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4 March 2026
Maryland Man Sentenced for Passport Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A Gwynn Oak, Maryland, man received a federal-prison term today after pleading guilty to committing identity theft crimes.
U.S. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson sentenced Beautiful Life Allah aka “Tezelle Miller,” aka “Tezell Miller,” 66, of Gwynn Oak, Maryland, to three years in prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for passport fraud, aggravated identity theft, false statements, and false representation of a social security number.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea and sentence with David M. Richeson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) –Washington Field Office, and Michael McGill, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG) – Philadelphia Field Division.
According to court documents, Allah used someone else’s social security number to submit a passport application; submitted a fraudulent custody order to apply for a passport for his minor child; and made false statements on passport applications from August 2022 through February 2023.
In August 2020, Allah received a legal passport after he submitted an application. After he received his passport, law enforcement charged Allah with an unrelated criminal offense and issued a warrant for his arrest in Hampton County, Virginia. Law enforcement also listed the warrant in the National Crime Information Center. As a result, if Allah attempted to travel using the passport, he likely would have been arrested due to the outstanding warrant notification.
Then in 2022, Allah started using the identity of Victim 1, an adult male incarcerated in New York. In August 2022, Allah used fraudulent loan documents, a fraudulent birth certificate, bank records, and a W-2 statement — that contained Victim 1’s social security number — to apply for a driver’s license at the Maryland Department of Motor Vehicles.
In February 2023, Allah continued using Victim 1’s identification, as he submitted a fraudulent U.S. Passport application in the victim’s name, along with a picture of himself. After Allah submitted the fraudulent application, DSS flagged the application due to fraud indicators. As a result, DSS, with assistance from the SSA-OIG, began investigating Allah.
Through its investigation, law enforcement discovered that Allah submitted a second fraudulent passport application in the name of his minor son. In the application, Allah included a fraudulent New York custody order, falsely claiming he had full physical and legal custody of the minor child. But the child’s biological mother had sole custody.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended DSS and SSA-OIG for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kertisha Dixon who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Maryland Man Sentenced for Laundering Fraud MoneyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A Maryland man has been sentenced to a year and a day in prison and ordered to repay $5.45 million to victims of a series of frauds, U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus announced Wednesday.
James Marcus Dyett, 60, pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy in November. He admitted conspiring with at least seven other people to conceal the source of funds obtained via fraud and transfer that money into cryptocurrency accounts or other accounts. The conspirators received at least 34 wire transfers totaling $8.3 million from at least 36 victims of business email compromise (BEC) wire fraud schemes or romance fraud.
Dyett began communicating with “Victoria” via WhatsApp in October of 2022. Victoria hired Dyett for a job at Coins2Trade, which she described as a cryptocurrency transaction processor, in exchange for a 3.5% commission on transactions he processed. Victoria provided paperwork to the defendant to form JMD Consultant Services LLC in Maryland and then introduced him to Richard Charles Appelbaum and “E.S.” They trained him via WhatsApp messages and phone calls, telling him to create business entities and open numerous business and personal bank accounts and accounts at various cryptocurrency exchanges under his own name. They told Dyett to provide the account information to Victoria and E.S. and move funds from the bank accounts into cryptocurrency accounts as soon as possible. Dyett and his conspirators falsely claimed on the corporate organization documents that the businesses would be involved in auto purchasing consulting, boating supplies, real estate management and life skills consulting when their real purpose was attempting to appear legitimate and receive large wire transfers. Between February 2022 and April 2023, the conspirators opened at least 24 business bank accounts at various institutions.
Dyett’s co-defendant, Lisa Mae Burnett, was listed on the corporate documents of JMD and met him at a bank in April of 2023, where they tried to arrange for a fraudulent $2 million wire transfer.
Burnett, 64, is serving a five-year prison sentence. She was also ordered to repay $5.45 million.
Appelbaum, 41, is serving a three-year sentence. He was ordered to repay $2.3 million.
The FBI and the Baltimore County (Maryland) Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman prosecuted the case.
Report fraud to ic3.gov, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Maryland Man Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A Maryland man has been indicted on child-exploitation charges, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby.
A three-count indictment charges Donald Bernard Mewhort, Sr., 42, of Lexington Park, Maryland, with sexual exploitation of children, coercion and enticement of a minor, and transfer of obscene matter to a minor. The indictment alleges that these events occurred between January 6, 2026, and January 12, 2026, in Limestone County, Alabama.
The FBI Birmingham Field Office and FBI Baltimore, Maryland Field Office investigated the case along with the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office and the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney R. Leann White is prosecuting the case.
If you suspect or become aware of the possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
An indictment is merely an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Maryland Man Charged with Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A complaint was unsealed today in U.S. District Court charging Frank Olivarria, 35, of Maryland, with distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
According to court documents, starting on Aug. 1, 2025, Olivarria began communicating with a user on a dating application and subsequently an encrypted messaging application regarding his sexual interest in children. Olivarria stated during the exchange, “I really like cute toddlers man.” Olivarria then distributed approximately eight videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including one video depicting a child being bound. Olivarria was previously employed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office.
This case is being investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Charges in a complaint are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Marion County Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Clayton Lee Harris (22, Ocklawaha) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber to 10 years in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. He pleaded guilty on November 13, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court records, on July 26, 2025, an undercover officer portrayed a 14-year-old female on an online dating website. Harris contacted the undercover officer and, after learning the minor’s age, asked to meet for a sexual encounter. When Harris arrived at the meeting location, he was apprehended by law enforcement.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to 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.
Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing a Rockford Post OfficeRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A man has admitted in federal court that he robbed a U.S. Post Office in Rockford last year.
On May 27, 2025, ANTHONY JOHNSON walked approximately one block from his residence in Rockford to the Post Office, where he told the clerk to give him all the money in the cash register. After stealing approximately $219, Johnson ran back to his residence, crossing private backyards on his way.
Johnson, 59, pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of robbing money from the United States. The conviction is punishable by up to ten years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston set sentencing for July 8, 2026, at 1:30 p.m.
The guilty plea was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Mary T. Johnson, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The Rockford Police Department assisted in the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Kim.
Man Charged with Resisting and Impeding a Federal Officer and Damaging Government PropertyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man has been charged for forcibly resisting, opposing, and impeding federal officers and willful depredation of government property, announced United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda.
Alfredo Nufio Marroquin, 39, made an initial appearance in federal court on February 10, 2026.
According to charging documents, on January 22, 2026, agents and task force officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement attempted to conduct a vehicle stop of Marroquin, who is allegedly unlawfully present in the United States. As agents approached, the defendant allegedly failed to comply and fled in his vehicle. Officers followed and attempted a second stop, at which time Marroquin allegedly placed the vehicle in reverse, striking a law enforcement vehicle and causing damage. It is alleged that Marroquin then turned the vehicle sharply toward officers and fled.
Federal criminal charges are merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julianne Klein.
The matter was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations.
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.
Luzerne County Woman Sentenced to 15 Months in Federal Prison for Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Gail Nossavage, age 62, of Harding, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on December 3, 2025, to 15 months in federal prison by United States District Judge Karoline Mehalchick, for one count of wire fraud.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, from approximately April of 2020 through December of 2021, Nossavage was employed as an administrative assistant with a church located in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Part of her duties were to manage financial matters for the church, including, but not limited to, management of church monetary collections and deposits of such collections. An investigation by the FBI revealed that Nossavage had made at least 115 deposits into her own bank account that were unrelated to any legitimate funds or checks and were fraudulently obtained. Additionally, FBI learned that Nossavage had charged credit cards in the name of the church without the church representatives’ knowledge or permission and had unlawfully compensated herself with the church’s money for things that she titled, “bonuses,” “miscellaneous,” “vacation,” “travel.” FBI learned that much of the fraudulently obtained monies were paid by Nossavage into online gambling platforms.
Judge Mehalchick also ordered Nossavage to pay $184,724.68 dollars in restitution and to serve a 3-year term of supervised release following her incarceration.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Luisa Honora Berti prosecuted the case.
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Lucas County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – A 55-year-old Lucas County man has been sentenced to prison for sharing sexually explicit photos of children in online child sexual abuse chat groups.
Steven Nowak, of Toledo, Ohio, has been sentenced to 180 months (15 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge James R. Knepp, after pleading guilty in September 2025 to Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM). He was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $18,000 in restitution. Judge Knepp imposed the sentence March 3.
According to court documents, federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New England were investigating online groups that trafficked CSAM. From about January through April of 2025, Nowak was identified as a member of several groups and found to be actively sharing content showing the sexual abuse of children. Some of the victims in the videos included infants and toddlers. During a search warrant executed at Nowak’s residence, agents seized his electronic devices. The investigation of his cellphone revealed that he was in possession of numerous images and videos of CSAM. Nowak later admitted that he shared photos of a minor family member online to elicit sexual feedback and engagement from others involved in the group.
This investigation was led by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant United States Attorney Sara Al-Sorghali for the Northern District of Ohio led the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC.
To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Lubbock Chapter President of the Banditos Motorcycle Club Charged with Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
A Lubbock man and chapter president of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club was federally charged for his role in possessing large quantities of methamphetamine for distribution, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Steven Glenn Ryals, 74, of Lubbock, Texas, also known as “Hot Tub,” was charged by federal complaint on March 2, 2026, with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Ryals appeared before a United States Magistrate Judge in Lubbock that same day for his initial appearance on the charges. He remains in federal custody pending further court proceedings. If convicted, Ryals faces a statutory maximum sentence of twenty years in federal prison.According to the complaint, in early 2025, law enforcement agents initiated an investigation into Ryals, who was the Banditos Notorious Chapter President, and other Banditos members suspected of methamphetamine trafficking the Lubbock area. On February 27, 2026, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant for the Banditos Notorious clubhouse, which was also Ryals’s residence. Inside an office, agents located approximately 3.2 pounds of suspected methamphetamine inside a locked drawer of a wooden filing cabinet. Next to the cabinet was another cabinet containing Ryals’ BMC paraphernalia, as depicted below:
In other areas of the office, agents found multiple items commonly used in the distribution of controlled substances, including numerous small plastic baggies, digital scales, and a concealed compartment located inside a bookshelf.
This investigation was a joint operation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Lubbock Texas Anti-Gang Center, and Caprock Hi-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). The Texas Anti-Gang Center is composed of agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lubbock Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Rancourt is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Lebanon County Man Sentenced to 138 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Angel Lopez-Guzman, age 38, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 138 months of imprisonment by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Lopez-Guzman traveled from Lebanon to Scranton, where he purchased a kilogram of cocaine for distribution in the Lebanon area. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop as he returned to Lebanon. After obtaining a search warrant, law enforcement recovered the kilogram of cocaine and a handgun from the trunk of Lopez-Guzman’s car.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lebanon County Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Scalera prosecuted the case.
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Las Vegas Man Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking Large Quantity of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man was sentenced today by United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon to three years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for selling a large quantity of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, on July 17, 2024, Josiah Judah was introduced by co-defendant Urkeno Walter as the co-defendant’s “right hand man”. During the conversation, Judah said Walter used him in drug sale negotiations with Mexican drug traffickers and Judah often received complimentary rooms at a hotel which he used to sell drugs. On August 28, 2024, in a parking lot, Judah sold two pounds of methamphetamine for $2,800.
Judah pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine.
“Today’s sentencing sends a stern message to drug traffickers who peddle drugs and endanger the safety and wellbeing of our communities,” said Anthony Chrysanthis, Special Agent in Charge of the Los Angeles Division, which oversees Nevada. “One by one, you will be held accountable. The strong partnership between local, state, and federal agencies demonstrates DEA’s relentless commitment to bringing drug criminals to justice and halting the flow of methamphetamine and other dangerous drugs.”
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Chrysanthis made the announcement.
The DEA investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Brister prosecuted the case.
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Lake County Felon Sentenced to Nearly Four Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Kevin Eugene Leeks, Jr. (34, Leesburg) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber to 3 years and 10 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He pleaded guilty on October 31, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court records, Leeks has been a convicted felon since 2013. His prior felony convictions include robbery with a deadly weapon. On July 13, 2019, a deputy from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by Leeks. During the stop, Leeks instructed a passenger to throw Leeks’s loaded pistol out of the car window. The deputy recovered the firearm and arrested Leeks. As a convicted felon, Leeks is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
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.
Lake County Convicted Felon Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Gregory Coleman III (29, Leesburg) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He pleaded guilty on July 21, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court records, Coleman has been convicted of four state felonies—aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting a law enforcement officer with violence, fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, and possession of cocaine. Following these convictions, on November 4, 2023, Coleman sold a firearm to a confidential source who was working in cooperation with federal agents. Coleman told the source he had more firearms but wanted to keep them for himself. As a convicted felon, Coleman is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Eustis Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
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.
Justice Department Secures Settlement in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Green Bay LandlordRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that David Jones and D Jones Properties LLC have agreed to pay $50,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging that Jones sexually harassed a female tenant in violation of the Fair Housing Act (FHA).
The Justice Department’s lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin on July 24, 2025. The complaint alleges that Jones — who manages multiple rental properties in Green Bay, Wisconsin — engaged in severe, pervasive, and unwelcome sexual harassment of a female tenant by, among other things, making unwelcome sexual comments, grabbing the tenant without her consent, entering the tenant’s home without her permission, and moving to evict her when she asserted her rights under the FHA.
“Women should never feel unsafe in their own homes,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will vigorously protect the rights of vulnerable tenants subjected to sexual harassment and hold housing providers accountable when they violate the law.”
“This settlement sends a clear message that sex discrimination in housing will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Brad D. Schimel for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. “No one should have to endure sexual harassment to keep a roof over their head.”
“As the Trump Administration’s top fair housing official, I am committed to ending the scourge of sexual harassment in housing and obtaining compensatory justice for the victims who have had to endure it,” said Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Craig W. Trainor of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “This settlement makes clear that Secretary Turner’s HUD will aggressively pursue Fair Housing Act violators while ensuring women feel safe and secure in their homes.”
Under the settlement agreement, Defendants must pay $50,000 to the tenant. The agreement also requires Jones to attend fair housing training and provides for a two-year monitoring period by the Justice Department.
The case was referred to the Division after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) received a complaint, completed an investigation, and issued a charge of discrimination.
If you are a victim of sexual harassment by a landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online to the Department of Justice or to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. This settlement is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative. The initiative, which the Department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 52 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered more than $19 million for victims of such harassment.
Justice Department Secures Settlement in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Green Bay LandlordRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that David Jones and D Jones Properties LLC have agreed to pay $50,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging that Jones sexually harassed a female tenant in violation of the Fair Housing Act (FHA).
The Justice Department’s lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin on July 24, 2025. The complaint alleges that Jones—who manages multiple rental properties in Green Bay, Wisconsin—engaged in severe, pervasive, and unwelcome sexual harassment of a female tenant by, among other things, making unwelcome sexual comments, grabbing the tenant without her consent, entering the tenant’s home without her permission, and moving to evict her when she asserted her rights under the FHA.
“Women should never feel unsafe in their own homes,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will vigorously protect the rights of vulnerable tenants subjected to sexual harassment and hold housing providers accountable when they violate the law.”
“This settlement sends a clear message that sex discrimination in housing will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Brad D. Schimel for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. “No one should have to endure sexual harassment to keep a roof over their head.”
Under the settlement agreement, Jones and D Jones Properties must pay $50,000 to the tenant. The agreement also requires Jones to attend fair housing training and provides for a two-year monitoring period by the Justice Department.
The case was referred to the Division after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) received a complaint, completed an investigation, and issued a charge of discrimination.
“As the Trump Administration’s top fair housing official, I am committed to ending the scourge of sexual harassment in housing and obtaining compensatory justice for the victims who have had to endure it,” said Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Craig W. Trainor of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “This settlement makes clear that Secretary Turner’s HUD will aggressively pursue Fair Housing Act violators while ensuring women feel safe and secure in their homes.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nia Schmaltz for the Eastern District of Wisconsin handled the matter.
If you are a victim of sexual harassment by a landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online to the Department of Justice or to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. This settlement is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative. The initiative, which the Department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 52 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered more than $19 million for victims of such harassment.
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For further information contact:
Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
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Justice Department Reaches $668M Settlement Agreement for Continued Cleanup of Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund Site in Seattle AreaRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and State of Washington reached agreement on a proposed settlement with more than 100 responsible parties to address hazardous substances released into the Lower Duwamish Waterway in Seattle. Cleanup work is estimated to cost $668 million and take at least 10 years to complete.
Under the settlement, the Lower Duwamish Waterway Group — which consists of the Boeing Company, the City of Seattle and King County — agreed to design and perform the cleanup plan EPA selected for the in-water portion of the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site.
The cleanup plan requires Boeing, Seattle, and King County to conduct dredging and capping and take other measures to clean up the most contaminated parts of the Waterway. To help fund the required work, the Lower Duwamish Waterway Group will receive about $130 million from other responsible parties and about $140 million from federal agencies.
“The Duwamish is a vital asset to Seattle and the surrounding community. By lodging this settlement with the court today and seeking public comment, we take a big step toward restoring the Lower Duwamish,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Justin Heminger of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We are proud to play an integral role in negotiating with more than one hundred other parties to achieve this milestone agreement.”
“This settlement finally ensures full-scale cleanup of the Lower Duwamish Waterway,” said Assistant Administrator Jeffrey A. Hall of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “The cost-sharing agreement resulting from negotiations among many parties shows that this Administration will make good on its promise to expedite cleanup of hazardous pollutants while ensuring responsible parties are held accountable and the public is not left with the bill for the cleanup.”
“This settlement demonstrates EPA’s commitment to protecting public health, cleaning up contaminated sites, and advancing cooperative federalism with our state partners,” said EPA Region 10 Administrator Emma Pokon. “Cleaning up this waterway will enhance residents’ use, support safer fishing, protect wildlife, and foster a vibrant industrial core in the heart of Seattle.”
The Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site is a five-mile segment of Seattle’s only river, the Duwamish. The Waterway has served as Seattle’s major industrial corridor since the early 1900s, hosting industries such as airplane manufacturing, timber operations, cement and brick manufacturing, steel mills and foundries, marine construction and repair, drum recycling and chemical production. Discharges from these industries, and combined sewage and stormwater systems and stormwater systems, contributed to sediment contamination within the waterway.
EPA identified 41 hazardous substances in sediments that pose significant risks to human health and the environment in the Waterway; these include polychlorinated biphenyls, arsenic, carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins, and furans.
This settlement demonstrates EPA’s commitment to protect public health, clean up contaminated lands, and advance cooperative federalism with our state partners. Cleaning up this vital waterway will enhance existing residential and recreational uses, support safer fishing and fish habitats, protect wildlife and foster a healthy, vibrant industrial core in the heart of Seattle.
The settlement is authorized under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (commonly known as Superfund) and Washington State’s Model Toxics Control Act for releases of hazardous substances.
More information is available on EPA’s Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site webpage. For more on this settlement, visit EPA’s settlement summary webpage.
Attorneys with Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section filed the settlement in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. It is subject to a 30-day public comment period and court approval. The proposed consent decree and information on submitting comments is available at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
Iowa Man Charged with Sex Abuse Occurring on the Meskwaki SettlementRead the Press Release
Johnathan Paul Creason, age 20, from Norwalk, Iowa, has been charged with one count of sex abuse occurring on the Meskwaki Settlement. The charges are contained in a Complaint unsealed today in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.
The Complaint alleges that, on or about February 10, 2026, Creason went to the victim’s home on the Meskwaki Settlement. While at the home, Creason had nonconsensual forced sexual intercourse with the victim. Creason is also under investigation by the Ankeny Police Department and Ames Police Department for additional sexual assaults of additional, unrelated, victims. Anyone with information regarding Creason is asked to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation Omaha Division’s Operation Center at 402-493-8688 and press 0 to be connected. Creason is pictured below:
If convicted, Creason faces a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
Creason appeared today in federal court in Cedar Rapids and was held without bond.
As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa C. Williams and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Meskwaki Nation Police Department, the Ankeny Police Department, and the Ames Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 26-cr-22.
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International Narcotics and Weapons Trafficker Sentenced to 186 Months in Prison for Conspiring to Import Hundreds of Kilograms of Cocaine into the United StatesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that MITTEL PATEL, a United Kingdom national, was sentenced to 186 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Jennifer H. Rearden, before whom he previously pled guilty, for his participation in a conspiracy to import approximately 400 kilograms of cocaine into the United States.
“The illicit trafficking of narcotics and weapons poses an extreme threat to all New Yorkers and all Americans—and that threat is real,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Mittel Patel conspired to sell an arsenal of military-grade weaponry to persons he believed to be working for a violent drug cartel so the purported cartel could protect a shipment of hundreds of kilograms of deadly narcotics into the United States. The contemplated weapons and drugs could kill thousands of innocent Americans. Thanks to the extraordinary investigative work of the DEA and our other law enforcement partners, Patel was apprehended before he could make good on his efforts to endanger American lives, and he is now incarcerated. Large-scale drug trafficking and the provision of weapons pose a broad and deadly threat to our safety, security, and freedom. Every American should know: the success of drug and weapons suppliers, and the cartels and other transnational criminal organizations they serve, comes at the cost of innocent American lives.”
As reflected in the Complaint, the Indictment, and other filings and information in the public record:
PATEL was a narcotics and weapons trafficker based in London, United Kingdom. In 2021, an undercover DEA agent (“UC-1”) began communicating with PATEL about possible narcotics and weapons transactions, including PATEL and PATEL’s U.S.-based co-conspirators illegally providing UC-1 with an assortment of military-grade weapons, including machine guns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, and rocket-propelled grenades (“RPGs”). As the discussions evolved, UC-1 conveyed to PATEL that UC-1 had arranged to purchase approximately 400 kilograms of cocaine from the Sinaloa Cartel, on the condition that UC-1 provide weapons to the Sinaloa Cartel to protect the drug shipment as it crossed the border from Mexico to the United States and in exchange for PATEL providing additional security for future drug shipments.
In August 2022, PATEL and his co-conspirators agreed to provide two sample firearms to UC-1, in exchange for $10,000. PATEL and his co-conspirators then executed those sample weapons transactions and sent to an address located in the United States, in five separate packages, the parts for an AR-15 assault rifle and a sniper rifle with a scope, both pictured below:
PATEL understood from UC-1 that these weapons would be provided as a sample to the Sinaloa Cartel, as a prelude to the 400-kilogram drug transaction and a larger weapons order. PATEL confirmed that, for the larger order, he and his co-conspirators could provide, in addition to the sample weapons, machine guns and RPGs.
On February 14, 2023, PATEL met with UC-1 in Athens, Greece to continue their discussions. PATEL was arrested by Greek authorities following the meeting, and he was extradited to the United States on February 15, 2024.
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In addition to the prison term, PATEL, 47, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding efforts of the DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit. Mr. Clayton also thanked the DEA New York Field Office, DEA Athens, the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, and our law enforcement partners in Greece for their assistance.
The case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan L. Bodansky and Jacob H. Gutwillig are in charge of the prosecution.
Indiana County Resident Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Unlawful Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Penn Run, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 57 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on his convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on Eldon Sajko, 55.
According to information presented to the Court, on or about March 21, 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Sajko possessed with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine along with quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin. On the same date, Sajko—who had been previously convicted of a felony—unlawfully possessed a firearm and ammunition. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. Further, on July 27, 2022, Sajko possessed with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine.Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency Safe Streets Task Force, Pennsylvania State Police, and Indiana Borough Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Sajko.
Independence Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm
Dustin Edward Talbott, also known as “Chunky Dunker,” 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Gregory Kays to 71 months in prison without parole for being a felon and illicit drug user in possession of a firearm.
On Aug. 18, 2025, Talbott pleaded guilty to knowingly being a felon and illegal drug user in possession of a Ranger, Model 101.11A, .22 caliber long rifle in Independence, Mo.
Early in the afternoon on April 8, 2024, an Independence, Mo., Police Department officer observed a Chevy Cobalt with a stolen license plate. The officer saw the driver, who was later identified as Dustin Talbott, park at a local convenience store. After backup officers arrived at the scene, they detained Talbott and two other passengers. During the course of the investigation, officers learned Talbott had a warrant for his arrest. They also learned that Talbott did not have a valid driver’s license and the car was unregistered. While conducting an inventory search of the vehicle before it was towed, officers found the Ranger, .22 caliber rifle that was on the floorboard between the driver’s seat and driver’s door. Law enforcement officials also found a methamphetamine pipe on the driver’s side floorboard and two syringes in a passenger-door compartment. A box of .22 caliber ammunition was found in the glove box. At the scene, Talbott admitted to previously putting the firearm in the trunk of the vehicle. Later, Talbott stated during an interview that he was with another person who Talbott clamed was shooting the .22 caliber rifle into a homeless camp earlier that morning. Talbott also told the detective that he had previously moved the .22 caliber rifle off his bed in his cabin. Talbott also admitted to using “ice,” which is street term for methamphetamine. Additionally, Talbott had previously been convicted of a felon offense.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trey Alford and James Kirkpatrick. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo. Police Department.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Illegal alien from Mexico sentenced to more than 16 years in prison for drug trafficking, sexually exploiting teenagerRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – An illegal alien from Mexico was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to 200 months in prison for drug trafficking and child exploitation crimes.
Anicleto Olvera-Sanchez, 35, of Columbus, was the target of a drug trafficking investigation. When law enforcement officers searched his residence, they recovered fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and multiple firearms.
“Olvera-Sanchez committed a smorgasbord of crimes while illegally present in this country, and today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of those crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “This is the seventh criminal illegal alien to be sentenced, convicted, or charged in this district during the past two months thanks to the fine work of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners.”
A search of Olvera-Sanchez’s cell phone revealed evidence that he paid a teenage girl to create and send him sexually explicit videos and images. The defendant continuously requested photos of the minor, often telling her how to pose or what to do in the images. He also asked her to meet with him for sexual acts in exchange for money, but the victim did not comply.
According to court documents, the MEGA app on Olvera-Sanchez’s cell phone contained more than 700 images and six videos of child sexual abuse material. A search of the defendant’s Apple account revealed another approximately 990 images and 270 videos of child pornography.
Olvera-Sanchez pleaded guilty in October 2025 to sexual exploitation of a minor, possession of child pornography, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer M. Rausch and Emily Czerniejewski are representing the United States in this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America and Project Safe Childhood. Operation Take Back America is 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.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
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Homedale Man Sentenced to over 11 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BOISE – Richard Marlin Kellogg, 50, of Homedale, Idaho, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today.
According to court records, the investigation began when the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (“ICAC”) received a CyberTip report from a cloud storage platform. A CyberTip is a report submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”). NCMEC gathers leads and tips regarding suspected online crimes against children and forwards them to the appropriate law enforcement agencies. Law enforcement determined that a cloud account, later identified as belonging to Kellogg, had been used to upload and store child sexual abuse material.
Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the contents of Kellogg’s cloud account and located numerous files of child sexual abuse material. ICAC subsequently executed a search warrant at Kellogg’s Homedale residence. During the execution of the search warrant, Kellogg refused to exit the residence and was later found hiding in a hidden room inside the residence. Investigators seized his cellphone and located hundreds of files of child sexual abuse material on the cellphone.
Chief U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Kellogg to serve a lifetime period of supervised release following his prison sentence and to pay $6,000 in restitution to the victims in the images that he possessed. Kellogg will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of his conviction.
U.S. Attorney Davis commended the work of the Idaho ICAC Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations in Boise and Spokane, which led to the charge. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kassandra McGrady prosecuted the case.
These cases were 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. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal 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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Henryetta Resident Pleads Guilty to Making Threatening Interstate CommunicationsRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jason Mance Van Orsdol, a/k/a Jason Mance VanOrsdol, age 47, of Henryetta, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Interstate Transmission of Threatening Communications, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Indictment alleged that on September 24, 2025, Van Orsdol knowingly and willfully transmitted a communication containing a threat to injure the person of another by means of interstate commerce.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Van Orsdol will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
Harrison County Man Indicted on Charges of Threatening the President and ICERead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Clarksburg, West Virginia man has been federally charged with making threats against President Donald J. Trump and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
“Threats of violence and death against President Trump and our brave law enforcement partners will not be tolerated in the Northern District of West Virginia,” said U.S. Attorney Harvey. “We take threats seriously, regardless of how they are made, and will prosecute those who make them to the fullest extent of the law.”
Cody Lee Smith, 20, was indicted on two counts of threats to murder the President, one count of influencing and retaliating against federal officials by threat of murder, and one count of influencing a federal official by threat of murder. According to the indictment, Smith made a series of public posts on Instagram that encouraged and threatened the murder of President Trump, citizens who support the President (including members of the military), Israelis, and “all government officials.” The indictment also alleges that Smith sent a direct message via Instagram to Donald J. Trump, Jr., stating he would kill his father, President Trump, by cutting his “jugular.” In a phone call with the ICE tip line, Smith also threatened to kill ICE agents in Clarksburg, West Virginia and employee staffing the tip line.
"The safety and security of law enforcement personnel is our highest priority at Homeland Security Investigations," said HSI Washington, D.C. Special Agent in Charge Eric Weindorf. "HSI is committed to actively pursuing anyone who threatens the brave agents and officers who protect our communities. We will work tirelessly to investigate these threats and ensure those responsible are brought to justice.”
“The safety and security of those we protect is our highest priority and all threats against the President of the United States will be investigated and prosecuted,” said Tad Lipscomb, the Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Charleston, West Virginia Resident Office. “We are grateful for our law enforcement partners at HSI, the FBI, the West Virginia State Police, and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the federal prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia for their assistance during this case.”
Smith faces up to 5 years for each of the presidential threat charges and faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each of the remaining counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Cogar is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
Investigative agencies include Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the West Virginia State Police and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office.
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.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
View the indictment here.
Hacienda Heights Man Arrested and Charged with Running Dog Fighting Venture and with Illegal Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Hacienda Heights man was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with hosting dog fights and illegally breeding, training, and exhibiting dogs for use in such fights.
Raymond Nunez, 53, is charged with buying, delivering, and possessing animals for an animal fighting venture, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Nunez was arrested this morning and is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to the complaint, from at least December 2025 to February 2026, Nunez illegally exhibited, bred, and trained dogs for dog fighting at his home in Hacienda Heights. He also possessed firearms, which he is not legally permitted to do because of his felony conviction in Los Angeles Superior Court in 1991 for unlawful taking of a vehicle.
On Tuesday, federal agents executed a search warrant at Nunez’s home and seized, among other things: an AK-47 style assault rifle and a shotgun; 10 firearms in a safe in the master bedroom; an emaciated pit bull that was bleeding and chained to a cable in the yard; a second pit bull with scars in a bloody caged area; multiple dog treadmills; a rope with a scale for weighing dogs; and a skin stapler and syringes.
A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
If convicted, Nunez would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
This case is part of the federal, state, and local Dog Fighting and Animal Abuse Task Force spearheaded by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California and Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office launched in 2025.
The FBI and the United States Marshals Service are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Dennis Mitchell of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section is prosecuting this case.
Georgia Man Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Prison for Bail Bondsman SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida– Kimani Brennen Fletcher (26, Covington, GA) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge John L. Badalamenti to 27 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The court also ordered Fletcher to pay $40,800 in restitution and in forfeiture. Fletcher pleaded guilty in December 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, between April 15 and April 22, 2024, co-conspirators of Fletcher placed telephone calls to victims in which they falsely and fraudulently identified themselves as members of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. The victims were told they had outstanding warrants and needed to pay money to avoid arrest. Fletcher posed as a bail bondsman and picked up money from victims in the Middle District of Florida. Once Fletcher received the fraud proceeds, he provided the funds to his co-conspirators. In total, Fletcher obtained approximately $40,800 in fraud proceeds.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.
Gang member sentenced to 35 years for role in sex trafficking operationRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 34-year-old member of the 52 Hoover Gangster Crips has been ordered to federal prison for sex trafficking young teenage girls, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Clarence Christopher Chambers aka Crazzi Chris pleaded guilty Nov. 24, 2025.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. has now sentenced Chambers to serve 420 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard information and evidence detailing Chambers’s exploitation and victimization of numerous teenage girls. The court emphasized the lasting trauma the victims suffered including physical abuse, threats, and profound psychological harm. In handing down the prison terms, the court noted Chambers lacked genuine remorse and characterized him as a predator who should not be free to prey on others.
Chambers will serve 10 years on supervised release following the completion of his prison term, after which he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
“Chambers stole his young victims’ dignity and innocence,” said Ganjei. “They were beaten, threatened, and treated as commodities for someone else’s profit. Today’s sentence is about these courageous victims, recognizing the depth of harm they endured and affirming that they matter and their lives are not disposable. My office will continue to stand with victims and use every federal tool available to hold human traffickers accountable.”
From April to September 2019, Chambers and others worked to recruit young teenage girls and forced them to engage in sex acts with “clients” for money in cars and motels around the Bissonnet “blade” or “track.”
The Bissonnet blade is an area near I-59 Southwest Freeway and Bissonnet Street in Houston where pimps and traffickers place their victims to engage in commercial sex.
Chambers targeted vulnerable teenage girls, including runaways from foster care and unstable homes, some as young as 14. He lured them with false promises of financial security, affection, and housing.
He then used violence and threats to coerce them into engaging in commercial sex for his profit. Chambers forced the young victims walk the blade while he and others kept the profits.
Co-conspirators Michael Anthony Gonzalez aka Mumbles, 29, Jerreck Michael Hilliard aka Jmoney, 37, and Javon Yaw Opoku aka Glizzy, 25, all of Houston, were previously sentenced to 240, 292 and 365 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in the sex trafficking conspiracy.
Chambers will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Suh, Sharad Khandelwal, Anthony Franklyn, Amanda R. Alum, and former AUSA Richard W. Bennett prosecuted the case.
The Houston Police Department conducted the investigation as part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance with the assistance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
HTRA law enforcement includes members of HPD, FBI, ICE-HSI, Texas Attorney General’s Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor, DOL – Wage and Hour Division, Department of State, Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety, Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General, Social Security Administration – OIG and Sheriff’s Offices in Harris and Montgomery counties in coordination with District Attorney’s offices in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties.
Established in 2004, the United States Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.
Gainesville Felon Charged with Armed Drug Trafficking and Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Eddie Jerome Scott, 38, of Gainesville, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with two counts of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance over 50 grams of methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl, possessing a firearm in connection with drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.
Scott appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry in Gainesville, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for March 25, 2026, at 8:30 am before Chief District Court Allen C. Winsor.
If convicted, Scott faces a minimum of 5 years’ imprisonment, and up to 40 years’ imprisonment, for each distribution of methamphetamine count; a minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment, up to life imprisonment, on the possession with intent to distribute count; a minimum of 5 years’ imprisonment, up to life imprisonment, on the possessing a firearm in connection with drug trafficking count; and up to 15 years’ imprisonment on the possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon count.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Gainesville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available 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.
Fourteenth Felony Conviction Lands Waterloo Man in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a firearm after having previously been convicted of thirteen other felony offenses was sentenced on February 27, 2026, to more than four years in federal prison.
Chad James Wolf, age 44, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 7, 2025, guilty plea to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Court documents reflect that, in February 2025, Wolf was harassing an ex‑girlfriend by showing up at her home, causing problems, refusing to leave, and repeatedly calling her. Law enforcement officers searched Wolf’s home in Waterloo and found a gun he had stolen from the ex‑girlfriend’s house. Officers also found items consistent with drug distribution. Wolf had previously been convicted of twenty‑five crimes, thirteen of which were felonies, including sexual abuse, going armed with intent, and failing to register as a sex offender three times.
Wolf was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Wolf was sentenced to 53 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
Wolf is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Waterloo Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Nagin.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25‑CR‑02008-CJW-MAR.
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Founder of Acton-Based Animal Welfare Organization Arrested on Federal Charge that He Plotted Former Employee’s KidnappingRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An actor who is the founder and president of an animal welfare organization based near the Antelope Valley has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging him with the attempted kidnapping of a former employee who won a $6.7 million wrongful-termination judgment against him, the Justice Department announced today.
Leo Grillo, 77, of Acton, is charged with attempted kidnapping, a felony that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
He was arrested Tuesday and is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Grillo leads an Acton-based animal welfare organization called Dedication and Everlasting Love to Animals (DELTA) Rescue, which bills itself as the largest no-kill animal sanctuary of its kind in the world. Grillo also is a film actor and producer.
In November 2024, the victim won a judgment of $6,680,950 in Los Angeles Superior Court after a jury found DELTA Rescue liable for wrongful termination and other causes of legal action. DELTA Rescue – which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May 2025 – is appealing that judgment.
In December 2025, Grillo met in Burbank with an individual to discuss the wrongful-termination litigation as well as a documentary targeting his liability insurance company that he believed had treated him poorly. He then asked the individual to use his contacts in Mexico to find out more about the plaintiff who successfully sued him.
During January 2026, Grillo asked the individual – whom Grillo didn’t know was then cooperating with law enforcement – for another in-person meeting and began talking in code about a “documentary” in which the woman who defeated him at trial would be kidnapped along with a family member and for them to be held hostage in Mexico. While in confinement, she would be forced to cooperate with Grillo to settle the litigation. He also said he would be willing to pay $100,000 to make that happen and that he wanted her child and she to be flown out of an airfield in Lancaster.
In February 2026, Grillo mailed the individual a check from “Animals Are People Too” for $20,000 and confirmed that he wanted to get the victim on an airplane to Mexico, where her husband and she would be held hostage. The memo on the check stated, “Production,” consistent with Grillo’s coded terminology for the kidnapping plot.
On March 3, the individual met again with Grillo in Burbank, told him, “They’ve got ‘em,” and showed Grillo a fake photograph on the individual’s cellphone showing what appeared to be the victim and a man tied up with zip ties and with the victim having duct tape over her mouth.
The individual then told Grillo that the plan had hit a snag and the victim and her husband had not yet left Lancaster and would need to be taken to a different place in Mexico. Grillo worried aloud that their sons could contact law enforcement. Grillo eventually wrote a $10,000 check to the individual to further advance the kidnapping plot.
A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
The FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Butler of the Major Crimes Section and Kevin B. Reidy and Haoxiaohan H. Cai of the Major Frauds Section are prosecuting this case.
Former Gladwyne Entrepreneur Who Bilked Investors Out of Millions of Dollars Sentenced to over Nine Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Josh S. Verne, 48, formerly of Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, now a resident of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was sentenced today to 111months in prison, 3 years supervised release, $1300 special assessment and forfeiture in the amount of $12,173,759 by United States District Judge John F. Murphy for a series of schemes through which the defendant defrauded dozens of investors, prospective investors, employees, and business partners out of millions of dollars.
The defendant was charged by indictment in August 2024 and, in March of last year,
pleaded guilty to nine counts of wire fraud, three counts of securities fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
As detailed in case filings and admitted to by the defendant, Verne carried out a series of schemes from at least in or about 2017 to 2020, through which he defrauded dozens of investors, prospective investors, employees, and business partners out of millions of dollars, forged documents, and obstructed justice by threatening, intimidating, and retaliating against others in connection with the federal criminal investigation.
Verne held himself out as a wealthy and successful businessman, entrepreneur, and investor, and he carried out his fraudulent activities through a series of limited liability companies, of which he was the chief executive and over which he maintained control.
Among other things, Verne falsely represented his prior business successes, falsely represented his personal net worth, falsely represented his own investments, and falsely represented the financial health of his companies and investments, in order to induce others to invest in or provide loans to him or his companies. For instance, he provided an investor with a forged Goldman Sachs statement that showed family investment holdings for Verne of more than $50 million, when, in fact, Verne did not have an investment account at Goldman Sachs in his own name or in his family’s names, much less an account with a market value of more than $50 million.
Further, Verne misused business and investor funds to repay prior debts and to finance an affluent lifestyle he could not afford, such as personal expenses related to renovations to his showcase vacation property on the Jersey shore, travel on private jets, contributions to political candidates, personal charitable contributions, and country club payments.
In order to delay and prevent discovery by law enforcement of his own misconduct, Verne later sent bank and FedEx confirmations purporting to confirm delivery of funds to investors to whom he had promised repayment; the bank and FedEx confirmations were false and fraudulent.
At one point, Verne stole the identity of a former employee from his company, forging the employee’s signature on a sales agreement to disguise an unauthorized sale of the employee’s shares of stock. Verne obtained $150,000 from the unauthorized sale and used those funds to make payments to himself and to a prior investor.
Finally, after Verne met with FBI agents and learned details about the investigation, the defendant obstructed justice by contacting the former employee and threatening to divulge false, embarrassing information about him because the employee provided information to law enforcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul Shapiro and Jerome Maiatico. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Philadelphia Regional Office investigated civil securities fraud charges against Verne, which are pending.
Former Carlyle Police Chief accused of embezzling more than $100,000Read the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – The former police chief of the Carlyle Police Department is facing several federal charges for allegedly embezzling more than $100,000 for his personal benefit.
A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment charging Mark A. Pingsterhaus, 52, of Carlyle, with two counts of wire fraud and two counts of theft of government funds.
“We strongly support law enforcement because the overwhelming majority of officers serve with dedication, honor, and courage. But when any officer, especially a chief, betrays the community they are sworn to protect we will take decisive action,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “I appreciate our partnership with the Carlyle Police Department and city officials, who have fully cooperated in good faith during the investigation.”
According to the indictment, Pingsterhaus is facing charges for allegedly embezzling funds from at least January 2017 to November 2025 as police chief for the City of Carlyle and as the chief financial officer for the Carlyle Fire Protection District.
Pingsterhaus is accused of using City of Carlyle and Carlyle Fire Protection District funds for unauthorized and personal expenses like travel, entertainment, goods and services. In two examples, the indictment states he used the City of Carlyle’s bank card to purchase WNBA tickets and the Caryle Fire Protection District’s bank card to purchase jewelry from Zales.
“Our partnership to combat violent crime and drug trafficking with the Carlyle Police Department and surrounding agencies has led to results that have undoubtedly made the region safer. That being said, our mission is to not only combat violent crime, but to protect against the exploitation of the very systems designed to help our communities,” said FBI Springfield Field Office’s Special Agent in Charge Ruben Marchand-Morales. “When resources meant for community elevation are diverted for personal gain, it undermines the safety we work so hard to build and harms the community we swore to protect.”
He is also accused of using funds from the Carlyle Police Department’s Drug and Education Fund for personal expenses.
An indictment is merely an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Convictions for wire fraud are punishable by up to 20 years’ imprisonment and theft of government funds can earn up to 10 years in federal prison.
The FBI Springfield Field Office is leading the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter T. Reed is prosecuting the case.
Five Former Employees of Alcohol Distribution Company and Salesman for Napa Winery Charged in Bribery and Obstruction SchemeRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – A federal grand jury has indicted five former employees of an alcohol distribution company with offices in Northern and Southern California for their roles in a scheme to bribe grocery store alcohol buyers and conceal bribes with false and forged financial documentation. A salesman for a Napa winery was also charged with bribery and making false statements.
According to the indictment filed yesterday, between at least 2016 and 2024, former employees of an alcohol distribution company identified as Distributor-1 – Stephen Magliocco, 47, of Trabuco Canyon, Calif., Michael Dehdashtian, 48, of Lake Forest, Calif., Adrian Ruiz, 54, of Corona, Calif., Ryan Dow, 40, of Upland, Calif., and Loratina Muscara, 64, of Livermore, Calif., and their co-conspirators – devised and participated in a scheme to provide bribes to employees of retail grocery chains to increase the purchases of certain alcohol brands and to obstruct any investigations into the bribes by creating and maintaining false financial documents.
The indictment explains that employees and suppliers of Distributor-1 knew that the distribution company and its partners were prohibited from paying bribes to alcohol retailers and wholesalers to purchase certain brands to the exclusion of others, and that the distribution company was subject to audit and inspection by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), which is one of the federal entities responsible for ensuring compliance with trade practice laws and regulations.
The five former employees of Distributor-1 allegedly took steps to conceal the bribes paid to employees of grocery store chains in California and the funding of those bribes, including using approved vendors of Distributor-1 and some of its alcohol suppliers to issue false invoices purporting to be for a legitimate business expense, but which in reality funded the purchase of prepaid gift cards valued at up to $1,000 each, luxury and designer items such as watches, purses, and golf and exercise equipment, among other things.
The indictment further alleges that Michael Sean Salene, 60, of Garden City, Idaho, an employee salesman for a Napa winery, bribed the head alcohol buyer for a large national grocery store chain that operates approximately 300 stores in California, lied to investigators when questioned about those bribes, and falsified invoices.
Magliocco, Dehdashtian, Ruiz, Dow, and Muscara are each charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and obstruct investigations. Magliocco, Ruiz, and Muscara are also charged with falsification of records to obstruct investigations. Salene is charged with Travel Act bribery and making false statements.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, defendants face a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of conspiracy in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, interstate travel in aid of racketeering enterprise – bribery in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1952(a)(3), and false statements in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2); and 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for falsification of records to obstruct investigations in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1519. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
The defendants charged in today’s indictment are currently scheduled to make their appearances in federal court in Oakland on March 25, 2026.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and Kareem Carter, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office made the announcement.
This case is being prosecuted by the National Security & Special Prosecutions Section of the United States Attorney’s Office. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by IRS-CI and TTB.
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Additional defendants have to date pleaded guilty or otherwise admitted their roles in this scheme and related violations:
Case NumberStatute(s)DefendantStatus25-cr-00051 YGR
18 U.S.C. § 371 (Conspiracy); and
27 U.S.C. § 205(c) (Commercial Bribery)
Matthew AdlerPleaded guilty April 3, 202525-cr-00052 YGR27 U.S.C. § 205(c) (Commercial Bribery)Bryan BarnesPleaded guilty April 23, 202525-cr-00302 YGR18 U.S.C. § 371 (Conspiracy);
27 U.S.C. § 205(c) and 18 U.S.C. § 2 (Commercial Bribery and Aiding and Abetting)
Patrick BrionesPleaded guilty Oct. 9, 202525-cr-00306 YGR18 U.S.C. § 371 (Conspiracy)John HerzogPleaded guilty Oct. 23, 202525-cr-00373 YGR18 U.S.C. § 371 (Conspiracy)Jessica GoebelDeferred Prosecution Agreement entered Dec. 3, 2025Magliocco, Dehdashtian, et al. Indictment
Financial Advisor Convicted of Scheme to Defraud Professional Basketball PlayersRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced the conviction of DARRYL COHEN for defrauding three professional basketball players who were among his former financial advisory clients, following a five-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick.
“Financial Advisor Darryl Cohen built trust with successful pro athletes—then betrayed it, stealing their money to fund personal luxuries, including a state-of-the-art gym in his own backyard,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “New Yorkers deserve honest financial advice—not advisors who scheme to steal clients’ funds, rather than protect their financial interests—and this Office is committed to removing bad actors from our markets.”
According to the charging documents, statements made in public filings, and public court proceedings, including evidence presented at trial:
From at least in or about 2017 through in or about 2020, COHEN, a registered investment adviser, orchestrated a scheme to defraud three different professional basketball player clients—Chandler Parsons, Courtney Lee, and Jrue Holiday—of a total of over $5 million by taking advantage of his advisory and fiduciary relationships with them.
First, COHEN and accountant BRIAN GILDER fraudulently induced Parsons, Lee, and Holiday to purchase viatical life insurance policies at massive markups. COHEN did not disclose that GILDER had arranged for a law firm (“Law Firm-1”) that he controlled to purchase the policies and then to sell them to the athletes at markups of 222%, 310%, and 244%, respectively. Indeed, Law Firm-1 made approximately $4.5 million in profit from the sale of the policies to COHEN’s athlete clients. COHEN and GILDER used a substantial portion of these illicit proceeds to pay their own personal expenses. In particular, COHEN: (i) used approximately $178,462 of the funds to renovate his home and to perform work on his pool; (iii) used approximately $67,500 of the funds to pay off his personal credit card bill; and (iv) transferred approximately $200,000 of the funds to an individual with whom he was in a romantic relationship.
Second, COHEN directed that $500,000 be transferred from the accounts of Parsons and Lee as purported donations to a non-profit organization, Beast Basketball. COHEN then used approximately $238,000 of the funds purportedly donated to the non-profit to build a state-of-the-art athletic gym in the backyard of his home. Parsons and Lee never, in fact, authorized any transfers of their funds to Beast Basketball. When Parsons confronted COHEN about the donations, COHEN told Parsons in a text message, in substance and in part, that Parsons’s money had “[h]elped a lot of future prospects and a lot of underprivileged kids.” COHEN did not disclose to Parsons that a substantial portion of Parsons’s donations had, in fact, been used to build a state-of-the-art athletic gym in COHEN’s backyard.
Third, COHEN used a sports agency and another law firm to channel approximately $328,125 of Parsons’s money to repay a former professional baseball player, Nyjer Morgan, who was a disgruntled client of COHEN’s. Morgan had expressed concern to COHEN about investments and loans that COHEN made on Morgan’s behalf and demanded to be repaid. On or about February 19, 2020, in the midst of making the payments of Parsons’s money to Morgan, COHEN messaged GILDER, “We gotta send [Morgan] more to get rid of him.” Parsons did not authorize COHEN to use of funds from his account to pay off Morgan.
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COHEN, 52, of Chatsworth, California, was convicted of one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, as well as one count of investment adviser fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. COHEN is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Broderick at a date to be determined.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Clayton also thanked the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Central District of California, the Northern District of Georgia, and the Southern District of Texas for their assistance in the investigation. Mr. Clayton further thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which filed a parallel civil action against COHEN, for its assistance and cooperation in this investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Mead, Brandon Thompson, and William Kinder are in charge of the prosecution.
Final Defendant Sentenced in $100M Dietary Supplement Fraud and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Utah man was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge David Barlow for his involvement in a years-long moneymaking scheme that misled banks and deceived consumers.
Phillip Gannuscia, 55, of Salt Lake City, pleaded guilty on April 9, 2025, to conspiracy to commit money laundering. In addition to his term of imprisonment, the court ordered Gannuscia to 24 months of supervised release and the forfeiture of his Porsche 911 convertible that was traceable to the scheme.
According to court documents and statements made at Gannuscia’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, from around December 2018 through April 2022, Gannuscia engaged in a scheme and artifice to defraud. The scheme involved applying for credit card processing accounts with fake companies, created with the personal information of family and friends. These accounts would be used to process consumer sales of nutraceutical and dietary products. Because the sales came from misleading and deceptive advertising, the credit card processing accounts would get shut down frequently due to high numbers of refunds or “chargebacks.” To work around these shutdowns, Gannuscia, along with others, helped set up the fake companies, used the credit card processing accounts for payments from consumers, and then laundered the proceeds.
At the time of his involvement in the scheme, Gannuscia was subject to a court order permanently enjoining and restraining him from credit card laundering and making or assisting others in making false statements to obtain credit card processing services. He admitted to setting up the operations for the scheme to shield himself from public view and accountability. He directed others to forge and paste signatures on documents for the fake companies.
Gannuscia admitted to laundering money on numerous occasions, each involving more than $10,000 of fraud proceeds. The total gain attributable to Gannuscia was more than $1.5 million. See prior press release.
The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and FDA Office of Criminal Investigations.
Assistant United States Attorneys Brent L. Andrus and Luisa Gough of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
Felon Sentenced to Additional Prison Time for Possessing Shotgun and Ammunition while Awaiting Trial in Another Federal CaseRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MIGUEL RIVERA, also known as “Macho,” 33, of Shelton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 40 months of imprisonment, consecutive to a 60-month prison term that Rivera is currently serving, for unlawfully possessing a shotgun and ammunition as a felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning hours of July 5, 2020, Waterbury Police officers responded to a shots-fired complaint in the area of William Street and Laurel Street in Waterbury. When officers arrived on William Street, Rivera, who was wearing a body armor vest, attempted to flee by climbing over a fence. Rivera was apprehended, and a search of the area from which he had run revealed a Romarm/Cugir, AK Type Model, 7.62 x 39mm caliber, semiautomatic rifle containing a fully loaded 30-round magazine. Rivera also possessed one round of ammunition in his pocket.
On June 21, 2022, while he was released on bond and awaiting trial, Rivera unlawfully possessed a stolen 12-gauge shotgun, ammunition, and two Kevlar bullet proof vests.
Rivera’s criminal history includes convictions for felony firearm, robbery, and burglary offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
On October 19, 2023, a jury found Rivera guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon related to his criminal conduct in July 2020. On November 22, 2024, he was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 60 months of imprisonment for that offense.
On December 1, 2025, Rivera pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon related to his criminal conduct in June 2022.
Rivera has been detained since July 13, 2022.
This investigation has been conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Waterbury Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police.
These cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and Patricia Stolfi Collins.
Felon Sentenced to Prison for Unlawful Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A felon was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon to 42 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for unlawfully possessing a semiautomatic pistol.
According to court documents, on December 17, 2021, Ricardo Heriberto Miranda, also known as “Pee-Wee,” was released from the Southern Nevada Detention Center to begin a new term of supervised release in a separate case. He did not report to the United States Probation Office.
On December 29, 2023, Miranda and another person were in a stolen car that collided at a high speed with two parked vehicles. After the collision, Miranda placed a loaded 9x19mm semiautomatic pistol in his pocket and walked to a nearby residence. He then placed the pistol inside a wheel well of a pickup truck parked at the residence. Miranda and the other person left the scene of the collision. The pistol had been stolen from a licensed firearms dealer in Las Vegas.
Miranda has prior felony convictions for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute a controlled substance in the District of Wyoming, and attempt possession of stolen vehicle in Clark County, Nevada.
Miranda pleaded guilty to one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge John Wester, San Francisco Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the ATF and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Dan Cowhig prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
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Federal Jury Convicts Tennessee Man of Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A federal jury in Asheville returned a guilty verdict yesterday against Sean Christopher Williams, 54, of Johnson City, Tennessee, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
According to filed documents, evidence presented at trial, and witness testimony, on April 29, 2023, at 2:12 a.m., an officer with the Western Carolina University campus police observed a vehicle parked in a Tuckasegee River Access parking lot near campus. The officer further observed an individual, later identified as Williams, in the driver seat who appeared to be passed out. The officer approached the vehicle and noticed an opened silver case in the passenger seat with various drug paraphernalia. Evidence established that the officer woke up Williams and asked him to step out of the vehicle. After a short conversation, Williams was detained, and officers searched his vehicle. In a blue duffle bag in the passenger floorboard under a television, officers uncovered over 15 ounces of pure methamphetamine in five separate containers, over eight ounces of cocaine in two separate containers, and two digital scales. Four months later, Williams made two calls from the Laurel County Correctional Center in Kentucky where he admitted possessing the methamphetamine for distribution.
Williams remains in federal custody. At sentencing, he faces a minimum of 10 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set. Williams is facing additional charges in the Western District of North Carolina for alleged possession and transportation of child sexual abuse material.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Western Carolina University Police Department for their investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Hess and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Annabelle Chambers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville are prosecuting the case. Ms. Chambers is a state prosecutor with the office of the 43rd Prosecutorial District and was assigned by District Attorney Ashley Welch to serve as SAUSA with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville. Ms. Chambers is sworn in both state and federal courts. The SAUSA position is a reflection of the partnership between the office of the 43rd Prosecutorial District and the United States Attorney’s Office. The SAUSA position helps ensure the effective and vigorous prosecution of federal court cases that impact the counties within the 43rd Prosecutorial District.
Federal Jury Convicts Military Lawyer of Attempted Sexual Enticement and Exploitation of MinorsRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that, after a five-day trial, Ross Andrew Brown, 44, of Kailua, was convicted by a federal jury on February 27, 2026 on two counts of attempted sexual enticement of a minor, two counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, and two counts of attempted receipt of child pornography. Brown is a lawyer serving as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps and is stationed in Hawaii. Sentencing is set for June 23, 2026. Brown was remanded into custody pending a bail hearing scheduled for March 4, 2026.
At trial, the evidence showed that Brown communicated via social media platforms Whisper and Telegram with undercover law enforcement agents posing as a 14-year-old girl. During the communications, Brown attempted to persuade the fictitious girl to engage in sexual activity prohibited by Hawaii law, describing the acts in which they would engage and inquiring about the fictitious girl’s sexual history. On April 17, 2023, Brown drove to Schofield Barracks to meet the fictitious girl and was arrested by federal law enforcement agents.
Evidence introduced at trial from Brown’s phone demonstrated that Brown engaged in sexually explicit online communications with 38 people who represented themselves to be girls as young as 12 years old. In a February 2021 conversation with a person presenting as a 15-year-old girl, Brown requested that the person photograph herself and a third party engaging in sexual activity and send it to him. Brown received from that person, whom Brown thought to be a 15-year-old girl, images of female genitalia and of a male and a female engaged in sex – all of which the other person indicated depicted her. In a June 2021 conversation with a person presenting as a 17-year-old, Brown received an image of female genitalia that the other person represented to be hers. In August 2021, during a layover while traveling for work, Brown attempted to persuade a person presenting as a 15-year-old girl to meet for sex in an airport hotel. After the other person did not show up for the rendezvous, Brown continued contacting that person, informing her that he would be in her home state in October 2021.
“The jury’s conviction of Brown sends a strong message that those who use social media and the internet to sexually exploit children will face swift justice in Hawaii. We remain committed to charging, trying, and convicting those who seek to victimize our keiki with their repulsive conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “Hunting down and bringing to justice child predators like Brown remains one of our highest law enforcement priorities.”
“It is a profound breach of trust to both our military community and the public we serve, when a senior military officer commits crimes that exploit the vulnerable,” said Special Agent in Charge Ruben Santiago, Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Pacific Field Office. “This investigation makes it clear that no rank, position, or title places anyone above the law and I am exceptionally proud of our Special Agents whose tireless, meticulous work led to this offender’s conviction. Army CID remains unwavering in our commitment to protect our Soldiers, Families, and our communities; we will relentlessly pursue accountability, regardless of status or position.”
“AFOSI Det. 601 was honored to lead this investigation working with partnered agencies across Oahu. AFOSI agents spanning several units relentlessly pursued the truth and led intricate investigative activities gleaning evidence that led to the offender’s conviction,” said Special Agent Eric Little, commander of Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) Det. 601. “AFOSI Det. 601 remains vigilant and ready to proactively protect our Oahu community.”
The Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and Air Force Office of Special Investigations investigated the case with assistance from Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Nolan prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Federal Felon Who Sold Fentanyl and Heroin Causing Two Marion Overdose Deaths Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A convicted federal felon who sold fentanyl and heroin that resulted in two overdose deaths in 2023 was sentenced on March 3, 2026, to a total of 37 years in federal prison.
Cody Kinzie Dittmar, age 34, originally from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 25, 2025, jury verdict finding him guilty of distributing and conspiring to distribute heroin and fentanyl, resulting in two deaths.
Court records show that Dittmar was sentenced to 64 months in federal prison for a 2017 conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The evidence at trial showed that Dittmar was released to federal supervised release in June 2023. Dittmar immediately began selling heroin and fentanyl with his girlfriend, then wife, Alysha (Gould) Dittmar. On July 1, 2023, the Dittmars sold a mixture of heroin, fentanyl, and xylazine to a customer in Marion, Iowa. The customer and his wife used the drugs shortly thereafter. Both then died of overdoses. The Dittmars continued to sell heroin and fentanyl in the Cedar Rapids area until July 2024. Alysha Dittmar previously pled guilty to distribution of heroin and fentanyl resulting in the two deaths.
Dittmar was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Dittmar was sentenced to 420 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. Dittmar was serving a term of supervised release on his 2017 case at the time he committed the crimes that led to his convictions in 2025. The court also sentenced Dittmar to two years’ consecutive imprisonment as a result of the revocation of his supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Dittmar is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Marion Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Nagin and Dan Chatham.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25‑CR‑00001‑CJW‑MAR.
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Former Local Firefighter Sentenced to 75 Years in Federal Prison for Production & Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Garey A. Buscaino, 48, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 75 years in federal prison on charges related to a decade-long pattern of producing and possessing child pornography. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Protecting our children from exploitation and the predations of sick individuals like this offender remains one of my office’s highest priorities. I deeply appreciate the outstanding investigative work of our state and federal law enforcement partners who helped stop this predator from continuing to sexually exploit minor children and brought him to justice. As this substantial prison sentence demonstrates, my office will relentlessly pursue offenders who victimize our children, prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law, and seek maximum punishment for their heinous crimes.”
Court documents reveal that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an online user in Northwest Florida possessed what appeared to be child pornography in a cloud account. Upon looking into the account and obtaining a search warrant for it, law enforcement determined that it not only contained child pornography from the internet but also what appeared to be hidden camera-produced pornographic videos of unsuspecting minor females.
Based upon the content of the cloud account, and further investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement determined the account belonged to Buscaino and obtained a search warrant for his local residence and firehouse, where members of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force seized dozens of electronic devices from Buscaino. Those seized devices were determined to contain hidden camera-produced pornography videos of five minor females in various states of undressing in bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as thousands of graphic images and videos of child sexual abuse material from the internet. Some of these images and videos captured victims as young as toddlers being sexually abused.
“Our agents worked diligently to identify the offender and secure the evidence needed to protect these victims,” said FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass. “We appreciate the strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida in ensuring this individual is held fully accountable and cannot harm another child. Protecting Florida’s children is one of our highest responsibilities, and we will continue to pursue anyone who seeks to exploit them.”
"This sentence reflects the seriousness of these crimes and the unwavering commitment of Homeland Security Investigations to protect children from exploitation," said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas G. Ingegno. "We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure offenders are brought to justice and victims receive the support they deserve."
Multiple victims of Buscaino’s crimes were present at the sentencing hearing in federal court. In addition to serving 75 years in federal prison, Buscaino was ordered to pay approximately $30,000 in restitution to the victims. He will also have to register as a sex offender for life.
The case was jointly investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement 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.
FCI Aliceville Correctional Officer Indicted for Sexual Assault of InmatesRead the Press Release
A correctional officer at Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Aliceville was charged in an indictment, unsealed today, with eight counts of deprivation of rights under color of law arising out of his sexual assault of seven female inmates.
According to the indictment, between May 2022 and September 2024, Felix Sylvester Wilder, 37, violated the civil rights of seven women when he sexually assaulted them while they were incarcerated at FCI Aliceville and he was on duty as a FCI Aliceville correctional officer. If convicted of all the charges, Wilder faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby for the Northern District of Alabama, Special Agent in Charge Eric Fehlman of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) Southeast Regional Office, and Special Agent in Charge David R. Fitzgibbons of the FBI Birmingham Field Office made the announcement.
This case was investigated by DOJ OIG Southeast Regional Office and the FBI Birmingham Field Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John B. Ward and Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia C. Brame for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Sarah Howard of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
FCI Aliceville Correctional Officer Indicted for Sexual Assault of InmatesRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A correctional officer at Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Aliceville was charged in an indictment, unsealed today, with eight counts of deprivation of rights under color law arising out of his sexual assault of seven female inmates.
According to the indictment, between May 2022 and September 2024, Felix Sylvester Wilder, 37, violated the civil rights of seven women when he sexually assaulted them while they were incarcerated at FCI Aliceville and he was on duty as a FCI Aliceville correctional officer. If convicted of all the charges, Wilder faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby for the Northern District of Alabama, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, Special Agent in Charge Eric Fehlman of the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General (DOJ OIG) Southeast Regional Office, and Special Agent in Charge David R. Fitzgibbons of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Field Office made the announcement.
The case was investigated by DOJ OIG Southeast Regional Office and the FBI Birmingham Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John B. Ward and Olivia C. Brame for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Sarah Howard of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Extradited Honduran Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – A Honduran national who was extradited to the United States to face fentanyl trafficking charges has been sentenced to 60 months in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr. handed down the sentence today.
Javier Marin-Gonzales, 26, was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 2, 2023, for distributing fentanyl on three separate occasions. The investigation also led to charges and convictions against two other East Bay-based defendants who traveled to San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood to engage in fentanyl trafficking.
At the time of the indictment, the FBI learned that Marin-Gonzales had traveled back to Honduras. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Honduran authorities, the FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to secure the arrest and extradition of Marin-Gonzales.
Marin-Gonzales pleaded guilty on Dec. 17, 2025, to distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl. In pleading guilty, Marin-Gonzales admitted that beginning as early as July 2022, he began selling fentanyl in the Bay Area as one of the ways he earned income. On three separate occasions in 2022, he sold a total of 690.4 grams of fentanyl to a buyer at various locations in Oakland.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani, and DEA Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris made the announcement.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Gilliam also sentenced the defendant to a four-year period of supervised release and ordered him to pay a $100 special assessment.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Francisco comprises agents and officers from FBI and IRS, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Bisesto and Ben Wolinsky are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Sara Slattery and Andy Ding. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI SAFE Streets Task Force, DEA, and the Concord Police Department.
Ex-Amazon Employee and Associates Sentenced in Multi-Million Dollar Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Three Phoenix area men were recently sentenced for their roles in a sophisticated fraud scheme against Amazon. Mughith Faisal, 29, of Glendale, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John Tuchi on Feb. 5, 2026, to 18 months in prison. His brother, Basheer Faisal, 28, of Glendale, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane Humetewa on Feb. 17, 2026, to 18 months in prison. A third defendant, Abdullah Alwan, 28, of Surprise, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Susan Brnovich on March 2, 2026, to 6 months in prison. All three defendants previously pleaded guilty to Wire Fraud. The three defendants were also each ordered to pay $1.5 million in restitution to Amazon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Alwan was an employee of Amazon working in the company’s logistics division. After leaving the company in 2021, Alwan used his knowledge of Amazon's proprietary system that created and tracked transportation loads of Amazon products to increase the standard rates for transportation deliveries assigned to Amazon’s third-party carrier companies. Basheer and Mughith Faisal operated Blue Line Transport, an Arizona based transportation company approved by Amazon as a third-party carrier. Blue Line Transport knowingly received the fraudulently increased transportation rates that Alwan input into Amazon’s system, working with him to defraud Amazon of approximately $4.5 million.
FBI Phoenix Division conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aron Ketchel and Adriana Genco, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office appreciate Amazon for referring the matter to the FBI and for the company’s cooperation throughout the investigation.
CASE NUMBER: CR 25-01048- PHX-SMB, CR 25-01095- PHX-DJH, CR 25-01092- PHX-JJT.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-043_Mughith Faisal, Basheer Faisal, and Abdullah Alwan
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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.
Dominican Drug Trafficking Organization Member Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Narcotics on the SeacoastRead the Press Release
Dominican Drug Trafficking Organization Member Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Narcotics on the Seacoast
CONCORD – A citizen of the Dominican Republic, who previously lived in Massachusetts, pleaded guilty today in federal court for drug trafficking in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Juan Carlos De Los Santos Romero, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and one count of distribution of methamphetamine. His sentencing has been set for June 10, 2026. According to court documents and statements made in court, De Los Santos Romero was a member of a Methuen-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that was distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the New Hampshire seacoast area. In late 2023 and early 2024, the DTO was involved in ten controlled purchases of fentanyl and methamphetamine with undercover law enforcement officers. Four co-conspirators, Jose Luis Guerrero Nunez, Carlos Alejandro Chevalier Santos, Eddy Mendez Carmona, and Luis Guerrero Cabral, have previously pleaded guilty.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The Seabrook Police Department, Hampton Police Department, Portsmouth Police Department, Methuen Police Department, and the New Hampshire State Police provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Vicinanzo is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
District Man Sentenced to 15-Year Prison Term for March 2024 Armed Carjacking in DeanwoodRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Maurice Edwards, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for a March 2024 armed carjacking in the Deanwood neighborhood of Northeast Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Edwards was found guilty of one count of armed carjacking and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence by a D.C. Superior Court jury on November 21, 2024.
Edwards was sentenced to 15 years of incarceration for armed carjacking and five years of incarceration for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, with those sentences to run concurrently, for a total of 15 years in prison. Armed carjacking carries a 15 year mandatory minimum sentence and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence carries a five year mandatory minimum sentence. The Court denied Edwards’ request to apply the Youth Rehabilitation Act (“YRA”), which would have voided the mandatory minimums, noting that Edwards already once received a YRA sentence and was out on pretrial release for a separate gun offense at the time he committed this armed carjacking.
According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of March 11, 2024, Edwards drove a car through a stop sign and struck the victim’s vehicle at the intersection of a residential neighborhood at 48th Place and Lee Street Northeast, as the victim was driving home from work. Edwards and his then-girlfriend, co-defendant Auzsa Beatty, got out of their car and began yelling at the victim. Edwards then used a handgun to intimidate the victim, causing the victim to retreat from his driver’s side door, allowing Beatty to get into the driver’s seat of the victim’s car and drive off.
Beatty pleaded guilty to unarmed carjacking and was sentenced to seven years in prison on January 9, 2026.
Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Cocuzza and Mark Levy.
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D.C. Dentist and Hygienist Found Guilty in Scheme to Defraud D.C. Medicaid of $4 MillionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Steven A. Price, 69, of the District of Columbia, and Keidi C. Moore, 39, of Temple Hills, Maryland, were found guilty today in U.S. District Court of conspiring to defraud D.C. Medicaid of $4 million, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
The jury deliberated for more than a week before finding Price and Moore guilty of conspiracy, health care fraud, false statements, and wire fraud. Judge Amit P. Mehta scheduled sentencing for June 29 and June 30, 2026.
Price is a dentist who operates the Washington Smile Center in Northwest Washington. Moore was employed at the Washington Smile Center as a dental hygienist.
“Price and Moore stole $4 million from a program designed to help people in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “My office is intent on cutting fraud, waste, and abuse by prosecuting those—like Price and Moore—who steal from government programs to line their own pockets.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, beginning in January 2017 and continuing through March 2022, Price and Moore conspired to defraud D.C. Medicaid by submitting repeated claims for reimbursement for clinical crown lengthening (a surgical procedure) and space maintainers (a dental device used primarily for children) for services that were not actually performed. The defendants submitted so many repeated claims that in some instances, patients were alleged to have been provided more than 30 clinical crown lengthening procedures and more than 20 space maintainers over the course of only a few years. In total, their false claims caused more than $4 million to be paid out from D.C. Medicaid.
Wire fraud charges carry a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. The conspiracy and health care fraud charges carry a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison, and the charge for false statements relating to a health care matter carry a statutory maximum of five years. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Joining in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office, and Daniel W. Lucas Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, and the District of Columbia Office of Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The D.C. Department of Health Care Finance’s Division of Program Integrity provided valuable assistance.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Lucas and Sarah Ranney, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Carlos Jiminez Guzman.
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Convicted Felon with a Machinegun and Fentanyl Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Georgia man with prior drug convictions admitted he was intending to distribute fentanyl and other drugs when officers found him illegally in possession of three firearms, including a machinegun.
Rodricas Montreal Jacks, 39, of Sparta, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on March 3. Jacks is facing a maximum of 15 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 2. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Repeat felony offenders possessing the most dangerous weapons and distributing the deadliest drugs in our communities will be held accountable at the federal level, where there is no parole,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “We appreciate the dedication of our law enforcement partners to make our communities safer for all residents and working with us to ensure justice.”
According to court documents and statements referenced in court, Jacks was on probation for a felony drug distribution conviction when he failed to comply with his community service as directed by the Court and failed two drug tests. As a result, law enforcement conducted a search of his residence on Nov. 3, 2022, and found a machinegun plus two firearms in the house, including a firearm that was stolen. Officers also located fentanyl and marijuana, which he intended to distribute, along with multiple digital scales, small plastic bags and a large amount of cash. Officers also discovered suspected crack inside his car.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The Georgia Department of Community Supervision investigated the case with assistance from the Ocmulgee Drug Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Couch is prosecuting the case for the Government.