Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Monday 15 December 2025
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RICKEY SMITH (“SMITH”), age 46, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on December 9, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to distribution of forty grams of more of fentanyl. SMITH was sentenced to 71 months imprisonment, four years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, in the later part of 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration received information from the New Orleans Police Department regarding drug distribution activity related to SMITH. Through investigation, it was determined that SMITH distributed over 40 grams of fentanyl from his apartment located within the Eastern District of Louisiana. On November 4, December 3, and December 17, 2024, SMITH sold 3.493 grams, 13.97 grams and 56.6 grams of fentanyl, respectfully, to in individual he believed to be a legitimate buyer.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Orleans Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
* * *
New Orleans Man Guilty of Being Felon in Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that DAVID LOUIS IV (“LOUIS”), age 22, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). LOUIS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of fifteen (15) years, a fine up to $250,000.00, a period of supervised release up to 3 years, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
According to court documents, on April 15, 2025, the New Orleans Police Department (“NOPD”) was conducting surveillance near Conrad Park, located in the 3400 block of Hamilton Street, in New Orleans, utilizing Real Time Crime Center cameras. This area was specifically selected due to it being an area known for gun violence and narcotics trafficking.
While conducting surveillance, NOPD detectives observed LOUIS and a female associate enter Conrad Park. LOUIS was in possession of a black backpack, positioned on his back. LOUIS removed marijuana from his backpack and began to smoke marijuana while talking with his associate. LOUIS also removed a black pistol from his waistband area.
A silver Nissan Altima, being driven by LOUIS’s girlfriend, and occupied by another adult female, and LOUIS’s children, arrived at the park. LOUIS approached the Altima and engaged in a verbal argument with the vehicle’s occupants. During the argument, LOUIS removed the pistol from his waistband and waived it in the air. NOPD officers, in fully marked units, arrived in response to observing LOUIS in possession of the firearm. Observing the officer’s approaching, LOUIS entered the front passenger seat of the vehicle. While inside the Altima, LOUIS placed his pistol, a Glock, model 23, .40 caliber pistol, with an extended magazine, loaded with twenty-two (22) live rounds of ammunition, and his black backpack on the driver’s side floorboard, where the driver was seated. The officers verbally commanded LOUIS exit the vehicle.
During a search of the Nissan Altima, NOPD detectives recovered LOUIS’s pistol and backpack from the driver’s side floorboard. LOUIS’s backpack contained three (3) live rounds of .40 caliber ammunition; a magazine containing eleven (11) live rounds of .40 caliber ammunition; a clear plastic bag containing marijuana; and a Louisiana identification card in LOUIS’s name.
LOUIS is a convicted felon and is federally prohibited from possessing firearms.
United States District Court Judge Darrell J. Papillion will sentence LOUIS on April 7, 2026.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed of the Violent Crime Unit.
* * *
Morris County Company Settles Matter Alleging it Received Improper Paycheck Protection Program LoanRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Morris County tour company entered into a settlement agreement with the United States resolving allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by applying for and receiving two loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) for which the company was not eligible, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced today.
According to the allegations in the complaint and the contentions of the United States contained in the settlement agreement:
Congress created the PPP in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to provide emergency financial support to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses struggling to pay employees and other business expenses.
CIE Tours International Inc. (“CIE Tours”) applied for and received two PPP loans totaling $3,410,300 even though it was ineligible for the loans as an entity owned by the government of Ireland, and because it exceeded the employee size eligibility requirements. CIE Tours then sought and received forgiveness of the total amount of the loans.
CIE Tours fully cooperated in the investigation and resolution of this matter. In accordance with the terms of the settlement CIE Tours agrees to pay the United States $4,428,985.04. The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties, called relators, to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. In this matter, Relator is receiving $428,985 as his share in the recovery.
Senior Counsel Lamparello credits the SBA’s Office of General Counsel for their assistance in this matter.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Dauenheimer of the Healthcare Fraud and Opioids Enforcement Unit in Newark.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The qui tam case is captioned US ex rel. TZAC, Inc., v. CIE TOURS INTERNATIONAL, 24-cv-009637 (D.N.J.).
###
Counsel for CIE Tours: Reetuparna Dutta, Hodgson Russ, LLP, Buffalo, New York.
Relator’s counsel: David Abrams, Esq., New York, New York.
cie_tours.agreement.pdfMinnesota Residents Charged After Allegedly Trafficking 150 Pounds of Methamphetamine through the District of UtahRead the Press Release
ST. GEORGE, Utah – A federal judge remanded two Minnesota residents into federal custody today during their arraignment hearings for alleged drug crimes after law enforcement allegedly seized 150 pounds of methamphetamine during a traffic stop in October 2025.
Guy Francis Bloomquist, 66, of Fridley, Minnesota, and Leslie Elisabeth Gordon, 45, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, were indicted by a federal grand jury on December 9, 2025.
According to court documents, on October 19, 2025, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper conducted a traffic stop on a Dodge Caravan for a window tint violation on I-15 in Millard County, Utah. After interacting with the occupants of the vehicle, identified as Bloomquist and Gordon, the trooper deployed a narcotic detection K-9, which indicated to the odor of illegal narcotics in the vehicle. A search of the vehicle was conducted and troopers located and seized 53 packages in plastic wrapping totaling approximately 150 pounds of methamphetamine. Bloomquist and Gordon were placed in custody and taken to the Millard County Jail.
Bloomquist and Gordon are charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. A two-day jury trial is scheduled for February 24, 2026, in courtroom 2B 206 in St. George.
United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated jointly by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Utah Department of Public Safety, State Bureau of Investigation (DPS-SBI) and the Utah Highway Patrol (UHP).
Assistant United States Attorney Joseph M. Hood of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Michigan Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jeremiah Telmon-Isaiah Hand, also known as “Joey,” 29, of Inkster, Michigan, was sentenced today to four years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 17, 2024, Hand sold approximately 29 grams of methamphetamine in exchange for $180 to a confidential informant near Ritter Park in Huntington. As part of his guilty plea, Hand admitted to conducting the transaction, to arranging it beforehand, and that co-defendant Madison Grant Sergent was with him during the transaction.
Hand also admitted to additional criminal conduct as part of his guilty plea. On July 22, 2024, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Hand in Huntington. Hand admitted that he was driving the vehicle, that he possessed $1,465 in proceeds from distributing methamphetamine, and that co-defendant Rakai Travall Hawkins was a passenger in the vehicle.
Hawkins, also known as “G,” 31, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced on November 3, 2025, to eight years and one month in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Sergent, 27, of Huntington, pleaded guilty on October 20, 2025, to aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 2, 2026.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), an enforcement surge that has sought to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.
This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-51.
Mexican national, illegally living in Lamar County, indicted for unlawfully returning to the United StatesRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Mexican national, illegally living in Lamar County, has been charged with unlawfully returning to the United States, announced Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Fernando Castaneda-Hernandez, 48, was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien.
The indictment alleges that on October 28, 2025, Castaneda-Hernandez was found in the Eastern District of Texas after having been previously deported on June 4, 2019.
If convicted, Castaneda-Hernandez faces up to two years in federal prison and deportation.
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.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Calli Bailey.
A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Mexican national, illegally living in Denton County, indicted for unlawfully returning to the United StatesRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Mexican national, illegally living in Denton County, has been charged with unlawfully returning to the United States, announced Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Ulises Rayo-Flores, 34, was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien.
The indictment alleges that on August 3, 2025, Rayo-Flores was found in the Eastern District of Texas after having been previously deported on August 14, 2018.
If convicted, Rayo-Flores faces up to two years in federal prison and deportation.
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.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and Lewisville Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Calli Bailey.
A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Mexican national, illegally living in Collin County, indicted for unlawfully returning to the United StatesRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Mexican national, illegally living in Collin County, has been charged with unlawfully returning to the United States, announced Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Juan Carlos Peralta-Aguinaga, 37, was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien.
The indictment alleges that on October 19, 2025, Peralta-Aguinaga was found in the Eastern District of Texas after having been previously deported on May 1, 2013.
If convicted, Peralta-Aguinaga faces up to two years in federal prison and deportation.
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.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and McKinney Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Calli Bailey.
A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Mexican National Sentenced to 60 Months for Transporting Child Sexual Abuse Material from Canada into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Mexican National Sentenced to 60 Months For Transporting
Child Sexual Abuse Material from Canada into the United StatesCONCORD – A Mexican national who illegally crossed into New Hampshire while transporting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Jose Rodriguez-Garcia, 27, previously pleaded guilty to one count of transporting CSAM. Rodriguez-Garcia has been in custody since his arrest in the early morning hours on June 6, 2024. According to the charging documents and statements made in court, Rodriguez-Garcia and another man were observed by U.S. Border Patrol after having apparently just crossed from Canada into New Hampshire over Hall Stream. The men were detained and brought to the Beecher Falls Border Station for processing. At that point, a search of Rodriguez-Garcia’s person and effects yielded several electronic media, including a thumb drive on which depictions of apparent CSAM were found.
U.S. District Judge Landya McCafferty imposed the sentence. The Court also ordered $6,000 in restitution.
“The defendant illegally entered the United States by crossing from Canada while travelling with a substantial cache of CSAM that documented the exploitation and abuse of vulnerable children,” said United States Attorney Creegan. “Mr. Rodriguez-Garcia’s CSAM collection was among the few possessions he carried with him into New Hampshire and serves as a reminder of the international market for CSAM.”
“Rodriguez-Garcia held no regard for our laws. He not only crossed into New Hampshire illegally, he carried with him deeply disturbing images of the sexual abuse of children. Today’s sentence is the result of the vigilance of our partners in the Border Patrol and the work of our special agents to ensure that those who bring child exploitation materials into our country are identified, apprehended, and held fully accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol for Homeland Security Investigations in New England.
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations within the United States Department of Homeland Security and the United States Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Mexican National Sentenced for Receiving Child Sexual Exploitation MaterialRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Brandon Leal Castro, age 34, of Mexico, was sentenced to 97 months in prison for one count of Receipt of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. Castro will also be required to register pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the District 16 Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On July 30, 2025, Castro pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on November 14, 2024, Castro knowingly received a visual depiction of a prepubescent minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct through the internet.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Castro will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Paladino represented the United States.
Member of Asheville Drug Distribution Ring Is Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Charmaine Vapreece Fair, 32, of Asheville, was sentenced on Thursday, December 11, 2025, to 66 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the prison term, Fair was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
According to records filed in the case, from 2021 to 2023, Fair was part of a drug conspiracy that trafficked methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in Buncombe, Henderson, and Transylvania Counties. Zachery Micah Rice, Fair’s boyfriend and the major supplier, would obtain the drugs from a supplier in Atlanta and then transport them back to Western North Carolina for further distribution through a local network. During one of Rice’s trip, law enforcement stopped and searched Rice’s vehicle, seizing over 11.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, a .40 caliber pistol modified to fully automatic, and more than $32,683 in cash. Investigators later executed search warrants at two stashes house, to include Fair’s apartment, and a storage unit used by Rice, recovering kilogram quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine, multiple firearms, including high-capacity magazines, ammunition, digital scales, drug paraphernalia used for drug distribution, and more than $27,470. When interviewed, Fair admitted to picking up money for Rice, admitted that she took drugs to certain people, and she would distribute drugs for Rice. Fair confirmed that she distributed prepackaged and weighed drugs to drug customers who would give Fair cash, which Fair would then deposit the money.
Fair pleaded guilty on June 9, 2025, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. She will be ordered to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
Rice was sentenced last May to more than 28 years in prison. Rice’s drug supplier was Les Corey Peak, a Georgia inmate sentenced in November to 20 years in prison.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina, the Asheville Police Department, the Waynesville Police Department, the Cherokee Indian Police Department, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office, the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office, the Swain County Sheriff’s Office, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville handled the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Meg E. Heap sworn in as Judicial Appointee to continue serving as U.S. Attorney for Southern DistrictRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Margaret E. Heap will continue to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia after her appointment by the U.S. District Court judges of the Southern District. U.S. Attorney Heap took the oath of office Monday, December 15th, in the courtroom of U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker. The appointment is effective immediately.
The excellent staff in the Southern District of Georgia and our outstanding law enforcement partners continue to work together to keep our communities safe,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “I am honored to serve alongside these dedicated professionals on behalf of our citizens as we work together to uphold the law and defend access to justice throughout this district.”
Margaret “Meg” Heap was sworn in as the U. S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, by U.S. District Judge J. Randal Hall, on August 18, 2025. Attorney General Pamela Bondi appointed Mrs. Heap as the interim U.S. Attorney effective August 18.
Mrs. Heap served as the Chairman and Vice Chair of Georgia’s State Board of Pardons and Paroles. She was appointed to the Board on January 19, 2021, by Governor Brian Kemp. In 1986, Mrs. Heap began her legal career as a Volunteer Coordinator and Victim Advocate with the Chatham County District Attorney’s Victim-Witness Assistance Program. After attending Mercer University Law School, she received her Juris Doctorate in 1992 and went on to serve as an Assistant District Attorney in the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit, where she prosecuted felonies in the Superior and Juvenile Court.
From 1995-2010, Mrs. Heap served the citizens in the Eastern Judicial Circuit as an Assistant District Attorney and later served two terms as the District Attorney. In 2019, she was named the “District Attorney of the Year” by the District Attorneys’ Association of Georgia.
As U.S. Attorney, Mrs. Heap is the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Southern District of Georgia, which covers 43 of Georgia’s 159 counties and a population of more than 1.6 million people. The district includes the cities of Savannah, Augusta, Brunswick, Statesboro, Dublin, and Waycross. She leads a team of approximately 70 attorneys and staff prosecuting federal crimes in the district and defending the United States in civil cases in the U.S. District Court.
Medical Software Company Agrees to Pay $500,000 to Resolve Allegations of Causing Medically Unnecessary Breast Cancer Screening ClaimsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – PenRad Technologies, Inc. (PenRad), a software company headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., has agreed to pay $529,069 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by causing health care providers to bill Medicare and MassHealth for medically unnecessary breast cancer screenings.
PenRad’s software allowed health care providers to use the Tyrer-Cusick risk calculator to assess patients’ breast cancer risk. The Tyrer-Cusick model is a publicly available risk-assessment tool that health care providers use to calculate patients’ risk of developing breast cancer and to make treatment decisions. The risk calculator, which was developed by researchers unaffiliated with PenRad, allows a user the option of either calculating a patient’s risk score by enabling or disabling “competing mortality.” If enabled, competing mortality considers the risk that the patient will die from something other than breast cancer. The Tyrer-Cusick documentation recommended that, in a clinical setting, competing mortality be enabled.
At the time it released its Series 7 software, PenRad was aware that the Tyrer-Cusick documentation recommended enabling competing mortality in clinical settings, and internally, PenRad recommended to employees the enabling of competing mortality. However, if PenRad customers upgraded to Series 7 in subsequent years and added the Tyrer-Cusick risk calculator function, PenRad sometimes installed the Tyrer-Cusick risk calculator with competing mortality disabled for that customer and did not consistently communicate to its customers when enabling the Tyrer-Cusick risk calculator that competing mortality should be enabled. At least one PenRad customer unknowingly using the calculator with competing mortality disabled led to some patients receiving elevated risk scores, which caused those patients to receive medically unnecessary Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRIs). Healthcare providers billed some of those medically unnecessary MRIs to Medicare and MassHealth.
As part of the settlement, PenRad admitted, acknowledged, and accepted responsibility for the facts supporting the settlement. The settlement credits PenRad for cooperation under the Department of Justice’s Guidelines for Taking Voluntary Disclosure, Cooperation and Remediation into Account in False Claims Act Matters.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The relator will receive a portion of today’s settlement. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Community Health Programs, Inc. v. PenRad Technologies, Inc., No. 22-cv-10680-MGM (D. Mass.).
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. LaMacchia, Chief of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit, handled the matter, along with Assistant Attorney General Scott Grannemann, Medicaid Fraud Division at the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General.
Medical Biller Charged with Diverting Opioids and Federal Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – Benjamin L. Wallace, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced today that a federal grand jury in Wilmington, Delaware, returned an indictment charging Ty Mauldin, 34, of South Dakota, with ordering thousands of opioid pills by stealing the identity of medical professionals with whom he worked. The grand jury also charged Mauldin with health care fraud for causing fraudulent submissions to Medicaid and a private health insurer.
According to court documents, Mauldin worked as a medical biller and credentialer, that is, he helped medical professionals and organizations contract with health insurers, including Medicaid, and helped medical providers bill those insurers for services. Through that business, Mauldin gained access to the professional licensure information for medical professionals. He used that access—and the name and licensure information of medical professionals—to order himself thousands of opioid pills through wholesale pharmaceutical suppliers and prescribe himself opioids. He did that without the approval—or the knowledge—of the medical professionals whose name and licensure information he used.
Mauldin also used his access to his own electronic medical records to falsify his own personal health records. He used those falsified health records, and additional forged medical documents, to present as a cancer patient requiring pain management services. Based on those false representations, he was treated by a pain management doctor and caused his private health insurer to pay for those services. Those services included the installation of an intrathecal pain pump and the prescription of opioids, all done based on Mauldin’s forged medical records.
Mauldin also represented himself as a certified health professional to those with whom he worked. At different times, he falsely represented himself as a licensed nurse. He also obtained a medical assistant certification by fraud. Based on those false representations, Mauldin convinced a Nurse Practitioner to allow him to perform Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation therapy on patients. Mauldin also represented to patients that he was a nurse. Mauldin then submitted false claims to Medicaid for reimbursement for performing Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation therapy.
U.S. Attorney Wallace commented, “Ty Mauldin’s actions resulted in the illegal diversion of thousands of doses of opioid medication. And his actions falsely portraying himself as a medical professional undermine the public’s confidence in our health system. My office and our partners will continue to do everything in our power to prevent the illegal diversion of opioids and will pursue to the fullest extent of the law those who pose a public health threat to our communities.”
“Ty Mauldin is a con artist and charlatan who abused privileged information obtained through his job to fuel his drug addiction. But his crimes didn’t end there. Mauldin recklessly masqueraded as a medical professional. His schemes and lies endangered innocent patients. The FBI will rigorously investigate allegations of healthcare fraud and root out criminals seeking to take advantage of our systems and put others in harm’s way,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul.
“We cannot, must not, and will not tolerate healthcare fraud. The crimes and lies that rob the healthcare system prey on taxpayers and pick the pockets of everyone who relies on quality medical care. We will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who defraud our healthcare system. I’m grateful for our federal partners’ leadership on this indictment,” said Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings.
Mauldin is charged with thirteen counts of Aggravated Identity Theft, two counts of Health Care Fraud, and seven counts of obtaining drugs by fraud. If Mauldin is ultimately convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Delaware Department of Justice’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jesse S. Wenger and William E. LaRosa.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information can be located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 25-CR-147-JLH.
Manager of Investment Firm Charged with Defrauding Investors in “Pre-IPO” SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Christopher G. Raia, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging GIOVANNI PENNETTA, the manager of Sestante Capital LLC (“Sestante”), a Manhattan-based investment adviser and private equity firm, with securities fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The charges in the Indictment arise from an alleged scheme by PENNETTA to fraudulently induce multiple investment clients to part with millions of dollars in exchange for economic exposure to shares of non-public companies. PENNETTA was arrested on Sunday afternoon at John F. Kennedy International Airport and will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gary Stein. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff.
“As alleged, Giovanni Pennetta took advantage of investors by promising access to private, pre-IPO companies he did not control and never had access to,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “American investors deserve honesty in all markets, including the private investment markets. When someone lies to investors and pockets their money instead, this Office and our law enforcement partners will step in to protect investors and the integrity of our markets.”
“Giovanni Pennetta allegedly stole millions of dollars from clients attempting to expand their own businesses with lies about his economic access and influence,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “Pennetta allegedly abused his managerial position to attract potential victims before moving their intended investment funds from their wallets to his own. The FBI maintains its unwavering stance against any business managers deceiving others to selfishly enrich themselves.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
PENNETTA is the managing member of Sestante, which is based in Manhattan. Sestante, in turn, is the managing member of, and an investment adviser to, NextGenTech Investments LLC (“NextGenTech”), a private fund that purports to offer investors economic exposure to equity securities through membership interests in series controlled by the fund.
From 2019 through the present, PENNETTA repeatedly misrepresented to victims that he had access to shares of private companies and could offer investment interests in those shares through NextGenTech. When investors transferred money to PENNETTA, however, he accepted the victims’ funds but did not provide them with the investment interests he had promised because, in fact, PENNETTA did not have access to the shares and had intentionally misled investors when he had told them otherwise.
Many of PENNETTA’s misrepresentations centered around his access to shares of Anduril Industries, Inc. (“Anduril”), a private defense technology company. Invoking supposed connections with individuals associated with Anduril, PENNETTA represented to victims that he had access to Anduril shares and offered to sell his victims economic exposure to those shares by having them purchase membership interests in particular series of NextGenTech. In furtherance of this scheme, PENNETTA provided his victims with falsified documents purporting to show his access to Anduril shares and that particular series of NextGenTech offered exposure to Anduril shares.
PENNETTA’s representations were false. In fact, PENNETTA did not have access to Anduril shares, and NextGenTech did not have exposure to Anduril shares. The victims who paid NextGenTech millions of dollars based on PENNETTA’s promises received no economic exposure to Anduril shares whatsoever. Instead, PENNETTA transferred much of the victims’ funds to his personal bank account.
* * *
PENNETTA, 50, of New York, New York and Italy, is charged with securities fraud and wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in prison.
The maximum and minimum sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra N. Rothman and Samuel P. Rothschild are in charge of the prosecution.
Maine Man Sentenced for Child Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Maine man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing child sex abuse materials.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Steven W. Freeman, 47, to 20 years in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Freeman pleaded guilty on June 12, 2025.
According to court records, in July 2024, federal and state law enforcement officers executed search warrants following reports that Freeman had possessed child sexual abuse material. Investigators seized Freeman’s cellular telephone and a forensic examination of that phone revealed hundreds of child sexual abuse images. Freeman has a previous conviction in Sagadahoc County in 2003 for gross sexual assault.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
###
Kenner Woman Sentenced for Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – SHAWNA MARTIN (“MARTIN”), age 56, a resident of Kenner, Louisiana, was sentenced on December 8, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to distribution of fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. MARTIN was sentenced to 46 months imprisonment, four years of supervised release, and a $300 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, in the later part of 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration received information regarding drug distribution activity related to MARTIN. Through an investigation, it was determined that MARTIN distributed over 40 grams of fentanyl pills within the Eastern District of Louisiana. On August 24 and September 6, 2023, MARTIN sold 30.7 grams and 67 grams of fentanyl, respectively, to an individual she believed to be a legitimate buyer. On September 20, 2023, MARTIN possessed with intent to distribute 114.86 grams of fentanyl.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
* * *
Justice Department Reaffirms Veterinary Accreditation Standards and Procedures Are Subject to Antitrust ScrutinyRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department filed a statement of interest in a private lawsuit challenging accreditation standards and procedures employed by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). The statement of interest explains that professional accreditation societies, like the AVMA, cannot erect anticompetitive hurdles that reduce competition by restricting the number of veterinary providers entering the profession.
“Pets and animals give us so much in life and form the backbone of American food security, but their healthcare needs can add up over time,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Dina Kallay of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Justice Department is committed to supporting pet owners, livestock farmers, and aspiring veterinarians by ensuring that accreditation standards and procedures do not unnecessarily restrict competition in veterinary education and services. Free markets succeed when there is robust competition unhindered by unnecessary restrictions. Veterinarian services are no exception to this rule.”
The rising cost of veterinary services threatens livestock farmers and pet owners’ ability to afford healthcare for their animals. Yet, despite growing population, for decades the United States has had only about 34 accredited veterinary colleges, all solely accredited by the AVMA. In this lawsuit, an accredited veterinary school alleges that the AVMA has effectively reinterpreted its research accreditation standard to require schools to adopt a high-cost research model with an on-site teaching hospital. That policy, the plaintiff alleges, not only jeopardizes its accreditation, but also prevents new veterinary colleges from opening and unreasonably raises the cost of veterinary education.
While taking no position on the plaintiff’s claims, the Justice Department’s statement of interest explains that, when establishing accreditation standards and assessing conformance with them, professional associations must comply with the antitrust laws. Accreditors, which typically consist of interested market participants who develop standards in closed doors, face an inherent conflict of interest when regulating admission into a profession. Their professional and occupational restrictions can unnecessarily impede market entry, increase costs, stymie innovation, and otherwise harm Americans. To safeguard against these anticompetitive practices, the antitrust laws have long scrutinized self-regulation by professional and trade associations and emphasized the importance of procedural safeguards in standards development. As the statement of interest explains, accreditation practices are not exempt from the antitrust laws merely because states require veterinarians to graduate from accredited schools and the AVMA has been recognized as an accreditor under federal law.
The Antitrust Division routinely files statements of interest and amicus briefs in federal court where doing so helps protect competition and consumers, including by encouraging the sound development of the antitrust laws. These statements are publicly available on the Division’s website.
Jamaican National Sentenced for Long-Running Sweepstakes SchemeRead the Press Release
An extradited Jamaican citizen was sentenced today to 63 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for participating in a long-running scheme to defraud an elderly California woman.
According to court documents, Dwayne Anderson, 36, of Hannover, Jamaica, undertook a scheme to defraud an American woman from 2010 until 2017. Using fake names, Anderson contacted the victim by telephone, text message, and email and falsely informed her that she had won millions of dollars in a sweepstakes. The defendant persuaded the victim to send money to pay various purported fees and taxes associated with the alleged winnings. He also carefully instructed the victim how to make the payments, including having her send money to an individual in South Dakota. In furtherance of the scheme, Anderson repeatedly contacted the victim with additional requests to pay money and falsely told her that her winnings would be forthcoming so long as she paid the requested amounts. In total, the victim paid Anderson over $181,000.
In September 2025, Anderson pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Anderson was arrested on July 11, 2024, by Jamaican authorities based on a U.S. indictment and was extradited to the United States. At sentencing, Anderson was ordered to pay more than $181,075 in restitution.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Ronald A. Parsons Jr. for the District of South Dakota; and Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group made the announcement.
The USPIS investigated the case.
Assistant Chief J. Matt Williams and Trial Attorneys Brandon J. Robers and Edward E. Emokpae of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson for the District of South Dakota prosecuted this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Jamaica to secure the arrest and August 2024 extradition of Anderson. The Department of Justice further acknowledges the assistance of the Jamaica Constabulary Force in this matter.
Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Rodolfo Guardado Palma, a/k/a Rodolfo Guardado-Palma, a/k/a Rodolfo Guardado, age 46, a Salvadoran national unlawfully present in Bryan County, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than two years, and a fine of not more than $250,000.00.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
The Indictment alleged that on November 17, 2025, Guardado Palma, an alien, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed on September 12, 2019, and December 12, 2019.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. 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.
Guardado Palma will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.
Houston Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Federal Prison for Jugging Robbery of ATM TechnicianRead the Press Release
A Houston, Texas man was sentenced today to more than seven years in federal prison for his role in the “jugging” robbery of an ATM technician, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. A “jugging” robbery is a type of theft where thieves follow a victim as they service or withdraw cash from ATMs or banks and then rob them.
Corey Dashun Holloway, 30, of Houston, Texas pled guilty in September 2025 to the felony charge of interference with commerce by robbery relating to his role in the July 3, 2024, robbery of an ATM technician. Today, United States Senior District Judge David Godbey sentenced him to 87 months in federal prison. Holloway is the third defendant to be sentenced in this case.
Also indicted with Holloway were Houston residents Johnny Juwan Clark, Tierra Toneisha Brandyberg, and Roosevelt Ford Valentine. Court records reflect that Clark, Brandyberg, Holloway, and Roosevelt have been linked to a Houston-based criminal organization called the “Hiram Clarke Money Team.” HCMT members are known to routinely travel to areas outside of Houston and engage in “jugging” style robberies and other forms of theft.
According to court documents, Holloway admitted that, during the early morning hours of July 3, 2024, he traveled from Houston, Texas to the Dallas metroplex in a rental car with the intent to commit robbery. Holloway further admitted that after arriving in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, he followed an ATM technician to multiple stops as the technician repaired ATMs in Irving, Grand Prairie, Arlington, and ultimately, Midlothian, Texas. At approximately 5:35 p.m. on July 3, 2024, Holloway approached the ATM technician as he was servicing an ATM at a Chase Bank located in Midlothian, Texas. Clark, Holloway, and Valentine were wearing a hoodies and face coverings to disguise their appearance. Clark approached the technician from behind and forced him to the ground. Clark kept his fist to the back of the victim’s head as cannisters containing United States currency were removed from the ATM by Holloway and Valentine. Approximately $260,000 in United States currency was taken during the robbery.
Court records reveal that after the robbery, Holloway and two of his codefendants fled from the Chase Bank in the rental car and met codefendant Tierra Tonisha Brandyberg at an apartment complex near the bank. The stolen money was loaded into a Range Rover and driven back to Houston, Texas. Evidence presented in court showed that, two days after the robbery, a jewelry store in Houston posted a video on social media of Holloway in the store in possession of large quantities of cash and purchasing a diamond Rolex, a diamond necklace and other jewelry, as depicted below:
At the time of the Chase Bank robbery, Holloway was serving a probation sentence in Collin County, Texas for aggravated robbery and engaging in organized criminal activity. At today’s sentencing hearing, United States Senior District Judge David Godbey ordered that Holloway’s federal sentence run consecutive to any state sentence imposed in Holloway’s Collin County cases.
Two of Holloway’s codefendants have also been sentenced to terms of imprisonment in federal prison. Codefendant Tierra Toneisha Brandyberg was sentenced to 41 months on November 3, 2025. Codefendant Johnny Clark was sentenced to 96 months on August 4, 2025. On December 2, 2025, codefendant Roosevelt Valentine pled guilty to a total of three “jugging” style robberies that targeted ATM technicians, and he is awaiting sentencing.
The FBI Dallas Field Office investigated the case.
Harrisburg Man Convicted of Trafficking Fentanyl and Being A Felon in Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Shawkon Sharif Jamison, age 30, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was convicted following a four day jury trial of conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, nine counts of distribution of fentanyl, including two counts of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of felon in possession of a firearm, before United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, law enforcement made controlled purchases of ecstasy pills from Jamison on multiple occasions between August and September 2023. During the course of the investigation, which continued into December 2023, law enforcement also made a total of seven purchases of fentanyl. During the final purchase Jamison also sold a firearm.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigation and the PA Office of Attorney General. Special Assistant United States Attorney Robert Smulktis and Assistant United States Attorney K. Wesley Mishoe prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
# # #
Guatemalan National Indicted for Illegal Reentry After Multiple DeportationsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Bayron Leopoldo Perez Batres, 63, a Guatemalan national, made his initial appearance, today, in U.S. federal court in the District of Maryland. Perez Batres is charged with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Maryland.
According to the indictment, Perez Batres, who resided in Beltsville, Maryland, unlawfully reentered the United States after he was removed on three separate occasions – in January 1996, September 2009, and May 2010. He did not received consent from the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States, as required by law.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
If convicted, Perez Batres faces up to two years in federal prison. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation and indictment were coordinated and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). JTFA also leads and supports U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the prosecution of crimes related to unaccompanied alien children (UACs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/ HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 425 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 375 U.S. convictions; more than 325 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney LaShanta Harris, and Trial Attorneys Matthew Thiman and Sean F. Mulryne of the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visitjustice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Guatemalan National Indicted for Illegal Reentry After Multiple DeportationsRead the Press Release
A Guatemalan national, Bayron Leopoldo Perez Batres, 63, residing in Beltsville, Maryland, made his initial appearance today in U.S. federal court in the District of Maryland and is charged with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien.
According to the indictment, Perez Batres unlawfully reentered the United States after having been removed on three separate occasions — in January 1996, September 2009, and May 2010. He had not received consent from the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States, as required by law.
If convicted of illegal reentry, Perez Batres faces a maximum penalty of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Matthew Thiman and Sean F. Mulryne of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney LaShanta Harris for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.
The investigation and indictment were coordinated and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). JTFA also leads and supports U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the prosecution of crimes related to unaccompanied alien children (UACs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 425 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 375 U.S. convictions; more than 325 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Four Defendants Arrested for Alleged Anti-Capitalist and Anti-Government Plot to Bomb U.S. Companies on New Year’s EveRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Four members of an anti-capitalist and anti-government group that calls for violence against United States officials have been arrested for allegedly plotting to attack two U.S. companies with improvised explosive devices this New Year’s Eve.
The following defendants were arrested Friday in the Mojave Desert and are charged with conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device:
- Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30, a.k.a. “Asiginaak,” of South Los Angeles;
- Zachary Aaron Page, 32, a.k.a. “AK,” of Torrance;
- Dante Gaffield, 24, a.k.a. “Nomad,” of South Los Angeles; and
- Tina Lai, 41, a.k.a. “Kickwhere,” of Glendale.
The defendants are scheduled to make their initial appearances this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
“Working together, federal and local law enforcement prevented a domestic terrorist attack from occurring this New Year’s Eve in Southern California,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Far-left anti-government extremist groups seeking to destroy the American way of life will never prevail and will always face the full force of the law.”
“The Turtle Island Liberation Front – a far-left, pro-Palestine, anti-government, and anti-capitalist group – was preparing to conduct a series of bombings against multiple targets in California beginning on New Year’s Eve. The group also planned to target ICE agents and vehicles,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This was an incredible effort by our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the FBI to ensure Americans can live in peace. We will continue to pursue these terror groups and bring them to justice.”
“These arrests mark the disruption of a dangerous conspiracy to spread fear and terror across Southern California and the United States on New Year’s Eve, as well as to conduct future attacks targeting federal officers,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “This country protects the right to hold extreme views about its past, present, and future, but violence is an unmistakable and enforceable line. The National Security Division is committed to investigating and prosecuting those who cross that line.”
“The defendants in this case allegedly planned to carry out terrorist attacks by targeting American businesses with explosives on New Year’s Eve, but the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and our partners moved quickly to thwart their plot in the planning phase,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The extremist group asked its supporters to organize and be ready but didn’t count on law enforcement being organized and ready to intercept their deadly plans.”
“This case underscores the persistent threat posed by extremist groups and individuals, and the critical importance of continued vigilance by law enforcement to safeguard our communities,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell. “The successful disruption of this plot is a powerful testament to the strength of a unified response, made possible through the close collaboration and tireless efforts of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and our allied partner agencies.”
“The successful prevention of this planned attack underscores the critical importance of sustained coordination between federal, state, local, and tribal law-enforcement partners,” said San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus. “The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department works closely with the FBI through the Joint Terrorism Task Force to identify, disrupt, and neutralize threats before they can cause harm to the public.”
“I commend the outstanding collaboration between our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners that prevented a potential act of violence and led to the quick arrest of individuals involved in this plot,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert G. Luna. “The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will continue to work closely with our partners to protect our residents, prevent acts intended to cause harm or fear, and safeguard the diversity that makes our county strong, especially during times when families come together to celebrate and reflect.”
“Palm Springs was happy to provide logistical support to the FBI for this anti-terror case,” said Palm Springs Police Chief Andrew G. Mills. “We are appreciative of the men and women of the FBI for their steadfast support of local law enforcement and our mission to keep our communities safe.”
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Carroll is a member of the Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF), a group that, according to its social media page, is dedicated to “liberation through decolonization and tribal sovereignty” and for the working class to rise up and fight back against capitalism.
“Turtle Island” is a term used by some Native Americans to describe the North American continent and the group has promoted anti-capitalist, anti-government sentiment by posting on social media advocating violence against U.S. officials.
In late November 2025, Carroll provided to co-conspirators an eight-page handwritten document titled, “Operation Midnight Sun,” which described a bombing plot. The plan called for backpacks with bombs to be simultaneously detonated at five or more locations targeting two U.S. companies at midnight this New Year’s Eve in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area.
The plan stated that the “ieds” (improvised explosive devices) would be “complex pipe bombs,” included instructions on how to manufacture the bombs, and included guidance to avoid leaving evidence behind that could be traced back to the co-conspirators. As the co-conspirators plotted their attack, Carroll acknowledged what they were planning to do would be “considered a terrorist act.”
Carroll and fellow TILF member Page recruited other co-conspirators to the plot, including Gaffield and Lai. The co-conspirators took numerous steps toward executing the bombing plot, including acquiring bomb-making materials and traveling to a remote location in the Mojave Desert to construct and detonate test bombs on December 12.
While in the desert, the co-conspirators took steps to begin construction of the devices, including unloading the bomb-making materials from their cars and beginning to assemble the materials on a table. They also constructed a tent to keep the bomb materials shaded from the sun, wiped down the interior of one of the pipes used for the bombs, and Carroll discussed grinding a precursor for use in an explosive powder.
FBI agents then intervened and arrested the defendants before they completed assembling a functional bomb.
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, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison on the conspiracy count and up to 10 years in federal prison on the unregistered destructive device possession count.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating this matter. Considerable assistance was provided by the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, and the Palm Springs Police Department. FBI field offices in Boston, Buffalo, and New Orleans are also providing assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Ian V. Yanniello and Amanda B. Elbogen of the National Security Division and Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Weiner of the Transnational Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case, with assistance from Justice Department Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the Counterterrorism Section.
Four Defendants Arrested for Alleged Anti-Capitalist and Anti-Government Plot to Bomb U.S. Companies on New Year’s EveRead the Press Release
Four members of an anti-capitalist and anti-government group that calls for violence against U.S. officials have been arrested for allegedly plotting to attack two U.S. companies with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) this New Year’s Eve.
“The Turtle Island Liberation Front — a far-left, pro-Palestine, anti-government, and anti-capitalist group — was preparing to conduct a series of bombings against multiple targets in California beginning on New Year’s Eve. The group also planned to target ICE agents and vehicles,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This was an incredible effort by our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the FBI to ensure Americans can live in peace. We will continue to pursue these terror groups and bring them to justice.”
“The charges made public today show the FBI and our partners disrupted a dangerous New Year's Eve plot to simultaneously target two U.S. companies with multiple explosive devices,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The defendants allegedly acquired materials to construct the devices, planned to test them in the Mojave Desert, and used encrypted communications in an attempt to evade detection, but thanks to the FBI and our partners those efforts failed. The FBI is committed to keeping our homeland safe and making sure those who attempt violent acts face justice.”
“These arrests mark the disruption of a dangerous conspiracy to spread fear and terror across Southern California and the United States on New Year’s Eve, as well as to conduct future attacks targeting federal officers. This country protects the right to hold extreme views about its past, present, and future, but violence is an unmistakable and enforceable line,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division is committed to investigating and prosecuting those who cross that line.”
“Working together, federal and local law enforcement prevented a domestic terrorist attack from occurring this New Year’s Eve in Southern California,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “Far-left anti-government extremist groups seeking to destroy the American way of life will never prevail and will always face the full force of the law.”
The following defendants were arrested Friday in the Mojave Desert and are charged with conspiracy and possession of an unregistered destructive device:
- Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30, also known as Asiginaak, of South Los Angeles;
- Zachary Aaron Page, 32, also known as AK, of Torrance;
- Dante Gaffield, 24, also known as Nomad, of South Los Angeles; and
- Tina Lai, 41, also known as Kickwhere, of Glendale.
The defendants are scheduled to make their initial appearances this afternoon in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Carroll is a member of the Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF), a group that, according to its social media page, is dedicated to “liberation through decolonization and tribal sovereignty” and for the working class to rise up and fight back against capitalism.
“Turtle Island” is a term used by some Native Americans to describe the North American continent, and the group has promoted anti-capitalist, anti-government sentiment by posting on social media advocating violence against U.S. officials.
In late November 2025, Carroll provided to co-conspirators an eight-page handwritten document titled, “Operation Midnight Sun,” which described a bombing plot. The plan called for backpacks with bombs to be simultaneously detonated at five or more locations targeting two U.S. companies at midnight this New Year’s Eve in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area.
The plan stated that the “ieds” (improvised explosive devices) would be “complex pipe bombs,” included instructions on how to manufacture the bombs, and included guidance to avoid leaving evidence behind that could be traced back to the co-conspirators. As the co-conspirators plotted their attack, Carroll acknowledged what they were planning to do would be “considered a terrorist act.”
Carroll and fellow TILF member Page recruited other co-conspirators to the plot, including Gaffield and Lai. The co-conspirators took numerous steps toward executing the bombing plot, including acquiring bomb-making materials and traveling to a remote location in the Mojave Desert to construct and detonate test bombs on December 12.
While in the desert, the co-conspirators took steps to begin construction of the devices, including unloading the bomb-making materials from their cars and beginning to assemble the materials on a table. They also constructed a tent to keep the bomb materials shaded from the sun, wiped down the interior of one of the pipes used for the bombs, and Carroll discussed grinding a precursor for use in an explosive powder.
FBI agents then intervened and arrested the defendants before they completed assembling a functional bomb.
If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison on the conspiracy count and up to 10 years in federal prison on the unregistered destructive device possession count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating this matter. Considerable assistance was provided by the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, and the Palm Springs Police Department. FBI field offices in Boston, Buffalo, and New Orleans are also providing assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ian V. Yanniello, Amanda B. Elbogen, and Daniel H. Weiner for the Central District of California are prosecuting this case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Texas DPS 10 Most Wanted Sex Offender Sentenced to Federal Prison for Failing to RegisterRead the Press Release
A former Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offender was sentenced last Thursday to 18 months in federal prison for failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Raymond Lee Trejo, 36, of Abilene, Texas, pled guilty to failure to register as a sex offender in August 2025. He was sentenced last Thursday, December 11, to 18 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.
According to court documents, in 2009, Trejo was convicted of sexual assault of a child against a 14-year-old girl in Taylor County, Texas, and sentenced to 10 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. As a result of Trejo’s offense and conviction, he was required to register as a “sex offender” pursuant to the laws of any state where he resided and the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. Among those requirements, Trejo had to register his address and other information, with local law enforcement in any county where he resided or was employed. Trejo was informed of his registration requirements when he was released from prison in 2019 and again in 2022 when he was arrested for failure to comply with those requirements for not notifying of a change in employment.
Court records show that, in approximately November 2023, Trejo absconded from Abilene, Taylor County, Texas, where he was living, without notifying appropriate authorities of any change or intended change in his residential or employment status. Law enforcement in Taylor County made efforts to locate Trejo but were unsuccessful. In May 2024, Taylor County issued an arrest warrant for Trejo for failure to register as a sex offender. In December 2024, Trejo was placed on the Texas Department of Public Safety 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders list, to aid in locating Trejo. Law enforcement received information that Trejo was living and working in Stilwell, Adair County, Oklahoma. Further investigation revealed that Trejo lived and worked in Stilwell, Oklahoma, since at least September 2024. He did not notify anyone in Taylor County of his change in residence or employment and he made no efforts to properly register as a sex offender in Adair County, Oklahoma.
In March 2025, Trejo was arrested at his place of employment in Stilwell, Oklahoma, and promptly extradited back to Taylor County, Texas. Trejo’s conduct involved his crossing state lines from the State of Texas to the State of Oklahoma, without complying with the sex offender registration requirements of either state. As a result, Trejo’s actions violated the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
The United States Marshals Service for the Northern District of Texas (Abilene Division) and the Eastern District of Oklahoma (Muskogee Division) conducted the investigation along with the Abilene Police Department, Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, Stilwell (Oklahoma) Police Department, Adair County (Oklahoma) Sheriff’s Office, and Oklahoma Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam prosecuted the case with the assistance of the Taylor County District Attorney’s Office.
The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation and brought this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc. The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
Former Postal Employee Convicted of Mail TheftRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Farmingdale woman pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to theft of mail by a postal employee.
According to court records, Shannon Littlefield, 29, stole cash and gift cards from greeting cards entrusted to her at the Auburn Post Office. Littlefield worked as a Service and Distribution Clerk at the Auburn Post Office from May 2016 through March 2025. In March 2025, Littlefield was observed on surveillance footage on three different dates removing mail from mail bins and placing it under her clothing. When investigators with the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General questioned Littlefield about her conduct, she confessed that she had been stealing mail for approximately eight months. Littlefield admitted that she would open greeting cards and steal cash or gift cards enclosed in the greeting cards.
Littlefield faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a maximum term of supervised release of three years. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
###
Former National Park Service Employee Sentenced, Ordered to Repay $249,000 Stolen from Camping, Cave FeesRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Monday sentenced a former employee of the National Park Service to five years of probation and ordered her to repay $249,000 in campsite and tour fees that she stole from 2019 to 2023.
Lisa Figge was a supervisory visitor use assistant at the Ozark National Scenic Riverways at the time. Figge’s job duties included collecting fees for guided tours of Round Spring Cave and collecting cash in envelopes placed in metal drop boxes at campsites known as “Iron Rangers.” From 2019-2023, Figge stole some of the cash and deposited it into her own account.On Aug. 28, 2023, Figge was caught on video counting cash and stealing $1,200. Figge was then spotted stopping at her own bank before traveling to the bank that the Park Service used. In an interview with investigators later that day, Figge admitted stealing money from the cave tour program and the fee collection program, including directly from Iron Rangers. Figge said she altered records and created a false deposit report to hide her crime. Figge told investigators that she did not keep records of how much money she had stolen, but the parties agreed that the amount of provable loss to the Park Service exceeded $200,000.
Figge has already repaid $100,000 of the money.
Figge, 45, pleaded guilty in September in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count of theft of government property.
"The extent of this theft from the National Park Service is alarming," said Katie Balestra, Special Agent in Charge for the Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General (DOI-OIG). "We are committed to identifying and investigating this type of unlawful behavior that erodes the public’s trust.”
The DOI-OIG investigated the case with the assistance of the National Park Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Hahn is prosecuting the case.
Former Correctional Officer Found Guilty of Obstruction of Justice and False Statements After TrialRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – After a five-day trial, a federal jury convicted Jermaine Sturgis, 41, of Laurel, Delaware, for conspiring to obstruct justice and making false statements to a federal officer. Sturgis previously served as a lieutenant correctional officer at the Eastern Correctional Institution (ECI), located in Westover, Maryland. Sturgis was found guilty for his role in covering up evidence that a fellow ECI officer unlawfully assaulted an inmate.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty verdict with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.
According to the trial testimony, on July 12, 2021, after one of the Sturgis’s junior officers used excessive force against an inmate, Sturgis and multiple officers conspired to delete a video recording that showed the inmate’s injuries. The video also contained other evidence of the officer’s use of force against the inmate. During the investigation, Sturgis also made false statements to state and federal investigators.
Sturgis faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for the conspiracy to obstruct justice count and a maximum of five years for making false statements. U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox scheduled sentencing for Thursday, April 9, 2026.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes commended the FBI and the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for their work in the investigation and thanked the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for its assistance. U.S. Attorney Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Aubin, and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati, Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Criminal Section, who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Former Commander and Adjutant of Nonprofit Veteran’s Organization Indicted for Wire Fraud and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
BOISE – A federal grand jury in Boise returned an indictment charging Charles Thomas Abrahamson, 56, of Venice, Florida, with charges of wire fraud and tax fraud, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today.
According to the Indictment, between approximately 2017 and 2024, Abrahamson was employed by a nonprofit veteran’s organization with a department in Idaho, and he served in various capacities, including adjutant and commander. In those capacities, Abrahamson had access to and control of the nonprofit’s financial accounts. The Indictment alleges that beginning in approximately 2018 until approximately April 2024, Abrahamson knowingly devised a scheme to defraud the nonprofit and another individual. As alleged in the Indictment, Abrahamson made transfers to his personal financial accounts, payments to his personal credit cards, unauthorized expenses, and ATM withdrawals, from the nonprofit’s financial accounts, all for his own personal use and gain.
As also alleged in the Indictment, Abrahamson filed false tax returns for the years 2020, 2022, and 2023, which falsely stated his total income.
The Indictment contains a forfeiture allegation, which alleges that Abrahamson obtained and controlled at least $1,454,025 in unrecovered forfeitable property from the wire fraud charges.
If convicted, Abrahamson faces up to 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud, and up to three years in prison for tax fraud. He also faces restitution for the losses incurred by the victims of the scheme. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Davis made the announcement and commended the excellent work of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, which led to the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Sean Mazorol is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Unlawful Possession of Machine Gun Conversion Device, Firearms and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A North Las Vegas resident who has prior felony convictions was sentenced today by United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro to 10 years in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release for possession of a machine gun, possession of six firearms, and possession of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute that methamphetamine to another person. The government recommended a prison sentence of 130 months and five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, in April 2023, Harold Wesley Snowten IV, also known as “Insane,” unlawfully possessed six firearms, including a Taurus G2c 9x19mm pistol that had a loaded 17-round high-capacity magazine; a MasterPiece Arms Defender 9x19mm pistol that had a loaded 30-round high-capacity magazine; a Smith & Wesson 9x19mm pistol that had a loaded 16-round high-capacity magazine; a SCCY CPX-2 9x19mm pistol that had a loaded 32-round high-capacity magazine, as well as several other magazines. Furthermore, Snowten admitted that in addition to the ammunition found in the firearms and various magazines, he possessed more than 500 other rounds of ammunition. Snowten has prior felony convictions including unlawful possession of cocaine base for sale and felon in possession of a firearm, all in San Diego, California. In addition to the firearm charges, Snowten admitted that he possessed with the intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
Snowten pleaded guilty to one count of illegal possession of a machine gun, one count of a prohibited person in possession of firearms, and one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge John Wester for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, San Francisco Field Division made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the ATF and the North Las Vegas 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 OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
###
Federal jury convicts North Chesterfield man for billing Medicaid for services he did not provideRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A federal jury convicted a North Chesterfield man today on charges of health care fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, from at least July 2013 through July 2019, George Nathaniel Boykins, 43, was a Qualified Mental Health Professional authorized to bill Medicaid for Mental Health Skill-Building Services (MHSS). From at least January 2014 through July 2019, Boykins caused his employers to submit false and fraudulent Medicaid claims for MHSS services that were not actually provided.
“The United States holds the provision of healthcare services as a paramount priority,” said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Through apathy and avarice, George Boykins’ misconduct – billing Medicaid for services he never delivered – robbed vulnerable Virginians of vital care and siphoned resources meant to serve them.”
“Today’s conviction should send a strong message to those providers who put greed in front of patient care,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Alongside our law enforcement partners and with steadfast dedication, HHS-OIG will continue to pursue those who commit health care fraud and steal from federal programs.”
Boykins reported that he provided in-person MHSS services in Richmond despite having been outside the United States on the dates he falsely represented he had provided those services. While working for multiple employers, who were unaware of his employment with other service providers, Boykins reported providing services for different Medicaid recipients on the same dates and times. On one occasion, while Boykins was under investigation, Boykins billed Medicaid for in-person services he claimed to have provided at the same time he was being interviewed by law enforcement.
Boykins faces a mandatory minimum of two years and up to 10 additional years in prison when sentenced on April 8, 2026. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shea Gibbons and Robert Day are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-24.
Federal Jury Finds Convicted Felon Guilty of Three Business Robberies and Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – On December 11, 2025, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict in the case of Maurice Harris, 32, of Memphis, who was charged with committing a series of armed robberies of businesses in October 2024. Harris faces a mandatory statutory minimum sentence of 75 years in federal prison based on his prior convictions, and additional time for violating the conditions of his supervised release. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant, for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the verdict today.
According to information presented in court, Harris conducted a series of armed robberies of the following businesses within the Western District of Tennessee:
- October 4, 2024: Metro by T-Mobile - 4673 Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, TN
- October 7, 2024: Cricket Wireless - 1129 S. Dupress Street, Brownsville, TN
- October 10, 2024: AT&T - 5287 Airline Road, Memphis, TN
In each robbery, Harris pretended to be a customer, then produced a handgun and demanded the store’s phones and tablets. During the robbery of the Brownsville Cricket Wireless store, a 5-year-old child was present. Investigators found the driver’s license identification of Harris that he left behind at the store when he fled. He was arrested at his place of employment in possession of the same handgun used in each of the robberies, in the same car he drove to each of the robberies, along with items stolen from two of the robberies. All three incidents were recorded on store surveillance videos, and he was identified in a photo line-up and later in court by each of the victims.
After a three-day trial, Harris was convicted as charged of three counts of robbery, three counts of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Sentencing is set on March 18, 2026, before United States District Judge Mark S. Norris. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Business owners and employees have a fundamental right to be safe from armed robbers who terrorize our communities with their lawlessness. The senselessness of gun violence has a long-lasting effect on victims of armed robbery, and we will no longer allow gun crime to rule our streets. This verdict sends a clear message that there will always be a reckoning, a real and significant consequence, for the commission of violent crimes."
This case was investigated by officers from the Memphis Police Department assigned to the FBI Nashville Field Office-Memphis Resident Agency’s Safe Streets Task Force, the Brownsville Police Department, and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Musselwhite and Greg Wagner prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
###
For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Father and son admit to smuggling attempt of massive firearms cache to MexicoRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Two men have entered guilty pleas to trafficking at least 534 weapons along with numerous magazines and large amounts of ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Emilio Ramirez Cortes, 48, a Mexican citizen who legally resides in Albertville, Alabama, and his son, Edgar Emilio Ramirez Diaz, 23, also of Albertville, have now admitted to smuggling of goods from the United States and trafficking firearms.
On Oct. 23, two vehicles, which appeared to be driving in tandem, approached the Juarez-Lincoln Port of Entry in Laredo. Ramirez Diaz drove a Chevrolet Tahoe, while his father was following in a Chevrolet Silverado. Both vehicles were hauling enclosed white box utility trailers. The Tahoe had an Alabama license plate while the other truck and two trailers had Mexican plates.
At initial inspection, Ramirez Diaz admitted he was traveling with his father. Both men claimed they were not hauling any firearms, weapon parts, ammunition or currency over $10,000.
Following a positive K-9 alert, law enforcement conducted a search and found false walls in both trailers which resulted in the discovery of approximately 534 firearms, 31,482 rounds of ammunition, 525 magazines, 40 scopes, four lasers, 10 rifle slings and other related items.
As part of their pleas, the men admitted they were smuggling the weapons and accessories. They also acknowledged they had done so on multiple occasions.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña will impose sentencing at a later date. At that time, both men face up to 15 years for trafficking firearms as well as another 10 years for smuggling of goods from the United States. Both convictions carry as possible punishment a $250,000 maximum fine.
The father and son have been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Customs and Border Protection; and Department of Commerce - Bureau of Industry and Security (Office of Export Enforcement) conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling 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 and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Everett, Washington man who used a pipe bomb to blow up Black couple’s car sentenced to five years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle –A 55-year-old Everett, Washington man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to five years in prison for three federal felonies including a pipe bomb explosion that destroyed a neighbor’s car, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Steven Goldstine pleaded guilty in September 2025, to unlawful possession of a destructive device; unlawful possession of ammunition; and unlawful possession of a firearm. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge John H. Chun said “This case involves serious and quite frankly horrifying conduct. Add in the racist statements it is disgusting conduct.”
“This defendant turned his racial hatred into a potentially deadly explosion, using a pipe bomb to blow up a car. Not everything is a hate crime, but we believe this defendant acted on racial hatred,” said U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “After the bombing he called the victims to gloat, leaving a message with racial slurs. This time in prison will protect our community.”
“Fueled by hatred for a neighbor’s race, the defendant used a pipe bomb to cause an explosion and destroy property,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “This sentence reflects the Department of Justice’s steadfast commitment to vigorously prosecute racially motivated crimes and ensure perpetrators are held accountable.”
“The violence and hatred behind this crime had no place in Everett, and our detectives worked closely with our federal partners to ensure a thorough investigation and a strong case, said Everett Police Chief John DeRousse. “The victim in this incident showed resilience in the face of a senseless act meant to intimidate and divide. We are grateful for the collaboration with the FBI, ATF, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office that ultimately brought accountability and helped reinforce that everyone in our community deserves to feel safe.”
According to records filed in the case, on December 31, 2024, Everett Police responded to reports of an explosion in a car parked at an apartment complex. The victims told police they suspected Goldstine due to a conflict they had with him. The day after the explosion they received a voice message from Goldstine using racial slurs and referencing the explosion in the vehicle. The police investigation used video surveillance from the victim’s apartment and nearby businesses to link the bomber to clothing found at Goldstine’s home.
The investigation also led to the guilty pleas and sentencing for two other federal crimes: unlawful possession of ammunition and unlawful possession of a firearm. Goldstine is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to prior felony convictions for burglary, arson, and possession of stolen property.
Goldstine illegally possessed more than 700 rounds of ammunition which were seized from his home when it was searched following the pipe bomb explosion. Previously, in September 2020, law enforcement searched Goldstine’s residence after he pointed a gun at protestors in Everett. The action was captured on video. In that search of Goldstine’s home, the firearm was seized by law enforcement.
In asking for a 78 month prison sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “Goldstine has a deeply troubling history of violence, dating back to several serious convictions for arson in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Violence has remained a consistent part of his life over the past five years, from assaulting a neighbor and fighting with police in 2019, to pointing a gun at protestors in 2020 to making death threats on YouTube in 2022… to bombing (the victim’s) car at the end of December 2024.”
“No one should fear violence based on their beliefs or identity, and terror motivated by hate will not be tolerated. This sentence reflects our commitment to investigate and prosecute reprehensible, hate-fueled acts of violence to the fullest extent of the law,” said ATF Seattle Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric Jackson.
“After years of hateful and violent behavior, Mr. Goldstine is now being sentenced for exploding his neighbors’ car, bragging about it, and leaving an offensive message for the victims,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Thankfully, no one was hurt in this incident, which could well have killed someone. Together with our partners, the Puget Sound Joint Terrorism Task Force will not stand for such violent intimidation and will remain vigilant in combatting such dangerous acts.”
Judge Chun ordered Goldstine to be on three years of supervised release following prison. For one of those years he ordered that Goldstine be on electronic location monitoring.
The case was investigated by the Everett Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the FBI. The Snohomish County Prosecutors Office provided valuable assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica M. Manca for the Western District of Washington and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Everett, Washington Man who Used a Pipe Bomb to Blow up Black Couple’s Car Sentenced to Five Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A 55-year-old Everett, Washington man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to five years in prison for three federal felonies including a pipe bomb explosion that destroyed a neighbor’s car. Steven Goldstine pleaded guilty in September 2025, to unlawful possession of a destructive device; unlawful possession of ammunition; and unlawful possession of a firearm. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge John H. Chun said “This case involves serious and quite frankly horrifying conduct. Add in the racist statements it is disgusting conduct.”
“Fueled by hatred for a neighbor’s race, the defendant used a pipe bomb to cause an explosion and destroy property,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “This sentence reflects the Department of Justice’s steadfast commitment to vigorously prosecute racially motivated crimes and ensure perpetrators are held accountable.”
“This defendant turned his racial hatred into a potentially deadly explosion, using a pipe bomb to blow up a car. Not everything is a hate crime, but we believe this defendant acted on racial hatred,” said U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd for the Western District of Washington. “After the bombing he called the victims to gloat, leaving a message with racial slurs. This time in prison will protect our community.”
“After years of hateful and violent behavior, Mr. Goldstine is now being sentenced for exploding his neighbors’ car, bragging about it, and leaving an offensive message for the victims,” said Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington of the FBI Seattle Field Office. “Thankfully, no one was hurt in this incident, which could well have killed someone. Together with our partners, the Puget Sound Joint Terrorism Task Force will not stand for such violent intimidation and will remain vigilant in combatting such dangerous acts.”
“No one should fear violence based on their beliefs or identity, and terror motivated by hate will not be tolerated,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric Jackson of the ATF Seattle Field Division. “This sentence reflects our commitment to investigate and prosecute reprehensible, hate-fueled acts of violence to the fullest extent of the law.”
“The violence and hatred behind this crime had no place in Everett, and our detectives worked closely with our federal partners to ensure a thorough investigation and a strong case,” said Everett Police Chief John DeRousse. “The victim in this incident showed resilience in the face of a senseless act meant to intimidate and divide. We are grateful for the collaboration with the FBI, ATF, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office that ultimately brought accountability and helped reinforce that everyone in our community deserves to feel safe.”
According to records filed in the case, on Dec. 31, 2024, Everett Police responded to reports of an explosion in a car parked at an apartment complex. The victims told police they suspected Goldstine due to a conflict they had with him. The day after the explosion they received a voice message from Goldstine using racial slurs and referencing the explosion in the vehicle. The police investigation used video surveillance from the victim’s apartment and nearby businesses to link the bomber to clothing found at Goldstine’s home.
The investigation also led to the guilty pleas and sentencing for two other federal crimes: unlawful possession of ammunition and unlawful possession of a firearm. Goldstine is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to prior felony convictions for burglary, arson, and possession of stolen property.
Goldstine illegally possessed more than 700 rounds of ammunition which were seized from his home when it was searched following the pipe bomb explosion. Previously, in September 2020, law enforcement searched Goldstine’s residence after he pointed a gun at protestors in Everett. The action was captured on video. In that search of Goldstine’s home, the firearm was seized by law enforcement.
In asking for a 78 month prison sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “Goldstine has a deeply troubling history of violence, dating back to several serious convictions for arson in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Violence has remained a consistent part of his life over the past five years, from assaulting a neighbor and fighting with police in 2019, to pointing a gun at protestors in 2020 to making death threats on YouTube in 2022… to bombing (the victim’s) car at the end of December 2024.”
Judge Chun ordered Goldstine to be on three years of supervised release following prison. For one of those years he ordered that Goldstine be on electronic location monitoring.
The case was investigated by the Everett Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the FBI. The Snohomish County Prosecutors Office provided valuable assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica M. Manca for the Western District of Washington and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Essex County Man Pleaded Guilty to Online Enticement of Minors and Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man pled guilty to a three-count Information based on his online enticement and exploitation of minors, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.
Nabeen Leigh Singha, 39, of West Orange, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Renée M. Bumb on December 11, 2025, in Camden federal court to a three-count Information charging him with: (1) production of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2551(a) and (e); (2) receipt of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252A(a)(2)(A) and (b)(1); and (3) possession of prepubescent child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252A(a)(5)(B) and (b)(2).
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From July 2021 through March 2022, Singha exchanged sexually explicit messages with two minor victims and paid them to create sexually explicit videos and images of themselves to send to Singha over the internet.
During that time-period, Singha also communicated with an intermediary and paid that intermediary to send sexually explicit videos and images of four additional minor victims.
Law enforcement searched and seized Singha’s phone and found nearly 5,000 images and 620 videos depicting child pornography. These materials included depictions prepubescent minors under 12 years old.
The production charge carries a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, and a statutory maximum fine equal to the greatest of (a) $250,000; (b) twice the gross amount of any pecuniary gain that any persons derived from the offense; or (c) twice the gross amount of any pecuniary loss sustained by any victims of the offense.
The receipt charge carries a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment, a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, and a statutory maximum fine equal to the greatest of (a) $250,000; (b) twice the gross amount of any pecuniary gain that any persons derived from the offense; or (c) twice the gross amount of any pecuniary loss sustained by any victims of the offense.
The possession charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, and a statutory maximum fine equal to the greatest of (a) $250,000; (b) twice the gross amount of any pecuniary gain that any persons derived from the offense; or (c) twice the gross amount of any pecuniary loss sustained by any victims of the offense.
Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents and members of the Child Exploitation Group of Homeland Security Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
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.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake A. Nasar of the Health Care Fraud and Opioid Enforcement Unit in Newark.
###
Defense counsel: Jonathan F. Marshall, Esq., Freehold, NJ
singha.information.pdfConvicted Drug Trafficker Armed with Machinegun Is Sentenced to 21 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Grey Alan Hester, 50, of Candler, N.C. was sentenced on Thursday, December 11, 2025, to 21 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release on drug and gun charges, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, Sheriff Quentin Miller of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, and Chief Carla Neadeau of the Cherokee Indian Police Department (CIPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.
According to records filed in the case, from 2021 to 2023, Hester trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl in Buncombe and Jackson Counties. Court documents show that on July 11, 2023, Cherokee Indian Police Department officers encountered Hester who was attempting to use a fake identification card at Harrah’s Casino. During the encounter, officers seized from Hester more than $11,380, fentanyl, and a loaded pistol from a holster on Hester’s hip. The officers later searched Hester’s backpacks that contained quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine, a pistol with an affixed machinegun conversion kit, known as a “Glock Switch,” a 30-round extended magazine loaded with 23 rounds of ammunition, digital scales, and other drug paraphernalia. According to court records, on July 14, 2023, law enforcement conducted a search of Hester’s Buncombe Country home, where they found fentanyl, methamphetamine, a stolen pistol, a semi-automatic shotgun, a rifle, an AR-style 5.56 rifle (privately made firearm), and multiple rounds of ammunition. Hester has a prior felony conviction, and he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
On June 20, 2025, Hester pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a machine gun. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the DEA, ATF, Cherokee Indian Police Department, and the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville handled the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Charleston Woman Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug Crime and Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Tiffany Dawn Shaffer, 36, of Charleston, was sentenced today to ten years in prison, to be followed by six years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine and for violating supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 17, 2025, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Shaffer near St. Albans. Shaffer admitted that she possessed 2 pounds of methamphetamine in the back of the vehicle during the traffic stop.
At the time of the offense, Shaffer was serving a term of supervised release after pleading guilty to the distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on June 28, 2021. The sentence imposed today includes two years to be served concurrently for committing a crime while on supervised release.
Shaffer has a criminal history that also includes prior convictions for conspiracy to operate a clandestine drug laboratory and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the St. Albans Police Department and the assistance provided by the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-144.
Cedar City Property Manager Sentenced to Prison After Defrauding Victims of over $2.1MRead the Press Release
ST. GEORGE, Utah – Blake Floyd Cozzens, 36, of Cedar City, Utah, was sentenced today to 25 months’ imprisonment for wire fraud and bank fraud for embezzling money from homeowners associations, property owners, and tenants, as well as fraudulently obtaining money from a bank and a company that provided property-management software.
In addition to Cozzens’s term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. Shelby, imposed a term of four years of supervised release and ordered he pay $2,168,640 in restitution to the victims.
According to court documents and admissions made at Cozzens’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, from January 2020 to January 2025, Cozzens was the property manager for multiple HOAs and property owners in Iron County, Utah. Cozzens defrauded HOAs, property owners, and tenants by embezzling $586,300 he was responsible for safekeeping and diverting the funds for his own use. He also submitted fraudulent deposits to an online application that helps manage properties. The California corporation that offers the application lost $210,000 due to Cozzens’s fraudulent conduct.
Cozzens also defrauded a bank in Las Vegas by presenting seven cashier’s checks totaling $1,414,000 to Las Vegas casinos in exchange for markers, i.e., credits to gamble. After gambling, Cozzens then falsely reported to the bank that he had lost the checks, causing the bank to stop payments to the casinos. Cozzens caused the bank to lose $1,395,673.
“For over five years, Cozzens abused his position as a property manager to steal and cheat people and businesses to fund his gambling lifestyle,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “As homeowners struggle with affordability, the last thing they need to worry about is that their hard-earned money paid to HOAs will be stolen from those entrusted to serve them.”
“When individuals in trusted roles commit financial crimes, they harm the very communities they are meant to serve. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to investigate fraud and ensure justice for victims,” stated Glen Henderson, Inspector in Charge of the Phoenix Division.
The case was investigated jointly by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Cedar City Police Department, and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephen P. Dent of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
Bergen County Man Convicted of Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A federal jury has convicted a Bergen County, New Jersey man for running a fentanyl trafficking ring involving kilograms of fentanyl, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.
Plinio Junior Pineda Lopez, 35, of Oakland, New Jersey was convicted following a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler in Newark federal court of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl and over 500 grams of cocaine.
“This verdict sends a clear message to those who seek to profit by flooding our communities with fentanyl: law enforcement will find you, our Office will charge you, and you will be held fully accountable. Our responsibility is to our community. No one should fear the loss of a loved one because a dealer seeks to make a quick buck. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our federal, state and local partners, the jury has delivered swift justice. Our Office will aggressively pursue anyone who seeks to distribute this poison, no matter where they hide or how sophisticated they believe their operation to be.”
- Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello
“This guilty verdict on all counts is a decisive victory in our ongoing efforts to combat the fentanyl crisis,” said HSI Newark Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy. “It reflects the unwavering commitment of Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners to protect the public and uphold the rule of law. Through coordinated action and relentless pursuit of justice, we have disrupted a major interstate fentanyl trafficking operation and prevented lethal substances from endangering communities across New Jersey.”
According to documents filed in this case and evidence at trial:
Lopez directed and conspired with others to distribute large quantities of fentanyl between Florida and New Jersey. Following an extensive investigation of Lopez’s drug activity in Jacksonville, Miami and Bergen County, law enforcement arrested Lopez on July 11, 2023, in Wallington, New Jersey when he attempted to conduct a narcotics transaction involving over one kilogram of fentanyl. Following his arrest, and pursuant to a court-authorized search warrant, law enforcement searched Lopez’s home and recovered an extensive quantity of fentanyl and cocaine that was hidden in air vents and appliances throughout his home. Through this investigation, law enforcement recovered a total of approximately nine kilograms of fentanyl and approximately one kilogram of cocaine.
The narcotics trafficking charges each carry a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of $10 million. Sentencing is scheduled for April 29, 2026, at 9:30 a.m.
Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy in Newark; HSI Miami, HSI Jacksonville, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) and CBP Office of Field Operations (OFO), the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, the Oakland Police Department, and the Westwood Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Pontillo, with the investigation that led to the charges and conviction.
This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Goldberg, Chief of the Narcotics and International Trafficking Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Thompson of the Organized Crime/Gang Unit in Newark.
###
Defense counsel: Carol Dominguez, Esq. and Michael A. Thomas, Esq.
pineda_lopez.indictment.pdfAttorney General Pamela Bondi’s Visit to Rome, Italy, Vatican City, and Lyon, FranceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Last week, Attorney General Pamela Bondi visited Rome, Italy to deliver the keynote address at the 25th Anniversary of the Palermo Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons and met with Italian government officials. Attorney General Bondi held meetings with U.S. Ambassador to Italy Tilman Fertitta and U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch. At the Vatican, Attorney General Bondi met with Pope Leo XIV and participated in a meeting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State. In Lyon, France, Attorney General Bondi visited the headquarters of INTERPOL and participated in a series of meetings with Secretary General Valdecy Uriquiza and U.S. Ambassador to the French Republic and the Principality of Monaco Charles Kushner.
Readout of Attorney General Pamela Bondi’s Meeting with Italian Minister of Justice Carlo Nordio
On Wednesday, December 10th in Rome, Attorney General Bondi participated in a productive meeting with Italy’s Minister of Justice Carlo Nordio. The Attorney General is grateful for Italy’s continued strong cooperation with the United States, particularly in the areas of extradition and mutual legal assistance. Italy’s Justice Ministry has been critical to the success of criminal cases, especially in the area of cybercrime and in the apprehension of cyber fugitives. The Attorney General appreciates the invitation to participate in marking the 25th Anniversary of the Palermo Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons. Under President Trump, this Department of Justice is eradicating transnational criminal organizations that threaten our border security and bring violence, drugs, and crime into our country. Meeting participants included Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, U.S. Ambassador Tilman Fertitta, and Acting Assistant Attorney General Matt Galeotti.
Readout of Attorney General Pamela Bondi’s Meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
On Thursday, December 11th in Rome, Attorney General Bondi met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to discuss a range of law enforcement priorities. The Attorney General expressed her appreciation for the invitation to participate in marking the 25th Anniversary of the Palermo Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons. The Attorney General and the Prime Minister discussed the continued law enforcement cooperation between both the U.S. and Italy, specifically in the areas of extradition and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. Importantly, the Attorney General noted that the FBI under Director Kash Patel’s leadership also reports outstanding collaboration with the Polizia Postale, Polizia di Stato, and others on several ransomware and malware investigations. The Attorney General expressed her thanks to the Prime Minister for focusing the G7 under Italy’s presidency towards the grave dangers of synthetic drugs, including fentanyl. Meeting participants included Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, U.S. Ambassador Tilman Fertitta, and Acting Assistant Attorney General Matt Galeotti.
Readout of Attorney General Pamela Bondi’s Meetings with INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza and U.S. Ambassador to the French Republic and the Principality of Monaco Charles Kushner
On Friday, December 12th in Lyon, the Attorney General held a series of meetings with INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza. The Attorney General continued important conversations underscoring the importance of effective and reliable information-sharing with our international partners to fight transnational criminal organizations that endanger our communities, prey on our children, and traffic lethal drugs, like fentanyl, into the United States. The Attorney General led a discussion on how INTERPOL could better align with U.S. priorities on border security and help victims of child sexual abuse. The Attorney General made clear that it is important ATF, DEA, FBI, and the U.S. Marshals Service can rely on INTERPOL for accurate and actionable data. The Attorney General also highlighted INTERPOL’s critical role with people with foreign warrants who live in the U.S., which has resulted in a total of 365 fugitives with active Red Notices arrested in the United States this calendar year. Thanks to our close collaboration with INTERPOL, these dangerous international fugitives are being removed from our communities and our country. Meeting participants included Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner, and Acting Assistant Attorney General Matt Galeotti.
Ardmore Resident Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jacob Layton Earley, age 22, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, was sentenced to twenty-eight months in prison for one count of Possession of Firearm and Ammunition by Prohibited Person.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On March 18, 2025, Earley pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on December 21, 2022, law enforcement executing a search warrant at Earley’s home discovered a 5.56X45mm Smith and Wesson semi-automatic rifle with a magazine loaded with 28 rounds of .223 REM caliber ammunition and 100 rounds of .223 REM caliber ammunition in Earley’s bedroom. At the time of the search, Earley had notice that he was subject to a protection order from the Chickasaw Nation District Court prohibiting him from owning, possessing, buying, or attempting to obtain any gun or firearm.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Earley will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.
American Distillation Pleads Guilty After Releasing Pollution into the Cape Fear RiverRead the Press Release
NC DOCNEW BERN, N.C. – American Distillation, Inc. (ADI) pleaded guilty to knowingly discharging tert-Butyl alcohol and other pollutants into the Cape Fear River in violation of the federal Clean Water Act. ADI is a chemical processing company located in Navassa, outside of Wilmington. The company’s owner, Andrew J. Simmons, Jr., also pleaded guilty to failing to pay federal taxes. These guilty pleas follow an earlier guilty plea by ADI’s former plant manager, Barry Darnell White, to discharging pollutants into the Cape Fear River in violation of the Clean Water Act on ADI’s behalf.
“This was not an accident, and it was not a paperwork violation,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “ADI deliberately decided to dump harmful chemicals into a North Carolina river to increase profits. When corporations choose pollution over safety, we will hold them criminally accountable and enforce the law without hesitation.”
“The Cape Fear River features diverse habitats, from freshwater streams to a vital saltwater estuary, supporting rare aquatic species and old-growth forests. The company’s multi-year illegal discharges of industrial waste poses a serious threat to the River’s water quality and is harmful to ecosystems,” said Chuck Carfagno, Special Agent in Charge of the EPA's criminal enforcement program in North Carolina. “Today’s guilty plea demonstrates that the EPA and its partner agencies are committed to protecting the environment and pursuing those who threaten our natural resources.”
“The defendant willfully engaged in a long pattern of violations of the internal revenue laws,” said Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins, Charlotte Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Tax evasion is not a victimless crime, it affects every American by stealing resources vital to fund schools, maintain public infrastructure, and enhance social welfare.”
“The defendant’s alleged repeated dumping of chemical-laden wastewater into North Carolina rivers and streams was a brazen violation of the Clean Water Act that defrauded the EPA and endangered communities that rely on those waters,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Keith Squires of the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General. “Today’s action shows the EPA OIG’s firm commitment to working with our partners to defend our waterways and hold violators fully accountable when they attempt to profit at the expense of human health and the environment."
According to the information presented in court, ADI was incorporated in 1992 to make and sell industrial grade ethyl alcohol. ADI regularly accepts large quantities of tert-Butyl alcohol (TBOH) from its customers. TBOH is highly flammable, colorless oily liquid with a sharp alcohol odor. TBOH is a pollutant that constitutes a solid waste, chemical waste, and an industrial waste under the law. During distillation, ADI created and stored byproducts in an approximately 250,000-gallon storage tank (known as Tank 14), which regularly stored liquid wastewater that included TBOH, isopropyl alcohol, and acetone mixed with water.
ADI’s EPA-issued permit required ADI to properly dispose of TBOH byproduct, but beginning in late 2019 through 2024, ADI accepted more TBOH and other chemicals from its customers than it could legally and safely process and remove. From 2020 to 2024, five to six times per year, White released approximately 2,500 gallons of liquid wastewater from Tank 14 by connecting a hose that drained into a nearby pipe that drained directly to the Cape Fear River. ADI released TBOH byproduct from Tank 14 into the Cape Fear River to ensure maximum profits without ceasing operations. ADI management had informed some employees that if operations came to a halt, the company would suffer serious financial harm, potentially including dissolution.
Congress enacted the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, referred to as the Clean Water Act (CWA) in 1948 and amended it substantially in 1972 to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters. In addition, the CWA prevents, reduces, and eliminates water pollution in the United States to conserve the Waters of the United States for the protection and propagation of fish and aquatic life and wildlife, for recreational purposes, and for the use of such waters for public drinking water, agricultural, and industrial purposes.
The CWA prohibits the discharge of pollutants into the waters of the United States from any point source without a permit issued under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (“NPDES”). The discharge of any pollutant by any person is unlawful except in compliance with such a permit. Under the CWA, the EPA may delegate the authority to states to implement and enforce NPDES permits to states. The EPA delegated such authority in 1975 to North Carolina.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Beraka is prosecuting the case. The EPA Criminal Investigation Division, EPA Office of Inspector General, and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:25-CR-00097-FL.
Friday 12 December 2025
Wound Graft Company Owners Sentenced for $1.2B Health Care Fraud and Agree to Pay $309M to Resolve Civil Liability Under the False Claims ActRead the Press Release
In the first prosecution of its kind, the owners of several Arizona wound graft companies were sentenced to significant terms of incarceration for causing over $1.2 billion of false and fraudulent claims to be submitted to Medicare and other health insurance programs for medically unnecessary wound grafts that were ordered as a result of illegal kickbacks and applied to elderly and terminally ill patients. On Oct.7 Alexandra Gehrke was sentenced to 15.5 years in prison, and on Oct. 10 her husband, Jeffrey King, was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
According to court documents, Gehrke, 39, and King, 46, both of Phoenix, orchestrated a large-scale wound-care scheme from 2022 through 2024. Gehrke solely owned and operated two companies that contracted with medically untrained “sales representatives” to find elderly Medicare beneficiaries throughout Arizona with wounds of any kind. Once the sales representatives identified these patients, many of whom were in hospice care, Gehrke directed the sales representatives to order expensive bioengineered skin substitutes — amniotic membrane allografts made from human placental tissue — to be placed on the wounds. To maximize profits, Gehrke required the sales representatives to order only the largest sizes of grafts available, even if the sizes of grafts — or the use of grafts as treatment — were not medically appropriate or reasonable.
Gehrke referred the patients identified by the sales representatives first to a company she owned, and later in the scheme to a company co-owned by King. Both of these companies were enrolled as Medicare providers and could submit claims to Medicare. Through these companies, Gehrke and King purchased the grafts from a wholesale graft distributor. They also contracted with nurse practitioners to apply the grafts and billed Medicare and other health insurers for the grafts applied. Gehrke and King instructed the nurse practitioners to suspend their medical judgment and apply whatever quantities and sizes of grafts were ordered by the medically untrained sales representatives, regardless of medical necessity.
Gehrke, through the three companies she owned, received over $279 million in illegal kickbacks from the wholesale graft distributor in exchange for ordering its grafts, over $100 million of which she diverted to her personal accounts and tens of millions of which she used to pay illegal kickbacks to the sales representatives. The company co-owned by King received an additional $130 million in illegal kickbacks from the same graft distributor.
The financial incentive for the sales representatives to order large numbers and sizes of allografts, combined with Gehrke and King’s requirement that nurse practitioners apply all grafts ordered, resulted in large grafts applied to small wounds, several grafts applied to single wounds, grafts applied to non-existent wounds and grafts applied to terminally ill patients receiving palliative care, some of whom died within days or the same day of the allograft application.
Over the course of just 18 months, from November 2022 through May 2024, Gehrke, King and their co-conspirators submitted approximately $1,212,005,778 in false and fraudulent claims to health insurance programs, including over $960 million to the federal health care programs Medicare, TRICARE (the health care program for U.S. service members and their families) and CHAMPVA (the health care program for spouses and children of permanently disabled veterans). The federal and commercial health care programs collectively paid $614,945,420 based on these claims.
The government seized substantial assets that Gehrke and King accumulated from the scheme, including $97 million from 28 bank accounts at seven financial institutions; three life insurance annuities exceeding $21 million; four luxury vehicles — a Ferrari 488 Spider convertible, a Mercedes-Benz AMG Roadster, a Mercedes-Benz 4x4 Squared G-Wagon and a Mercedes-Benz GLE — collectively purchased for over $988,000; $367,150 in cash recovered from Gehrke and King’s home and safe deposit boxes and over $348,000 worth of gold and silver bars and coins.
Gehrke and King pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud on Oct. 24, 2024, and Jan. 31, 2025, respectively. In addition to the terms of incarceration, Gehrke and King were ordered to pay restitution and to forfeit fraudulent proceeds obtained personally and through companies they owned and controlled. Gehrke was ordered to pay $614,945,420 in restitution and to forfeit $279,912,916 in fraudulent proceeds, and King was ordered to pay $605,690,110 in restitution and to forfeit $130,813,658 in fraudulent proceeds.
In addition to the criminal case, Gehrke and the wound graft marketing company she owned, Apex Medical LLC, agreed to pay $279,912,916, and King agreed to pay $30 million, related to their respective civil liability under the False Claims Act, resolving allegations that they knowingly submitted false claims to Medicare and other federal health care programs for medically unnecessary wound allografts, received illegal kickbacks from a wholesale wound allograft distributor in exchange for orders, purchases, and referrals and paid illegal kickbacks to other parties.
The Federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering or paying anything of value to induce referrals of items or services covered by Medicare and other federally funded programs. The statute is intended to ensure that the judgment of medical providers is not compromised by improper financial incentives.
The False Claims Act allegations resolved by the civil settlements were originally brought by whistleblowers under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private parties to bring suit on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. The matters remain under seal while the investigation of other parties continues. The amount of the whistleblower shares of the settlements has not yet been determined.
The FBI, HHS-OIG, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service and Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General investigated the criminal case. The civil resolutions were the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, with assistance from HHS-OIG.
Trial Attorney Shane Butland of the National Rapid Response Strike Force of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Williams for the District of Arizona are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Bozdech for the District of Arizona is handling asset forfeiture. The civil False Claims Act investigation was handled by Trial Attorney Vanessa Reed of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lon Leavitt for the District of Arizona.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Williamsport Woman Charged with Assaulting Federal OfficersRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Dominique Harris, age 24, of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on two counts of assaulting a federal officer.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Harris assaulted two officers of the Department of Homeland Security by spitting on them while they engaged in their normal course of their duties. On November 30, 2025 in Williamsport, Deportation Officers were conducting a routine investigation in Williamsport that resulted in the arrest of an individual for immigration offenses. Harris allegedly interfered with deportation officers at the scene of the arrest and then followed them back to an ICE office where she attempted to enter the premises in her car through a secure gate. When officers confronted Harris, she is alleged to have become belligerent with the deportation officers and spit on two of them.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is eight years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
# # #
West Sacramento Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
James L. Kenney, 45, of West Sacramento, pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiring to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, between May 2025 and August of 2025, Kenney, his co-conspirator Kevin Leacy, 31, of West Sacramento, and others worked together as part of a drug trafficking organization selling fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin using a motel in West Sacramento. During three controlled purchases in May 2025, law enforcement officers purchased 100 grams of fentanyl and 540 grams of pure methamphetamine from Kenney and Leacy.
In August 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the motel and seized approximately 3.5 kilograms of fentanyl, 2 kilograms of cocaine, as well as methamphetamine and heroin located in rooms used by members of the conspiracy, including Kenney.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the West Sacramento Police Department and the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Harman and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew DeMoura are prosecuting the case.
Charges are pending against Leacy. The charges are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Kenney is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on March 26, 2026. Kenney faces a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Waldorf Man Sentenced to 55 Years for Robbery and MurderRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Thaddeus Lamont Wills, 52, of Waldorf, Maryland, to 55 years in federal prison for his role in a string of commercial armed robberies. The robberies occurred in 2020 and 2021, in Prince William County, Virginia, and in Prince George’s and Charles County, Maryland. During one of the robberies, Wills shot and killed a business owner.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Chief George Nader, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD); Sheriff Troy D. Berry, Charles County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO); and Colonel Peter Newsham, Chief, Prince William County Police Department (PWCPD).
After a nine-day trial, on October 25, 2024, a federal jury found Wills guilty of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery, two counts of interference with interstate commerce by robbery, and two counts of carjacking. Additionally, the jury convicted Wills of three counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and murder resulting from using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The same jury found co-conspirator Keionta Hagens, 45, guilty of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery, two counts of interference with interstate commerce by robbery and one count of use and carry a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The trial evidence showed that between November 12, 2020, and January 18, 2021, Wills and co-conspirators used firearms to rob four commercial businesses, carjack victims (including customers of two of the businesses), and murder one of the business owners. Wills’s co-conspirators were charged with various offenses for their roles in the series of crimes.
On February 19, 2025, Judge Chuang sentenced Hagens to 18 years in federal prison. Wills and Hagens’ co-conspirators, Quasean Reeves, 32, of Waldorf, Maryland, and Andron Wood, 41, of Waldorf, Maryland, each pled guilty and are scheduled for sentencing on January 20, and January 21, 2026, respectively.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, PGPD, CCSO, and PWCPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Moomau and Joshua Rosenthal who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
U.S. Unseals Warrant for Tanker Seized by Coast Guard Off the Coast of VenezuelaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia today obtained an order unsealing its seizure warrant for the M/T Skipper (IMO #9304667), announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and FBI Director Kash Patel.
The seizure warrant was signed by a magistrate judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia on November 26, 2025. On December 10, the U.S. Coast Guard boarded and seized the crude oil tanker as it traveled on the high seas after departing Venezuela.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) previously identified the M/T Skipper, which was formerly called the Adisa, as being used in an oil shipping network supporting Hizballah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), both U.S. Department of State-designated foreign terrorist organizations. The IRGC uses proceeds from the distribution of petroleum to fund its terrorist networks.
“As the premiere United States Attorney’s office leading efforts to intercept ghost vessels as well as sanctioned products, we remain committed to legally supporting President Trump’s efforts to make the world a safer place,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office in DC has demonstrated exceptional perseverance, and a unique ability to navigate the challenges inherent in this type of enforcement action unmatched anywhere in the country.”
“The FBI's Counterintelligence Division and our partners will continue to enforce U.S. sanctions and cut off our adversaries from financial markets and critical technology,” said FBI Director Patel. “The seizure of this vessel highlights our successful efforts to impose costs on the governments of Venezuela and Iran. Sanctions enforcement requires a whole-of-government approach and the FBI is proud to be part of the team.”
The seizure warrant was authorized pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §§ 981, 982, 2332b(g)(5), and 2339B(a)(1), which authorizes the seizure of “[a]ll assets, foreign or domestic ... of any individual, entity, or organization engaged in planning or perpetrating any Federal crime of terrorism (as defined in 18 U.S.C. § 2332b(g)(5)) against the United States, citizens or residents of the United States, or their property, and all assets, foreign or domestic, affording any person a source of influence over any such entity or organization.”
The seizure of the M/T Skipper was effectuated by the Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation following the boarding by the U.S. Coast Guard.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia along with the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division and Criminal Division.
25sz50
##