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Monday 24 November 2025
Portland Woman Charged with Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland, Oregon, woman made her initial appearance today after allegedly assaulting an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Tigard, Oregon.
Summer Shepherd, 37, has been charged by criminal complaint with Assaulting a Federal Officer.
According to court documents, on November 23, 2025, ICE officers were in Tigard executing an arrest of an individual. Shepherd drove up to where the officers were making the arrest and pushed an officer in the chest, causing the officer to stumble back. The officer walked back to his vehicle and closed the door. Shepherd proceeded to strike the vehicle with her hands, denting the car. Shepherd yanked the door open and when the officer put his hand out to prevent Shepherd from coming inside, she slammed the door hitting the officer’s left arm. With the help of additional officers, Shepherd was apprehended.
Shepherd made her first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. She was ordered released pending further court proceedings.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Portland Man Charged with Violent Threats Against Federal Law Enforcement OfficersRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland, Oregon, man made his initial appearance today after allegedly making violent threats at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building in South Portland.
John Paul Cupp, 45, has been charged by criminal complaint with Threats Made Against a Federal Law Enforcement Officer.
“Threats of violence against the brave members of law enforcement and their families will not be tolerated, said U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott E. Bradford. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to holding those accountable who threaten and intimidate those who protect our communities, and we will continue to prosecute criminal threats of violence to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Threats to law enforcement personnel have absolutely no place in our community,” said Acting Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Portland Special Agent in Charge Matt Torres. “Attempts to intimidate those sworn to protect the American people and uphold our Constitution degrade efforts to keep all of us safe. The FBI will use all investigative means available to us to seek out and arrest anyone using violent rhetoric to express themselves.”
According to court documents, on October 14, 2025, Cupp began yelling insults at law enforcement officers as they were approaching a crowd. Cupp threatened to kill law enforcement officers and sexually assault their wives.
On November 3, 2025, Cupp posted a video online reiterating the same threats to federal agents and their wives. On November 13, 2025, Cupp continued posting violent threats online to officers and their family.
Cupp is a prolific producer of online content and regularly posts aggressive rhetoric, calls for war against the United States, antisemitic threats, and threats of violence.
Since June 13, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office has charged 40 defendants with federal crimes for offenses committed near ICE facilities, including assaulting federal officers, failure to comply, and depredation of government property.
Cupp made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
The FBI is investigating the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Overland Park men indicted for investment fraud schemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Two Kansas men made their initial appearances before a federal judge following indictments in connection with a $4 million retail sales investment scheme.
According to court documents, Baha Ibrahim, 21, and Jawad Albadawi, 21, both of Overland Park, were indicted on one count of wire fraud conspiracy, nine counts of wire fraud, one count of money laundering conspiracy, six counts of money laundering, and seven counts of transacting in criminal proceeds.
According to court documents, Ibrahim and Albadawi allegedly solicited money from investors by falsely claiming that their business would purchase merchandise wholesale and then sell the items online as individual retail sales, thereby yielding high returns. From March 2024 to August 2024, Ibrahim and Albadawi are accused of failing to purchase bulk items or sell them consistent with representations they made to investors. They are accused of misappropriating investors’ funds for their own personal benefit, including the purchase of luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and lavish trips to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Greece, and Las Vegas.
Ibrahim and Albadawi made their initial court appearances on November 24, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Teresa J. James of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan J. Huschka is prosecuting the case.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Andrew M. Amundsen, 33, of Leavenworth was indicted on one count of felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Faiza Alhambra 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.
###Omaha Man Sentenced to 17 1/2 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Javier O. Jasso, 42, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on November 20, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Jasso to a total of 210 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Jasso’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
Between January 24, 2024, and continuing until on or about May 28, 2024, Bryan Hall, Javier Jasso, and Jeremy Eaves worked together to sell cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl in and around the Lincoln and Omaha areas. The group is responsible for possessing and/or distributing at least two kilograms of cocaine, 600 grams of methamphetamine, and 500 grams of fentanyl throughout the conspiracy. Law enforcement also made multiple controlled buys from Jasso during this time.
A search warrant was executed at the residence of Eaves, Jasso, and Hall. In Eaves’s bedroom, investigators found a baggie of M30 pills, $1,985 in U.S. currency, a package that was delivered to another residence containing drugs, his identification card, bank receipts, and 330 grams of methamphetamine. In Jasso’s bedroom, officers seized $5,050 of U.S. currency and an additional $415 of U.S. currency from his wallet. Drugs were also found on the floor in the community room. In a closet, officers found 170 grams of methamphetamine, baggies of M30 pills, pink pills, suspected MDMA, LSD, Adderall, unknown liquids, unknown pills, bags of mushrooms, THC cartridges, THC syrup, ammunition, and a Marlin lever action .22 caliber rifle.
Co-defendant Jeremy Eaves was sentenced on September 25, 2025, to 224 months’ imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release.
Co-defendant Bryan Hall was sentenced on October 23, 2025, to 30 months’ imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department.
New York Woman and Federal Inmate Charged with Contraband OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that an Indictment was returned by a grand jury charging Primativa Soto-Martinez, age 35, with providing contraband to an inmate and Forrest Gilmore, age 30, with possession of contraband by an inmate.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the Indictment alleges that on or about July 6, 2025, at the Federal Correctional Institution-Schuylkill in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, Soto-Martinez, a New York resident, provided and attempted to provide Forrest Gilmore, a federal inmate, with two bundles containing buprenorphine, a Schedule III controlled substance.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. Wilson is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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New Orleans Man Guilty of Sending Obscene Videos to an Individual he Believed to be a Fifteen-Year-Old FemaleRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that MARK BROOKS (a/k/a “Baby Nu”), age 35, from New Orleans, pled guilty today before United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe to attempted transfer of obscene matter to a minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1470.
According to court documents, on or about May 1, 2025, BROOKS contacted an FBI online covert employee who was pretending to be a fifteen-year-old female named “Ava”. Subsequently, after “Ava” told BROOKS that she was only fifteen years old, BROOKS engaged in a sexually charged, text-based correspondence with her. During their correspondence, BROOKS sent multiple sexually explicit videos to “Ava,” including videos of BROOKS masturbating while at work and inside rooms in a residence. During their correspondence, BROOKS repeatedly discussed meeting “Ava” in person to engage in sexual acts. On May 13, 2025, BROOKS proposed to Ava that they meet at a restaurant near his residence and then return to BROOKS’s residence to engage in sexual contact. “Ava” agreed. Law enforcement authorities arrested BROOKS as he walked from his residence to the restaurant.
BROOKS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years, up to three (3) years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. BROOKS may also be required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing before Judge Ashe has been scheduled for February 12, 2026.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Louisiana State Police in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
New Jersey Resident and Business Owner Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Evading over $3.4 Million in TaxesRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Gloucester County, New Jersey man was sentenced to 12 months in prison for willfully evading more than $3,400,000 of taxes, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Jose Camilo Perez, Jr., 54, of Sewell, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty on November 20, 2025, before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to an Information charging him with one count of tax evasion.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Perez controlled a company that digitized medical records for hospitals and other healthcare entities. From 2016 through 2023, the business received more than $8,000,000 for the services it performed. Perez attempted to evade the assessment of federal income taxes by cashing checks payable to the business at a check cashing business rather than depositing those checks into the business’s bank account or his personal bank account, and then he used the cash for personal expenses and to pay payroll. From 2016 through 2023, Perez did not report any of the income he received from the business to the IRS. As a result, Perez evaded income taxes of more than $3,400,000.
Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation leading to this sentencing.
In addition to the prison term, Chief Judge Bumb sentenced Perez to 3 years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution in the amount of $3,434,066.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel A. Friedman and Josephine J. Park of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Camden.
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Defense counsel:
Brian J. McMonagle Esq., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
New Jersey Pharmacy Owner Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud Scheme Involving Billing Medicare for Undispensed MedicationRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey pharmacy owner pleaded guilty to health care fraud, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Nestor E. Jaime, 37, of Pine Brook, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on November 19, 2025, to an Indictment charging him with one count of health care fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1347, before U.S. district Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From December 2019 to December 2021, Jaime, through a pharmacy he owned located in Paterson, New Jersey, submitted hundreds of false claims to Medicare for a high reimbursement (i.e., more than $4,000 per prescription) medication called Dificid, which the pharmacy never actually purchased or dispensed. Jaime submitted false claims on behalf of dozens of Medicare beneficiaries who never were prescribed any Dificid. To make it appear as though the Medicare beneficiaries’ health care providers had prescribed the medication, Jaime falsely included the providers’ unique provider numbers on the fraudulent claims. As a result of the scheme, Medicare paid Jaime reimbursements for false claims for Dificid totaling at least approximately $2.5 million, which Jaime spent on luxury vehicles and other personal expenditures.
The charge of health care fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.
Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Health and Human Services Agency Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charge.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica R. Ecker and Kruti Dharia of the Health Care Fraud and Opioids Enforcement Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Anthony Iacullo, Esq.
jamie.indictment.pdfNew Jersey Man Charged with Using Fraudulent FDA Documents to Defraud Investors in Vaping BusinessRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey man was charged with using counterfeit FDA documents purporting to authorize the marketing and sale of vaping products to defraud investors in a vaping company, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Mohammad Abuhadba, 42, of Wayne, New Jersey, was charged by Indictment with two counts of wire fraud and three counts of use of counterfeit seal of federal agency. He appeared on November 19, 2025, for an arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte and was released on $100,000 unsecured bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Abuhadba persuaded two individuals to invest in and co-own a vaping company by misrepresenting to them that Abuhadba had applied for and obtained authorization from the FDA to market and sell tobacco products, including e-cigarette and vaping products, in the United States. In reality, Abuhadba never applied for or received such FDA authorization, and he instead created doctored FDA authorization documents using counterfeit agency seals that he provided to those investors. After Abuhadba convinced the investors to begin investing in the vaping company, he repeatedly lied to them about the status of the company’s FDA authorization to induce them to invest more money. He also doctored a letter he received from the FDA to further disguise that he did not have any FDA authorization to market and sell tobacco products in the United States.
Each charge of wire fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Each charge of use of a counterfeit seal of a federal agency carries a maximum potential penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.
Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica R. Ecker and Garrett J. Schuman of the Health Care Fraud and Opioids Enforcement Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: John Yauch, Esq.
abuhadba.indictment.pdfNew Haven Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine Pills, Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DONALD OGMAN, also known as “Mainey-O” and ”Manny O,” 44, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 252 months of imprisonment, followed by eight years of supervised release, for methamphetamine and cocaine distribution offenses and for violating the conditions of his supervised release that followed a prior federal conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Ogman has been a leader of the Grape Street Crips (GSC), a violent New Haven gang. In 2012, the FBI arrested Ogman for offenses related to his role in GSC, including drug trafficking. He pleaded guilty to narcotics offenses and, on March 10, 2015, was sentenced to 188 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release. In August 2022, a federal judge granted Ogman’s motion for compassionate release, reduced Ogman’s sentence to time served, and he was released from prison.
Ogman resumed his drug trafficking activity while on federal supervised release, distributing multi-colored pills containing methamphetamine marketed as ecstasy and crack cocaine in and around New Haven. The investigation included surveillance, trash pulls, and controlled purchases of methamphetamine pills and crack cocaine from Ogman from November 2023 through April 2024.
Ogman was arrested on May 9, 2024. On that date, searches of his person and residence revealed additional quantities of methamphetamine, as well as crack cocaine. A loaded firearm was also located at a stash location that was searched on the same date.
Ogman has been detained since his arrest. On April 16, 2025, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, methamphetamine; three counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; and one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine.
Judge Oliver sentenced Ogman to 228 months of imprisonment for the new offenses, and a consecutive 24 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release.
This matter was investigated by the DEA New Haven District Office (NHDO) Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the New Haven Police Department and the Hamden Police Department. The NHDO Task Force includes members from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie T. Levick and Nathan J. Guevremont through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.
Missouri Home Health Care Company Agrees to Pay $534,475 False Claims Act SettlementRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis area home health care company has agreed to pay more than half a million dollars to settle false claims allegations, U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus announced Monday.
As part of the agreement, Deer Valley Home Health Services LLC (DVHH) has agreed to repay $534,475 that the United States and the state of Missouri allege was falsely billed to Medicaid from Oct. 1, 2022, to May 31, 2023. DVHH submitted the claims on behalf of a person who began as a contractor and later became an employee. DVHH should have known that the person was falsely inflating his educational credentials and was claiming that more than 24 hours of service was provided in a single day, the government alleges. The employee/contractor claimed to have provided applied behavior analysis therapy including assessments and treatment plans for individuals with behavioral or developmental conditions. The government alleges he was not qualified to perform those services.
The employee left the company around May of 2023. DVHH disclosed issues related to his conduct in July of 2023 and cooperated with the investigation. DVHH denies knowing that the employee was submitting false claims.
“Today’s settlement underscores a commitment to holding providers accountable for submitting false information and fraudulent claims to the Medicaid program,” said Linda T. Hanley, Special Agent in Charge with the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to protect taxpayer funds and ensure patients receive legitimate services from properly licensed individuals.”
HHS-OIG and the Missouri Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Moore handled the case.
Mission Man Sentenced to more than Two Years in Federal Prison for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a man from Mission, South Dakota, convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The sentencing took place on November 12, 2025.
Tyler Waukechon, age 32, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison, followed by three of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Waukechon was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2025. He pleaded guilty on August 7, 2025.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred in October 2024, in the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation, when Waukechon confronted another adult male with a shovel at a residence in Mission. Waukechon struck the man in the face with the shovel, inflicting a deep laceration that required hospitalization. Waukechon was arrested later that day at a nearby residence.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Waukechon was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Minocqua Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Corey Kromray, 40, Minocqua, Wisconsin, pleaded guilty on November 7, 2025, in federal district court in Madison to wire fraud and money laundering in connection to his long-term investment fraud scheme.
At the plea hearing, Kromray admitted that between September 2018 and March 2025, he used social media and other online communications to falsely portray himself as a successful trader in stocks, mutual funds, cryptocurrency, and the foreign currency exchange market (forex). Kromray also used social media to display wealth he allegedly acquired from trading, including images or references to expensive watches, a large home, tropical vacations, and exotic sports cars. During meetings with investors, Kromray told them that they could expect a monthly rate of return of approximately 4% to 8%, with the potential of earning up to 30% a month.
Instead of investing money as promised, Kromray often used investor money to pay his personal expenses. He also provided some investors with false information about the success of their investments, including sending fictitious account statements with inflated portfolio balances. Investors lost more than $800,000 as a result of Kromray’s conduct.
At the plea hearing, Kromray admitted that he laundered proceeds from his wire fraud scheme, including using $50,000 in investor funds to make a payment on a 2022 Lamborghini Urus.
The maximum penalty for wire fraud is 20 years in prison and the maximum penalty for money laundering is 10 years in prison. Kromray will also be ordered to pay restitution. Sentencing before the Honorable William M. Conley is scheduled for February 5, 2026, at 1:00 p.m.
The charges against Kromray were a result of an investigation led by IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner is handling the prosecution.
Michigan Pharmacist Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for $4M Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A former Michigan pharmacist was sentenced today to 46 months in prison for his role in a health care fraud scheme at a pharmacy he operated. He was also ordered to pay $4 million in restitution and to forfeit four real estate properties and $726,364.96.
According to court documents, from approximately 2011 to 2017, Nabil Fakih, 50, of Wayne County, billed Medicare for prescription medications that he did not dispense at the pharmacy he owned and operated in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. As part of the scheme, Fakih submitted fraudulent claims for reimbursement to Medicare for high-reimbursing prescription medications, such as blood thinners and lung disease inhalers that his pharmacy did not even have the inventory to dispense. He concealed his fraud by manipulating the inventory purchases at his pharmacy, as well as the receipt and transfer of the proceeds from the fraud, diverting the proceeds for his own personal use and benefit. As a result of his crime, Fakih caused a total of approximately $4 million of loss to Medicare.
In August 2024, Fakih pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud before a federal judge in the Eastern District of Michigan.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan of the FBI Detroit Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Andres Q. Almendarez of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
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 and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Massachusetts Man Charged and Detained in Ongoing Elder Fraud InvestigationRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A citizen of India currently residing in Dorchester, MA on a student visa has been ordered detained on a federal criminal complaint for his alleged role in a conspiracy targeting Rhode Island seniors, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Samyag Uday Doshi, 25, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Amy E. Moses on November 17, 2025 for his initial appearance following his arrest. He has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. It is alleged that he participated in a scheme that caused a Rhode Island resident to turn over $54,000 in cash, with an attempted loss amount totaling more than $385,000.
According to allegations in the criminal complaint, law enforcement received a call for service regarding a Newport resident who was suspected to be the victim of an elder abuse financial fraud scam. The individual received a voicemail on his cellular phone regarding a phony purchase and was instructed to call a telephone number provided to him to address the issue. When he called the number, scammers falsely told him that he was speaking with a federal official and was under investigation for a myriad of charges, including money laundering. The scammers represented that they could assist the individual through the investigation.
Over the course of approximately three weeks, scammers directed the individual to make multiple cash withdrawals of tens of thousands of dollars and to then mail the funds out of state or provide the funds to “couriers,” whom he met in person in Rhode Island. The individual also made multiple inquiries about purchasing hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of gold bars. These inquiries are believed to have been directed by members of the conspiracy.
On November 17, 2025, the scammers attempted to arrange for the victim to deliver an additional $45,000 in cash. The victim contacted law enforcement, who surveilled the delivery as it was made, as is alleged, to Doshi, who was arrested at the meet spot.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S Attorney Taylor A. Dean.
The matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)-Providence and the Newport Police Department, with assistance from HSI-Chicago.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Rhode Island comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Marshals Service, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Intelligence & Analysis, and Rhode Island Police Departments in Warwick, Newport, Providence, East Providence, and Lincoln, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island.
Maryland Woman and Federal Inmate Charged with Contraband OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that an Indictment was returned by a grand jury charging Alita Stewart, age 51, with providing contraband to an inmate and Hugh Berry, age 41, with possession of contraband by an inmate.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the Indictment alleges that on or about August 17, 2025, at the Federal Correctional Institution-Schuylkill in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, Stewart, a Maryland residence, provided and attempted to provide Hugh Berry, a federal inmate, with a purple bundle containing a mixture or substance containing marijuana.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. Wilson is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Sex Abuse ChargesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Juan Carlos Puente, 47, of Clinton, Maryland, pled guilty to producing and possessing child sexual abuse material in federal court.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.
As detailed in the plea agreement, between approximately October 1, 2021, and April 22, 2022, Puente enticed a minor victim, who resided in the Dominican Republic, to engage in unlawful sexual activity and produce child sexual abuse material. Specifically, through Facebook messages, Puente enticed the minor victim to perform sexual acts on herself and to send videos of her engaging in the requested sexually explicit conduct in exchange for money. The messages also show Puente sending money transfer ID numbers to the minor victim and saying he sent money to her on multiple occasions.
On January 9, 2024, the FBI executed a federal search warrant at Puente’s Clinton residence. Law enforcement seized electronic devices and other evidence from his residence pursuant to the search warrant. Forensic review of the devices uncovered visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
As part of his plea agreement, Puente must register as a sex offender in places where he resides, is an employee, and is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Puente is facing a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a statutory maximum of 50 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis scheduled sentencing for Monday, January 26, at 10 a.m.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s 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 justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation, and the Prince George's County Police Department for its valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan S. McKoy, and Trial Attorney Jessica L. Urban, Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity 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, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for String of Dollar General RobberiesRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A U.S. Federal Judge sentenced a Scotland Neck man, Achontay Malik Cotten, 22, to 11 years in federal prison for multiple armed robberies.
“Armed robbers terrorize employees and patrons alike, endangering the community,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “Thanks to the quick and coordinated response, our local and federal law enforcement partners caught this criminal, so he faced the music. Our office remains committed to removing violent offenders from our communities and neighborhoods and keeping North Carolina families safe.”
“This 11-year federal prison sentence sends a clear message to anyone who thinks they can get away with committing a violent crime in North Carolina. You will be caught and held accountable. Thanks to the quick response of our partners at the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, this armed robbery spree ended without anyone being hurt. The FBI is committed to crushing violent crime and these powerful partnerships are achieving real results to protect our communities,” said James C. Barnacle Jr., the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
“We are grateful and thankful for our continued partnership with our U.S. Attorney’s Office to remove violent offenders from our communities,” said Edgecombe County Sheriff Clee Atkinson. “We will continue working with our citizens and our local, state, and community partners to make this area a safe place to live and play.”
“We value our partnership with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in addressing violent crime in Franklin County. Our goal is focused on removing violent criminals from our communities and keeping our citizens safe,” said Franklin County Sheriff Kevin White.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, prior to October 11, 2023, Cotten and his gang robbed several Dollar General stores in Franklin County. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office guarded different Dollar General locations throughout the evening. Around 9:50 p.m., deputies at the Dollar General on NC 561 Highway in Louisburg spotted three suspects robbing the store.
As deputies moved in, the suspects sped off in a nearby getaway car, leading deputies on a high-speed chase through multiple counties. During the pursuit, one of the vehicle’s passengers fired several shots at pursuing deputies. The car eventually stopped, and four suspects ran off into nearby woods. Law enforcement quickly located and apprehended Cotten, who later admitted to driving the getaway car.
Investigators also linked Cotten to other armed robberies of Dollar General stores in Franklin County, including on October 8 and October 10, 2023, when armed criminals held employees at gunpoint before fleeing with stolen proceeds.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jaren Kelly and Leonard Champaign prosecuted the case. The FBI Raleigh Durham Safe Streets Task Force, the Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office, and the Warren County Sheriff’s Office investigated 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. 5:24-CR-213-M-BM-1.
Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Re-Entering the United States as a FelonRead the Press Release
A man who illegally re-entered the United States from Mexico pled guilty today in federal court in Sioux City.
Julio Cesar Moreno-Anaya, age 47, who was living in Omaha, Nebraska, was convicted of one count of illegal re-entry as a felon.
At the plea hearing, Moreno admitted illegally re-entering the United States without permission, and having a previous felony theft conviction from 2016 in Hidalgo County, Texas. On September 15, 2025, Moreno-Anaya was arrested in Britt, Iowa, for speeding and not having a valid driver’s license. While in custody, officials determined he was a citizen of Mexico and had previously been deported from the United States to Mexico on eight previous occasions.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Moreno-Anaya remains in custody pending sentencing. Moreno faces a possible sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-03047. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Maine Man Charged with Trafficking Multiple Kilos of Cocaine Delivered in Rhode IslandRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Maine man who allegedly supplied multiple kilos of cocaine that were trafficked into Rhode Island appeared in federal court in Rhode Island on November 18, 2025, and was arraigned on an indictment issued by the Grand Jury. He was ordered detained, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Evert Delgado-Menjivar, 31, arrested at his Westbrook, ME, home on September 9, 2025, was indicted on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and distribution of cocaine, and two counts of distribution of cocaine 500 grams or more.
Court documents reflect that in July 2025, members of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) learned of a person looking to sell multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine. In August of 2025, a co-defendant is alleged to have distributed kilogram quantities of cocaine on Delgado-Menjivar’s behalf.
A federal criminal indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The sentence imposed in this matter will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey A. Erickson.
The matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Madison Man Sentenced to Six Years for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Terrance Moore III, 28, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced on November 21, 2025, by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to six years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The prison term will be followed by three years of supervised release. Moore pled guilty to this charge on September 3, 2025.
On July 8, 2024, Madison police officers were monitoring an impromptu street party just off the Capitol Square in downtown Madison. Officers looked inside Moore’s parked car and saw an AR-style rifle sticking out from under the front passenger seat. Moore was arrested and during a search of the vehicle, officers also found a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun, marijuana, and oxycodone pills in a backpack on the driver’s seat. Moore’s DNA was later identified on the handgun. At the time, Moore was on state probation for three prior illegal firearms possession cases. Moore is prohibited from legally possessing a firearm because of these, and other prior felony convictions.
At Moore’s sentencing, Judge Conley expressed serious concern that this was Moore’s fourth time in front of a court for possessing a firearm as a felon. Judge Conley found that a significant sentence was necessary given Moore’s prior criminal history.
The charge against Moore was the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force also assisted with the case. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Levins prosecuted the case.
Federal criminal cases involving firearms are 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).
Mother and Son Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine from Arizona to FloridaRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Kanethia Tremeka Steele, 51, of Tampa, Florida, was sentenced to 11 years and three months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Her son and codefendant, Kenneth Steele, 30, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced to seven years and six months in federal prison for the same charge. The sentences were announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I applaud the excellent investigative work by our state and federal law enforcement partners to dismantle this drug trafficking enterprise that had flooded our communities with deadly drugs. This is yet another successful prosecution by my office in fulfillment of the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from the drug traffickers who have peddled poison on our streets for far too long. Substantial prison time awaits these offenders and any others who try to traffic drugs in the Northern District of Florida.”
Court documents reflect that over a three-year period Kanethia Steele obtained kilogram quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine from Arizona-based drug suppliers on behalf of drug traffickers operating in the counties of Alachua, Dixie, Gilchrist, and Levy. In addition to her packaging the methamphetamine, Steele enlisted the assistance of her son, Kenneth, to transport multi-kilogram shipments of methamphetamine secreted in luggage on commercial flights from Phoenix, Arizona to Orlando, Florida. At the direction of his mother, Kenneth Steele made three flights, transporting over 40 pounds of methamphetamine that was distributed in North Florida.
“Putting this mother and son enterprise out of business will make communities safer,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “These illicit substances—particularly methamphetamine—have the ability to destroy families.”
The convictions were the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Former Assistant United States Attorney Corey Smith and Assistant United States Attorney Jason Coody.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Mississippi Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Ladarrius Rasheed Martin, 38, of Ridgeland, Mississippi, pleaded guilty to distribution and receipt of child pornography, and interstate travel with intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Our state and federal law enforcement partners work tirelessly to identify and intercept predators like this defendant who seek to exploit and victimize our children, and I deeply appreciate their efforts that led to this successful prosecution. My office will continue to prosecute such offenders to the fullest extent of the law to keep our children safe.”
Court records reflect that the defendant frequently travelled from Mississippi to Pensacola, Florida, to engage in sexual activity with a minor from September 2023 to June 2024. During the investigation, law enforcement obtained social media records of messages exchanged between the defendant and the minor victim. The records confirmed the exchange of child pornography as well as communications demonstrating the defendant’s regular travel from Mississippi to Pensacola to engage in sexual acts with a minor.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 13, 2026, at 1:00 pm at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
Martin faces up to 70 years imprisonment, a lifetime supervised release, and up to a $750,000 fine, and restitution.
The plea was the result of an investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit theU.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Passport Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Carlos Dominguez Lopez, 36, a Mexican national residing in Pensacola, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to false statement in application and use of passport and aggravated identity theft. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This defendant tried to lie, cheat, and steal his way into unlawfully remaining in our country, but thanks to the outstanding work by our federal law enforcement partners he will face justice before being swiftly deported. My office remains committed to aggressively enforcing our immigration laws with as many successful prosecutions as it takes to ensure our border is secure and our communities are safe from criminal aliens.”
Court documents reflect that in July of 2022, the defendant purported to be another individual and executed a United States passport application at the Escambia County Clerk of Court Office. The defendant provided a birth certificate and identification card in the other individual’s name, without that person’s permission. After the false statements were made, a United States passport was issued to the defendant.
Lopez faces up to ten years of imprisonment and two years’ imprisonment as a minimum mandatory sentence consecutive.
The case involved an investigation by the United States Department of State. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 10, 2026, at 11:00am at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Marianna Man Pleads Guilty to Introducing Marijuana into Tallahassee Federal Detention CenterRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Bertram Williams, 50, of Marianna, Florida pleaded guilty in federal court to introducing contraband into the Federal Detention Center (FDC) at Tallahassee. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I want to commend the outstanding work by our federal law enforcement partners to stop this offender before he could bring illegal contraband into the federal prison where he was already serving a criminal sentence. Thanks to this successful prosecution by my office, he will now have an extended stay behind bars.”
According to court records, the defendant is currently incarcerated at FDC Tallahassee. On April 13, 2025, after the defendant had a visitation session, Bureau of Prison (BOP) staff searched him. While searching the defendant’s left boot, BOP staff discovered two, cylinder shaped, plastic tubs that were in the cut fingertips of a latex glove. Inside one cylinder, staff discovered marijuana. In the second cylinder, staff discovered a rolled-up piece of paper saturated in a substance, which field tested positive for synthetic marijuana. The substances were also tested at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement laboratory, which confirmed the substance contained marijuana.
Williams faces up to five years’ imprisonment and one year of supervised release when he is sentenced.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Etherton and Eric W. Welch.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit theU.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Luzerne County Clothing Store Owner Sentenced to over 20 Years of Imprisonment for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on November 21, 2025, United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani sentenced James Rodriguez, Jr. a/k/a “Mack Mulla,” age 33, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to 242 months’ imprisonment for drug trafficking.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, on June 24, 2025, a jury convicted Rodriguz on nine counts of a superseding indictment charging conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 1.3 kilograms of fentanyl and 8.5 kilograms of marijuana between January 2021 and January 2022. During the conspiracy, Rodriguez operated Mulla Fashion, a clothing store, which included a recording studio, located on Scott Street in Wilkes-Barre. Rodriguez used the store as a front to sell fentanyl and marijuana to users and other street level drug dealers. In January 2021, Rodriguez travelled to Mexico to meet with MS-13 gang members, who supplied him with kilograms of fentanyl for distribution. Rodriguez also kept a stash house in Wilkes-Barre Township for storage of drugs. On January 20, 2022, a search warrant was executed at this stash house and law enforcement seized 159 grams of fentanyl, 400 grams of marijuana, two handguns and a shotgun. Law enforcement also seized 800 grams of marijuana, 37 grams of fentanyl, a ballistics vest, and a handgun from Mulla Fashion.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Kingston Police Department and the Luzerne County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jenny P. Roberts and Kyle Moreno prosecuted the case.
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Kentucky Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Kody D. Harless, 27, of Tomahawk, Kentucky, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 15, 2023, Harless received approximately 4.75 grams of fentanyl from an individual in Huntington. A law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle in which Harless was traveling following the transaction and located and seized the fentanyl. As part of his guilty plea, Harless admitted that he obtained the seized fentanyl after arranging to purchase it beforehand, and that he intended to distribute some of it.
Harless also admitted to additional criminal conduct. Harless participated in a conspiracy to receive fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Southern District of West Virginia for distribution. Harless admitted that he took part in the conspiracy from at least July 2023 to in and around November 2023, received methamphetamine and fentanyl on a regular basis from others in the Huntington area, and transported the controlled substances to Kentucky where he distributed them.
Harless is scheduled to be sentenced on March 2, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
Harless is among 27 individuals indicted on charges alleging they participated in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Huntington area. Harless and another co-defendant pleaded guilty to separate charges in lieu of the offenses alleged in the indictment. Twenty-three defendants pleaded guilty in the main indictment. Charges against the remaining defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT 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 Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
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. 3:24-cr-7.
Justice Department Surge to Indian Country to Investigate Unresolved Violent Crimes Yields ResultsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced results from its six-month surge of FBI assets across the country to address violent crime in Indian Country, including crimes relating to missing or murdered Indigenous persons.
The FBI sent 64 personnel, rotating in 30–90-day temporary duty assignments over a six-month period to support field offices in Albuquerque; Denver; Detroit; Jackson, Miss.; Minneapolis; Oklahoma City; Phoenix; Portland, Oreg.; Seattle; and Salt Lake City. The FBI worked in partnership with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal law enforcement agencies across jurisdictions. This operation was the longest and most intense national deployment of FBI resources to address Indian Country crime to date.
“These dedicated efforts by FBI agents, together with the BIA and our tribal law enforcement partners, have solved crimes, protected victims of violence, and brought much needed safety and security to communities in Indian country,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will never forget the crime victims whose cases remain unsolved, and we will continue our pursuit until justice is served.”
“One of the biggest problems tribal communities face is the vast amount of land to account for, requiring significant resources to crush violent crime,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “As FBI Director, I’m committed to surging personnel to these areas and working hand-in-hand with Tribal partners. Operation Not Forgotten is a major step forward in giving these communities the justice that they deserve.”
FBI personnel were assisted by 36 personnel from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit (BIA MMU). Combined, those personnel provided investigative and intelligence support by assisting in over 330 investigations. BIA MMU also provided technical support and expertise through ground-penetrating radar, underwater cameras, and sonar searches. Operation Not Forgotten contributed to the success of the FBI’s Indian Country program. In FY25 alone, the FBI’s Indian Country initiatives accomplished the following: 1260 individuals charged, 1123 arrests, 304 weapons recovered, and 458 child victims identified or located.
Some of those defendants charged by U.S. Attorney’s Offices include the following:
Three people were indicted on federal charges after a previously unsolved murder in New Mexico in 2020. Austin Begay, 31, was charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Zachariah Shorty, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. Two more suspects, Jaymes Fage, 38, and Joshua Watkins, 40, were also charged with crimes related to concealing the murder. (FBI Albuquerque/USAO District of New Mexico)
Renaldo Descheny, 43, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence for his allegedly strangling and striking Jane Doe in the face with a firearm. He will remain in custody pending trial. (FBI Albuquerque/USAO District of New Mexico)
Armondo Paul, 25, was arrested after officers from the Navajo Nation Police Department responded to a stabbing at a Shiprock residence. Upon arrival, officers found the victim deceased with a neck wound believed to be from a bladed weapon. Paul is charged with second-degree murder and will remain in custody pending trial. (FBI Albuquerque/USAO District of New Mexico)
Keanu Lee, 33, was arrested after being charged with three counts of aggravated sexual abuse, one count of sexual abuse, one count of kidnapping, and one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. (FBI-Albuquerque/District of New Mexico)
Additionally, the following are some examples of defendants convicted in relation to crimes investigated during this operation:
Marvin Albert Wauneka, 40, was sentenced to 40 months in prison for causing a high-speed drunk driving crash on the Navajo Nation that killed two passengers and seriously injured another. (FBI Albuquerque/USAO District of New Mexico)
Antoine Scott, 28, was sentenced to 28 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release. In June 2023, Scott approached a truck on the Warm Springs reservation and began punching the passenger through the window. The passenger suffered a head injury as well as a hand injury requiring stitches. Scott pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury and prohibited possession of a firearm. (FBI Portland/USAO District of Oregon)
Indian Country faces persistent levels of violent crime and victimization. At the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025, FBI’s Indian Country program had approximately 4,300 open investigations, including over 900 death investigations, 1,000 child abuse investigations, and more than 500 domestic violence and adult sexual abuse investigations.
Operation Not Forgotten renews efforts begun during President Trump’s first term under E.O. 13898, Establishing the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. This is the third deployment under Operation Not Forgotten, which has provided investigative support to over 760 cases in the past three years. Combined, these operations resulted in 249 arrests, 235 subjects charged, 109 subjects convicted, and services were provided to nearly 2,000 victims and victim family members.
Operation Not Forgotten also expands upon the resources deployed in recent years to address cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people. The effort will be supported by the Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program, which places attorneys and community coordinators in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United States to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people.
Justice Department Requires RealPage to End the Sharing of Competitively Sensitive Information and Alignment of Pricing Among CompetitorsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division filed a proposed settlement today to resolve the United States’ claims against RealPage Inc. as part of its ongoing enforcement against algorithmic coordination, information sharing, and other anticompetitive practices in rental housing markets across the country. The proposed settlement would help restore free market competition in rental markets for millions of American renters.
“Competing companies must make independent pricing decisions, and with the rise of algorithmic and artificial intelligence tools, we will remain at the forefront of vigorous antitrust enforcement,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division.
RealPage is a provider of commercial revenue management software and services for the conventional multifamily rental housing industry. As alleged in Plaintiffs’ complaint, RealPage’s revenue management software has relied on nonpublic, competitively sensitive information shared by landlords to set rental prices. RealPage’s software has also included features designed to limit rental price decreases and otherwise align pricing among competitors. In addition, RealPage has hosted meetings attended by competing property management companies where competitively sensitive information was shared.
If approved by the court, the proposed consent judgment would require RealPage to:
- Cease having its software use competitors’ nonpublic, competitively sensitive information to determine rental prices in runtime operation;
- Cease using active lease data for purposes of training the models underlying the software, limiting model training to historic or backward-looking nonpublic data that has been aged for at least 12 months;
- Not use models that determine geographic effects narrower than at a state level, which is broader than the markets alleged in the complaint;
- Remove or redesign features that limited price decreases or aligned pricing between competing users of the software;
- Cease conducting market surveys to collect competitively sensitive information;
- Refrain from discussing market analyses or trends based on nonpublic data, or pricing strategies, in RealPage meetings relating to revenue management software;
- Accept a court-appointed monitor to ensure compliance with the terms of the consent judgment; and
- Cooperate in the United States’ lawsuit against property management companies that have used its software.
As required by the Tunney Act, the proposed settlement, along with a competitive impact statement, will be published in the Federal Register. Any interested person should submit written comments concerning the proposed settlement within 60 days following the publication to Danielle Hauck, Acting Chief, Technology and Digital Platforms Section, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 450 Fifth Street NW, Suite 7050, Washington, DC 20530. At the conclusion of the public comment period, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina may enter the final judgment upon finding it is in the public interest.
RealPage is a provider of revenue management software and services headquartered in Richardson, Texas.
Jury Finds Man Guilty of Second-Degree Murder for Shooting, Stabbing, and Beating Man in Capitol HillRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – On November 21, 2025, a Superior Court jury returned guilty verdicts for Julius Worthy, 42, on charges of second-degree murder, assault with intent to kill, and related offenses stemming from the homicide of Orlando Galloway and the attack of Shaquia Lewis on April 2, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
The Honorable Jason Park scheduled sentencing for January 30, 2026. Worthy faces a maximum sentence of 95 years in prison for the crimes.
In April of 2023, Worthy lived with Galloway in a one-bedroom apartment in the Capitol Hill area. The evening of the homicide, Worthy returned home and began arguing with Galloway over $20. As Galloway pleaded with Worthy that he would pay him the money, Worthy pulled out a firearm and shot eight times into the apartment, six of which struck Galloway. Worthy then grabbed a kitchen knife from the dishrack and stabbed Galloway five times in the neck. Worthy beat Galloway in the face repeatedly with the firearm, causing a piece of the frame to break off. Worthy then turned to Lewis and stabbed her multiple times while strangling her, causing her to lose consciousness.
Worthy remained in the apartment for over an hour with Galloway’s body and Lewis, calling multiple people on his phone to ask for help “cleaning up this mess,” adding that he was “killing two people.” When Lewis tried to escape through the front door, Worthy attacked her again, stabbing her with a pair of scissors. A neighbor across the street heard Lewis screaming, saw Worthy attacking Lewis, and called 911. Officers arrived shortly thereafter, and Worthy fled out the back door. During the investigation, law enforcement discovered that Worthy texted multiple individuals in the hours after the homicide, including stating, “I killed two people.”
Law enforcement arrested Worthy the following day, April 3, 2023, and he remained in custody since.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Lawrence and Molly Smith prosecuted the case.
Inmate at Wyatt Detention Facility Indicted on Multiple Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – An inmate housed at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, Rhode Island was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 19, 2025, on charges alleging that, while incarcerated, he possessed contraband and multiple controlled substances with the intent to distribute, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Brian Slutzkin “aka” Lello Brian Bongiorno, age 41, is charged with possessing contraband in prison (controlled substances) and with possession of those controlled substances with the intent to distribute them to others.
According to charging documents, a search of Slutzkin allegedly revealed that he had a sock hidden on his person that contained seven balloons crafted out of latex gloves. Examination of the contents of the balloons showed that they contained distributable quantities of a powder containing fentanyl, pills containing oxycodone hydrochloride and acetaminophen, strips containing buprenorphine and naloxone, and marijuana.
A federal criminal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and investigators at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility.
Indiana Laboratory Company Agrees to Pay More Than $9 Million to Settle Alleged False Claims Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Patients Choice Laboratories (“PCL”), a diagnostic laboratory headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, has agreed to pay the United States $9,620,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and the Anti-Kickback Statute (“AKS”). The government alleges that PCL knowingly submitted claims to Medicare for respiratory pathogen panels (“RPPs”) that were either medically unnecessary or obtained through kickbacks. PCL also paid commissions to independent sales representatives and marketing firms (“1099 representatives”) based on the volume or value of referrals.
Specifically, the United States alleges that on November 20, 2020, PCL entered into a Marketing Services Agreement (“MSA”) with a purported infection prevention company (“the Company”), agreeing to pay $5,000 per month in exchange for “marketing and management services” in long-term care facilities. In reality, according to the United States, the MSA served as a pretext for paying the company for laboratory test referrals, which PCL then billed to Medicare.
The United States further alleges that PCL paid the Company to perform services in long-term care facilities, including specimen collection for infectious disease testing. The Company swabbed residents for COVID-19, and PCL used the same specimens to conduct and bill Medicare for medically unnecessary RPPs. In some cases, PCL billed for RPPs without performing any COVID-19 tests at all.
Between December 1, 2020, and May 11, 2022, PCL paid the Company approximately $1.86 million in exchange for RPP referrals. During that time, PCL billed Medicare for thousands of RPPs conducted at 43 long-term care facilities nationwide, receiving over $6 million in reimbursement.
Additionally, from January 1 to March 31, 2021, PCL contracted with 1099 representatives to promote its laboratory tests to health care providers. The United States alleges that these individuals were not bona fide employees. PCL paid them a percentage of the revenue generated from testing they facilitated. The representatives helped arrange referrals and orders for tests billed to Medicare in violation of the AKS. PCL’s commission payments to these representatives totaled at least $372,000.
“Kickback arrangements that drive unnecessary testing waste taxpayer dollars and undermine the integrity of our healthcare system,” said Tom Wheeler, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “This settlement reflects our commitment to holding accountable those who seek to profit at the expense of federal healthcare programs and the patients they serve.”
“Providing impermissible compensation to induce patient referrals that then lead to medically unnecessary diagnostic tests is simply unacceptable,” said Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland. “We’re committed to taking the necessary actions to protect patients and taxpayer-funded government health programs.”
“Wasteful spending fueled by kickback arrangements undermines the public’s confidence in our health care system and depletes valuable resources that should be used to improve patient care,” said Mario M. Pinto, Special Agent in Charge of the HHS-OIG Chicago Regional Office. “Working together with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG will continue to identify and investigate alleged violations of federal law.”
“Entities who submit false Medicare claims destroy public trust in federal health care programs and divert taxpayer-funded resources away from vulnerable citizens who truly need them,” said Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the HHS-OIG. “We are unwavering in our dedication to safeguarding the integrity of the Medicare trust fund and the services provided to enrollees.”
“Companies that submit false claims undermine public trust and divert critical resources away from legitimate care,” said Timothy J. O’Malley, special agent in charge of the FBI Indianapolis Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement and government partners to hold accountable those who seek to profit through fraud or deception.”
The matter was handled by Trial Attorneys Kelly McAuliffe and Asha Natarajan of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tarra DeShields, District of Maryland, and Adriana Figueroa, Southern District of Indiana, who jointly handled this case. The litigation team received investigative support from the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The United States’ settlement in this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare 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 the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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Illegal alien arrested for smuggling 51 illegal aliens in refrigerated produce trailerRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 50-year-old Honduran national has been charged with smuggling more than four dozen people in a refrigerated tractor-trailer, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Greibein Alexis Pinot-Duarte is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga Nov. 25 at 9:30 a.m.
On Nov. 22, Pinot-Duarte allegedly drove a refrigerated tractor-trailer to the Border Patrol checkpoint near Freer where authorities noticed his nervous behavior. The charges allege a K-9 alerted to the presence of humans or narcotics at the rear doors.
At secondary inspection, law enforcement discovered the temperature inside the trailer was 55 degrees and held numerous boxes of produce, according to the complaint. They also allegedly observed the silhouette of a person through a plywood compartment under the boxes.
The charges allege a subsequent search revealed 51 illegal aliens, including two juveniles, concealed in the cramped, hidden compartment. Many of the individuals did not have jackets or means to stay warm and complained of numbed or cramped limbs due to the tight space, according to the complaint.
The compartment was small and allegedly allowed only one person to exit at a time. Each produce box weighed approximately 30-40 pounds, preventing anyone from escaping, according to the complaint.
If convicted, Pinot-Duarte faces up to 10 years in federal prison as well as a $250,000 maximum fine.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew P. Hakala-Finch 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.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Illegal Mexican National with Five Prior Removals Caught with 50,000 Fentanyl Pills Hidden in Child’s ToyRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Mexican national made his initial appearance in federal court in Fort Lauderdale on Nov. 17 after law enforcement recovered more than 50,000 fentanyl pills concealed inside a child’s toy.
According to the complaint affidavit, officers approached a vehicle driven by Guillermo Higuera German, 37. During a consensual encounter, a certified narcotics K-9 conducted an open-air sniff and alerted to narcotics.
A search of the vehicle followed. Officers found several boxes and a Sesame Street-style school bus toy packed with thousands of fentanyl pills that weighed about five kilograms. The investigation also determined that Higuera German was illegally in the U.S. and had been deported five times.
Higuera German is again subject to removal.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, made the announcement.
The DEA Miami Field Division and Fort Lauderdale Police Department are investigating, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection on potential immigration offenses.
About the Border and Immigration Crimes Enforcement (BICE) Section
This case is being prosecuted by the newly formed Border and Immigration Crimes Enforcement (BICE) Section. BICE was created by U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones to strengthen South Florida’s border security posture, protect maritime and land points of entry, enforce federal immigration law, and dismantle transnational smuggling networks operating through the region. The Section brings together narcotics, immigration, fraud, and violent-crime expertise into a single coordinated unit focused on border-driven threats.
BICE Deputy Chief Jeremy Fugate is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.sdfl.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.sdfl.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-mj-06666.
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Illegal Immigrant from Honduras Sentenced to Eight Months in Prison for Illegal Reentry into U.S.Read the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – Nelson Deras-Pineda, 43, an illegal immigrant from Honduras with a history of driving under the influence and fleeing the scenes of traffic accidents, as well as entering the United States without authorization, was sentenced today to eight months in federal prison for illegal reentry by a previously removed alien.
“The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia will work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to hold accountable those individuals who flout the immigration laws of the United States,” Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today.
According to court documents, Deras-Pineda was arrested in June 2025 by the Roanoke City Police Department on felony DUI charges, his third DUI arrest in the last 10 years. Roanoke City officers contacted Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington to conduct an Immigration Alien Query. At that time, it was determined that Deras-Pineda was in the United States illegally having previously entered the country in January 2003 and May 2006. He was subsequently removed following each of those illegal entries.
Deras-Pineda again reentered the United States, illegally and without authorization, at an unknown date following his 2006 removal.
Deras-Pineda has prior state convictions for fleeing the scene of an accident, driving without a license, and three DUIs.
Robert N. Tracci, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia made the announcement.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, investigated the case for the United States.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charlene R. Day prosecuted the case for the United States.
Illegal Immigrant Sentenced to Time Served in PrisonRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Honduran national was sentenced today to four months in prison for illegally reentering the United States after previously having been deported.
According to court documents, Rigoberto Rubi-Guevara, 38, was an occupant of a vehicle stopped by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office on September 12, 2025, for a traffic violation. Mobile County deputies suspected that Rubi-Guevara was not a United States citizen, so they contacted law enforcement personnel with U.S. Border Patrol. A Border Patrol agent was able to determine that Rubi-Guevara had previously been removed from the United States in 2011.
At sentencing, Chief U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Beaverstock imposed a time-served sentence of incarceration and a one-year term of supervised release upon his future release. Upon his release from prison, Rubi-Guevara is to be referred to immigration officials for deportation proceedings. Rubi-Guevara was ordered to pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Hutchins III prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
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.
Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Robert Craig Hatfield, also known as “Bobby,” 48, of Huntington, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for carrying a firearm during and in relation to the distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 11, 2025, Hatfield sold a SCCY 9mm pistol and approximately 4.5 grams of heroin to a confidential informant in exchange for $340. Hatfield admitted to conducting the transaction, which occurred at his Huntington residence, and to arranging it beforehand.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff's Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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-45.
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Scott Burd, 59, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 6, 2025, Burd sold approximately 29 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in exchange for $1,000. As part of his guilty plea, Burd admitted that his co-defendant, Adrian Demetrius Ludaway, arranged the transaction beforehand and met with the confidential informant at Burd’s Huntington residence, where Burd distributed the fentanyl to the confidential informant.
Burd is scheduled to be sentenced on March 2, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor is prosecuting the case.
Ludaway, also known as “A1,” 35, of Wayne, Michigan, pleaded guilty on August 19, 2025, to distribution of fentanyl and a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1, 2025.
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.
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-103.
Habitual Domestic Violence Offender Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Assaulting His Intimate Partner on the Spokane ReservationRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on November 6, 2025, United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Idris Haith, age 47, of Wellpinit, Washington, to 30 months in prison for Domestic Assault by a Habitual Offender in Indian Country. Judge Rice also ordered that, following imprisonment, Haith must serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on September 26, 2024, Haith’s intimate partner, a Native American woman with whom Haith shares several children in common, called 911 emergency response and reported that Haith struck her, choked her, and threatened to kill her at a residence on the Spokane Indian Reservation. The victim said she confronted Haith about cheating on her and they both became mad and aggressive. The victim said Haith hit her face then began to strangle her. Law enforcement officers on scene observed the victim had scratches on the left side of her neck and blood on the left side of her lips.
Haith’s conduct is part of a pattern of assaulting the same victim. Haith has been convicted twice before for assaulting the same victim. The prior convictions occurred in the Spokane Municipal Court in 2012 and 2014. A person is considered a “habitual offender” within the meaning of 18 U.S.C. § 117 if, like Haith, he or she has two prior, separate, and final convictions in other court proceedings for assaults against an intimate partner.
“The Spokane Tribal Police Department commends the outstanding work of our team and the strong collaboration we share with neighboring jurisdictions. The Spokane Tribe remains firmly committed to thoroughly investigating and effectively assisting in the prosecution of crimes committed by non-Natives in Indian Country. We take all allegations of domestic violence and other serious assaults against Native American women with the utmost seriousness.” Stated Clint G. Kieffer, Chief of Police for the Spokane Tribal Police Department. “The Spokane Tribal Police Department will continue to pursue every case to the fullest extent of the law to safeguard the safety and well-being of our community.”
“This significant sentence reflects the serious nature of the offender’s ongoing pattern of abuse. Domestic violence is rarely a single event – more often is arises as repeated violations of trust, safety, and basic human dignity, as happened here. When individuals continue to harm their partners or family members despite prior intervention, stronger judicial action becomes necessary. Domestic violence and intimate partner abuse will continue to be a priority for this Office and I am grateful for our tribal partners, the FBI, and the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office for their tireless pursuit of justice for victims of these offenses.”
“Mr. Haith not only has a history of domestic violence, but those assaults have repeatedly been directed at the same victim,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Even worse, that person is his partner and mother of his children. The FBI and our partners are committed to combatting violent crime in Washington state, including on tribal lands, to keep our families and communities safe.”
The case was investigated by the Spokane Tribal Police Department, the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael L. Vander Giessen and Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Ellis.
2:24-cr-00179-TORGuatemalan Citizen with History of Domestic Abuse Assault to Federal Prison for Illegal Reentry and Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Yoan Mateo-Cardona, 24, a citizen of Guatemala illegally residing in Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced on November 20, 2025, to 15 months’ imprisonment in federal court in Sioux City.
At the plea hearing on July 14, 2025, Mateo-Cardona admitted he was a citizen of Guatemala and had been previously removed from the United States on one previous occasion in 2022. Mateo-Cardona further admitted that his status as an illegal alien and domestic violence abuser prohibited him from possessing firearms. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that on November 7, 2024, Sioux City Police officers were called to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino parking lot after security observed an individual displaying a firearm. Security footage confirmed Mateo-Cardona was the individual with the gun, and he was arrested for public intoxication and possession of a firearm by a domestic abuse perpetrator. Mateo-Cardona had previously been convicted of being an alien present without admission or parole, operating while intoxicated, domestic abuse assault, and possession of a controlled substance.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Mateo-Cardona was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of 1 year of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Mateo-Cardona remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department, Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino security staff and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4088. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Group of Pennsylvania-Based Car Companies Settle Matter Alleging Receipt of Improper CARES Act LoansRead the Press Release
Newark, N.J. – Five companies based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania entered into a settlement agreement with the United States resolving allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by taking Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to which they were not entitled, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.
According to the allegations in the complaint and the contentions of the United States in the settlement agreement:
In April 2020, Fred Beans Holdings, Inc.; Auto Express Enterprises, Inc.; Autorent of Doylestown Inc.; McCafferty Autorent Inc.; and Noble Advertising, Inc. (together, “the Defendants”) each applied for and received approximately $973,395 in PPP loans. Under the eligibility rules in effect at the time, businesses with more than 500 employees, inclusive of their affiliates, were not eligible for PPP loans. In their respective loan applications, the Defendants certified that they were eligible for their loans. However, the Defendants were ineligible for their loans because, inclusive of their affiliates, they had more than 500 employees. After receiving their PPP loans, Defendants sought and received forgiveness of the total amount of the loans plus interest that had accrued.
Defendants fully cooperated in the investigation and resolution of this matter. In accordance with the terms of the settlement agreement, Defendants will pay the United States $1,427,869. 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, the relator is receiving $142,786 as the share.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David V. Simunovich of the Health Care 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 United States ex rel. Forsyth v. Fred Beans Holdings, Inc., et al., 25-2324 (D.N.J.).
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Counsel for Ulma Form Works, Inc.: Denise Branch, Esq., Raleigh, NC
Counsel for Relator Aidan Forsyth: Eric Jaso, Esq., Montclair, NJ
fbp.agreement.pdfGeorgia Felon Pleads Guilty to Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Norcross, Georgia, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating a federal firearms law, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced.
Michael Allen Barnes, 42, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV to a one-count Indictment charging Barnes with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on April 11, 2024, law enforcement arrested Barnes in downtown Pittsburgh on an outstanding Georgia arrest warrant. From the waistband of the defendant’s pants, law enforcement recovered a chambered pistol which was loaded with approximately nine rounds of ammunition. Barnes was previously convicted of burglary in Gwinnett County, Georgia. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Judge Stickman scheduled Barnes’ sentencing for March 30, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit and United States Marshals Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Barnes.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Four Individuals Plead Guilty to Conspiracies to Misappropriate Funds of Non-Profit Organization Serving the HomelessRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal court in Brooklyn, Luis Camarena pleaded guilty to a conspiracy kickback scheme. Camarena received revenue from contracts to install surveillance cameras at homeless shelters run by a non-profit organization (the “Organization”). He conspired to pay a portion of that revenue to the employees of the Organization who authorized the payments to his business. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Hector Gonzalez. When sentenced, Camarena faces up to five years’ imprisonment.
Camarena is the fourth and final defendant to plead guilty in this case. Earlier this month, Camarena’s co-defendants Gary DSilva, Jonathan Velazquez, and Pradeep Nigam each pleaded guilty to the same or similar charges. DSilva and Velazquez were employees of the Organization, who authorized payments to Camarena and to Nigam, whose businesses provided security cameras and information-technology services, respectively, to the Organization. DSilva, Velazquez, and Nigam each also face up to five years’ imprisonment at their respective sentencings. The defendants have also agreed as part of their pleas to pay a total of $1,025,647.78 in restitution to the Organization.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI); and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) announced the guilty pleas.
“Camerena’s schemes enriched himself, DSilva, and Velazquez at the expense of the non-profit Organization, showing glaring disrespect towards the honest work of others,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office remains committed to seeking justice for all victims of bribery and kickback schemes and prosecuting those who perpetrate such offenses.”
“These four defendants enriched themselves at the expense of a City-funded nonprofit; two employees of the organization pocketed kickbacks in exchange for steering contracts worth millions to the businesses of two co-conspirators,” stated DOI Commissioner Strauber. “With today’s guilty plea, all four defendants have now acknowledged their involvement in a scheme to steal funds intended to support City programs. I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the New York Office of the FBI for their continued partnership and commitment to protect public funds.”
As alleged in the superseding indictment and discussed in court proceedings and other documents, DSilva and Velazquez were employed in the Management Information Systems department of the Organization, which is based in Brooklyn. The Organization supplied a number of services to indigent New Yorkers, including administering multiple homeless shelters. DSilva and Velazquez, as part of their work for the Organization, were responsible for soliciting vendors to complete various projects involving information technology and approving payments to those vendors.
DSilva and Velazquez entered into two separate schemes to enrich themselves at the expense of the Organization. In the first scheme, they agreed to steer contracts for the installation of surveillance cameras at homeless shelters operated by the Organization to Camarena’s business in exchange for a share of the profits. Neither DSilva nor Velazquez ever disclosed their secret interest in Camarena’s business to the Organization. In the second, DSilva and Velazquez entered into a similar agreement with Nigam, in which DSilva and Velazquez received a share of the profits from Nigam’s business in exchange for authorizing payments from the Organization to that business. In one instance, DSilva, using a personal email account, sent to Nigam an invoice for Nigam’s business to submit to the Organization. As part of the conspiracy, Nigam regularly sent money to companies in the names of relatives of DSilva and Velazquez.
In total, DSilva and Velazquez authorized approximately $1.6 million in payments from the Organization to Camarena’s business and approximately $1.9 million from the Organization to Nigam’s business during the operation of the schemes. As part of the pleas, DSilva and Velazquez each agreed to forfeit approximately $714,000; Nigam agreed to forfeit approximately $413,000; and Camarena agreed to forfeit approximately $224,000. These figures correspond to the illicit proceeds received by the defendants from the schemes.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Turner Buford and Laura Zuckerwise are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Johnson Peow.
The Defendants:
GARY DSILVA (also known as “Pankaj Dsilva”)
Age: 47
Manalapan, NJJONATHAN VELAZQUEZ
Age: 55
Massapequa Park, NYLUIS A. CAMARENA
Age: 58
Bronx, NYPRADEEP NIGAM
Age: 63
Edison, NJE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-471 (S-1) (HG)
Fort Dodge Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced November 20, 2025, to 15 years in federal prison.
Loren Craig, age 52, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 14, 2025, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
At the plea and sentencing hearings, Craig admitted that from August to September 2023, he and others came to an agreement to distribute over 14 pounds of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area. Following an investigation, law enforcement became aware Craig was a distributor of methamphetamine. On September 29, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence and located methamphetamine, two firearms, and drug-distribution items.
Craig was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Craig was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Craig is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Greenwood and was investigated by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Dodge Police Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-03004. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Former U.S. Postal Service Employee Sentenced to 30 Months for Possessing A Firearm as an Unlawful Drug UserRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger has sentenced Bryan Byers (58, Jacksonville) to 30 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by an unlawful drug user. Bryan Byers pleaded guilty on July 10, 2025.
According to court documents, a convicted felon was arrested with a Taurus 9mm pistol, which police learned had been purchased by Byers. The felon indicated that he got the firearm from Byers in exchange for crack cocaine, and that the sale was facilitated by a sex worker who would often set up deals where Byers would sell firearms to drug dealers in exchange for drugs. Law enforcement reviewed text messages between Byers and the sex worker, which demonstrated that Byers had been selling his prescription drugs, agreeing to sell firearms in exchange for drugs, and paying for sex work with money or drugs.
On April 2, 2025, federal agents executed a search warrant at Byers’ residence and seized multiple firearms, including a Marlin .22 caliber rifle; a Norinco 7.62 x 39mm rifle with a large capacity magazine; a Palmetto State Arms 9mm pistol; two firearm frame/receivers; multiple rounds of assorted ammunition; and used crack (cocaine) pipes. The day after agents executed the search warrant and seized the firearms, Byers went to a licensed firearms dealer in Jacksonville and attempted to purchase another firearm. However, agents arrested Byers before he was able to make the purchase.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelli Swaney.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Former Omro Alderman Enters Guilty Plea to Charge of Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on November 21, 2025, Jason A. Reeves (age: 44) of Omro, Wisconsin, pled guilty to a charge of receipt of child pornography stemming from his online conduct in April of 2025, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(2)(A).
Reeves faces a mandatory 5 years’ imprisonment and up to 20 years of incarceration. He may also be fined up to $250,000 and would be required to register as a sexual offender under state and federal law. He will be sentenced before federal District Court Judge Byron B. Conway on February 20, 2026.
According to documents filed with the court, a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) was sent to the Wisconsin Department of Justice. That tip was then forwarded to the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office based on the IP address associated with the CyberTip. The tip alleged the distribution of child pornography on October 16, 2024. Law enforcement continued its investigation and on April 29, 2025, they executed a search warrant at Reeves’ residence, which resulted in the recovery of child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office and the Green Bay Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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For further information contact:
Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
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Foreign National Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Unlawfully Re-Entering United States After DeportationRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A foreign national residing in Illinois has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for unlawfully re-entering the United States after previously being deported.
SANTOS VASQUEZ-ORTIZ, a native of Guatemala, was unlawfully present in the United States when he was arrested in 2021 for aggravated criminal sexual assault in McHenry County, Ill. He was later convicted of the offense in state court. Vasquez-Ortiz had been deported from the United States in 2008 and did not receive authorization from the U.S. government to return.
Vasquez-Ortiz, 41, pleaded guilty earlier this year in federal court in Rockford to one count of unlawful re-entry after removal. U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed the two-year federal prison sentence on Nov. 17, 2025.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Matthew J. Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.
Feeding Our Future Defendant Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Today, United States District Judge Nancy E. Brasel sentenced Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, age 24, to 120 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for his role in the $300 million Feeding Our Future case, the largest Covid-19 fraud scheme in the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. Nur was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $47,920,514.
As demonstrated at trial, Nur and his co-defendants stole more than $47 million in program funds by claiming to serve 18 million meals to kids at more than 30 food distribution sites. The scheme originated out of Empire Cuisine & Market, a small storefront halal market in Shakopee. Empire Cuisine enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program in April 2020—during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic and within weeks of registering the company with the Minnesota Secretary of State.
Nur and his co-conspirators immediately opened several federal child nutrition program sites and began claiming—falsely—to be serving meals to thousands of children per day. These claims were fraudulent. As the Court heard repeatedly at trial, no meals at all were served at many of the Empire Cuisine “sites.” Many of their purported food “sites” were nothing more than parking lots or vacant commercial spaces. Indeed, at some of the sites, it was instead the Shakopee Public Schools who were actually serving meals to kids on a daily basis.
Nur played a key role in the fraud scheme. He created and submitted the bulk of the fraudulent meal counts and invoices that he and his co-conspirators used to support their fraudulent claims. Nur also created and submitted fraudulent rosters purporting to list the names of children receiving meals at their fraudulent meal sites. But, as the Court saw, the rosters were fraudulent, filled with the names of fake children.
Nur and his co-conspirators engaged in a conspiracy to launder the proceeds of their fraud scheme using a series of shell companies both in the United States and Kenya. Nur helped distribute millions of dollars in fraudulent proceeds among their money laundering entities. Nur also set up his own shell company—Nur Consulting LLC—that he used to receive and launder his share of the fraud proceeds by disguising them as “consulting” and similar payments. In all, Nur used Nur Consulting to receive more than $900,000 in fraud proceeds.
Nur spent his fraud proceeds freely. Using the taxpayer money meant for needy kids, he purchased a 2021 Dodge Ram pickup truck for $64,000. Six weeks later, he purchased a 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe for $35,000. Nur used fraud proceeds to take a honeymoon to the Maldives, where he stayed in a private villa. He also spent $30,000 in fraud proceeds to purchase jewelry in Dubai.
Finally, as the jury heard at trial, Nur used some of his fraud proceeds to fraudulently obtain a college degree. In 2021, Nur enrolled in Herzing University, an online college with campuses in St. Louis Park and other locations around the country. Nur paid $12,000 to a company called PayMeToDoYourHomework.com to take his courses for him and complete all homework assignments and exams. They guaranteed him an A or B in each course.
Nur paid the company approximately $5,000 to take all his Fall 2021 courses for him. In January 2022, he paid another $6,000 to have the company take all his Spring 2022 semester courses. He made these payments via Nur Consulting, the shell company he created to receive and launder his fraud proceeds. Nur appears to have gotten his money’s worth. Nur received a bachelor’s degree in healthcare management from Herzing University in August 2022. Despite having graduated from Shakopee High School in 2019 with only a 1.75 GPA, Herzing University records show that Nur “earned” his bachelor’s degree in less than 3 years with a 3.42 GPA.
In June 2024, at the conclusion of his 7-week trial, Nur and others attempted to bribe a juror with $120,000 in cash in exchange for a not guilty verdict. Nur and four others were indicted in a separate federal case for the juror bribery scheme. Nur has pled guilty in the juror bribery case and is pending sentencing in that case before United States District Judge David S. Doty. Today’s sentence does not reflect Nur’s attempt to bribe a juror; he will face an additional sentence in that case at a later date.
In imposing the 10-year sentence, Judge Brasel told Nur, “It is so disappointing and so disheartening that where others saw a crisis and rushed to help, you saw money and rushed to steal.” She called that choice “mindboggling.” Judge Brasel explained that “this fraud conspiracy was both and at once elaborate and blatant,” and that Nur made the choice to steal again and again.
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, and Daniel W. Bobier prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Federal Inmate at USP Canaan Convicted of Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Bryant Wilson, a federal prisoner, was convicted on November 18, 2025, of voluntary manslaughter and possession of a prohibited weapon in prison following a two-day jury trial before Senior United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Wilson was an inmate at the United States Penitentiary at Canaan in Waymart, Pennsylvania. On November 28, 2021, Wilson was walking in one of the housing units within the prison when another inmate started a fight with him. Wilson quickly grabbed a seven-inch shank out his pocket and began attacking the other inmate. Over the approximately one-minute fight, Wilson stabbed the other inmate at least 15 times about his upper body, causing severe damage to the inmate’s vital organs. The inmate died of sharp force injuries within minutes of the attack.
Wilson claimed he was acting in self-defense. The prison video of the fight, however, depicted Wilson chasing the other inmate with a shank and stabbing him several times as the other inmate repeatedly tried to get away from him.
The charges stem from an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Prisons, Special Investigative Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle A. Moreno and Gerard T. Donahue prosecuted the case.
Upon conviction, Wilson faces a maximum penalty of twenty years’ imprisonment. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Fairbanks man charged with trafficking firearms, cocaine, and with possessing a machinegun during a drug trafficking crimeRead the Press Release
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment last week charging a Fairbanks man with illegally trafficking firearms, distributing cocaine, and with carrying a machinegun during a drug trafficking crime.
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of AlaskaAccording to court documents, from September 2024 to August 2025, Mason Lanon, 22, willfully engaged in the business of dealing firearms while not being a licensed firearms dealer.
The indictment also alleges that on Aug. 7, 2025, Lanon distributed cocaine and possessed a pistol with a Glock-type machinegun conversion device in furtherance of trafficking the cocaine.
Lanon is charged with one count of unlicensed dealing in firearms, one count of distribution of a controlled substance and one count of carrying a machinegun during a drug trafficking crime. Lanon is scheduled to make his initial court appearance Nov. 25, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Oravec of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces 30 years to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman of the District of Alaska, Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Seattle Field Division, Alaska State Trooper Colonel Maurice Hughes and Chief Ron Dupee of the Fairbanks Police Department made the announcement.
The ATF Anchorage Field Office, Alaska State Troopers and Fairbanks Police Department are investigating the case, with assistance from the DEA Anchorage Field Office. If anyone has any information regarding Lanon’s alleged firearms dealing, please contact the ATF at (907) 921-6131.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek 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.
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