophisticated fraud, the conspirators applied for loans totaling approximately $9 million, of which approximately $7,088,010 was funded.
As part of their plan, the conspirators turned over a majority of their proceeds to Hamilton so that he could invest the funds for them and return money to them in installments sufficient to make their loan payments plus a small sum for their personal use.
Some conspiracy members made payment on their loans for at least a short period of time. Many did not, as Hamilton did return some money to his co-conspirators, instead keeping most of the money for himself. Despite Hamilton’s receipt of more than a million dollars of loans for Hamilton’s own companies, and his receipt of the majority of the millions of dollars of his co-conspirators’ loans, Hamilton did not make a single payment on any of his own loans. As a result, the vast majority of loans went into default, resulting in more than $7 million in losses to the SBA.
This case was investigated by the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Judy Smith and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Varun Trivedi.
California Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Enticing Minors to Engage in Illegal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Eddie Ademir Villalta Hernandez (37, Los Angeles, California) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday to 10 years in federal prison for enticing or coercing a minor to engage in sexual activity. The court also ordered Villalta Hernandez to forfeit an iPhone, which was used in the commission of the offense, and to register as a sex offender. Villalta Hernandez pleaded guilty in October 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, between November 2022 and April 2024, Villalta Hernandez used a social media application to persuade, induce, and entice minors to send him images and videos of child exploitation material in exchange for monetary payments.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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.justice.gov/psc.
Brownsville man sent to prison for over 10 years for producing sexually explicit videos of a minorRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 77-year-old resident has been ordered to federal prison following the discovery of homemade videos depicting the sexual assault of a child, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Rosendo Camarillo-Jimenez pleaded guilty Sept. 30, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. has now ordered Camarillo to serve 121 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Camarillo will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
In January 2024, authorities discovered Rosendo Camarillo-Jimemez had been sexually assaulting children for years.
The investigation led to the execution of a search warrant at his residence where law enforcement found homemade videos of Camarillo-Jimemez sexually assaulting a child. The videos were timestamped as created in 2003.
Camarillo will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitations Investigations Task Force conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ana C. Cano prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Billings man sentenced to almost four years in prison for illegal possession of firearmRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man who illegally possessed a firearm was sentenced today to 46 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
Isaac Clyde Martinez, 38, pleaded guilty in October 2025 to one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on May 24, 2025, law enforcement officers responded to a domestic violence call. When they arrived, officers found Jane Doe, who told them that she and Martinez had been arguing since the previous evening, and Martinez had pulled out a firearm and pointed it at her chest. She said that after Martinez cooled down, he placed the gun in a silver grill outside the residence. Jane Doe directed law enforcement to the location of the gun.
Law enforcement discovered the firearm where Jane Doe said it would be. The firearm was a black Taurus, model TH9, 9mm caliber semi-automatic pistol. Also discovered in the same location was a pistol bag, containing loose ammunition as well as a full box of 9mm ammunition. Fingerprints taken off the loose ammunition and box were later positively matched to Martinez.
On or about October 13, 2021, Martinez was sentenced in the United States District Court for the District of Montana for being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the ATF and Billings Police Department.
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Arizona Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Producing and Transporting Child Sexual Abuse Material Involving an Indian River County MinorRead the Press Release
MIAMI – An Arizona man was sentenced Thursday in Fort Pierce to 40 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting a minor online and traveling to Florida, where he sexually abused the victim.
U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon sentenced Joshua Black, 38, to 480 months in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty to production of material involving sexual exploitation of minors and transporting material involving sexual exploitation of minors.
“This defendant used the internet to target a 13-year-old child, manipulate her into sexual exploitation, and preserve those images for his own gratification,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “He then crossed state lines to continue that abuse in person. Production of child sexual abuse material is among the most serious crimes we prosecute because it permanently records a child’s victimization. Forty years in federal prison ensures accountability and protects other children from future harm.”
According to court records, Black sexually abused a minor victim between 2023 to 2025, when she was between 13 and 15 years old. During that time, Black took screenshots of the victim engaging in sexually explicit conduct during a video call with him. Black later transported those images to Indian River County, where he traveled to meet the victim and engage in sexual activity with her at a Vero Beach hotel.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
FBI Miami, Fort Pierce Resident Agency, investigated the case, with assistance from the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Kahn Obenauf and Justin Hoover 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.
Anyone with information relating to child sexual exploitation or abuse is encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Related court documents and information on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 25-cr-14016.
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Anchorage Doctor Sentenced to Prison for Multi-Million-Dollar Health Care Fraud and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
An Anchorage doctor was sentenced yesterday to six and a half years in prison and three years of supervised release for executing a $12.5 million health care fraud scheme and evading over $4 million in taxes on the profits of that 15-year scheme. Her husband and co-defendant was sentenced to three years of probation, with two years to be served in home confinement.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Dr. Claribel Tan, 61, and her husband, Daniel Tan, 70, operated a rheumatology medical clinic in Anchorage starting in 2005. Claribel Tan specialized in the treatment of autoimmune and musculoskeletal diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and psoriatic arthritis, and she prescribed injectable medications to treat those conditions. Although these conditions are often chronic, degenerative and irreversible, certain medicines can slow down or arrest their progression. Daniel Tan assisted as an officer manager at the clinic.
Beginning in 2009 and continuing through 2024, the Tans deceived patients about the medications Claribel Tan administered through injections and then fraudulently billed health insurance plans for reimbursement of medications that the Tans did not purchase. Claribel Tan routinely and surreptitiously injected patients with free samples, expired medications and medications other than those prescribed. The Tans then knowingly billed insurance plans as if she had provided a proper injection to each patient. Specifically, the Tans claimed to have administered 4,829 units of the medications to patients, and billed the insurance plans for that amount, despite only purchasing 369 units of medication.
Daniel Tan helped execute the scheme by ordering insufficient medication for the clinic and creating and submitting fraudulent insurance claims. The Tans also made false statements about the length of Claribel Tan’s office visits with her patients and submitted fraudulent claims to insurance plans for services she never provided. In addition to creating significant health risks for the patients, the Tans’ fraud scheme caused a loss of over $12.5 to more than 10 insurance plans.
The Tans also filed false tax returns to conceal their fraud. Knowing full well the clinic had not purchased the quantity of medications for which they billed insurance plans, they fraudulently overstated the clinic’s expenses on its tax returns for 2014, 2015 and 2017, which allowed them to underreport the clinic’s total income during those years. And from 2018 to 2021, the Tans willfully failed to file tax returns for the clinic. The Tans’ tax fraud scheme caused a total loss to the IRS of more than $4.2 million.
In July 2019, federal law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on the clinic, which uncovered stockpiles of expired medications prescribed to patients for at-home use, free samples clearly marked as not-for-sale and improperly stored and reconstituted syringes of medications. Some of the expired medications, pictured below, were improperly intermingled with other medication stored at the clinic.
Stockpiled MedicationsFollowing the search warrant, the Tans temporarily began purchasing the medications for which they billed insurance companies. In 2021, however, they reverted to their fraudulent billing practices and once again failed to actually purchase the medications they claimed to administer. They persisted in the scheme until they were indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2024.
In November 2025, the Tans both pleaded guilty in the District of Alaska to one count of health care fraud and one count of tax evasion.
In 2024 and 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office seized approximately $10.4 million in health care fraud proceeds from the Tans. As part of their plea agreements, the Tans agreed to forfeit the seized funds to the U.S. The Tans also submitted a $6.3 million payment towards their future restitution judgment. A district judge will schedule a separate hearing to determine restitution. The Tans also paid approximately $1.8 million to the United States to settle civil claims under the False Claims Act arising from the health care fraud scheme. Claribel Tan also has surrendered her medical license.
More information about the case is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ak/united-states-v-tan-et-al. Victims who believe they may be entitled to restitution can email [email protected] for more information.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska made the announcement.
Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI, Defense Contract Audit Agency, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General Criminal Investigations Division, Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration, Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General, and State of Alaska Division of Insurance Investigation Unit investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Dominick Giovanniello of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Beausang of the District of Alaska prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackie Traini of the District of Alaska led the civil fraud investigation.
17 alleged gang members and associates charged with RICO conspiracy, murder and other violent crimesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment involving the Homietos outlaw motorcycle gang, a criminal enterprise that allegedly controlled territory throughout the Houston area.
All 17 alleged gang members and associates are charged with racketeering conspiracy. Several also face allegations of racketeering murder, attempted murder and assault; and/or firearms offenses.
Ralph Eugene Kellum aka REK, 42, Vidor, is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina A. Bryan at 10 a.m. March 19, while Romeo Jose Ferrer aka Primo, 36, Kingsville, is expected to appear in Corpus Christi at 9:45 a.m. Mark Anthony Magallan aka Loco, 51, Houston, will have a detention hearing at 2 p.m. before Judge Bryan March 19. The remaining individuals have already made appearances in federal court in Houston or are expected to in the near future.
“The indictment alleges a pattern of violence, intimidation and murder to expand the reach of a criminal enterprise and settle scores on our streets and highways,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. “That kind of lawlessness has no place in the Southern District of Texas. Anyone who attempts to turn our roadways into battlegrounds should expect an aggressive federal response, and today we delivered on that commitment.”
“It’s not every day you get to disrupt and dismantle a criminal motorcycle gang driven by violence and intimidation, but with this morning’s arrests of four more Homietos alleged members and associates and their superseding indictment, today is that day,” announced Special Agent in Charge Jason Hudson, of the FBI Houston Field Office. “The charges are significant and are the long-awaited result of an extensive investigation fueled by the relentless pursuit for justice by our FBI Houston team and numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. The Homietos outlaw motorcycle gang is no more.”
According to the charges, Homietos OMG was an organization engaged in crimes such as murder, robbery, narcotics distribution and witness intimidation. The gang allegedly formed in 2015 in the Houston area as an extension of the Tango Blast prison gang, then expanded beyond Houston and Texas. The group recruited members and associates, enforced rules, rewarded violence and used intimidation, threats and assaults to protect and enhance its power, territory, reputation and profits, according to the indictment. They also allegedly created a “Mexican Terror” patch to reward violence on behalf of the enterprise.
The superseding indictment, returned under seal March 11, also alleges overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy including directives to engage in violence against rivals. Some of the allegations include a February 2020 shooting of a rival outlaw motorcycle gang member in Harris County, a September 2020 assault and robbery involving members of another motorcycle club at a Homietos anniversary party in Houston, an April 2022 shooting at suspected rivals along Interstate 45 near Madisonville and multiple April 14, 2023, shootings that allegedly resulted in the deaths of three rival gang members.
Ferrer, Magallan and Kellum along with Joe Frank Barrera aka LJ, 37, Houston, and Bryce Clay Hazleton Cook aka Cowboy, 28, Angleton, are all charged with engaging in a pattern of racketeering activity that included violent retaliation against members of rival gangs.
Ferrer, Magallan and Kellum also allegedly committed racketeering murder. In that instance on April 14, 2023, Homietos members traveling in a convoy on an interstate highway encountered members of the rival Bandidos motorcycle gang, according to the charges. Magallan allegedly shot and killed a Bandido member. The charges further allege that shortly thereafter, Ferrer and Kellum shot and killed two other Bandidos and wounded a third.
Others also charged in relation to the overall conspiracy with various offenses to include racketeering attempted murder, racketeering assault and/or using a firearm during violent crimes are Raymond William Burnett aka Ray Ray, 38, Alvin; Morgan Shane Cooper aka Coop, 51, William Espinoza, 49, Mario Humberto Gomez aka Gator, 52, Edgar Mauricio Hinojosa aka Charro Bean, 40, Ricardo Quinones aka Scooter, 40, and Moises Soriano aka Oso, 42, all of Houston; Rudolph Christopher Lopez aka Yao, 40, Fort Worth; Jesse James Mulrein aka Fort Worth G, 38, Dallas; Joe Rios aka Jo Daddy, 50, Baytown; Mahir Alihodzic aka Geno, 40, Kansas City, Kansas; and Christopher Daniel Holt aka Butt Head, 32, Harrah, Oklahoma.
If convicted of the racketeering conspiracy, each faces up to life imprisonment. The murder in aid of racketeering charges are punishable by a mandatory sentence of life in prison with the possibility of death. Those charged with assault in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to assault in aid of racketeering and attempted murder in aid of racketeering could receive up to 20, three and 10 years, respectively, upon conviction. The other related firearms and other offenses carry penalties ranging from 10 years to life in federal prison. Each count also carries a potential fine of up to $250,000.
FBI – Houston led the investigation along with Texas Department of Public Safety - Criminal Investigative Division, Texas Rangers and Highway Patrol, and Texas Board of Criminal Justice – Office of Inspector General with assistance of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; sheriff’s offices in Montgomery, Harris and Leon counties; police departments in Huntsville, Madisonville, Fort Worth, Houston and Shenandoah, as well as Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; U.S. Marshals Service; and district attorney’s offices in Walker, Madison and Montgomery counties. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Keri L. Fuller and Byron H. Black are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney Ben Tonkin of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
17 March 2026
Wyoming man pleads guilty to child pornography productionRead the Press Release
BILLINGS - A Sheridan, Wyoming man accused of producing child pornography admitted to charges today, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
The defendant, Zachary Dean Schifferns, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years, a maximum term of 30 years, a $250,000 fine, and five years to lifetime supervised release. Schifferns also pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing will be set at a later time. Schifferns was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on December 25, 2024, law enforcement in Rosebud County interviewed John Doe 1, then a 14-year-old male. John Doe 1 said about two weeks earlier Schifferns added John Doe 1 on a social media application. Schifferns told John Doe 1 he had an interest in boys aged 12-15. John Doe 1 explained Schifferns asked him for nude images and sent him a picture of his (Schifferns’) penis. At Schifferns’ urging, John Doe 1 said he sent Schifferns a picture of his abs and penis but then contended he photoshopped a picture of a penis he found on the internet onto his body to send to Schifferns.
Investigation into Schifferns’ electronic media led to the discovery of dozens of images and videos of child pornography. This included content depicting children 12 years of age or younger engaged in sexually explicit conduct. A review of Schifferns’ social media account contained communication between Schifferns and John Doe 1, among others. In the communications with John Doe 1, Schifferns solicitated child pornography from John Doe 1 and offered money to have sex with him.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The FBI, Rosebud County Sheriff’s Office and Big Horn County Sheriff's Office conducted the investigation.
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.
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West Virginia Doctor Sentenced for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA - A Wheeling, West Virginia, physician was sentenced for tax fraud that totaled nearly $2.5 million, U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced.
“Dr. Ratnakar cheated the system by avoiding tax payments,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. “Tax fraud is stealing from all honest citizens and will not be tolerated in this district.”
Nitesh Ratnakar, age 50, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for 41 counts of tax fraud. Ratnakar owned and operated a gastroenterology practice and a medical equipment manufacturer in Elkins, West Virginia. He withheld payroll taxes from his employees’ paychecks and failed to make $2,419,560 in required payments to the Internal Revenue Service. Ratnakar also filed false tax returns in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Ratnakar will serve one year of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jarod Douglas and Eleanor Hurney prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Waterloo Man Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison for Preparing and Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A man who prepared fraudulent tax returns for himself and others was sentenced on March 13, 2026, to three years in federal prison.
Tresor Mugogo Ngoy, age 41, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 25, 2025, guilty plea to one count of making and subscribing a false tax return.
Mugogo Ngoy admitted that he signed and filed a false tax return in his own name for the 2020 tax year. Evidence at sentencing showed that he also filed false tax returns in his own name for every tax year between 2017 and 2022. Evidence also showed that Mugogo Ngoy, who is originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was being paid by other people in the Congolese community in Waterloo to prepare tax returns. Mugogo Ngoy falsified tax returns by claiming deductions and credits to which the taxpayers were not entitled. Mugogo Ngoy prepared more than 50 false returns that claimed more than $250,000 in fraudulent refunds. He was generally paid between $100 and $300 in cash to prepare a tax return.
Mugogo Ngoy has been in the United States since 2012. His lengthy criminal record includes five convictions for operating while intoxicated and convictions for other driving-related offenses. Mugogo Ngoy is currently serving a five-year prison term in the State of Iowa after an April 2025 conviction for operating while intoxicated in Black Hawk County.
Mugogo Ngoy was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. He was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment and ordered to make more than $250,000 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“As the tax filing deadline looms, most taxpayers are filing timely, accurate tax returns. But those looking to cheat the government should know IRS—Criminal Investigation exists to track cheaters down and hold them accountable,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge William Steenson. “That not only applies to individual filers, but also to those who prepare and submit fraudulent tax returns for others.”
“The American income-tax system relies on trust and honesty,” said United States Attorney Leif Olson. “Not just the federal government’s trust that we’ll pay our taxes honestly, but each taxpayer’s trust in every other taxpayer that we’ll all play by the rules. When a cheat like Mugogo Ngoy drains money from the federal treasury, he isn’t taking advantage of a system; he’s taking advantage of every one of us who has paid taxes honestly. Now he’ll pay the price.”
Mugogo Ngoy is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-cr-2031.
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W International Companies Agree to Pay $10.5M to Settle False Claims Act Allegations for Overcharging the Air Force and the Navy for Weld TablesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that W International LLC, W International SC LLC, Precision Metal Equipment Handling LLC, and Edward Walker (collectively, “Defendants”) have agreed to pay $10.5 million to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act that they knowingly overcharged the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy for weld tables.
W International LLC, a Michigan company, and W International SC LLC, a South Carolina company, were both engaged in the business of industrial welding and metal fabrication. Edward Walker was the Chief Executive Officer of both companies. Precision Metal Equipment Handling LLC is a Michigan company that manufactured weld tables for W International SC LLC.
“Contractors and subcontractors are expected to charge no more than authorized under their contracts with the military,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to ensure the government gets the prices it bargained for on defense contracts.”
“Exploiting the procurement process for our military’s necessary materials unduly increases the burden on taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan P. Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “We’ll continue to work with our partners to support our service members and protect our taxpayers.”
“To meet global demands, the Navy must accelerate shipbuilding. However, contractors who overcharge betray the public's trust and undermine this critical mission,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS and our partners are committed to protecting taxpayer funds and ensuring every dollar is spent in accordance with the contract.”
“As the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) is steadfastly committed to protecting the integrity of DoD’s procurement process and holding contractors accountable,” said Christopher Dillard, Special Agent in Charge, DCIS Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “Fraud on DoD contracts diverts critical taxpayer resources away from our warfighters. DCIS will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate those who seek to exploit the system for personal gain.”
The allegations resolved by the settlement concern federal funds provided to W International SC to refurbish and equip a large-scale welding facility. As part of that effort, the United States alleges, the Defendants submitted or caused to be submitted claims for payment that overcharged for weld tables supplied for the facility. Funding for the project was provided through the Defense Production Act pursuant to a U.S. Air Force Technology Investment Agreement, and as Supplier Development Funds pursuant to a Navy prime contract with General Dynamics Electric Boat.
The allegations resolved by this settlement arose from a whistleblower lawsuit filed under the False Claims Act under which private citizens can sue on behalf of the government and share in any recovery. The settlement in this case provides for the whistleblower, John Klausmeier, a former employee of W International SC LLC, to receive $1,863,750 as his share of the settlement.
This case was handled by the Department of Justice’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina; the Naval Criminal Investigative Service; the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; and the Defense Contract Audit Agency.
The matter was handled by Senior Trial Attorney Greg Pearson of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney James Leventis for the District of South Carolina.
The lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. Klausmeier v. W International, LLC, Civil Action number 22-cv-1774 in U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Two Individuals Charged with Drug Trafficking Conspiracy and Money Laundering Extradited from the Dominican RepublicRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Dominican Republic authorities extradited Pedro J. Espinal-Arthur to the United States to face drug trafficking and money laundering charges filed in the District of Puerto Rico, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. In a separate indictment, defendant Luis Febles-Peralta was also extradited to Puerto Rico to face drug trafficking and money laundering charges. Germán E. Arredondo-Peralta, brother of Febles-Peralta, was arrested in Puerto Rico for money laundering.
Pedro J. Espinal-Arthur was arrested in the Dominican Republic on January 13, 2026, and extradited to Puerto Rico on March 11, 2026. According to court documents, from in or about April 2021 to in or about January 2022, Espinal-Arthur conspired and agreed with others to conduct and attempt to conduct financial transactions affecting interstate and foreign commerce, that is, delivering drug proceeds in cash, converting the cash-drug proceeds into cryptocurrency, and transferring cryptocurrency, knowing the transactions were designed to conceal the nature and control of the drug proceeds.
The second indictment charges Luis Febles-Peralta and Germán E. Arredondo-Peralta with money laundering conspiracy. Febles-Peralta was arrested in the Dominican Republic on January 13, 2026, and extradited to Puerto Rico on March 11, 2026. According to court documents, from January 2022 to July 2022, the defendants conspired and agreed with others to conduct and attempt to conduct financial transactions affecting interstate and foreign commerce, that is, delivering drug proceeds in cash, converting the cash-drug proceeds into cryptocurrency, and transferring cryptocurrency, knowing the transactions were designed to conceal the nature and control of the drug proceeds. Febles-Peralta and Arredondo-Peralta are facing a money laundering forfeiture allegation of $2,741,560.
Luis Febles-Peralta is also facing drug trafficking charges, that is, conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, attempted importation of cocaine, and distribution for purpose of unlawful importation of cocaine.
If convicted of the charged narcotics offenses, the defendants face a mandatory minimum term of 10 years and up to life in prison. If convicted of the money laundering charges, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is in charge of the investigation of both cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Anderson is in charge of the prosecution of both cases.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Claudia Dubravetz.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition to the United States of Pedro J. Espinal-Arthur and Luis Febles-Peralta.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Six Sentenced in Healthcare Fraud Conspiracy that Stole $10 Million from Medicaid over Six-Year PeriodRead the Press Release
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Six defendants, who stole upwards of $10 million from the Virginia Medicaid system over a six-year period by submitting false claims on behalf of 1st Adult N Pediatric Healthcare Services for services that were never provided, were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Lynchburg.
The three owners of 1st Adult N Pediatric, Carolyn Bryant-Taylor, 61, of Clinton, Md., Kafomdi Josephine Okocha, 50, of Upper Marlboro, Md., and Samuel Okocha, 52, of Upper Marlboro, Md., were sentenced today.
Bryant Taylor was sentenced to 120 months, Josephine Okocha was sentenced to 96 months, and Samuel Okocha was sentenced to 72 months.
Three additional defendants in the healthcare fraud conspiracy were also sentenced.
Eno Utuk, 49, of Fredericksburg, Md., Elizabeth Ilome, 43, of Fredericksburg, Md., and Shekita Gore, 41, of Clinton, Md., were each sentenced to probation.
The district court also directed the defendants to pay restitution totaling $10 million to Virginia Medicaid.
“This United States Attorney’s Office will hold accountable those who commit healthcare fraud and steal from hardworking Americans,” Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today. “I commend the FBI and the Virginia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for their diligent work in bringing these individuals to justice and protecting hardworking Virginians.”
“These sentences make clear that fraud against federally funded programs is theft from the American people. We will continue to work with our partners to ensure those who steal taxpayer funds are held accountable,” said Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division.
According to court documents, Bryant-Taylor, Josephine Okocha, and Samuel Okocha were owners and operators of 1st Adult N Pediatric Healthcare Service, a Medicaid-enrolled home health agency providing private duty nursing, personal care, and respite care services throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, including in the Western District of Virginia. Gore was the director of nursing, while Utuk and Ilome were employed by 1st Adult to provide nursing and personal care.
The defendants conspired to submit false claims to Medicaid for services that were not provided to patients, including falsifying records and documentation in support of the fraudulent claims submitted for reimbursement.
As part of this scheme, between 2017 and 2023, Bryant-Taylor and her co-defendant, Josephine Okocha, planned arrangements to pay the parents or guardians of patients in exchange for blank, signed nursing notes which would be filled out and used to support billing to Medicaid. In these arrangements, the amount billed to Medicaid either reflected nursing services that were not provided at all, or an amount of nursing services that was in excess of what was provided.
The conspirators have acknowledged the actual loss to the Medicaid program from 1st Adult’s improved billing was $10,000,000.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Virginia Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit are investigating the case, with assistance from the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Jones and Laura Taylor, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Terry, a Senior Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, are prosecuting the case.
Road Rage Killer Sentenced to Life in Prison in Fatal Shooting of Uber DriverRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Rodney Baggott, 58, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to life in prison without the possibility of release in connection with the fatal 2024 road rage shooting of Uber Eats driver Rasheek Abdullah near the Dupont Circle Metro Station, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“Today, a Washington, D.C., judge recognized the enormous harm a career criminal poses to our community. Rodney Baggott—a previously convicted killer—took another man’s life in a senseless act of violence for nothing more than passing him on the road,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Today’s sentence ensures this violent offender, who has shown complete disregard for the lives of others, is off our streets and behind bars where he belongs. We need more sentences like this to stop violence in D.C.”
A federal jury deliberated for a single day before finding Baggott guilty on July 24 of first-degree murder while armed (premeditated), possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Judge Reggie B. Walton presided over the case.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on Jan. 30, 2024, Baggott was driving a white Mitsubishi Outlander to his then-girlfriend’s office at a law firm in Dupont Circle. Shortly before 4 p.m., the girlfriend left her office and joined Baggott. The two drove to the intersection of Connecticut Ave. and Q St., NW. As Baggott made a right-hand turn, Abdullah passed him on the left-hand side. Baggott became enraged, believing that Abdullah had cut him off. Baggott drove up next to Abdullah, pulled out a gun, and shot him in the neck.
Baggott fled the scene with his girlfriend sitting in the passenger seat. The girlfriend called an auto body repair shop to fix distinctive damage on the vehicle, damage that would go out on a police bulletin later that day and would ultimately be used to link Baggott to the shooting.
On March 2, 2024, a Montgomery County Police officer stopped Baggott and the girlfriend while they were in the white Mitsubishi Outlander when Baggott was arrested for illegally possessing a gun in the vehicle. On March 3, 2024, law enforcement found the gun used in the shooting during the execution of a search warrant at Baggott’s girlfriend’s apartment. The firearm had DNA that linked it to both the girlfriend and Baggott.
As a result of the shooting, Abdullah’s health declined until his death. He became a quadriplegic from the moment Baggott shot him. His condition deteriorated over a three-month period until he succumbed on April 29, 2024.
Baggott previously was convicted and sentenced on a 2015 charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed.
Joining in the announcement was ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was investigated by the ATF Washington Field Division and the Metropolitan Police Department, with valuable assistance from the Montgomery County Police Department and the FBI Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Helfand and Daniel Seidel, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Tepfer. Paralegal specialist Melissa Macechko provided valuable assistance.
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Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dcRikers Island Correction Officer Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements to Obtain Workers’ Compensation Benefits Following Use of Force IncidentsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that TODD FAUSTIN pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman to making false statements relating to healthcare matters in connection with use of force incidents that took place within Rikers Island.
“Todd Faustin fraudulently received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the City of New York by faking injuries after some of the most delicate and dangerous interactions within our criminal justice system—incidents where force is used against an incarcerated person,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “False workers’ compensation claims place a large cost on all New Yorkers. It’s even worse when the perpetrator is a City employee. The vast majority of our correction officers do a tough job well and honestly. Faustin is not one of them.”
According to the Indictment, plea agreement, and statements made in court:
The New York State Workers’ Compensation Board (the “Board”) administers New York State’s no-fault workers’ compensation system, which guarantees medical care and cash benefits to people who are injured at work, including employees of the New York City Department of Correction (“DOC”). Payments by the Board made to DOC employees are paid from the New York City Treasury. For years, FAUSTIN was employed by the DOC as a correction officer and was assigned to work at Rikers Island. During that time, FAUSTIN falsely claimed that he was injured while on duty at Rikers Island during incidents with incarcerated individuals requiring the use of force. In total, FAUSTIN received at least $370,336.79 in benefits to which he was not entitled. FAUSTIN’s resignation with DOC is effective today, March 17, 2026.
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FAUSTIN, 43, of New York, New York, pled guilty to one count of making false statements related to health care matters, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. FAUSTIN is scheduled to be sentenced on July 7, 2026.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the New York City Department of Investigation, the New York State Office of Inspector General, and the Special Agents and Task Force Officers assigned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights and Human Trafficking Unit and the Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaiya Arroyo and Stephanie Simon are in charge of the prosecution.
Planner of Seven Inside-Job Robberies of Chinatown Walgreens Sentenced to 126 MonthsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- Gianni Robinson, 28, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 126 months in federal prison for his role as a planner and coordinator in seven armed robberies of a Walgreens drugstore in the District's Chinatown neighborhood, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Robinson pleaded guilty on Feb. 28, 2025, before Judge Jia M. Cobb to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery in violation of the Hobbs Act, and to possessing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. In addition to the 126-month prison term, Judge Cobb ordered Robinson to serve five years of supervised release and to pay $7,245.75 in restitution.
“After police posted surveillance footage of his co-conspirator robbing the Walgreens, Gianni Robinson sent the YouTube link to the gunman with a laughing emoji. He thought the crimes he conspired on were funny,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Now, after seven robberies, countless traumatized employees and one man shot in the chest, Robinson isn’t laughing anymore and will serve the next 126 months behind bars. We continue the fight to make D.C. one of the safest cities in the country.”
According to court documents, from July 2023 through February 2024, Robinson conspired with his store manager uncle, Michael Robinson, store manager London Teeter, and gunman Kamanye Williams to carry out seven armed robberies of the Chinatown Walgreens at 801 7th Street NW. In all, the conspirators robbed about $28,983 from the store.
Gianni Robinson was the operational hub of the conspiracy. He served as the link between the two corrupt store managers who provided inside information and Williams, the masked gunman who entered the store each time to rob it at gunpoint.
Gianni Robinson helped plan the robberies from the beginning, provided Williams with the access codes to the manager's office, gave Williams the green light on the night of the first robbery, and coordinated logistics including getaway arrangements and the splitting of proceeds. Text messages show Gianni Robinson and Williams began planning the first robbery nearly three weeks before its execution.
The robberies followed a consistent pattern. On each occasion, Williams entered the Chinatown Walgreens in disguise, brandished a firearm at employees and Special Police Officers assigned to guard the store, forced his way into the manager's office using codes provided by the inside conspirators, and fled through the rear exit with cash. Michael Robinson and Teeter took turns playing the role of “victim” manager on duty, knowing the robberies would be captured on surveillance footage.
As the conspiracy progressed it grew more brazen. After the Walgreens hired armed Special Police Officers in response to the robberies, the conspirators continued undeterred. During the fifth robbery, on Dec. 4, 2023, Williams disarmed one of the Special Police Officers and stole his firearm along with the cash. During the seventh and final robbery, on Feb. 11, 2024, a second Special Police Officer shot Williams in the chest as he attempted to flee. Michael Robinson's first call after the shooting was to Gianni Robinson, who went to the hospital emergency room where Williams was being treated.
The following day, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the residence Gianni Robinson shared with Teeter where officers recovered a loaded Glock 45 semi-automatic pistol with 16 rounds in the bedroom.
Robinson's sentencing follows that of his uncle, Michael Robinson, who received 147 months for his role as one of the store managers who enabled the scheme. Gunman Kamanye Williams was sentenced to 198 months. Sentencing for store manager London Teeter is scheduled for April 23, 2026.
This case was investigated by the FBI's Violent Crimes Task Force with assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Satter and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Song and Sarah Martin.
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Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dcPittsburgh Defense Contractor Convicted on More Than a Dozen Counts of Wire and Tax Fraud by Federal JuryRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – After approximately two hours of deliberation, a federal jury in Pittsburgh has found Donald Smith guilty of 13 counts of violating federal fraud and tax laws, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Smith, 75, of Pittsburgh was tried before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan, with the jury finding Smith guilty of eight counts of wire fraud and five counts of failing to file a corporate tax return.
The evidence presented to the jury during the five-day trial showed that Smith engaged in a scheme to defraud the Defense Logistics Agency, which provides material to all branches of the United States military. The scheme caused the United States to make payments of over one million dollars on products that were not what Smith and those with whom he worked promised to provide. Smith did not file corporate tax returns reporting any of the more than one million dollars in payments his company received during the tax years of 2019 through 2023.
For each count of wire fraud on which Smith was convicted, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years of imprisonment, a fine of not more than the greater of $250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary loss from the offense, or both. On each of the tax counts, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to one year of imprisonment, a fine of no more than $100,000 or twice the gain from the offense, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The Court will schedule sentencing by further order.
Assistant United States Attorneys William Guappone and Barbara K. Doolittle prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Smith.
Northern Nevada Man Indicted for Arsons in Spring Valley AreaRead the Press Release
RENO – A grand jury indictment was unsealed today charging a White Pine County, Nevada man for allegedly setting two wildfires on public lands in northern Nevada.
According to allegations contained in the indictment, on or about June 17, 2022, Henry Conrad Vogler set a wildland fire designated as the Lookout Springs Fire in the Spring Valley area of Nevada. Later, on July 7, 2024, he allegedly set a wildland fire designated as the North Creek Fire, in the Spring Valley area. Both fires occurred on publicly owned land. Vogler does not have the authority to set fire upon public lands.
Vogler is charged with two-counts of timber set afire. The maximum statutory penalty is 5 years’ imprisonment. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Trevis Guy, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Land Management, made the announcement.
The Bureau of Land Management investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Randolph J. St. Clair 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.
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New Orleans Man Indicted for Violating the Federal Gun Controlled Act and Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – On March 5, 2026, ERIN ALONZO (“ALONZO”), age 28, of New Orleans, was indicted for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, illegal possession of a machinegun, and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(C), and Title 18, United States Code, Sections, 922(g)(1), 922(o), 924(a)(2), 924(a)(8), and 924(c)(1)(A), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court records, on or about December 8, 2025, ALONZO allegedly possessed, with the intent to distribute, forty grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine; possessed firearms including a Glock Model 23, .40 caliber pistol, a Palmetto State Armory Model PA-15, multi caliber AR pistol, and an Imez Makarov Model K.B.I. nine milli-meter pistol, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; possessed a machinegun, a Glock Model 23, .40 caliber pistol with an attached conversion device. Additionally, ALONZO is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition, due to a prior felony conviction for obstruction of justice related to a homicide investigation.
If convicted of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, ALONZO faces a minimum term of five (5) years up to a maximum term of forty (40) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000, and at least four (4) years of supervised release. If convicted of possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, ALONZO faces a minimum term of imprisonment of five (5) years up to life imprisonment to run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five (5) years of supervised release. If convicted of illegal possession of a machinegun, ALONZO faces up to ten (10) years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three (3) years of supervised release. If convicted of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon, ALONZO faces up to fifteen (15) years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three (3) years of supervised release. He also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee for each charged offense.
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.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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New Orleans Man Indicted for Fentanyl Distribution, Illegal Possession of Firearm and Ammunition during Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – On March 5, 2026, KENTRELL WILLIAMS (WILLIAMS), a/k/a “Fire,” age 43, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged by superseding indictment on March 5, 2026 for distribution of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(C), and Title 18, United States Code, Sections, 922(g)(1), 924(a)(8), and 924(c)(1)(A), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, on or about August 13, 2025, WILLIAMS allegedly distributed 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl in New Orleans. On or about February 3, 2026, WILLIAMS allegedly possessed with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing fentanyl.; allegedly possessed a firearm, a Glock Model 21 GEN, .45 caliber pistol, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Finally, WILLIAMS is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition due to his prior felony convictions in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court.
If convicted of distribution of fentanyl, WILLIAMS faces a minimum term of five (5) years, up to a maximum term of forty (40) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000, and at least four (4) years of supervised release. If convicted of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, WILLIAMS faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and at least (3) years of supervised release. If convicted of possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, WILLIAMS faces a minimum term of imprisonment of five (5) years up to life imprisonment, to run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five (5) years of supervised release. If convicted of illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, WILLIAMS faces up to fifteen (15) years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three (3) years of supervised release. As to each charged offense, he also faces payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
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.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Louisiana State Police, the Major Crimes Task Force, and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
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Nevada Man Indicted for Smuggling and Selling Misbranded Erectile Dysfunction and Prescription DrugsRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Henderson, Nev., resident made his initial appearance in court on Friday in connection to a 17-count superseding indictment charging him for allegedly smuggling misbranded prescription drugs under the brand names “Ride,” “Kinky Kong,” “Stif,” “TBone,” and “Kinky Pink.”
According to allegations in the superseding indictment, David Ralph Webber owned and operated Passion Plus Enterprises Inc. and Whole Science Health. He was not a registered pharmaceutical manufacturer with the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA), nor was he licensed to administer prescription drugs or as a wholesaler of prescription drugs.
As alleged, from at least 2018 to present, Webber used his companies to import hundreds of thousands of misbranded prescription drug capsules and tablets containing sildenafil, sildenafil citrate, and tadalafil — the active ingredients in Viagra and Cialis — into the United States. The prescription drugs were manufactured in India at facilities that were not registered with the FDA. To evade customs detection and enforcement, Webber falsely declared that the wire transfers to the manufacturers were for business management consultancy services; and he allegedly paid a packaging company to list false ingredients and false claims that the drugs were “100% Natural” and did not require a prescription.
Webber allegedly sold the misbranded prescription drugs to smoke shops, convenience stores, and adult novelty stores in Nevada and throughout the southwestern United States, and directly to consumers through a website he operated. In total, he made more than $1.9 million dollars in revenue from his sales of misbranded prescription drugs.
A federal grand jury returned the superseding indictment charging Webber with one count of introduction of a misbranded drug into interstate commerce; four counts of wholesale distribution of prescription drugs without a license; seven counts of smuggling; and five counts of mail fraud.
A jury trial is set for September 29, 2026, before United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey. The maximum statutory penalty is 20 years in custody.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada, Special Agent in Charge Robert M. Iwanicki of the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations Los Angeles Field Office, and Inspector in Charge Glen Henderson for the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Phoenix Division made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FDA and USPIS. Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Oliva and Kimberly Frayn are prosecuting the case.
If you or someone you know has taken these products and/or suffered adverse health effects as a result of these products, please contact investigators at https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/email/oc/oci/contact.cfm.
A Superseding Indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Monkton Woman Charged with Distribution of Cocaine BaseRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on March 16, 2026, Jodi Palmer, 48, of Monkton, Vermont, appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. Palmer was charged on September 11, 2024 by criminal complaint with distribution of cocaine base (crack cocaine). She appeared in federal court yesterday pursuant to a writ of habeas corpus, as she is currently detained in the Vermont Department of Corrections. A detention hearing is scheduled for March 19, 2026.
According to court records, Palmer distributed approximately four grams of cocaine base to an informant during an operation by Homeland Security Investigations on July 26, 2024.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Palmer is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Palmer faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations.
The prosecutor is Special Assistant United States Attorney Craig S. Nolan. Palmer is represented by Federal Public Defender Alejandro Fernandez.
Mississippi Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Armed CarjackingRead the Press Release
A Mississippi man was sentenced yesterday to nine years in prison for carjacking and for brandishing a firearm during the carjacking.
According to court documents, Un’Darius Dickerson, 24, of Jackson, Mississippi, brandished a firearm to take the victim’s motor vehicle by force. On Nov. 19, 2024, Dickerson, wearing a ski mask, approached the victim, pointed a rifle in her face, and demanded, “You know what this is. Give me those keys.” The victim gave Dickerson her car keys, and he drove away in the victim’s vehicle.
A day later, Southaven, Mississippi, Police Officers arrested Dickerson, still driving the victim’s car, after he attempted to flee police from a traffic stop. During an interview with law enforcement following his arrest, Dickerson admitted to “robbing” the victim and assisted law enforcement in recovering the firearm he brandished during the carjacking.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Memphis Police Department investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Marcus Johnson and former Trial Attorney Shriram Harid of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Musselwhite for the Western District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Memphis, Tennessee and surrounding areas. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute the violent offenders and prevent further violence.
Mississippi Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Armed CarjackingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Mississippi man was sentenced yesterday to nine years in prison for carjacking and for brandishing a firearm during the carjacking.
According to court documents, Un’Darius Dickerson, 24, of Jackson, Mississippi, brandished a firearm to take the victim’s motor vehicle by force. On Nov. 19, 2024, Dickerson, wearing a ski mask, approached the victim, pointed a rifle in her face, and demanded, “You know what this is. Give me those keys.” The victim gave Dickerson her car keys, and he drove away in the victim’s vehicle.
A day later, Southaven, Mississippi, Police Officers arrested Dickerson, still driving the victim’s car, after he attempted to flee police from a traffic stop. During an interview with law enforcement following his arrest, Dickerson admitted to “robbing” the victim and assisted law enforcement in recovering the firearm he brandished during the carjacking.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Memphis Police Department investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Marcus Johnson and former Trial Attorney Shriram Harid of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Musselwhite for the Western District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Memphis, Tennessee and surrounding areas. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute the violent offenders and prevent further violence.
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If you have questions, please use the contacts in the message or call the Office of Public Affairs at 202-514-2007.
Miami Jury Convicts Tennessee Man of Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Minor and Attempted Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Tennessee man was convicted by a federal jury on Feb. 24 of attempting to sex traffic a minor living in Colombia and attempting to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM) involving the victim.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Ramon Arellano Sandoval, 65, of Antioch, Tennessee, exchanged thousands of text and video messages with a female victim living in rural Colombia who was only 14 years old at the time. Despite knowing the victim was underage, Sandoval repeatedly solicited sexually explicit videos from her and directed her to produce CSAM, often in exchange for electronic payments. Sandoval also traveled to Colombia to engage in commercial sex with the minor victim.
“The jury’s verdict delivered justice for a 14-year-old victim who was targeted and exploited by a 65-year-old man who knew exactly what he was doing,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “The evidence showed that this defendant pressured a child to create sexually explicit videos and even traveled overseas to abuse her. That conduct is predatory, criminal, and intolerable. The Southern District of Florida will continue working with our federal partners to identify, investigate, and prosecute anyone who seeks to exploit children online or anywhere else.”
The jury found Sandoval guilty of attempted sex trafficking of a minor and attempted production of visual depictions of the sexual exploitation of a minor. He faces up to life in federal prison for attempted sex trafficking and up to 30 years for attempted production. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami made the announcement.
HSI Miami is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tim Farina and Camille Smith are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20519.
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Member of Chilean ATM Robbery Crew Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Commit Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A member of an ATM robbery crew, Francisco Antonio Marin Ilbaca, 46, of Chile, pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy to commit bank robbery arising from a string of robberies of banks and ATMs throughout California, Oregon, and Washington, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, Marin Ilbaca and his co-defendants were part of a South American theft group that conspired to break into and steal money from financial institutions between May and October of 2024. Conspirators rented cars on the black market to transport themselves to and from the robberies and to scout potential robbery locations in advance of each crime. Once they identified ATMs in vulnerable locations, they used construction-crew disguises, blowtorches, and cellphone jammers, among other sophisticated tactics, to break into the banks and ATMs and steal cash. Marin Ilbaca and nine other coven-conspirators are currently charged for their roles in the conspiracy. During the entire period of the conspiracy, the total loss amount caused in furtherance of the conspiracy exceeded $5.5 million.
Marin Ilbaca is set for sentencing on June 8, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Kirk E. Sherriff. He faces a maximum statutory sentence of five years in prison for conspiracy to commit bank robbery. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the police departments of the cities of Fresno, Citrus Heights, Clovis, Elk Grove, Fresno, Modesto, Rocklin, Roseville, and Sacramento; and the Placer County Sheriff’s Office. Assistance was provided by the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office, and the Seattle Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert L. Veneman-Hughes and Justin J. Gilio are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Manitowoc Resident Indicted on Child Obscenity, Production of Child Pornography, and Commission of a Felony Sex Offense by a Registered Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on March 17, 2026, Brandon M. Lemerond (Age: 20) of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, was indicted on two counts of Obscene Visual Depictions of the Sexual Abuse of Children in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1466A, a count of Production of Child Pornography in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a), and three counts of Commission of a Felony Sex Offense by an Individual Required to Register as a Sexual Offender in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2260A.
The indictment alleges that the violations occurred on various dates in July 2025. If convicted of the child obscenity offense, Lemerond faces a mandatory minimum15 years’ imprisonment and up to 40 years’ imprisonment. The production of child pornography charge carries a mandatory minimum 25 years’ imprisonment and up to a maximum of 50 years in federal prison. If convicted of committing a new criminal offense against a child while on the sex offender registry, the defendant must be given a mandatory 10 years’ imprisonment consecutive to any other sentence. He may also be fined up to $250,000 and must serve from 5 years to a lifetime on supervised release.
This case was investigated by the City of Manitowoc Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 U.S. Department of Justice. 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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For further information contact:
Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
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Media AdvisoryRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office will hold a press conference to announce the successful prosecution of a three-year investigation into a cocaine distribution conspiracy in Teton County, Wyoming and Teton County, Idaho.
The fifth and final defendant was recently sentenced in the case. Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency, United States Postal Inspection Service, Teton County Sheriff’s Office in Idaho and the Idaho State Police investigated the crime.
WHO:
- Darin Smith, United States Attorney for the District of Wyoming
- Ronnie Jones, Director of the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation
- Dave Olesky, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration
WHAT: Press Conference
WHERE: U.S Attorney’s Office Headquarters
2120 Capitol Avenue, 5th Floor
Cheyenne, WY 82001WHEN: 10:00 a.m., Friday, March 20, 2025
WHY: This press conference is being held to announce the successful prosecution of five individuals involved in a large cocaine distribution conspiracy in Teton County, WY and Teton County, ID.
Please let us know if you can make it by Thursday, March 19. RSVP to Lori Hogan, Public Affairs Officer: [email protected], 307-772-2124.
A virtual option is available. Please request the link with your RSVP.