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Monday 26 January 2026
The Southern District of Texas Denaturalizes Child Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
On Jan. 22, the Southern District of Texas, McAllen Division, issued an order revoking the citizenship of Mr. Carlos Noe Gallegos, who was convicted of sexually assaulting a child prior to naturalizing and, later, withheld disclosing his illegal acts and accompanying conviction throughout his naturalization process. Prior to naturalizing, Mr. Gallegos sexually assaulted a child younger than 14 years. Years after he naturalized, Mr. Gallegos pleaded guilty to the sexual assault, and the court issued an order of community supervision. Mr. Gallegos’s acts and his concealment of these material facts warranted the revocation of his 2010 naturalization under 8 U.S.C. § 1451.
“American citizenship is a privilege that this child-abusing monster never should have been able to attain,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will continue ensuring that anyone who conceals such conduct while obtaining naturalization is found out and stripped of their citizenship.”
“Safekeeping the integrity of our society demands that this Administration be allowed to denaturalize monsters who sexually abuse our children,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division
The Southern District of Texas held that Mr. Gallego’s willful and knowing sexual contact with a child as described in sections 22.021(b)(1) and 22.011(c)(1) of the Texas Penal Code was a crime involving moral turpitude. Because Mr. Gallego’s criminal conduct reflected negatively upon his character, he illegally procured his citizenship when he was never eligible to naturalize and should not have been naturalized.
This case was handled by the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, Affirmative Litigation Unit, with assistance from the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, after investigation by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Stillwater Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kevin Landry age 28, of Stillwater, New York, pled guilty on January 23, 2026, to receiving child pornography. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea, Landry admitted that in September 2024, he used a messaging application to receive child sexual abuse material (CSAM). In 2020, Landry pled guilty in Tennessee state court to solicitation of a minor to commit aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor after obtaining a nude photo of a female child through Snapchat and then threatening to distribute that photo to others if the child would not send more nude photos. He was sentenced to an order of deferral and judicial diversion for that offense.
Acting United States Attorney Sarcone stated: “Landry caught a huge break from state authorities after sexually exploiting a child—and he squandered it. His guilty plea in federal court makes one thing unmistakably clear: repeat offenders who prey on children will face swift, aggressive prosecution and severe consequences. This office, alongside HSI and all our federal law enforcement partners, will use the full weight of federal law to protect children and impose the harshest consequences on those who prey on them.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Keegan said: “Kevin Landry’s actions represent a shocking disregard for the safety and dignity of children. His repeated exploitation underscores the grave threat posed by individuals who commit these offenses. HSI Albany remains relentless in our pursuit of those who prey on the most vulnerable, ensuring they are held fully accountable. The public can be assured that protecting children from such depravity is our highest priority.”
At his sentencing on May 27, 2026, Landry potentially faces a term of imprisonment of at least 15 years and up to 40 years in prison. Landry also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. He will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
This case was investigated by HSI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Rosenthal is prosecuting this case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
San Fernando Valley-Based Rehab Center and Owner Ordered to Pay More Than $1.5 Million to U.S. for Improper COVID-19 Business LoanRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal court has granted summary judgment to the United States against JMG Investments Inc., a Woodland Hills-based corporation that runs a rehabilitation center, and its owner, Jeffrey Schwartz, finding that they violated the False Claims Act when they knowingly received and retained more than one Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan prior to December 31, 2020, in violation of PPP rules.
United States District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald on January 15 ordered Schwartz and his company to pay the United States a total of $1,565,294.38 in damages and penalties.
“Every pandemic relief dollar improperly used was money other businesses needed to stay afloat,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “My office will continue tracking down individuals and companies who unlawfully took advantage of COVID-19 government aid.”
“PPP loans were intended to provide critical relief to small businesses,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to pursuing those who knowingly violated the requirements of the PPP and obtained relief funds to which they were not entitled.”
“The favorable ruling in this case is the product of enhanced efforts by federal agencies such as the Small Business Administration working with the Department of Justice and other Federal law enforcement agencies to recover the product of this fraud as well as penalties,” said SBA General Counsel Wendell Davis.
The PPP, an emergency loan program established by Congress in March 2020 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), was intended to support small businesses struggling to pay employees and other business expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic. A borrower applying for a PPP loan was required to make multiple certifications relating to its eligibility and compliance with program rules. Among other things, PPP loan applicants in 2020 were required to certify that they would not receive more than one PPP loan prior to December 31, 2020.
In August 2024, the United States filed a complaint against JMG Investments and Schwartz alleging that they violated the False Claims Act when Schwartz, on behalf of JMG Investments Inc., improperly received two PPP loans in 2020 in violation of PPP rules, and thereafter knowingly and improperly retained the proceeds of the duplicate loan. According to the government’s complaint, Schwartz and JMG Investments Inc. failed to repay the duplicate loan as they were required, which resulted in a loss to the SBA when it purchased the loan guaranty on the duplicate loan. The district court ruled that the United States had shown it was entitled to judgment on all claims asserted against the defendants and, accordingly, awarded the United States summary judgment.
This judgment against JMG Investments Inc. and Jeffrey Schwartz resolves claims brought in a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The United States may intervene in the action, as it did in this case. The amount of the whistleblower share in this case has not yet been determined. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Quesenberry v. JMG Investments, Inc., et al., No. 20-cv-8497-MWF (ASx) (C.D. Cal.).
The judgment obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, with assistance from the SBA’s Office of General Counsel and Office of the Inspector General.
This matter was handled by Trial Attorneys Jared S. Wiesner and Paden R. Gallagher of the Civil Division, with assistance from Assistant United States Attorney Paul La Scala of the Civil Division’s Civil Fraud Section.
Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud affecting COVID-19 government relief programs can be reported by visiting the webpage of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section, which can be found here. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can also report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Puerto Rico Woman Sentenced for Interfering with Flight Attendants by Assault and IntimidationRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Jennifer Rodriguez (37, Puerto Rico) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kathryn Mizelle to five months in federal prison for interfering with flight attendants by assault and intimidation. Rodriguez pleaded guilty on July 17, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, on April 21, 2024, Rodriguez was a passenger on a commercial flight departing Tampa International Airport headed for San Juan, Puerto Rico. After the plane had pushed back from the gate, a flight attendant repeatedly requested that Rodriguez end her cellphone call. Instead, Rodriguez began arguing with the flight attendants. Rodriguez began yelling at the flight attendants and threatened to hit, slap, “beat up,” pull their hair, and drag them down the plane’s aisle by their scarves. She also interfered with their ability to provide medical assistance to a nearby passenger and to prepare the cabin for takeoff. The pilot was forced to return to the gate, and the passengers were required to disembark so that Rodriguez could be escorted off the plane by law enforcement.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa International Airport Police. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Wheeler, III.
Prolific fentanyl distributor sentenced to six years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 40-year-old Everett, Washington man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to six years in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Lamin Saho, aka “Buck,” was a significant fentanyl dealer identified in a wiretap investigation that culminated with fourteen arrests in October 2024 and five additional arrests in late 2025. The drug trafficking ring operated from Kent to Everett and members of the ring frequented two distribution locations in the University District of Seattle. Many of the drug traffickers were armed when guarding their stash or distributing their drugs. The leader of the drug crew was gunned down in the summer of 2024, in front of one of the U District locations. At the sentencing hearing Judge John H. Chun said, “Fentanyl is a dangerous drug that has devastated far too many lives. One has only to walk out on the streets of Seattle to see how it has devastated our community.”
“Mr. Saho distributed thousands of fentanyl pills – the calls recorded on the wiretap indicated he had access to as many as 10,000 pills at a time,” said U.S. Attorney Floyd. “Each one of those pills had the potential of killing the user. Our community is safer when we are able to prosecute these drug trafficking rings and get the suppliers behind bars.”
“Homeland Security Investigations, working closely with our law enforcement partners, led the investigation that brought Saho to justice and indictments for 18 others,” said HSI Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Together, we are combatting the lethal effects of fentanyl in our communities by identifying, disrupting, and dismantling dangerous networks. Garnering this sentence for one of the defendants in this case shows our commitment to protecting the public and fighting violent crime at every level.”
“Drug trafficking and gun violence go hand in hand, and this case highlights the unfortunate reality, peddling deadly fentanyl and weapons in Seattle’s University District posed a clear and present danger to the entire community,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “The collaborative efforts of our federal prosecutors along with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners resulted in the dismantlement of this drug trafficking organization and brought us one step closer towards making America Fentanyl Free. DEA is committed to protect the United States from synthetic opioids by disrupting the fentanyl supply chain, reducing its availability, and saving American lives.”
The month-long telephone intercepts of Saho’s phone revealed he was one of the most prolific distributors of fentanyl within the drug trafficking group. Even after law enforcement seized 5,000 pills from Saho in a traffic stop, wiretap intercepts show he was wholly undeterred and continued to traffic fentanyl through the end of the interception period.
In the yearlong investigation, law enforcement seized 200,000 fentanyl pills, four kilograms of cocaine, 60
firearms, several Glock “switches,” multiple suppressors, and $250,000 in cash drug trafficking proceeds.
Members of the drug ring have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from four years to ten years.
Cooper Sherman, aka “Coop,” 28, of Seattle, who was a leader in the organization, was sentenced in November 2025 to ten years in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Khaliil Ahmed, aka “Bossup,” 28, of Kent was sentenced in August 2025 to six years in prison for two counts of illegally possessing firearms. He was identified as a member of a drug trafficking conspiracy. He was injured in a fatal hookah bar shooting in South Seattle on August 20, 2023.
Yohannes Wondimagegnehu, aka “Jon,” 36, of Seattle was sentenced in August 2025 to six years in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He helped staff an apartment on the edge of Seattle’s University District that was a known drug distribution location.
Dominique Sanders, 35, of Everett, who served as a redistributor in the organization, was sentenced in September 2025 to six years in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
Jaquan Means, 46, of Bellevue, who brokered at least two fentanyl transactions, was sentenced in December 2025 to six years in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
Oche Poston, 32, of Everett, who served as a runner for several fentanyl transactions and conducted other drug trafficking related activities at the direction of leaders within the organization, was sentenced in September 2025 to five and a half years in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
Patrick Smith, 28, of Seattle, who served as a redistributor in the organization, was sentenced in August 2025 to four years in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
Anteneh Tesfaye, 41, of Edmonds was sentenced in December 2025 to four years in prison for one count of illegally possessing a firearm. He was a drug redistributor who was supplied by one of the leaders of the drug trafficking organization.
At today’s sentencing Lamin Saho was ordered to serve four years of supervised release following his six-year prison term. However, he is a citizen of The Gambia who does not have immigration status in the U.S. and will likely be removed following his prison term.
This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
This investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with significant participation by Seattle Police Department (SPD), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington State Patrol (WSP), FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, U.S. Border Patrol, the King County Sheriff’s Office, the Bellevue Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), Everett Police Department, Renton Police Department, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Washington State National Guard, Washington State Gambling Commission, Yakima County Law Enforcement Against Drugs (L.E.A.D) Narcotics and Gang Task Force, and Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Jensen and Joseph Silvio.
Pinehurst Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Federal Prison for Unlawful Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Michael William Luma, 48, of Pinehurst, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of firearms, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today.
According to court records, in November 2023, law enforcement was notified about gunshots coming from Luma’s Pinehurst residence on multiple nights. Luma is prohibited from possessing firearms based on a prior felony conviction for aggravated assault. After securing a search warrant, law enforcement searched Luma’s residence and found a large drill press, a 3-D printer, several “ghost gun” components, thousands of rounds of ammunition, large capacity magazines, and sixteen firearms, including multiple machine guns and silencers. When contacted at his home, Luma was in possession of a loaded handgun magazine as well as eleven fentanyl pills, half a gram of methamphetamine, and a methamphetamine pipe.
Chief District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered that Luma be placed on 3 years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Luma will continue to be prohibited from possessing firearms following his conviction.
U.S. Attorney Davis commended the work of the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Johnson prosecuted this case.
This case was brought as 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.
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Philipsburg Woman Charged with Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Misti Weld, age 51, of Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted on January 22, 2026, by a federal grand jury for theft of government property, Social Security fraud, and making false statements to the Social Security Administration.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that from January 2016 through June 2023, in Centre County, Pennsylvania, Weld claimed Social Security benefits as a representative payee for the support of her children, while knowing that she was not entitled to claim such benefits because her children did not live in her household. Additionally, Weld made a false statement in an application to the Social Security Administration in which she falsely claimed that her children were members of her household.
The Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 35 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Paducah Woman Convicted at Trial on Nine Federal Charges for False Claims and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – A Paducah woman was found guilty of nine federal charges for false claims and wire fraud on Friday.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office made the announcement.
Natasha Harris-Johnson, 52, of Paducah, filed eight tax returns for the 2018 and 2019 tax years on behalf of trusts she created, altogether demanding nearly $30 million in tax refunds she was not entitled to. Harris-Johnson also filed a fraudulent application with the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) for Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) funds during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in Harris-Johnson receiving approximately $160,000 in SBA funds she was not entitled to. Harris-Johnson used the EIDL funds for personal expenses and has not paid back any portion of the loan.
On Friday January 16, 2026, Harris-Johnson was found guilty of all nine counts she was charged with at the conclusion of a week-long jury trial in Paducah, Kentucky. She is scheduled to be sentenced on April 22, 2026, at 1:00 p.m.
United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner stated, “Our office along with our law enforcement partners will vigorously pursue fraud against the federal government. I am particularly proud of the strong advocacy on behalf of the United States by Assistant United States Attorneys Corinne Keel and Josh Judd.”
“The criminal who perpetrated this scheme systematically defrauded the government and the taxpaying public,” said Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office. “At the IRS, protecting taxpayer money is a matter we take very seriously and keep at the forefront of our mission every day. IRS-CI will continue to actively pursue those who steal from the hardworking taxpayers of the United States by preparing false claims for refunds to which they are not entitled.”
Harris-Johnson faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison for each of eight false claims counts and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the single wire fraud count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Bowling Green Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, which is a branch of the Detroit Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Corinne E. Keel and Joshua Judd prosecuted the case with the assistance of paralegal Cristy Crockett.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Pensacola Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation & Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Michael D. Whitacre, Jr., 31, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced in federal court for engaging in a child exploitation enterprise, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography involving minors under 12 years of age. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said, “This case was the result of excellent investigative work by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI to identify and dismantle this heinous network of sexual predators peddling the most vile images and videos of child exploitation and sexual abuse imaginable. My office remains committed to aggressively prosecuting and seeking maximum punishment for anyone who engages in these disgusting crimes, and we will not stop until our kids are safe.”
Court documents reflect that Whitacre was part of an encrypted online group who shared significant amounts of graphic child pornography. There were over 70 members of the illicit group, which operated in early 2025. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, with the support of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, was initially notified about Whitacre’s online actions via a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. A forensic analysis conducted by an expert at Homeland Security Investigations revealed a wealth of child sexual abuse material on Whitacre’s cellular telephone along with his access to the online child exploitation enterprise.
After serving his term of 20 years’ imprisonment, Whitacre will have to register as a sexual offender. He was also ordered to pay $16,000 in restitution to the victims.
“Every image shared by Mr. Whitacre represents the real abuse of a child,” said FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley. “By sharing and trading abusive images, he helped fuel a cycle of harm. This sentence reflects our commitment to holding offenders accountable and protecting the most vulnerable members of our community.”
“Protecting our children is our highest priority,” said Sheriff Chip Simmons, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. “When local and federal law enforcement work side by side with the U.S. Attorney's Office, we send a clear message: anyone who preys on children will be arrested, prosecuted, and held accountable.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Oregon Mother and Daughter Facing New Charges Related to Forced Labor and Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— A grand jury in Oregon last Wednesday returned a superseding indictment charging a mother and daughter from Tigard, Oregon, with 12-counts of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and forced labor. The indictment alleges that Marie Gertrude Jean Valmont, 67, and Yolandita Marie Andre, 31, coerced the labor and services of three victims, including a minor victim, to work for little or no pay in an adult foster care home. Valmont has separately been charged with confiscating the documents of the victims to compel their labor and services, along with engaging in healthcare fraud by participating in a conspiracy with Andre to request Medicaid “exceptional payments” for additional paid hours for employees while paying the victim employees little to nothing for their labor, lying about the victims’ residence in the home, and falsifying a disability claim for herself that allowed Andre to be paid hourly for providing care to her as a Homecare Worker. Andre and Valmont have also been charged with making multiple false statements regarding healthcare fraud for the same behavior.
According to court documents, Valmont and Andre, the owners and operators of Velida’s Home Care in Tigard, allegedly recruited the three victims to travel from Haiti to the United States to work with promises of a nice place to live, and steady and reliable work. Upon their arrival in September 2023, all three were compelled to work long, difficult hours for little to no pay at Velida’s Home Care. Valmont took the victims’ immigration paperwork and controlled practically every aspect of their daily living, which compelled them to work as caregivers in the home. The victims continued working under threats of serious harm until the minor victim disclosed their situation to a medical professional in the summer of 2024. At that point, the Oregon Department of Justice authorities commenced an investigation.
In addition, the defendants allegedly requested and received payments from the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) and Medicaid by falsely claiming they needed to pay additional and current employees for more hours for foster care residents with exceptional care needs. Instead of paying the three victims a proper hourly wage, the defendants instead kept the money they obtained from the ODHS and Medicare by paying them little or nothing. Finally, Andre also stated under penalty of perjury that she served as Valmont’s caregiver and submitted claims purporting to be Valmont’s caregiver during times when Andre was either not with Valmont or Valmont was working with others. Moreover, Valmont alleged she was disabled and required Andre’s care while also holding herself out to ODHS as a purported caregiver herself.
Committing forced labor and conspiracy to commit health care fraud are each punishable by a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison per count of conviction and force labor requires mandatory restitution. Making a false statement related to health care fraud is punishable by up to five years in federal prison per count of conviction.
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from Tigard Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eliza Carmen Rodriguez for the District of Oregon and Trial Attorney Elizabeth Hutson of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Oregon Mother and Daughter Facing New Charges Related to Forced Labor and Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
A grand jury in Oregon yesterday returned a superseding indictment charging a mother and daughter from Tigard, Oregon, with 12-counts of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and forced labor. The indictment alleges that Marie Gertrude Jean Valmont, 67, and Yolandita Marie Andre, 31, coerced the labor and services of three victims, including a minor victim, to work for little or no pay in an adult foster care home. Valmont has separately been charged with confiscating the documents of the victims to compel their labor and services, along with engaging in healthcare fraud by participating in a conspiracy with Andre to request Medicaid “exceptional payments” for additional paid hours for employees while paying the victim employees little to nothing for their labor, lying about the victims’ residence in the home, and falsifying a disability claim for herself that allowed Andre to be paid hourly for providing care to her as a Homecare Worker. Andre and Valmont have also been charged with making multiple false statements regarding healthcare fraud for the same behavior.
According to court documents, Valmont and Andre, the owners and operators of Velida’s Home Care in Tigard, allegedly recruited the three victims to travel from Haiti to the United States to work with promises of a nice place to live, and steady and reliable work. Upon their arrival in September 2023, all three were compelled to work long, difficult hours for little to no pay at Velida’s Home Care. Valmont took the victims’ immigration paperwork and controlled practically every aspect of their daily living, which compelled them to work as caregivers in the home. The victims continued working under threats of serious harm until the minor victim disclosed their situation to a medical professional in the summer of 2024. At that point, the Oregon Department of Justice authorities commenced an investigation.
In addition, the defendants allegedly requested and received payments from the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) and Medicaid by falsely claiming they needed to pay additional and current employees for more hours for foster care residents with exceptional care needs. Instead of paying the three victims a proper hourly wage, the defendants instead kept the money they obtained from the ODHS and Medicare by paying them little or nothing. Finally, Andre also stated under penalty of perjury that she served as Valmont’s caregiver and submitted claims purporting to be Valmont’s caregiver during times when Andre was either not with Valmont or Valmont was working with others. Moreover, Valmont alleged she was disabled and required Andre’s care while also holding herself out to ODHS as a purported caregiver herself.
Committing forced labor and conspiracy to commit health care fraud are each punishable by a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison per count of conviction and force labor requires mandatory restitution. Making a false statement related to health care fraud is punishable by up to five years in federal prison per count of conviction.
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from Tigard Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eliza Carmen Rodriguez for the District of Oregon and Trial Attorney Elizabeth Hutson of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
North Miami Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Kidnapping and Firearm Offenses Following Violent Home InvasionRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A North Miami man was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after committing a violent home invasion and kidnapping.
U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks imposed the sentence on Alphonso Gainer, 37, on Jan. 6, following his jury trial conviction on one count of kidnapping and three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition.
“This defendant used a firearm to invade a home, terrorize a victim, and commit a kidnapping—conduct that strikes at the heart of community safety,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “Under Operation Take Back America, violent offenders who bring guns into our neighborhoods will be identified, prosecuted, and removed from our streets. A 15-year federal sentence sends a clear message: there is no tolerance for violent gun crime in South Florida.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on July 11, 2023, at approximately 6 a.m., Gainer broke into the victim’s North Miami residence and opened fire inside the home, nearly killing the victim. A 911 call placed by the victim captured the sound of Gainer firing three additional rounds as the victim sought cover.
Responding officers arrived within minutes, but Gainer fled before law enforcement could locate him. Hours later, after officers had completed their initial investigation and left the scene, Gainer returned to the residence, kidnapped the victim at gunpoint, and forced the victim into his rental vehicle. The victim managed to escape unharmed but photographed the vehicle’s license plate, which law enforcement traced back to Gainer. Ballistics evidence introduced at trial linked a firearm recovered from Gainer’s residence to shell casings found at the scene of the shooting.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and Special Agent in Charge Jason Stankiewicz of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, made the announcement.
ATF Miami Field Office is investigating the case, with substantial assistance from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. Mikulic and Altanese P. Phenelus 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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20226.
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Moscow Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Cameron James Kittell, 21, of Moscow, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today.
According to court records, in early 2024, law enforcement received a CyberTip from a social media provider indicating that somebody was using their service to transmit or possess CSAM. Using legal process, including numerous search warrants, law enforcement ultimately identified Kittell as the subject of the CyberTip and discovered that Kittell had distributed CSAM on multiple social media platforms. In July 2024, law enforcement located Kittell in Moscow, Idaho and arrested him. On Kittell’s phone, law enforcement found over 500 images and 60 videos depicting apparent CSAM. Forensic evidence showed that the Defendant had paid money to online traffickers for CSAM. Later investigation revealed that the Defendant was seeking childcare jobs online and had been messaging an individual about a childcare job hours before his arrest.
Chief District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Kittell to serve 25 years of supervised release following his prison sentence and ordered him to pay $6,000 in restitution to the victims depicted in the materials he possessed. Kittell will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction.
U.S. Attorney Davis commended the work of the Moscow Police Department, the Lewiston Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Johnson prosecuted this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) of the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Montgomery Man Sentenced to Prison for Gun Crime Committed While on Federal ProbationRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Today, Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced that a Montgomery, Alabama, man has been sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to a federal gun charge.
On January 22, 2026, 36-year-old Jeremy Dionne Smiley received a sentence of 60 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Previously, in February 2025, a judge ordered a 24-month sentence for violating the terms of his federal supervised release. The sentences are related to the same incident and were ordered to run consecutively, for a total sentence of 84 months. At the January 2026 sentencing hearing, the court also ordered Smiley to serve an additional three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to Smiley’s plea agreement and other court records, in late 2024, Smiley was residing in Montgomery while on federal supervised release after completing a 71-month prison sentence for a prior federal firearms conviction. On December 20, 2024, law enforcement officers responded to a domestic disturbance call at Smiley’s residence, which included a report that shots had been fired.
Following the incident, Smiley admitted to his federal probation officer that he possessed an AR-15-style rifle and had discharged the firearm into the air during the disturbance. Smiley’s possession of the firearm violated the conditions of his supervised release and resulted in a new federal charge. On October 20, 2025, Smiley pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The Montgomery Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the United States Probation Office investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle R. Turner and J. Patrick Lamb prosecuted this case.
Montana Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder-For-Hire Conspiracy, Tampering with A Witness by Killing, Stalking Resulting in Death, and Firearm and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
RENO – A Missoula, Montana, man was sentenced today to life in prison by United States District Judge Miranda Du following his conviction for killing two people, and firearm and marijuana trafficking charges.
“There were no bounds on the defendant’s cruel and violent actions,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “There is no parole in the federal system. The defendant will never walk outside of the prison walls. I want to thank our federal and local partners for relentlessly pursuing this case and ensuring justice for the families and community.”
“This was a horrific act of targeted violence. Spurlock's callous and blatant disregard for human life was unconscionable,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Division. “The FBI will never stop pursuing those who threaten our communities' safety. Thanks to the tireless work of our FBI personnel in the Reno Resident Agency and our committed law enforcement partners, Spurlock was located, prosecuted, and will not harm another person in our community again.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at a four-week jury trial, Cory Spurlock, and others were involved in an illegal, large scale marijuana distribution business based in Mound House, Nevada. During a marijuana transaction in Mound House, Nevada, on June 19, 2020, Jered Stefansky went missing. Stefansky had traveled to Mound House from Redding to pick up a large amount of cash. The last call from Stefansky’s cell phone was to a number associated with Spurlock and Spurlock became a person of interest in the investigation into Stefansky’s disappearance. Stefansky’s mother never gave up on trying to find her son and appeared on a podcast in late September of 2020 where she discussed her son’s disappearance and the people her son was involved with in the marijuana conspiracy, including Will Larsen and Spurlock.
According to testimony, Spurlock listened to the podcast and believed Will Larsen, his partner in the marijuana business, was a rat and needed to die. Spurlock promised a co-conspirator payment for assistance in killing Larsen. In early November 2020, Spurlock traveled to Nevada and California with two co-conspirators. Spurlock and his co-conspirators stalked Larsen and his wife, Yesenia Arriaga Larsen, throughout the Reno and Carson City area and followed them to just outside Bridgeport, California. The Larsens were shot and stabbed to death on November 8, 2020, their bodies left on the side of US Highway 395. Spurlock was also convicted of robbery for stealing the money Will Larsen had in his wallet. Stefansky’s skeletal remains were found in March 2021, at the Rye Patch Recreation area in Pershing County, Nevada.
Anthony Chrysanthis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Los Angeles Field Division, which oversees Nevada, said, “This case exposed the ruthless nature of a drug criminal, whose streak of violence could not be quelled. Cory Spurlock, while running an illegal, large-scale marijuana distribution business, stopped at nothing to trample rivals or perceived threats. Today’s sentencing stops him from further terrorizing our neighborhoods. DEA is in lockstep with local and federal partners, who remain committed to safeguarding our communities from the type of violence ushered in by drug criminals.”
“The violent actions conducted in this case are heinous,” said Special Agent in Charge John Wester, San Francisco Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). “Public safety is at the forefront of ATF’s mission. This sentencing marks a victory for justice and sends a clear warning to those who seek to orchestrate violence within our communities that their conduct will not be tolerated. Partnerships are the backbone of law enforcement. ATF will continue to work alongside our prosecutorial and law enforcement partners to ensure crimes of this nature are investigated and brought to justice.”
Spurlock was convicted at trial in September 2025, of one-count each of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute over 1000 kilograms of marijuana; murder-for-hire conspiracy; tampering with a witness by killing; two-counts of stalking resulting in death, interference with commerce by robbery; and causing death through use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
First Assistant United States Attorney Chattah, FBI Special Agent in Charge Delzotto, DEA Special Agent in Charge Chrysanthis, and ATF Special Agent in Charge Wester made the announcement.
The FBI Las Vegas Division, Mono County Sheriff’s Office, DEA, ATF, Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, Carson City Sheriff’s Office, and the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case with significant assistance from the Salt Lake City FBI Office-Missoula Resident Agency. Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Rachow, Penelope Brady, and Andrew Keenan prosecuted the case.
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Justice Department Files Case to Revoke the Naturalization of Former Peruvian Army CommanderRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Today, the U.S. Department of Justice and the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida filed a civil denaturalization complaint in the United States District Court in Miami, Florida, against Luis Miguel Fernandez Gaviola, a native of Peru who was charged with eight extra-judicial killings in Peru.
Fernandez served as a Deputy in Charge of Infantry in the G-2 of the 31st Infantry Division of the Peruvian military. In this role, he commanded a unit that killed eight residents of the District of Pucará, Peru, in November 1989 based on the victims’ alleged membership in a certain political group, before coming to the United States in 1992 while hiding his horrific past actions.
“No one who commits atrocities like these is entitled to the precious gift of U.S. citizenship,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We owe it to the American people to protect them from human rights violators who abuse positions of power, wherever they engaged in their offensive acts.”
“United States citizenship is a profound privilege, reserved for those who obtain it honestly and in accordance with the law,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This civil action alleges that the defendant concealed material facts about his past, including involvement in grave human rights abuses, in order to obtain that privilege. While these are allegations only, our responsibility is clear: when credible evidence shows that citizenship may have been procured through fraud or concealment, the Department of Justice will act to protect the integrity of our immigration system and the rule of law.”
In 2003, when he applied for adjustment of status as a permanent resident of the United States, he falsely stated under penalty of perjury that he had no foreign military service and that he had never participated in the killing of anyone because of their political opinion. When he applied for naturalization as a U.S. citizen four years later, he falsely testified under oath that he was never involved in persecution based on political opinion and had never given false or misleading information to any U.S. government official while applying for any immigration benefit.
The case was investigated by the Human Rights Violator Law Division, Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and will be litigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and the Affirmative Litigation Unit of the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation.
The claims made in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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Justice Department Files Case to Revoke the Naturalization of Former Peruvian Army CommanderRead the Press Release
Today, the U.S. Department of Justice and the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida filed a civil denaturalization complaint in the United States District Court in Miami, Florida, against Luis Miguel Fernandez Gaviola, a native of Peru who was charged with eight extra-judicial killings in Peru.
Fernandez served as a Deputy in Charge of Infantry in the G-2 of the 31st Infantry Division of the Peruvian military. In this role, he commanded a unit that killed eight residents of the District of Pucará, Peru, in November 1989 based on the victims’ alleged membership in a certain political group, before coming to the United States in 1992 while hiding his horrific past actions.
“No one who commits atrocities like these is entitled to the precious gift of U.S. citizenship,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We owe it to the American people to protect them from human rights violators who abuse positions of power, wherever they engaged in their offensive acts.”
“United States citizenship is a profound privilege, reserved for those who obtain it honestly and in accordance with the law,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This civil action alleges that the defendant concealed material facts about his past, including involvement in grave human rights abuses, in order to obtain that privilege. While these are allegations only, our responsibility is clear: when credible evidence shows that citizenship may have been procured through fraud or concealment, the Department of Justice will act to protect the integrity of our immigration system and the rule of law.”
In 2003, when he applied for adjustment of status as a permanent resident of the United States, he falsely stated under penalty of perjury that he had no foreign military service and that he had never participated in the killing of anyone because of their political opinion. When he applied for naturalization as a U.S. citizen four years later, he falsely testified under oath that he was never involved in persecution based on political opinion and had never given false or misleading information to any U.S. government official while applying for any immigration benefit.
The case was investigated by the Human Rights Violator Law Division, Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and will be litigated by the Affirmative Litigation Unit of the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
The claims made in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Judge finds Billings man guilty of felon in possession of a firearmRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man who possessed a firearm following a felony conviction was found guilty by a federal judge today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Following a 1-day trial, Cody Lloyd Smith, 42, was found guilty of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The penalties for that crime are up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for May 28, 2026.
The government alleged in court documents and at trial that Smith and three others were traveling in Carbon County, Montana on December 8, 2023. Smith was driving. A Carbon County Sheriff’s deputy clocked Smith going 91 mph in a 65-mph zone and pulled him over. The deputy thought Smith might be under the influence and eventually ran his trained K-9 around the car. The dog hit on the car and the deputy seized it and conducted a search on December 9, 2023, the day after the traffic stop. He seized several items, including a Taurus, 9mm semi-automatic pistol. Smith is prohibited from possessing firearms based on his felony conviction in Nevada in 2016 for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Yerger prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF.
Investigation into International “ATM Jackpotting” Scheme and Tren de Aragua results in Additional Indictment and 87 Total Charged DefendantsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in the District of Nebraska returned an additional indictment charging 31 individuals for their roles in a large conspiracy to deploy malware and steal millions of dollars from ATMs in the United States, a crime commonly referred to as “ATM jackpotting.” Fifty-six others have already been charged. Many of the defendants charged in this Homeland Security Task Force operation are Venezuelan and Colombian nationals including illegal alien Tren de Aragua (TdA) members. This indictment alleges 32 counts including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank burglary and computer fraud, bank fraud, bank burglary, and damage to computers.
“Tren de Aragua is a complex terrorist organization that commits serious financial crimes in addition to horrific rapes, murders, and drug trafficking,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice has already prosecuted more than 290 members of Tren de Aragua and will continue working tirelessly to put these vicious terrorists behind bars after the prior administration let them infiltrate our country.”
“A large ring of criminal aliens allegedly engaged in a nationwide conspiracy to enrich themselves and the TdA terrorist organization by ripping off American citizens," said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. "After committing bank robbery, fraud, and other serious crimes, they will be vigorously prosecuted and held accountable for their crimes. The Justice Department’s Joint Task Force Vulcan will not stop until it completely dismantles and destroys TdA and other foreign terrorists that import chaos to America.”
“This latest indictment demonstrates the Criminal Division’s commitment to dismantling cartels, including when they attack our nation’s financial systems with sophisticated malware,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The announcement of charges against a total of 87 defendants underscores both the massive scale of these alleged conspiracies and the strength and skill of our investigators and prosecutors who dismantle them. As cartels level up their criminal game, so will we.”
“Tren de Aragua uses ATM jackpotting crimes committed all across America to fund its terrorist organization which is responsible for horrific crimes such as human trafficking (to include sex trafficking of children in Nebraska), kidnapping, murder and other unspeakably evil and violent acts,” said U.S. Attorney Lesley A. Woods for the District of Nebraska. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska will fight TdA directly by taking every action at our disposal to shut down their financial pipeline and handicap their ability to terrorize American communities.”
“TdA grew from a prison gang to a transnational criminal organization to a foreign terrorist organization. Using sophisticated malware to empty ATMs and damage U.S. financial institutions that also fund TdA’s terrorist activity will not be tolerated,” said Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV) Co-Director Chris Eason. “The charges against certain TdA members are directly in line with JTFV’s mission: a collaborative, whole of government effort to destroy TdA. We are grateful for our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska, and our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly to investigate and bring these important charges.”
“A dedicated team of FBI Omaha agents and analysts are working shoulder to shoulder with our local, state, and federal partners to disrupt and dismantle an international criminal conspiracy ultimately funding a foreign terrorist organization,” said Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel of the FBI Omaha Field Office. “The wide variety of sophisticated criminal tactics employed by TdA poses a direct threat to communities across our country. This case highlights TdA's plot to deploy malware to steal vast funds from financial institutions across the United States. We will never stop following the money and surging resources to arrest and apprehend TdA members and leadership.”
The following photographs depict just a few of the alleged ATM jackpotting scheme in progress and equipment used:
The alleged conspiracy developed and deployed a variant of malware known as Ploutus, which was used to hack into ATMs and force ATMs to dispense cash. The conspiracy relied on the recruitment of a number of individuals to deploy Ploutus malware nationwide. Members of the conspiracy and TdA would travel in groups, using multiple vehicles, to the locations of targeted banks and credit unions. These groups would conduct initial reconnaissance and take note of external security features at the ATMs. Following this reconnaissance, the groups would open the hood or door of ATMs and then wait nearby to see whether they had triggered an alarm or a law enforcement response. The groups would then take steps to install malware on the ATMs, by removing the hard drive and installing the malware directly, by replacing the hard drive with one that had been pre-loaded with the Ploutus malware, or by connecting an external device such as a thumb drive that would deploy the malware. The Ploutus malware’s primary purpose was to issue unauthorized commands associated with the Cash Dispensing Module of the ATM in order to force withdrawals of currency. The Ploutus malware was also designed to delete evidence of malware in an effort to conceal, create a false impression, mislead, or otherwise deceive employees of the banks and credit unions from learning about the deployment of the malware on the ATM. Members of the conspiracy would then split the proceeds in predetermined portions.
The most recent indictment follows a previous one returned on Dec. 9, 2025, that alleged that TdA, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, conducted jackpotting attacks across America. The Dec. 9, 2025 indictment charged 22 individuals with offenses for their roles in the conspiracy: 13 individuals are charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, 10 with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, 10 with conspiracy to commit bank burglary and fraud and related activity in connection with computers, and 22 with conspiracy to commit money laundering. The indictment also alleges that TdA used jackpotting to steal millions of dollars in the United States and then transferred the proceeds among its members and associates to conceal the illegally obtained cash. The indictment alleged a national conspiracy to commit these offenses with crimes committed all over the United States in furtherance of these conspiracies that generated millions in illegal proceeds for the combined defendants and the TdA organization.
A related indictment returned on Oct. 21, 2025 charged 32 individuals and alleged 56 counts including one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit bank burglary and computer fraud, 18 counts of bank fraud, 18 counts of bank burglary, and 18 counts of damage to computers.
If convicted, the defendants face maximum terms of imprisonment ranging between 20 and 335 years.
According to court documents, TdA is a violent transnational criminal organization that originated as a prison gang in Venezuela in the mid-2000s. TdA has expanded its criminal network throughout the Western Hemisphere and established a presence in the United States. TdA’s criminal activities range from drug trafficking and firearms trafficking, to commercial sex trafficking, kidnapping, robbery, theft, fraud, and extortion. TdA members also commit murder, assault, and other violent acts to advance the organization’s criminal activities. TdA has also developed an additional source of revenue stream through financial crimes that target financial institutions throughout the United States, including using jackpotting to steal millions of dollars in cash.
In the past six months, the Justice Department has charged a total of 87 TdA members and leaders with a range of federal offenses that include material support to a designated foreign terror organization, bank burglary, money laundering, damage and unauthorized access to protected computers, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit the same offenses.
FBI’s Omaha Field Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Omaha is investigating the case, with assistance from FBI’s Denver, Houston, Miami, Oklahoma, Sacramento, Seattle, and Springfield Field Offices, and the U.S. Secret Service, United States Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of the Inspector General, Financial Deposit Insurance Corporation, Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Appanoose County Sheriff’s Office, Bates County Sheriff’s Office, Sheridan Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Leesburg Police Department, Sterling Heights Police Department, Kearney Police Department, Warrant Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Colombus Police Department, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska State Patrol Crime Laboratory, Bluff City Police Department, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Lincoln Police Department, Gothenburg Police Department, Loudon Police Department, Alcoa Police Department, Kearney Police Department, Milford Police Department, Grand Island Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, Papillion Police Department, Central City Police Department, Holdrege Police Department, New York State Police, Berkeley Police Department, Cook County Electronic Monitoring Unit, Aurora Police Department, Austin Police Department, U.S. Capitol Police, Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, City of Rome Police Department, Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, McCook Police Department, Nebraska DMV Crime Analysts, Rantoul Police Department, Olathe Police Department, North Platte Police Department, Walla Walla Police Department, Milton-Freewater Police Department, Missoula Police Department, Omaha Police Department, Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, Sidney Police Department, Denver Police, Howard County Sheriff’s Office, St. Paul Police Department, Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office, Glendale Police Department, Columbia Police Department, Brookfield Police Department, Wauwatosa Police Department, Mount Pleasant Police Department, Grafton Police Department, South Milwaukee Police Department, Dubuque Police Department, Fargo Police Department, and Paducah Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska, and Joint Task Force Vulcan. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Washington, Eastern District of California, Southern District of New York, Northern District of Illinois, Central District of Illinois, Eastern District of Oklahoma, District of New Mexico, Southern District of Florida, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and the District of Colorado, as well as the Larimer County Attorney’s Office, Colorado Attorney General’s Office, Tennessee 9th District Attorney General’s Office, Tennessee 5th District Attorney General’s Office and the Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General provided significant assistance.
This Operation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Omaha comprises agents and officers from the FBI and HSI.
Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV) was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded to target TdA is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. Those include Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; and the District of Nevada, as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI, DEA, HSI, ATF, USMS, and the Bureau of Prisons are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.
An indictment or a complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Investigation into International “ATM Jackpotting” Scheme and Tren de Aragua results in Additional Indictment and 87 Total Charged DefendantsRead the Press Release
[UPDATED] OMAHA – A federal grand jury in the District of Nebraska has returned an additional indictment last week charging 31 individuals for their roles in a large conspiracy to deploy malware and steal millions of dollars from ATMs in the United States, a crime commonly referred to as “ATM jackpotting.” Fifty-six others have already been charged. Many of the defendants charged in this Homeland Security Task Force operation are Venezuelan and Colombian nationals including illegal alien Tren de Aragua (TdA) members. This indictment alleges 32 counts including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank burglary and computer fraud, bank fraud, bank burglary, and damage to computers.
“Tren de Aragua is a complex terrorist organization that commits serious financial crimes in addition to horrific rapes, murders, and drug trafficking,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice has already prosecuted more than 290 members of Tren de Aragua and will continue working tirelessly to put these vicious terrorists behind bars after the prior administration let them infiltrate our country.”
“A large ring of criminal aliens allegedly engaged in a nationwide conspiracy to enrich themselves and the TdA terrorist organization by ripping off American citizens. After committing bank robbery, fraud, and other serious crimes, they will be vigorously prosecuted and held accountable for their crimes,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The Justice Department’s Joint Task Force Vulcan will not stop until it completely dismantles and destroys TdA and other foreign terrorists that import chaos to America.”
“This latest indictment demonstrates the Criminal Division’s commitment to dismantling cartels, including when they attack our nation’s financial systems with sophisticated malware,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The announcement of charges against a total of 87 defendants underscores both the massive scale of these alleged conspiracies and the strength and skill of our investigators and prosecutors who dismantle them. As cartels level up their criminal game, so will we.”
“Tren de Aragua uses ATM jackpotting crimes committed all across America to fund its terrorist organization which is responsible for horrific crimes such as human trafficking (to include sex trafficking of children in Nebraska), kidnapping, murder and other unspeakably evil and violent acts, said U.S. Attorney Lesley A. Woods for the District of Nebraska. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska will fight TdA directly by taking every action at our disposal to shut down their financial pipeline and handicap their ability to terrorize American communities.”
“TdA grew from a prison gang to a transnational criminal organization to a foreign terrorist organization. Using sophisticated malware to empty ATMs and damage U.S. financial institutions that also fund TdA’s terrorist activity will not be tolerated,” said Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV) Co-Director Chris Eason. “The charges against certain TdA members are directly in line with JTFV’s mission: a collaborative, whole of government effort to destroy TdA. We are grateful for our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska, and our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly to investigate and bring these important charges.”
The following photographs depict just a few of the alleged ATM jackpotting scheme in progress and equipment used:
“A dedicated team of FBI Omaha agents and analysts are working shoulder to shoulder with our local, state, and federal partners to disrupt and dismantle an international criminal conspiracy ultimately funding a foreign terrorist organization,” said Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel of the FBI Omaha Field Office. “The wide variety of sophisticated criminal tactics employed by Tren de Aragua (TdA) poses a direct threat to communities across our country. This case highlights TdA's plot to deploy malware to steal vast funds from financial institutions across the United States. We will never stop following the money and surging resources to arrest and apprehend TdA members and leadership.”
The alleged conspiracy developed and deployed a variant of malware known as Ploutus, which was used to hack into ATMs and force ATMs to dispense cash. The conspiracy relied on the recruitment of a number of individuals to deploy Ploutus malware nationwide. Members of the conspiracy and TdA would travel in groups, using multiple vehicles, to the locations of targeted banks and credit unions. These groups would conduct initial reconnaissance and take note of external security features at the ATMs. Following this reconnaissance, the groups would open the hood or door of ATMs and then wait nearby to see whether they had triggered an alarm or a law enforcement response. The groups would then take steps to install malware on the ATMs, by removing the hard drive and installing the malware directly, by replacing the hard drive with one that had been pre-loaded with the Ploutus malware, or by connecting an external device such as a thumb drive that would deploy the malware. The Ploutus malware’s primary purpose was to issue unauthorized commands associated with the Cash Dispensing Module of the ATM in order to force withdrawals of currency. The Ploutus malware was also designed to delete evidence of malware in an effort to conceal, create a false impression, mislead, or otherwise deceive employees of the banks and credit unions from learning about the deployment of the malware on the ATM. Members of the conspiracy would then split the proceeds in predetermined portions.
The most recent indictment follows a previous one returned on December 9, 2025, that alleged that TdA, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, conducted jackpotting attacks across America. The December 9, 2025 indictment charged 22 individuals with offenses for their roles in the conspiracy: 13 individuals are charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, 10 with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, 10 with conspiracy to commit bank burglary and fraud and related activity in connection with computers, and 22 with conspiracy to commit money laundering. The indictment also alleges that TdA used jackpotting to steal millions of dollars in the United States and then transferred the proceeds among its members and associates to conceal the illegally obtained cash. The indictment alleged a national conspiracy to commit these offenses with crimes committed all over the United States in furtherance of these conspiracies that generated millions in illegal proceeds for the combined defendants and the TdA organization.
A related indictment returned on October 21, 2025 charged 32 individuals and alleged 56 counts including one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit bank burglary and computer fraud, 18 counts of bank fraud, 18 counts of bank burglary, and 18 counts of damage to computers.
If convicted, the defendants face maximum terms of imprisonment ranging between 20 and 335 years.
According to court documents, TdA is a violent transnational criminal organization that originated as a prison gang in Venezuela in the mid-2000s. TdA has expanded its criminal network throughout the Western Hemisphere and established a presence in the United States. TdA’s criminal activities range from drug trafficking and firearms trafficking, to commercial sex trafficking, kidnapping, robbery, theft, fraud, and extortion. TdA members also commit murder, assault, and other violent acts to advance the organization’s criminal activities. TdA has also developed an additional source of revenue stream through financial crimes that target financial institutions throughout the United States, including using jackpotting to steal millions of dollars in cash.
In the past six months, the Justice Department has charged a total of 87 TdA members and leaders with a range of federal offenses that include material support to a designated foreign terror organization, bank burglary, money laundering, damage and unauthorized access to protected computers, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit the same offenses.
FBI’s Omaha Field Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Omaha is investigating the case, with assistance from FBI’s Denver, Houston, Miami, Oklahoma, Sacramento, Seattle, and Springfield Field Offices, and the United States Secret Service, United States Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of the Inspector General, Financial Deposit Insurance Corporation, Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Appanoose County Sheriff’s Office, Bates County Sheriff’s Office, Sheridan Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Leesburg Police Department, Sterling Heights Police Department, Kearney Police Department, Warrant Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Colombus Police Department, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska State Patrol Crime Laboratory, Bluff City Police Department, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Lincoln Police Department, Gothenburg Police Department, Loudon Police Department, Alcoa Police Department, Kearney Police Department, Milford Police Department, Grand Island Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, Papillion Police Department, Central City Police Department, Holdrege Police Department, New York State Police, Berkeley Police Department, Cook County Electronic Monitoring Unit, Aurora Police Department, Austin Police Department, United States Capitol Police, Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, City of Rome Police Department, Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, McCook Police Department, Nebraska DMV Crime Analysts, Rantoul Police Department, Olathe Police Department, North Platte Police Department, Walla Walla Police Department, Milton-Freewater Police Department, Missoula Police Department, Omaha Police Department, Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, Sidney Police Department, Denver Police, Howard County Sheriff’s Office, St. Paul Police Department, Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office, Glendale Police Department, Columbia Police Department, Brookfield Police Department, Wauwatosa Police Department, Mount Pleasant Police Department, Grafton Police Department, South Milwaukee Police Department, Dubuque Police Department, Fargo Police Department, and Paducah Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska, and Joint Task Force Vulcan. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Washington, Eastern District of California, Southern District of New York, Northern District of Illinois, Central District of Illinois, Eastern District of Oklahoma, District of New Mexico, Southern District of Florida, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and the District of Colorado, as well as the Larimer County Attorney’s Office, Colorado Attorney General’s Office, Tennessee 9th District Attorney General’s Office, Tennessee 5th District Attorney General’s Office and the Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General provided significant assistance.
This Operation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Omaha comprises agents and officers from the FBI and HSI.
Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV) was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded to target TdA is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. Those include Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; and the District of Nevada, as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI, DEA, HSI, ATF, USMS, and the Bureau of Prisons are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.
An indictment or a complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Illegal Alien Sentenced to 11 years in Prison for Discharging a Firearm During a Business RobberyRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A federal judge has sentenced Roberto Juan Morales, 49, of Mexico, to 132 months in federal prison for discharging a firearm during a business robbery. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, in March 2025, Morales robbed the Supermercado Guatemala store located on Winchester Road in Memphis, Tennessee. He threatened the store clerk with an AR-style rifle and fired a round into the floor next to the clerk when she hesitated to open the cash drawer. The incident was recorded on store surveillance video. Investigators located the suspect vehicle on license plate readers in the area and found an address associated with the vehicle where Morales resided. Investigators also located items the suspect was wearing in the video in his vehicle. Call detail records from his cell phone placed him at the scene. The investigation revealed that Morales had entered the United States illegally and been returned to Mexico on at least four prior occasions.
In September 2025, Morales pled guilty to robbery of a business, discharging a firearm during in and relation to the robbery, and being an illegal alien in possession of ammunition. On January 22, 2026, United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker sentenced Morales to 132 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Criminal aliens not only threaten the sovereignty of our nation, but also threaten the safety of our communities. This case demonstrates our commitment to immigration enforcement and our focus on those violent and dangerous criminal aliens who continue to violate our laws after illegal entry.”
"This sentence should send a clear message that the FBI and our law enforcement partners make it a priority to bring to justice those who resort to robbery for ill-gotten gain," said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. "We are stronger when we work together to combat violent crime and will continue to combat these issues through strong partnerships."
The FBI and the Memphis Police Department’s Safe Streets Task Force investigated the case. This case is part of the Safe Streets Task Force’s efforts to prosecute violent crimes in Memphis, Tennessee and surrounding areas.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Musselwhite prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Fresno Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Methamphetamine Through the U.S. Mail and at Trolley Creek Park in FresnoRead the Press Release
Isaac James Ocejo, 22, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, between July 2023 and October 2024, Ocejo mailed several packages containing controlled substances, including methamphetamine and fentanyl, from post offices in Fresno to addresses in other states. In total, Ocejo and others shipped more than 10 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Ocejo and others also sold large amounts of methamphetamine in Fresno. In September 2024, they brought 15 pounds of methamphetamine packaged in 1-pound bags to sell in Trolley Creek Park in Fresno and sold 10 pounds of methamphetamine in broad daylight.
Ocejo and co-defendant Isaac Joseph Estrada were indicted and charged with 18 drug-trafficking related counts. Estrada pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 46 months in prison on Nov. 7, 2025.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple is prosecuting the case.
Ocejo is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on April 20, 2026. Ocejo faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison. 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.
Fresno Baker Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for SNAP FraudRead the Press Release
Jorge Luis Rivera, 56, of Fresno, was sentenced today to three years in prison and ordered to pay $3,499,999 in restitution for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud offenses, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, beginning in 2011 and continuing through August 2018, Rivera, the then-owner of El Ranchito Bakery in Fresno, exchanged Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for cash and also accepted SNAP benefits for unauthorized items at the request of customers. Rivera, in exchanging SNAP benefits for cash, did so at significant discount and thereby pocketed millions in ill-gotten profits.
Rivera’s sentence was enhanced as he directed the participation of two lower-level employees of the bakery who engaged in the fraud. The two employees pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and were sentenced last year. Rivera pleaded guilty on Sept. 29, 2025.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chan Hee Chu and Joseph Barton prosecuted the case.
Former Rapid City Gymnastics Coach Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that Hayden Sengua, age 25, of Rapid City, South Dakota, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on January 21, 2026, and pleaded guilty to receiving child sexual abuse material.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is a mandatory minimum term of five years up to 20 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, a mandatory minimum of five years up to life of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Beginning in 2018 and continuing into January 2025, Sengua knowingly downloaded image and video files containing sexually explicit visual depictions of young children. Sengua saved the files on his cell phone, in his Google account, and on an external hard drive.
When he was arrested last year, Sengua was in possession of approximately 15,000 total media files depicting child sexual abuse. Some of the imagery Sengua collected depicts the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, as well as the bondage and torture of minors. Sengua also used a virtual machine to attempt to hide his collection of child pornography. At times, he used the IP address associated with a local Rapid City gymnastics center, to search for and download child pornography.
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 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The investigation was conducted by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation - Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for May 4, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Former NATO Official and Turkish Defense Contractor Indicted for Bribery Scheme Related to Military ContractsRead the Press Release
An indictment filed in the District of Columbia was unsealed on Saturday charging a Turkish national and a German national for an alleged bribery scheme involving contracts with the U.S. military and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). NATO is a military alliance of which the United States is a member nation.
“These defendants allegedly engaged in a years-long bribery scheme that tainted construction contracts with the U.S. military and our allies,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Integrity in federal contracting is vital to ensuring a fair competitive process and protecting the public fisc. These charges demonstrate the department’s mission to eliminate corruption that skews procurement contracts away from the best bidder and toward those who can bribe insiders for preferential treatment.”
"With a global reach and formidable enforcement tools, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and its partner agencies are committed to pursuing those who exploit the American taxpayer," said Special Agent in Charge Stanley A. Newell of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DOD-OIG-DCIS) Transnational Operations Field Office. "As the criminal investigative arm of the DoD Office of Inspector General, DCIS is dedicated to protecting the integrity of the U.S. military procurement system. Our investigators and analysts work diligently to bring to justice anyone attempting to corrupt this vital process."
“This indictment is a significant step forward in our relentless pursuit of integrity within the procurement processes that support our military and NATO operations,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven Ausfeldt of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Europe Field Office. “Our collaboration with DOD-OIG-DCIS, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the FBI, and our international partners underscores our shared commitment to combat corruption in all its forms.”
“These charges demonstrate that the FBI is committed to investigating activity that manipulates U.S. contracts and ultimately imposes additional, unnecessary costs on American taxpayers," said Acting Assistant Director Mark Remily of the FBI's Criminal Division. "The FBI will work tirelessly to hold the individuals who engage in this type of corruption accountable, no matter where they are.”
According to the indictment, Bahadir Hatipoglu, 50, who resides near Klaipėda, Lithuania, is the owner of companies that received construction contracts with NATO and the U.S. military. Ralf Grywnow, 70, who resides in Zagnańsk, Poland, is a former NATO procurement official. The two men allegedly engaged in a scheme in which Hatipoglu bribed Grywnow in various ways, including by providing Grywnow with cash, a romantic encounter with a woman in Dubai and assistance in constructing and furnishing a house for Grywnow in Poland. In exchange, Grywnow allegedly helped Hatipoglu get contracts with the U.S. military by providing him with falsified reviews that favorably appraised Hatipoglu’s companies’ work with NATO. Grywnow also provided Hatipoglu with preferential treatment in overseeing contracts that Hatipoglu had or sought to obtain with NATO and gave Hatipoglu confidential information related to bids for NATO construction contracts.
Hatipoglu and Grywnow were arrested in Lithuania and Poland, respectively, pursuant to provisional arrest warrants. The U.S. Department of Justice is working with Lithuanian and Polish authorities to extradite both defendants to the United States, where they are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud. If convicted of any of the charges, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
DOD-OIG-DCIS, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI are investigating the case. Polish and Lithuanian authorities provided significant assistance pursuant to legal assistance treaties with the United States.
Trial Attorneys Dermot Lynch, Shy Jackson and Patrick Brown of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Substantial assistance was provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law
Former Brundidge Police Chief Ordered to Forfeit Three Properties Connected to Federal Rental Assistance FraudRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, Ala, – A former Brundidge Police Chief has been ordered to forfeit three residential properties connected to a scheme to fraudulently obtain federal pandemic assistance funds.
On January 21, 2026, a federal judge entered a final order of forfeiture against Samuel Cornelius Green, 51, requiring him to forfeit his interest in three rental properties located in Troy, Alabama. The forfeiture follows Green’s guilty plea to illegally receiving funds through the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP).
The federal government implemented ERAP in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to provide financial assistance to households unable to pay rent or utilities, as well as to landlords seeking reimbursement for tenants’ unpaid rent during the pandemic.
According to Green’s plea agreement and other court records, beginning in March 2021, Green submitted multiple ERAP applications containing false and misleading information regarding tenants, rental arrangements, and payment histories in order to obtain funds to which he was not entitled. In some of the fraudulent applications, Green submitted counterfeit and altered utility bills. The scheme continued through November 2021.
In October 2025, Green pleaded guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. His co-conspirator, Schemillia Levera Fenn, of Troy, Alabama, pleaded guilty to wire fraud for her role in the scheme.
At sentencing hearings held on January 14, 2026, the court ordered Green and Fenn to pay $118,175 in restitution to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The court also imposed a $1,000 fine against Green.
The Department of the Treasury's Office of Inspector General investigated this case, with assistance from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle R. Turner, Russell T. Duraski, and J. Patrick Lamb prosecuted the case.
Florida Laboratory Owner Pleads Guilty to $52M Medicare Fraud Scheme Involving Genetic TestsRead the Press Release
A Florida man pleaded guilty on Jan. 15 for his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting over $52 million in false and fraudulent claims for genetic testing that Medicare beneficiaries did not need and that were based on prescriptions purchased through illegal kickbacks and bribes.
According to court documents, Sean Alterman, 38, of Lake Worth, Florida, owned and operated two laboratories, Live Beyond Medical MGMT, LLC and Dynix Diagnostics LLC, through which he purchased doctors’ orders for expensive genetic testing from patient recruiters. The patient recruiters ran deceptive telemarketing campaigns that targeted Medicare beneficiaries and persuaded them to agree to take the tests to justify the fraudulent billing.
As part of the scheme, the patient recruiters used a tactic known as “doctor chasing” – faxing physicians false and misleading requests for prescriptions designed to trick them into signing off on tests their patients did not need. The faxes and accompanying materials falsely stated, among other things, that the prescription requests were made on behalf a mutual patient. But they were generated by call centers that deceived the Medicare beneficiaries to agree to the tests without being examined or treated by physicians for the diseases underlying the tests.
Alterman’s laboratories billed approximately $52 million to Medicare for the false and fraudulent claims, of which Medicare paid approximately $36 million. Alterman made roughly $5.5 million from the scheme, much of which he received through shell companies he owned called Shivv LLC and Shank LLC. As part of his plea agreement, Alterman agreed to forfeit his Lake Worth estate and a 2022 Rolls Royce Ghost purchased with money traceable to the scheme:
Alterman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to offer and pay kickbacks. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 16 and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Special Agent in Charge Chris Caldwell of the FBI; and Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI and HHS-OIG are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Reginald Cuyler Jr. and Aisha Schafer Hylton of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadya Cheatham for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Five Defendants Plead Guilty to Participating in Federal Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that five defendants in a drug conspiracy investigation entered guilty pleas in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
- On December 15, 2025, JORDAN RACHELLE HERBERT, a/k/a Jordon Rachelle Herbert, age 35, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Drug Conspiracy, punishable by a minimum of 10 years to life in prison, and a $10,000,000 fine.
- On January 20, 2026, WALLACE LORENZO KEMP, age 42, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Drug Conspiracy, punishable by punishable by a minimum of 10 years to life in prison, and a $10,000,000 fine.
- On January 20, 2026, ASHLEY BROOKE ENYART, age 35, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Drug Conspiracy, punishable by punishable by a minimum of 10 years to life in prison, and a $10,000,000 fine.
- On January 22, 2026, WHITNEY JANELLE JONES, age 35, of Carter County, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Drug Conspiracy, punishable by punishable by a minimum of 10 years to life in prison, and a $10,000,000 fine.
- On January 22, 2026, TAYVAUGHN LASHAWN CRUMP, a/k/a Bleu Strreet, age 26, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to a one count Felony Information of Drug Conspiracy, punishable by a minimum of 5 years and up to a maximum of 40 years in prison, and a $5,000,000 fine.
The Indictment alleged that beginning in or about August 2023, and continuing until May 14, 2025, Kemp, Herbert, Enyart, and Jones knowingly and intentionally conspired to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, and that, as further alleged in a Felony Information, Crump participated in the conspiracy to knowingly and intentionally distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl.
To achieve the object of their conspiracy, the defendants:
- acquired and arranged for the transport of fentanyl into the Eastern District of Oklahoma;
- maintained locations and premises in Carter County, Oklahoma, where they divided the fentanyl for distribution;
- used electronic communications for purchase and distribution of fentanyl;
- used automobiles to facilitate the acquisition and distribution of fentanyl;
- sent and received proceeds derived from the sale of fentanyl via peer-to-peer money transfer applications;
- collected, stored, and transported sums of Untied States currency derived from the sale of fentanyl;
- and cultivated customer bases for the common overall goal of buying, selling, and otherwise possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the pleas and ordered the completion of presentence investigation reports.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentences to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Kemp, Herbert, Jones, and Crump will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Enyart will remain on bond with pretrial conditions of release pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard J. Lorenz represented the United States.
Federal Law Enforcement Executing Search Warrants at Phoenix Locations as Part of a Long-Term InvestigationRead the Press Release
PHOENIX – As part of a months-long criminal investigation, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Arizona, in coordination with other federal partners, is in the process of serving federal search warrants at 15 locations throughout the Phoenix area, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. The search warrants were authorized based on information presented to a federal judge and are being executed as part of a criminal investigation into felony violations of federal law.
Additional information will be forthcoming over the next few days as evidence is gathered, reviewed and evaluated for charging as appropriate.
This is an ongoing investigation, and information is limited at this time. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, Homeland Security Investigations and other federal law enforcement entities in Arizona remain committed to protecting the public and the homeland, upholding the rule of law, and defending the interests of the American people.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-009_Federal Search Warrants
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Federal Jury finds Armed Career Criminal Guilty of Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – After a three-day trial, a federal jury found Derrick Wilson, 48, of Memphis, guilty of one count of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and made a special finding that Wilson had previously been convicted of three violent felonies on different occasions. As a result, Wilson faces a mandatory statutory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison for possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and being an Armed Career Criminal (ACC). United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the verdict today.
According to information presented in court, on November 3, 2023, officers with the Memphis Police Department arrested Wilson after Wilson tossed a Ruger .380 caliber pistol to the ground in plain view.
Sentencing is set for April 30, 2026, before United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "We continue to provide targeted prosecution of the worst of the worst violent offenders in order to improve public safety in Memphis. This jury verdict demonstrates that the community is fed up with repeat offenders who live a lifestyle of lawlessness and embrace a culture of criminality."
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.
Assistant United States Attorney Ashley N. F. Moore and Special Assistant United States Attorney Yosef Hochheiser of the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General (JAG) prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Fraudster Sentenced to Eighteen Years in Prison After Taking and Laundering Millions from Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Atharva Shailesh Sathawane, 23, of India, was sentenced to 18 years in prison after a jury previously found him guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Elder fraud schemes like this one are taking place every day in every state, but especially in Florida due to our large population of retirees, so it is of critical importance that we educate the public of these threats to prevent these fraudsters from continuing to victimize our seniors. I applaud the excellent investigative work by our state and federal law enforcement partners to uncover and dismantle this complex, international fraud scheme, which was made possible by the brave victims who came forward to report the fraud in the first place. Our hope is that these elder fraud schemes never occur, but the talented prosecutors in my office will aggressively pursue the heinous fraudsters, like this defendant, and seek maximum punishments when we catch them.”
Trial evidence and court documents showed that the defendant, an illegal alien who had overstayed his student visa, was a courier in an international fraud scheme that targeted elderly victims. As part of the scheme, multiple elderly victims were convinced to liquidate their retirement accounts to obtain cash, gold, or both. The defendant would travel to each victim to take possession of large quantities of their cash and gold, and he would then deliver those fraudulently obtained proceeds to his co-conspirators, some of whom were orchestrating the fraud scheme from India.
After an elderly victim suspected he was being defrauded, he notified law enforcement who coordinated an undercover operation. The defendant was arrested upon his arrival at the elderly victim’s residence to pick up more gold. A subsequent search of the defendant’s cellular phone confirmed his involvement in the extensive elder fraud scheme. Over a 4-month period, the defendant made at least 33 trips to retrieve gold and cash from the elderly victims. Forensic analysis of the defendant’s phone revealed that he primarily operated in Florida, but he also traveled to Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey, and New York to retrieve cash and gold from elderly victims of this fraud scheme and deliver those proceeds to other co-conspirators. As a result of the fraud scheme, numerous elderly American citizens lost their entire life savings or experienced substantial financial hardship.
The defendant personally took, and then laundered, $6,615,484.66 in cash and gold from the elderly victims. The defendant attempted to pick up an additional $1,363,395.98 in gold from two elderly victims, but was foiled by the intervention of a concerned friend of a victim in one instance, and by his arrest by law enforcement on the second attempt.
“I commend our detectives for their tireless work in stopping scammers,” said Chief Nelson Moya, Gainesville Police Department. “We will not tolerate criminals who prey on our vulnerable citizens.”
“If anyone tells you to buy gold and hand it over to a stranger, it is not an investment, it is a scam,” said FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley. “Mr. Sathawane preyed on his victims’ trust and fear, convincing them to turn over their life savings in gold. Unfortunately, this is a growing trend. In Florida alone, victims lost more than 33 million dollars last year just to gold bar scams. This sentencing is just one step toward justice for the victims in this scheme and the FBI’s efforts to stop this from happening over and over again.”
“This case underscores the devastating impact of international fraud schemes targeting our elderly citizens,” said Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation, Florida Field Office. “The defendant’s actions robbed victims of their life savings and financial security. This case highlights the benefits to everyday Americans when local and federal law enforcement work hand in hand to bring criminals to justice and disrupt a network that preyed on the most vulnerable.”
The case involved a joint investigation by the Gainesville Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints can be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, at www.ovc.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Eastern District of Wisconsin Recognizes National Human Trafficking Prevention MonthRead the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that the Eastern District of Wisconsin joins the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) in observing National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and reaffirming the administration’s commitment to combating all forms of human trafficking and protecting survivors.
“This Department of Justice is working tirelessly alongside our partners to dismantle human trafficking networks, help survivors, and protect vulnerable populations from being exploited,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. In the Eastern District of Wisconsin, those partners include fellow members of a law enforcement human trafficking task force headed by the FBI, as well as the multidisciplinary Wisconsin Human Trafficking Task Force, led by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation.
The investigation and prosecution of human trafficking cases is both a national and a local district priority. Since the inception of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in 2000, dozens of traffickers have been prosecuted in the Eastern District of Wisconsin for sex trafficking and forced labor. District court judges in the Eastern District of Wisconsin have often observed at sentencing hearings that trafficking cases are among the most serious of offenses charged in federal court, and the sentences imposed reflect this.
One of the district’s more recent and significant sex trafficking trials was that of Samuel Spencer, a 52-year-old Milwaukee man convicted of trafficking numerous Milwaukee area women over a 15-year period by manipulating their cocaine and heroin dependencies, controlling them financially, and physically abusing them. Spencer was convicted at trial of all counts and sentenced to 45 years in federal prison. At sentencing, Chief Judge Pamela Pepper emphasized that Spencer had used some of the worst violence and coercive tactics that she had ever seen to deprive his victims of “their human agency.”
The United States Attorney’s Office continues to prosecute human traffickers, including as recently as earlier this month when a grand jury indicted a 35-year-old Union Grove man, Hector Duarte, with sex trafficking and interstate transportation for prostitution. Duarte is alleged to have used force, threats of force, and fraud to cause an adult victim to engage in commercial sex acts between approximately May 31, 2025, and June 25, 2025, in Wisconsin and Illinois. Duarte is presumed innocent until proven guilty, but upon conviction, he would face a mandatory minimum 15 years and up to life in prison. Duarte was ordered detained pending his trial.
U.S. Attorney Schimel observed, “human trafficking is the most insidious and difficult to uncover among the crimes we see. Coordination between federal, state and local law enforcement and social service providers is critical. Traffickers rob survivors of their very dignity by exploiting vulnerabilities like addiction, poverty, and the basic need for human connection. They often commit their crimes in plain sight right before our eyes, because survivors are terrified of seeking help based upon the extreme violence and psychological manipulation to which they are subjected. Each of us has a responsibility to educate ourselves about the threat, to protect those at risk of victimization, and to report known or suspected trafficking for investigation and intervention.” The National Human Trafficking Hotline number for tips and requests for assistance is 888-373-7888.
This month, DOJ has designated heightened resources to fight and raise awareness about human trafficking. One of DOJ’s current nationwide initiatives, designed to assist in the financial recovery of sex trafficking survivors, is the Backpage Remission Program. This program allows victims who were advertised on commercial sex advertisement sites Backpage.com and CityXGuide.com, which were seized and shuttered by DOJ in 2018 and 2020 respectively, to make claims for compensation. More information can be found here. Petition forms are due by March 31.
The DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs is also soliciting grant applications to help communities combat human trafficking and to serve adults and children who have been victimized. Funding opportunities currently available are focused on housing assistance, integrated services for minor victims, prevention of the trafficking of girls, supporting survivor engagement in anti-trafficking programming, enhanced collaborative model task forces, improving outcomes for child and youth victims, and general trafficking victim services. More information can be found at here.
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For further information contact:
Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
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Eastern District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle Recognizes National Human Trafficking Prevention MonthRead the Press Release
New Orleans – Today the Eastern District of Louisiana (EDLA) observes National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and joins the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) in reaffirming the administration’s commitment to combating all forms of human trafficking and protecting victims and survivors. Human Trafficking Prevention Month presents an opportunity for DHS and DOJ, through Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTF), to intensify operational efforts, raise public awareness, and strengthen partnerships across federal, state, and local agencies to disrupt trafficking networks, protect vulnerable individuals, and ensure traffickers are brought to justice.
“This Department of Justice is working tirelessly alongside our partners to dismantle human trafficking networks, help survivors, and protect vulnerable populations from being exploited,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Under this administration we have seen an increase in human trafficking prosecutions, and during Human Trafficking Prevention Month we reaffirm our commitment to prosecuting traffickers and encourage Americans to report instances of human trafficking in their communities.”
“Through the Homeland Security Task Force, President Trump is taking the fight directly to human trafficking networks and disrupting their modern-day slave trade while seizing their assets and arresting their kingpins and foot soldiers. The American people should not have to live in fear of cartels, gang bangers, and foreign terrorists preying upon the most vulnerable among us,” the United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a statement. “The Homeland Security Task Force is the largest coordinated campaign against transnational criminal organizations in U.S. history, and I’m proud to co-lead it with Attorney General Bondi.”
“During Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the FBI reiterates our work with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and national victim-based advocacy groups in joint task forces to protect our communities across the country,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The horrifying reach of human trafficking spreads far and wide. Homeland Security Task Forces are fighting back to disrupt these perilous networks and put a stop to that reach. The FBI will continue our investigations and bring justice to those exploited by human traffickers.
“Human trafficking is a heinous crime that preys on society’s most vulnerable members,” said U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. “Although these crimes typically operate in the shadows, human trafficking can also occur in plain sight. Sadly, it often goes undetected and unreported because victims live in fear of physical abuse, threats, extortion, and other forms of intimidation. Our office, along with a committed team of federal, state, and local law enforcement, supported by engaged community partners, will continue to identify, investigate, and prosecute perpetrators of this insidious crime, and hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
In January 2025, “Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. Section 6 of this order directed the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to jointly establish HSTFs in every state nationwide. The HSTF objective is to end the presence of criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) throughout the United States; dismantle cross-border human smuggling and trafficking networks; end the scourge of human smuggling and trafficking, with a particular focus on such offenses involving children; and ensure the use of all available law enforcement tools to faithfully execute the immigration laws of the United States.
Since January 20, 2025, the Eastern District of Louisiana has had the following achievements:
- On December 10, 2025, following a three-day trial led by Human Trafficking Coordinator Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni, a federal jury convicted a 37-year-old New Orleans schoolteacher of Sex Trafficking a sixteen-year-old girl, and of Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Prostitution.
- On August 13, 2025, a federal grand jury indicted two adult males with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a fifteen-year-old girl, interstate transportation of a minor for unlawful sexual activity, and interstate transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises.
- On May 15, 2025, Human Trafficking Coordinator Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni charged two women in a Bill of Information for their roles in trafficking a fifteen-year-old girl from Texas to Kenner, Louisiana for commercial sex. AUSA Carboni secured guilty pleas from both defendants.
- On February 11, 2025, a federal judge sentenced a 25-year-old man to 22.5 years in prison for his role in sex trafficking three minors and two adults through violent beatings and death threats.
- On May 28, 2025, a federal judge sentenced a 28-year-old man to seventeen years in prison, for sex trafficking a seventeen-year-old victim to New Orleans, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; and Houston, Texas, and then boasting about it on social media.
- On March 12, 2025, a federal judge sentenced a 29-year-old man to eighteen years in prison for sex trafficking a fourteen-year-old girl from Memphis, Tennessee to New Orleans, Louisiana, advertising online her availability for sex, and lying to the victim’s mother about the girl’s whereabouts.
In January 2026, DHS and DOJ are surging resources to fight and raise awareness about human trafficking, including:
- Identifying ongoing investigations and prioritizing featured operations across 45 federal locations and 10 state locations with an emphasis on border states.
- Coordinating with FBI Human Trafficking Squads and multi-agency Human Trafficking Task Forces to conduct victim recovery.
- Partnering with AMTRAK and FAMS to increase law enforcement resources and distribute posters with QR codes for reporting human trafficking in all station bathrooms and trains.
- Running advertisements related to $250 million recovery from Backpage to distribute to victims and additional victim restitution efforts by DOL-OIG.
- Organizing Human Trafficking seminars and outreach events with DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking at high schools and colleges to highlight the role of HSTFs in addressing human trafficking.
On August 25, 2025, HSTF officially launched its effort to protect the Homeland with a September Surge encompassing 400 operations nationwide. In just 43 days, HSTF nationwide operations resulted in 3,266 arrests and seizures including:
- 1,041 Sinaloa members,
- 856 Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (“CJNG”) members,
- 641 MS-13 members,
- 456 Tren de Aragua members,
- 1,067 weapons
- More than $3,250,000 in currency
- Approximately 91 metric tons of narcotics
District of Arizona Charges 150 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Jan.17 through Jan. 23, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 150 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 87 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 45 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 15 cases against 17 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border vigilance, and federal prosecutors also charged one defendant for assaulting a Border Patrol agent.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Pablo Gomez-Luvanos. Gomez-Luvanos was charged by complaint with Re-entry of Removed Alien, Jan. 19, 2026. The defendant was previously removed from the United States on June 11, 2019, after being convicted of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, a felony, in the Superior Court of Arizona, Maricopa County. In that case, Gomez Luvanos was sentenced to three-and-a-half years of imprisonment. 26-8044MJ, Phoenix.
United States v. Efrain Gutierrez-Perez. Gutierrez-Perez was charged by complaint with Re-entry of Removed Alien, Jan. 19, 2026. The defendant was previously removed from the United States on Dec. 11, 2019, after being convicted of Aggravated Driving under the Influence of Intoxicating Liquor or Drugs, a felony, in the Superior Court of Arizona, Maricopa County. In that case, Gutierrez-Perez was sentenced to four months of incarceration and two years of probation. 26-8043MJ, Phoenix.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-007_January 26 Immigration Enforcement
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Des Moines Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Threatening a United States Probation OfficerRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines man was sentenced on January 23, 2026, to six years in federal prison for threatening to assault and murder a United States Probation Officer, while on supervised release.
According to public court records, Rodger Dawayne Gardner, Jr., 41, was convicted in 2020 for failing to register as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. In late 2022, Gardner was released from federal prison and began a seven-year term of supervised release. In December 2024, probation officers discovered Gardner was purchasing and distributing synthetic marijuana in Des Moines. The officers directed Gardner to report to the U.S. Probation Office. Gardner failed to report as directed, fled to Missouri, and made multiple threats to assault and murder the U.S. Probation Officer.
After completing his six-year prison term for the threats, Gardner will be required to serve an additional two‑year term of imprisonment for violating his supervised release conditions in his prior federal case. When his prison terms are complete, he will serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by United States Marshals Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Kerndt, along with retired Assistant United States Attorney Laura M. Roan.
Court Sentences Drug Smugglers Caught on the High Seas with over 1,800 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
On January 16, 2026, United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced three co-defendants for smuggling approximately 1,828 kilograms of cocaine in the Pacific Ocean following their prior guilty pleas on the charges. Judge Moorer sentenced Wilson Robert Mero-Castro to 108 months’ imprisonment, Ruben Wilson Mero-Vera to 108 months’ imprisonment, and Gabriel Cruz-Joya to 120 months’ imprisonment for their roles in the drug smuggling. Denny Andres Mero Anchundia was previously sentenced to 235 months’ imprisonment. Co-defendant David Alonzo Uribe-Mendoza remains to be sentenced.
Court documents show that on March 3, 2025, while on routine patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, United States Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter Kimball detected a vessel that was suspected of smuggling drugs. The vessel was without nationality in international waters, had visible packages onboard, fuel barrels on deck, and three outboard engines.
The Kimball intercepted the drug smuggling vessel, which became compliant following USCG presence. The USCG boarding team confirmed the packages on board were consistent with cocaine. The boarding team then transferred the six individuals onboard and the cocaine back to the Kimball. Once onboard, the boarding team was able to determine the weight of the cocaine was approximately 1,828 kilograms and the six crew members were brought the United States and charged under the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant United States Attorney George F. May prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was prosecuted as a 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.
Couple Charged in COVID-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A couple who purportedly owned two New Jersey businesses were indicted on charges that they fraudulently obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.
Sabrina Mitlo, 41, and Joseph Mitlo, 40, both formerly of Piscataway, New Jersey, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. They made their initial appearances on January 20, before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark, III in Newark federal court and were released on $100,000 unsecured bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From May 2020 through July 2020, Sabrina and Joseph Mitlo engaged in a scheme to illegally obtain over $715,000 in PPP loans on behalf of businesses located in New Jersey that they purportedly owned but which had no employees or payroll. To do so, the Mitlos submitted fraudulent loan applications falsely representing that their businesses had employees and payroll obligations, which included falsified tax documents purporting to show that the businesses had paid wages in prior years. Once the PPP loans were issued into the business bank accounts, in order to obtain the loan proceeds while keeping the scheme a secret, the Mitlos arranged for a payroll service to issue payroll checks to purported employees of the businesses that did not, in fact, work for the businesses. Once the Mitlos obtained those payroll checks, Sabrina Mitlo personally cashed them at a check cashing facility and kept the proceeds.
The count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greatest.
Senior Counsel Lamparello credited with the investigation special agents of the FBI’s Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; and special agents and attorneys of the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Eastern Regional Office in New York.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert L. Toll of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Health Care Fraud & Opioids Enforcement Unit in Newark.
The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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mitlo.indictment.pdfClinton Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal Prison for Identity Theft and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A Clinton man was sentenced on January 16, 2026, to three years in federal prison for falsely using a social security number, aggravated identity theft, and firearms offenses.
According to public court records, Rusty Todd Johnston, 46, was convicted of a felony drug offense in Brooks County, Texas in 2005. He was sentenced to a suspended prison sentence with community supervision. Within months, Johnston absconded from his Texas probation and Texas authorities issued an arrest warrant. By approximately 2008, Johnston stopped using his real name, date of birth, and social security number. Instead, Johnston assumed the identity of Adam Preston Duriga—a real person from the state of Nevada, who died in 2013.
In early 2020, Johnston moved to Clinton, Iowa. Johnston obtained an Iowa Commercial Driver’s License using Duriga’s identifiers. In 2021, Johnston purchased a handgun in Davenport from a federally licensed firearms dealer using Duriga’s identity and falsely certified he was not a felon. In December 2024, law enforcement officers searched Johnston’s residence and found the handgun that Johnston had illegally purchased.
Over the approximate 15 years that Johnston falsely used Duriga’s identity, he fraudulently acquired state-issued driver’s licenses in Iowa, Nevada, Utah, Louisiana, and West Virginia. Johnston applied for and received replacement Social Security cards five times in Duriga’s identity. Johnston married at least twice using his false name and identity.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Johnston will be required to serve a two‑year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau, and the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Kerndt prosecuted the case.
Cape Coral Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing and Accessing Child Sexual Abuse Images and VideosRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – Jason Allen Henning (43, Cape Coral) was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell to 10 years in federal prison for possessing and accessing with intent to view images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. He pleaded guilty on July 9, 2025. Henning was also sentenced to a life term of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, from April 2022 through January 2024, Henning knowingly possessed and accessed with intent to view child sex abuse material that he had searched for, downloaded, and saved from the internet.
In 2013, Henning was convicted in federal court of distributing material involving the sexual exploitation of minors. In 2021, Henning began serving his then life term of supervised release.
On January 19, 2024, while Henning was on supervised release and subject to a search of his residence, officer from U.S. Probation conducted a search of Henning’s residence and located unauthorized devices. A subsequent forensic preview of the devices revealed files depicting child sexual abuse material and the FBI was contacted to further investigate. Pursuant to a search warrant, the FBI seized and conducted a forensic analysis on Henning’s devices, which revealed images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Byron Center Resident Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
James Scholten has agreed to pay $868,707 in taxes due to the United States
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that James Phillip Scholten, age 51, of Byron Center pleaded guilty to federal tax evasion. Scholten is scheduled to be sentenced by the Honorable Jane M. Beckering, United States District Judge, on May 12, 2026, and faces a maximum of five years in federal prison.
U.S. Attorney VerHey stated, “Everyone must pay the full amount of income tax they owe. Those who evade the assessment or payment of taxes by willfully and intentionally not complying with their legal responsibility pose a threat to proper tax administration and impede the prosperity of our nation.”
According to court documents, Scholten was charged with one count of tax evasion, a felony offense. Scholten admitted that, between 2011 and 2024, he regularly sold scrap metal that netted him approximately $3.4 million of additional income. Scholten used a Certified Public Accountant to prepare his federal tax returns. The tax returns that Scholten filed from 2011 to 2023 were false because Scholten never told his accountant that he annually sold scrap material that generated substantial additional income. Scholten admitted that he intentionally failed to provide his CPA with recycling payment records and the amounts of his recycling income to evade assessment of tax due and owing on that income. For example, in 2021, Scholten reported that he only owed $2,465 in federal income tax. In fact, Scholten obtained an additional $610,818 in taxable income from recycling payments resulting in an additional tax due and owing of $172,618.
“Tax evasion is not a victimless crime, as it is the American public who is affected when tax dollars—money that funds essential public services like defense, roads, and education—are dodged. Scholten deliberately withheld income so he didn’t have to pay his fair share. Now he will not only pay his taxes but will face the consequences of willfully not doing so from the start,” said Karen M. Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-CI Detroit.
This matter was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation, the law enforcement arm of the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris O’Connor is prosecuting it.
Biotech CEO Sentenced in Securities Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – An Oregon man is headed to federal prison for insider trading in connection with COVID-19 and HIV drugs.
U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Nader Pourhassan, 62, of Lake Oswego, Oregon, to 30 months for misleading investors about his company’s development of a new drug and then selling his personal stock in the company at artificially inflated prices.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva, Justice Department – Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI – Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Robert Iwanicki, Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), Los Angeles Field Office.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Pourhassan served as the Chief Executive Officer of CytoDyn, a publicly traded company based in Vancouver, Washington. The company was developing an investigational drug to treat HIV and COVID-19. Between 2018 and 2021, Pourhassan intentionally misled investors about the drug’s prospects for FDA approval to artificially inflate the price of CytoDyn’s stock and attract new investors. He then sold his 4.8 million shares of CytoDyn stock after making false announcements to investors and pocketed $4.4 million.
“Pourhassan exploited a deadly public health crisis to intentionally deceive investors and the public out of millions – all so that he could enrich himself,” Hayes said. “As today’s sentence makes clear, executives who mislead investors and manipulate the truth for personal gain will be held accountable. Our office will continue to aggressively pursue those who put greed ahead of honesty and the rule of law.”
“The defendant lied to investors about a drug to treat HIV and COVID-19 so he could engage in insider trading,” Duva said. “This type of fraud exploits vulnerable Americans, undermines the integrity of our financial markets, and erodes the trust that investors place in public companies. The Criminal Division remains committed to prosecuting corporate executives who deceive investors.”
“Nader Pourhassan lied and schemed to selfishly line his own pockets. He betrayed the trust placed in him as a corporate executive by deceiving and misleading investors,” Paul said. “Not only are his actions illegal, but they also serve to undermine public confidence in our financial institutions. This sentencing shows the FBI’s commitment to rooting out fraudsters seeking to manipulate the market.”
“Today’s announcement should serve as a reminder that fraud related to medical products will not be tolerated,” Iwanicki said. “The FDA will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who place profits above public health.”
In December 2024, a federal jury convicted Pourhassan of four counts of securities fraud, two counts of wire fraud and three counts of insider trading. Judge Xinis also ordered Pourhassan to pay more than $5.3 million in restitution and to forfeit more than $4.4 million.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, FDA-OCI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their work in this investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Adeyemi Adenrele; Acting Deputy Chief Vasanth Sridharan, Acting Assistant Chief Matthew Reilly; and Senior Counsel Lauren Archer, Criminal Division – Fraud Section, who prosecuted this federal case, along with Law Clerk Kerstin Abolnik and Paralegal Specialists Selam Wehabe and John Lee, Fraud Section, who provided substantial assistance.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Biotech CEO Sentenced in Securities Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Nader Pourhassan, 62, of Lake Oswego, Oregon, was sentenced Friday to 30 months in prison for misleading investors about his company’s development of a new drug, then selling his personal stock in the company at artificially inflated prices.
“The defendant lied to investors about a drug to treat HIV and COVID-19 so he could engage in insider trading,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This type of fraud exploits vulnerable Americans, undermines the integrity of our financial markets, and erodes the trust that investors place in public companies. The Criminal Division remains committed to prosecuting corporate executives who deceive investors.”
“Pourhassan exploited a deadly public health crisis to intentionally deceive investors and the public out of millions – all so that he could enrich himself,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “As this sentence makes clear, executives who mislead investors and manipulate the truth for personal gain will be held accountable. Our office will continue to aggressively pursue those who put greed ahead of honesty and the rule of law.”
“Nader Pourhassan lied and schemed to selfishly line his own pockets. He betrayed the trust placed in him as a corporate executive by deceiving and misleading investors,” said Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “Not only are his actions illegal, but they also serve to undermine public confidence in our financial institutions. This sentencing shows the FBI’s commitment to rooting out fraudsters seeking to manipulate the market.”
“Today’s announcement should serve as a reminder that fraud related to medical products will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Iwanicki of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI) Los Angeles Field Office. “The FDA will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who place profits above public health.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Pourhassan was the Chief Executive Officer of CytoDyn, a publicly traded company based in Vancouver, Washington, that was developing an investigational drug to treat HIV and COVID-19. Between 2018 and 2021, Pourhassan intentionally misled investors about the drug’s prospects for FDA approval to artificially inflate the price of CytoDyn’s stock and attract new investors. He then sold his 4.8 million shares of CytoDyn stock after making false announcements to investors and pocketed $4.4 million.
In December 2024, Pourhassan was convicted at trial of four counts of securities fraud, two counts of wire fraud and three counts of insider trading. At sentencing, he was ordered to pay more than $5.3 million in restitution and to forfeit more than $4.4 million.
FBI, FDA-OCI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Acting Deputy Chief Vasanth Sridharan, Acting Assistant Chief Matthew Reilly and Senior Counsel Lauren Archer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adeyemi Adenrele for the District of Maryland prosecuted the case. Law Clerk Kerstin Abolnik and Paralegal Specialists Selam Wehabe and John Lee of the Fraud Section provided substantial assistance.
Bakersfield Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Kyle Matthew Lisman, 29, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possessing stolen mail, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, between January and July 2023, Lisman devised a scheme to steal victim identities to defraud them. In July 2023, he used the name, social security number, and other personal information of another person to fraudulently buy a car at a Bakersfield car dealership. Under the victim’s identity, Lisman purportedly paid $40,000 to purchase the car on the dealership’s website before traveling to the dealership and picking it up. To do this, he presented the dealership with a fake driver’s license created from the victim’s actual driver’s license information but with Lisman’s picture.
Lisman also caused other peoples’ mail to be forwarded to his home by filing and submitting fraudulent change of address forms for the mail recipients. In September 2023, Lisman possessed several credit cards, checks, and debit cards in other peoples’ names. Between May and July 2023, he opened credit and debit cards in other peoples’ names and used those cards to withdraw thousands of dollars’ worth of cash and purchases.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple is prosecuting the case.
Lisman is scheduled to be sentenced on April 20, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston. Lisman faces a statutorily required sentence of two years in prison, a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. 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.
Sunday 25 January 2026
Nassau County Detective Charged with Attempting to Sexually Exploit a ChildRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Robert Sacco, a Nassau County Detective, age 38, of Huntington, New York, was charged yesterday by complaint with attempted sexual exploitation of a child.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Division Craig Tremaroli made the announcement.
As alleged in the complaint, in October 2025, Sacco communicated with an undercover law enforcement officer over an online application and encrypted messaging for about four months. During those communications, Sacco expressed his sexual interest in children, discussed meeting the undercover officer and his purported 10-year-old daughter to sexually abuse her, and ejaculated on pictures of the undercover officer’s purported 10-year-old daughter. By January 2026, Sacco suggested video chatting with the undercover officer and the purported child so that Sacco could watch the undercover officer sexually abuse the child for Sacco’s sexual gratification. Sacco communicated with the undercover officer about the sex acts the undercover officer would engage in with the purported child.
On January 23, 2026, Sacco signed into a video call on an encrypted application with the intent to watch the undercover officer engage in sexually explicit conduct with the purported 10-year-old child, including oral sex. When the undercover officer told Sacco that the purported child would not come out of her room, Sacco asked if the undercover officer wanted to “postpone.”
“The allegations in this case describe a profound betrayal of public trust,” said Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III. “A sworn law enforcement officer is accused of using an online communications platform to pursue the sexual exploitation of a child and to facilitate horrific abuse for his own gratification. Let me be clear: anyone who preys on children—especially those entrusted to protect the public—will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. No badge, no position, and no title will shield a child predator from justice.”
Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli stated: “The details of the allegations against Mr. Sacco are absolutely vile. As a member of law enforcement, Mr. Sacco allegedly broke the very laws he swore to uphold, and now he faces serious charges and significant time in federal prison. The FBI’s Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force will continue to use every resource available to swiftly identify, investigate, and bring to justice these dangerous predators looking to harm our most vulnerable.”
Sacco appeared yesterday in Brooklyn, New York, before United States Magistrate Judge Marcia Henry and is detained pending his transfer to the Northern District of New York for an appearance at a later date.
The charge filed against Sacco carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The FBI is investigating the case with the assistance of the Colonie Police Department and the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen Vickey is prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Friday 23 January 2026
Woman Sentenced to One Year for Embezzling $100,000 from the Spokane Tribe’s Division of Child and Family ServicesRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on January 21, 2026, United States District Judge Rebecca L. Pennell sentenced Tawhnee Willow Colvin, of Davenport, Washington, to one year and a day following her conviction on twenty-six counts of bank fraud and embezzlement from a tribal organization. Colvin will also serve five years of supervised released and is required to pay $100,830 in restitution to the Spokane Tribe of Indians.
Colvin was convicted by a jury on all twenty-six counts charged following a trial in September 2025. As evidence presented at the trial established, Colvin was employed as Assistant Director of the Spokane Tribe of Indians’ Department of Health and Human Services and Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS). As part of her position as Assistant Director of DCFS, Colvin had access to the Spokane Tribe of Indians bank account which held per capita funds to be used for the care of needy children who were in temporary custody of the Tribe. Between October 2019 and November 2023, Colvin abused her position of trust to make more than seventy fraudulent money transfers, starting with small transfers until she eventually transferred thousands of dollars at a time, totaling over $50,000, from the DCFS bank account to her own personal bank account. She also took out over $50,000 cash from the same bank account. Colvin was terminated from her position at the Tribe on October 23, 2023, but even after her termination she continued to fraudulently transfer funds to her personal account.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Pennell noted that the evidence of Colvin’s guilt was overwhelming and showed that instead of using the money for the benefit of children in foster care, Colvin took it for herself.
“In an egregious breach of trust and solely for her own personal interest, Ms. Colvin exploited her position as the Assistant Director of DCFS for the Spokane Tribe of Indian to steal thousands of dollars from vulnerable children over a period of years,” stated First Assistant Pete Serrano. “Brazenly, Ms. Colvin continued her crimes even after the Tribe terminated her employment. Sadly, it remains unknown how many children Ms. Colvin harmed through her crimes. The United States Attorney’s Office is grateful for the diligent efforts of the FBI who investigated this case, the trust and collaboration of the Spokane Tribe of Indians, and the prosecutors and staff at our office who ensured Ms. Colvin was brought to justice.”
“For years, Ms. Colvin abused the faith placed in her as a public servant to steal tribal funds intended to care for children in foster care,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “For her own personal gain, she stole more than $100,000, leaving the account almost completely drained. Every one of these dozens of transfers diverted resources away from the most vulnerable members of our society and into her pockets. The FBI is committed to holding accountable fraudsters who choose greed instead of safeguarding the funds under their stewardship.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Frieda K. Zimmerman and Jeremy J. Kelley.
2:24-CR-0148-RLPWilliamsport Man Charged with Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Colin Best, age 40, of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on a three-count indictment.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Best produced child pornography on April 28, 2024, and attempted to produce child pornography on August 10, 2024. The indictment also alleges that Best possessed images of child sexual abuse between April and October of 2024.
The FBI, Williamsport Bureau of Police, and the Lycoming County District Attorney’s Office investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the most serious offense is up to thirty years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Western District of Washington observes National Human Trafficking Prevention monthRead the Press Release
Seattle – Today the Western District of Washington observes National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and joins the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) in reaffirming the administration’s commitment to combating all forms of human trafficking and protecting victims and survivors. Human Trafficking Prevention Month presents an opportunity for DHS and DOJ, through Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTF) to intensify operational efforts, raise public awareness, and strengthen partnerships across federal, state, and local agencies to disrupt trafficking networks, protect vulnerable individuals, and ensure traffickers are brought to justice.
“This Department of Justice is working tirelessly alongside our partners to dismantle human trafficking networks, help survivors, and protect vulnerable populations from being exploited,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Under this administration we have seen an increase in human trafficking prosecutions, and during Human Trafficking Prevention Month we reaffirm our commitment to prosecuting traffickers and encourage Americans to report instances of human trafficking in their communities.”
“Through the Homeland Security Task Force, President Trump is taking the fight directly to human trafficking networks and disrupting their modern-day slave trade while seizing their assets and arresting their kingpins and foot soldiers. The American people should not have to live in fear of cartels, gang bangers, and foreign terrorists preying upon the most vulnerable among us,” the United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a statement. “The Homeland Security Task Force is the largest coordinated campaign against transnational criminal organizations in U.S. history, and I’m proud to co-lead it with Attorney General Bondi.”
“During Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the FBI reiterates our work with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and national victim-based advocacy groups in joint task forces to protect our communities across the country,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The horrifying reach of human trafficking spreads far and wide. Homeland Security Task Forces are fighting back to disrupt these perilous networks and put a stop to that reach. The FBI will continue our investigations and bring justice to those exploited by human traffickers.”
“Western Washington is a leader in fighting human trafficking with dedicated, experienced prosecutors and a collaborative law enforcement team of state, local and federal partners,” said U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “We welcome the added resources of the Homeland Security Task Forces to augment our work in these areas.”
In January 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. Section 6 of this order directed the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to jointly establish HSTFs in every state nationwide. The HSTF objective is to end the presence of criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) throughout the United States; dismantle cross-border human smuggling and trafficking networks; end the scourge of human smuggling and trafficking, with a particular focus on such offenses involving children; and ensure the use of all available law enforcement tools to faithfully execute the immigration laws of the United States.
Since January 20, 2025, the Western District of Washington has:
- Indicted a violent sex trafficker and acknowledged street gang leader, who posed with guns on social media and trafficked women on north Aurora Avenue and other states.
- Prosecuted a violent sex trafficker who was sentenced to 15 years in prison
- Indicted a 37-year-old Seattle man for sex trafficking through force. fraud and coercion.
- Sentenced a Washington State man to 11 years in prison for trafficking young women including a teen-ager.
- Prosecuted a landscaping company owner who paid to smuggle a Mexican woman to Washington and assaulted her and forced her to do hard labor for no pay. He is scheduled for sentencing in March.
In January 2026, DHS and DOJ are surging resources to fight and raise awareness about human trafficking, including:
- Identifying ongoing investigations and prioritizing featured operations across 45 federal locations and 10 state locations with an emphasis on border states.
- Coordinating with FBI Human Trafficking Squads and multi-agency Human Trafficking Task Forces to conduct victim recovery.
- Partnering with AMTRAK and FAMS to increase law enforcement resources and distribute posters with QR codes for reporting human trafficking in all station bathrooms and trains.
- Running advertisements related to $250 million recovery from Backpage to distribute to victims and additional victim restitution efforts by DOL-OIG.
- Organizing Human Trafficking seminars and outreach events with DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking at high schools and colleges to highlight the role of HSTFs in addressing human trafficking.
On August 25, 2025, HSTF officially launched its effort to protect the Homeland with a September Surge encompassing 400 operations nationwide. In just 43 days, HSTF nationwide operations resulted in 3,266 arrests and seizures including:
- 1,041 Sinaloa members,
- 856 Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (“CJNG”) members,
- 641 MS-13 members,
- 456 Tren de Aragua members,
- 1,067 weapons
- More than $3,250,000 in currency
- Approximately 91 metric tons of narcotics
WMATA Train Operators Plead Guilty in Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michelle Shropshire, 55, of Waldorf, Md., and Harlisha Jones, 50, of Clinton, Md., and Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with a health care fraud scheme in which they conspired to obtain fraudulent health care and disability payments totaling nearly $60,000. Shropshire also admitted to spearheading a broader scheme involving other WMATA employees that resulted in approximately $360,000 in fraudulent health care and disability payments, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Shropshire and Jones pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and health care fraud. Sentencing for Shropshire is scheduled for June 11, 2026. Jones will be sentenced June 15, 2026. Judge Contreras will determine any sentences for Shropshire and Jones after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
In pleading guilty, Shropshire and Jones admitted that, from approximately June 2021 through January 2024, while employed as Train Operators by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), they conspired to use Jones’s insurance policies with American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus (AFLAC) to submit fraudulent health care and short-term disability insurance claims for injuries, medical treatments, and disability periods that did not exist.
Shropshire and Jones also admitted that, in executing their scheme, they used the information of real doctors to create fraudulent medical excuse notes and physician’s statements, including forged doctors’ signatures, and then submitted those documents to AFLAC in support of the insurance claims. Shortly after AFLAC paid each claim to Jones, she paid a kickback to Shropshire using a percentage of the total claim payment. As a result of those fraudulent insurance claims, AFLAC paid Jones approximately $58,750, of which Jones paid approximately 20% back to Shropshire.
Shropshire also admitted that in addition to Jones, she assisted numerous other WMATA employees with submitting fraudulent health care and short-term disability insurance claims to AFLAC. As a result of that broader scheme, AFLAC paid at least $362,035 in phony insurance benefits to Shropshire, Jones, and other WMATA employees. In addition to Shropshire and Jones, five other former WMATA employees previously admitted to their involvement in Shropshire’s scheme, including paying kickbacks to Shropshire using a portion of the claim payments they received, and have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Each is currently awaiting sentencing.
Joining in the announcement were Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the FBI Washington Field Office and Inspector General Michelle Zamarin of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Office of Inspector General.
These cases are being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and the WMATA Office of Inspector General. They are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian P. Kelly and Diane Lucas.
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Williston Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Michael Theondra Mozell, Jr., 32, of Williston, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the outstanding work of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, with support from our federal law enforcement partners, this violent felon has been taken off our streets and will now find himself in federal prison. This is yet another successful prosecution by my office in fulfillment of the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi that we will Take Back America from the perpetrators of violent crime who have victimized and terrorized our streets for far too long.”
Court documents reflect that during the course of a traffic stop in Gainesville, Florida, a .25 caliber pistol, five grams of marijuana, and drug paraphernalia were seized from the defendant’s vehicle. The defendant is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition as he has prior convictions for attempted robbery with a firearm or deadly weapon, aggravated assault with deadly weapon, and possession of cocaine.
Mozell faces a total of up to 15 years’ imprisonment.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 7, 2026, at 11:00 am, at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville, Florida before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
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, human and drug trafficking.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Virginia Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Traveling to Engage in Sex with a MinorRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Carlin M. Krause, 28, of Roanoke, Virginia, has been sentenced to more than 16 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor and transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that in October 2024, Krause began communicating with a 13-year-old girl over social media. Krause requested that the minor send him child sexual abuse material. He also informed her that he planned to travel from Virginia to South Carolina and bring her back to Virginia to have sex with her.
On Oct. 17, 2024, Krause drove from Roanoke, Virginia, to South Carolina to pick up the minor. After Krause picked her up, he began driving her back to Virginia, but law enforcement apprehended him before he made it home.
United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks sentenced Krause to 195 months imprisonment, to be followed by a lifetime term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cole Shannon prosecuted the case.
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