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16 September 2026
Brockton Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting a ChildRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man was sentenced on Sept. 10, 2026 in federal court in Boston to the maximum statutory penalty for sexually exploiting a child whom he repeatedly abused over a period of approximately three years.
Raymond F. Clinton, Jr., 74, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun to 30 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution in an amount that will be determined at a hearing on Sept. 29, 2026. In May 2026, Clinton pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children.
“This defendant spent years sexually abusing and exploiting a child and went so far as to record that abuse for his own gratification,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Despite the defendant’s years of grooming and threats, the victim came forward, bravely reporting the abuse and cooperating fully with authorities. No sentence can undo the harm Raymond Clinton, Jr. caused, but this sentence ensures that he will spend decades in prison and will never again harm another child. This sentence also sends an unmistakable message: those who prey on children will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
“What Raymond Clinton did was absolutely horrific and this sentence ensures he’ll spend the rest of his life behind bars,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “That said, no sentence can erase the lasting harm this predator inflicted on this 14-year-old girl who will now have to live the rest of her life with the trauma of having been repeatedly sexually assaulted. Her courage to come forward in the name of accountability helped us ensure that other children won’t fall victim to this defendant. The FBI will continue to investigate and bring to justice anyone victimizing innocent kids in this way.”
Clinton began sexually abusing the victim when she was 11 years old and repeatedly assaulted her until she was 14. The abuse occurred in several locations in and outside Massachusetts. Clinton also threatened to harm the victim if she disclosed the abuse.
Clinton also took sexually explicit photographs of the victim and directed her to pose for photographs. In one message recovered during the investigation, Clinton solicited sexually explicit photographs from the victim. When she refused, Clinton continued to press her to send photographs without her face visible.
In May 2025, Clinton recorded his sexual exploitation of the victim. . The victim did not appear to know that she was being recorded.
Clinton was arrested in Brockton on June 1, 2025. During an interview with investigators, Clinton denied sexually assaulting the victim and denied taking nude photographs of her. When confronted with a sexually explicit message he had sent the victim, Clinton acknowledged sending it but claimed it was a joke. During a search of Clinton’s cellphone, a password-protected folder was located and found to contain sexually explicit photographs of the victim, including nude images; photographs and videos of Clinton; and the videos documenting Clinton’s sexual abuse of the victim.
U.S. Attorney Foley, FBI SAC Docks and Brockton Police Chief Brenda I. Perez made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Mansfield Police Department and Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David G. Tobin and Jessica L. Soto of the Criminal Division.
Boston Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of a Loaded Semi-Automatic Pistol and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for being a felon in possession of a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol as well as cocaine base, methamphetamine and oxycodone.
Brevin Dossantos-Wellington, 29, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to nine years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. In March 2025, Dossantos-Wellington pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, methamphetamine and oxycodone. In August 2024, Dossantos-Wellington was indicted by a federal grand jury.
On May 5, 2024, law enforcement conducted a motor vehicle stop of Dossantos-Wellington, during which time Dossantos-Wellington tried to flee. Subsequently, a loaded Springfield Armory XD-9 9mm pistol, along with 8 baggies of cocaine base, methamphetamine and oxycodone were found in his pants. Dossantos-Wellington recently completed a sentence for a prior federal drug trafficking conviction and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Baldwin Park Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing Two U.S. Postal Service Mail Carriers and Unlawfully Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Gabriel Valley man pleaded guilty today to robbing two United States Postal Service (USPS) mail carriers, later using stolen keys to enter apartment complexes and steal mail in Baldwin Park, and assaulting federal officers who arrested him, injuring one of them.
Ruben Baca Lopez, 34, a.k.a. “Monster” and “Loony,” of Baldwin Park, pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery of mail, money, or other property of the United States by use of a dangerous weapon, and one count of being a felon and prohibited person in possession of ammunition.
Baca Lopez has been in federal custody since April 22.
According to his plea agreement, in April 2024, Baca Lopez approached a victim, who was sitting in the driver’s seat of his USPS mail delivery truck in front of a residence in Baldwin Park while carrying out his duties delivering mail on USPS’s behalf. Baca Lopez instructed the victim to “give him everything,” and lifted his shirt to reveal a gun in his right waistband.
Baca Lopez demanded and took from the victim a smartphone, the keys to the USPS vehicle, a USPS-issued key, and keys to access apartment complexes in the area. In the following weeks, Baca Lopez used the keys he stole from this victim to access mailboxes and steal mail in the Baldwin Park area.
In May 2024, Baca Lopez robbed a second USPS letter carrier as the victim was placing mail inside a mailbox at an apartment complex. Baca Lopez accessed the area where this victim was standing by using an apartment key he stole from the previous month’s victim during that earlier robbery. Baca Lopez forcibly took from this victim his cellphone, wallet, smartwatch, a USPS-issued badge and two USPS-issued keys.
Two weeks after the second robbery, Baca Lopez forcibly assaulted two U.S. Postal Inspection Service inspectors who were arresting him. He refused to comply with their verbal commands, assaulted both inspectors and injured one of them.
On the day of his arrest, Baca Lopez knowingly possessed ammunition that was loaded inside of the chamber and magazine of a ghost gun – a privately manufactured firearm lacking a serial number – that he carried on his person.
Baca Lopez is legally barred from possessing ammunition because his criminal history includes felony convictions, including in April 2020 in Los Angeles Superior Court for domestic violence and false imprisonment, and another assault-related conviction in Los Angeles Superior Court in November 2021. Baca Lopez also was convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence charge in Los Angeles Superior Court in February 2016.
United States District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett scheduled a December 16 sentencing hearing, at which time Baca Lopez will face a statutory maximum sentence of 25 years in federal prison on each robbery count and a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison on the ammunition possession count.
United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Sebastian Bellm of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
Armed Bank Robber Sentenced to 78 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Christopher Donte McLean, 37, of Concord, N.C., was sentenced to 78 months in prison today followed by three years of supervised release for armed bank robbery, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, on March 26, 2025, McLean entered the branch of Fifth Third Bank located at 2822 South Boulevard in Charlotte. McLean was wearing a hat and a surgical mask. McLean first posed as a customer and inquired about opening a business account. A little while later, McLean pulled out a black handgun, pointed it at bank employees, and demanded $30,000 in U.S. currency. A bank employee gave McLean the cash. Court records show that during the investigation, investigators were able to determine that McLean was the bank robber.
Then on April 17, 2025, McLean entered the Truist Bank branch at 2222 South Blvd and passed a note to the bank teller demanding $40,000. McLean warned the teller that if anyone activated the silent alarm he would shoot. As the teller went to withdraw the cash, the teller hit the alarm and McLean fled the scene. McLean was arrested the following day.
In March 2026, McLean pleaded guilty to armed bank robbery. At the sentencing hearing, McLean was also ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution to Fifth Third Bank and $5,000 to a victim. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation to a federal facility.
This investigation was led by the FBI and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
2 Defendants Employed at L.A.-Area Homeless Nonprofits Arrested on Federal Charges Alleging Misuse of Millions of Taxpayer DollarsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Law enforcement today arrested two defendants out of three total charged in separate federal homelessness corruption and fraud cases, including a founder of a Culver City-based nonprofit who allegedly misappropriated more than $7.5 million in taxpayer funds, and used this money for commercial real estate and to finance the construction of a nightclub and adjacent bingo hall.
Today’s enforcement action is the latest effort by the Homelessness Fraud and Corruption Task Force to investigate, combat, and prosecute fraud, waste, abuse, and corruption involving funds allocated toward the eradication of homelessness within the seven-county jurisdiction of the Central District of California: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.
“Today the Department of Justice, with the full force of the federal government, is announcing charges in a major fraud takedown targeting schemes that stole millions from programs meant to house California’s homeless,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “As alleged, Michael Young, through Home at Last, received more than $100 million in taxpayer funds and misappropriated more than $12 million, diverting that money into shell companies, real estate, and even a nightclub and bingo hall. That scheme is now halted in its tracks. My message to every fraudster who steals from the vulnerable is clear: We will track you down, bring charges where the evidence leads, and work relentlessly to reclaim every taxpayer dollar you stole.”
“Today’s arrests mark a major success for our Homelessness Fraud and Corruption Task Force and this Administration’s commitment to protecting taxpayers,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “The scale and brazenness of these fraudsters expose a profound failure by the State of California and Los Angeles County to safeguard public funds. Millions intended to house the homeless allegedly financed private real estate, a nightclub, a bingo hall, and personal expenses. Taxpayers deserve accountability. We will follow the money, expose the corruption, and prosecute those who exploit the American people for personal gain.”
“When taxpayer-funded programs are exploited for personal gain, it undermines public trust and diverts critical resources away from the people who need them most,” said Robert Molvar, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Our work does not stop with these arrests. We remain committed to identifying fraud, protecting taxpayer dollars and safeguarding programs designed to help those experiencing homelessness.”
“Today’s actions reflect our commitment to protecting taxpayer dollars and ensuring accountability of public funds,” said Darren Lian, Special Agent in Charge with IRS Criminal Investigation’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The evidence uncovered by IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners reveals a deliberate scheme to defraud government programs designed to support vulnerable community members who are experiencing homelessness. We will continue to pursue those who steal from the public and hold them accountable.”
“Stealing from programs meant to feed, shelter, and support people experiencing homelessness isn’t just a financial crime – it’s an attack on the most vulnerable communities provided for by HUD programs,” said Brian D. Harrison, Acting Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG). “HUD-OIG is steadfast in pursuing those who exploit federal housing programs, and this case underscores the strength of our partnerships with law enforcement and prosecutors. Together, we protect taxpayer dollars and deliver justice for victims.”
“Fraudsters like Alexander Soofer, who steal money meant to assist the homeless, are despicable, greedy, and shameless,” said Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman. “Their actions are nothing short of a slap in the face to taxpayers who have generously and compassionately funded efforts to help the unhoused put a meal in their stomachs and a roof over their heads. These fraudsters who have stolen millions of dollars of homeless funds should know that they will be arrested, prosecuted and punished. The only question that should be going through their minds is when. My office’s Public Integrity Division stands with our federal partners to ensure that those who steal from our most vulnerable community members face justice.”
The two defendants arrested today are expected to make their initial appearances this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
The three new criminal cases being announced today are described below:
United States v. Young
Michael Young, 46, of Baldwin Hills, a founder of the Culver City-based nonprofit Home At Last (HAL), was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint alleging he engaged in a years-long, complex scheme to defraud taxpayers and public entities providing funding for homeless housing. Some of the affected programs were administered by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), the lead agency that coordinates housing and social services for the homeless in Los Angeles County.
Young is charged with wire fraud, a felony that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
According to the complaint, Young used a web of shell corporations and fraudulent billing practices to misappropriate millions of dollars in taxpayer funds earmarked for homeless housing, including through programs administered by LAHSA.
Among other gross misuses of taxpayer money, Young spent more than $1 million to open and operate a high-end restaurant and nightclub in Inglewood called Six Seven Five Lounge.
Through numerous contracts with LAHSA and other public entities, Young received more than $118 million in public funds from LAHSA, the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles, and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. LAHSA alone paid HAL over $75 million for homeless housing services. Young allegedly used a sham vendor fraud to misappropriate more than $7.5 million of these funds.
Young lied repeatedly during the fraud, according to allegations in the complaint, claiming funds would be used for homeless housing or for vendors providing services for homeless housing, when he diverted large amounts of taxpayer money for personal use and unrelated businesses. He created sham vendors to hide self-dealing transactions, submitting fake bids, forged signatures, and fraudulent invoices to make it appear the sham vendors were legitimate, third-party companies, offering fair market services, when in reality, the vendors had no employees, no locations, no legitimate operations, and existed only to funnel public money back to Young.
Young allegedly controlled the sham vendors’ bank accounts and used millions in taxpayer funds for his personal enrichment, including spending millions for his lounge, luxury vacations, vintage car restorations, and commercial properties unrelated to homeless housing.
In June 2026, LAHSA cancelled its contracts with HAL.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kerry L. Quinn, Sarah E. Spielberger, and James C. Hughes of the Major Frauds Section, and Tara Vavere of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section are prosecuting this case.
United States v. Mitchell
Donye Mitchell, 55, a.k.a. “Danya Mitchell,” of Orange, the CEO of a Los Angeles-based homelessness nonprofit, is charged in a federal criminal complaint alleging he was fraudulently awarded more than $1.2 million in grant money from a Los Angeles County-funded nonprofit.
Mitchell is charged with wire fraud, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. He is considered a fugitive.
According to the complaint, Mitchell is the CEO and executive director of The Big Blue Umbrella (BBU), a Los Angeles-based nonprofit. In January 2024, Mitchell allegedly applied for over $9 million in grant money – and several months later was awarded over $1.2 million – from a separate nonprofit funded by the County of Los Angeles called Epidaurus, which does business as Amity Foundation, to provide housing and mental health services to vulnerable people.
The complaint alleges that Mitchell falsely claimed to Amity that BBU was a major homeless housing provider and misrepresented its work with Special Service for Groups (SSG), through its HOPICS division, a nonprofit administering large amounts of LAHSA funds, despite having no contract and previously displacing SSG clients by failing to pay rent.
After receiving grant funds from Amity Foundation, Mitchell allegedly lied about staffing and spending, instead using the money for personal expenses including inflated salary payments, paying his own bail bond costs, credit card debt, family transfers, rent, and PlayStation charges.
In May 2025, after Amity had disbursed approximately $315,000, it terminated BBU’s contract over concerns that Mitchell was misrepresenting his spending and failing to meet agreed-upon milestones.
Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah E. Spielberger and Kerry L. Quinn of the Major Frauds Section and Juan M. Rodriguez of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section are prosecuting this case.
United States v. Malone
Lakiya Malone, 48, of South Los Angeles and an employee of SSG, was arrested on a 21-count federal indictment accusing her of taking more than $180,000 in bribes and kickbacks from Alexander Soofer, the executive director of the nonprofit Abundant Blessings, who is separately charged and has agreed to plead guilty.
In exchange for the bribes and kickbacks, Malone allegedly provided priority referrals of homeless housing participants, including “ghost” participants who never lived at the sites.
Malone’s role at SSG involved referring homeless individuals to housing sites funded by HUD, LAHSA, and the City and County of Los Angeles. According to the indictment, Soofer paid her through checks made out to her and an entity she controlled, Grateful Hearts Realty & Consulting, disguising the payments as consulting fees. In reality, the payments were tied to the number of referrals Malone sent and to “ghost clients” whose files she helped fabricate with fake welcome letters, forged sign in sheets, and falsified eligibility forms.
Soofer allegedly received more than $17 million from SSG during the scheme, inflated substantially by these fraudulent referrals. Malone faces up to 20 years per wire fraud count, 10 years per bribery count, and five years on the conspiracy charge.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kerry L. Quinn of the Major Frauds Section and Juan M. Rodriguez of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section are prosecuting this case.
Indictments and complaints merely contain allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States v. Soofer
Relatedly, Soofer has agreed to plead guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Soofer admitted in a plea agreement filed today to his role in the bribery scheme with Malone.
He further admitted that he obtained $23 million in public money intended to combat homelessness, at least some of which he admits he obtained through fraud, pocketing at least $2 million in taxpayer money for his own personal enrichment and for businesses unrelated to homeless housing.
Soofer has agreed to forfeit his ill-gotten gains to the U.S. government and is expected to plead guilty to the felony charges in the coming weeks.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kerry L. Quinn of the Major Frauds Section, Juan M. Rodriguez of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, and Mariam Kaloustian and Thi Ho of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section are prosecuting this case.
The FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and HUD-OIG are investigating these cases.
15 September 2026
Zuni Woman Charged with AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni woman is facing federal charges for allegedly assaulting a victim with a knife.
According to court documents, on August 5, 2026, Sally Ann Marie Eriacho, 29, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Zun, assaulted John Doe with a knife and the assault resulted in serious bodily injury.
Eriacho is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. She will remain on conditions of release pending trial which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Eriacho faces up to 10 years in prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Special Agent in Charge Justin A. Garris of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Western District of Texas U.S. Attorney’s Office Joins DOJ Fraud Division in Surge Takedown Exceeding $245 Million in COVID-era Loan FraudRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas today announced its role in a nationwide enforcement action led by the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, the Small Business Administration, and the SBA Office of Inspector General targeting fraud in the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The Western District of Texas was a key participant in this surge effort.
From June 12 to Sept. 1, federal prosecutors across the country facilitated fraud enforcement actions spanning over 160 criminal defendants, including approximately 80 newly charged defendants, reaching approximately $245 million dollars in intended loss to American taxpayers.
“Six years after our first PPP fraud case was charged in Austin, we are still finding fraudsters and holding them accountable for their greed-driven schemes that undermined a federal program and stole from American taxpayers in the midst of the chaos that was the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “This surge, led by the National Fraud Enforcement Division, highlights our commitment to protecting the integrity of our government programs and ensuring no one gets away with defrauding the public.”
“Pandemic loan relief was meant to keep American small businesses alive during government lockdowns—not line the pockets of fraudsters,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The defendants charged during our summer surge allegedly fabricated businesses, submitted false payroll and revenue claims, stole identities, and concealed foreign ties on their applications— but they will now be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“This summer surge shows what is possible when dedicated public servants across the country work together with a single purpose,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Our mission is clear: protect taxpayer funds, safeguard the integrity of federal relief programs, and deliver justice to those who exploited them. We will remain steadfast every day—standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners—to identify fraud, pursue those responsible, and restore confidence in the programs meant to help American small businesses thrive.”
“Today’s announcement represents the largest-ever action against perpetrators of SBA fraud, with 870,000 suspended borrowers tied to $39 billion in suspected fraudulent PPP and COVID EIDL activity. In partnership with Vice President Vance and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, we’re putting fraudsters on notice: the federal government will no longer turn a blind eye to those who stole from taxpayers and exploited programs designed to sustain small businesses during the pandemic,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “With demand letters going out to suspected fraudsters, we’re also sending a clear message that they must repay their debts or face Treasury collections and possible federal law enforcement. Under this Administration, the free ride is over. We are restoring accountability, recovering taxpayer dollars, and protecting SBA programs for the legitimate small businesses they were created to serve.”
“Operation No Doze brings a focused and coordinated approach to pursuing fraud in SBA’s pandemic relief programs,” said SBA Inspector General William Kirk. “By concentrating our investigative resources and working closely with SBA and our law enforcement partners, we are strengthening our ability to identify fraud, recover taxpayer funds, and hold accountable those who exploited programs created to help small businesses in a time of extraordinary need. This initiative makes clear that the passage of time does not diminish our commitment to accountability.”
In the Western District of Texas, U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons announced that two defendants pleaded guilty in two separate PPP-related fraud cases involving approximately a combined $1.2 million in alleged losses.
According to court documents, Arun Mago was an accountant in Austin and a known money launderer. Mago laundered $150,000 in cash represented by an undercover agent to be the proceeds of cocaine distribution. In addition to his money laundering activities, he also engaged in repeated loan fraud during the pandemic, applying for and receiving several fraudulent PPP loans for several business entities totaling $905,264. Mago pleaded guilty in July. IRS-CI investigated the case.
In a separate case, Eve Zou, an employee of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, made false and fraudulent promises and representations to the Small Business Administration (SBA) to obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and grants that were purportedly for legitimate business purposes, but, in truth and fact, the loan proceeds were used by Zou for her own personal use and benefit, including the purchase of real estate and for investment in brokerage accounts. Zou also made multiple false statements in those loans, including using her daughter’s identity without her daughter’s knowledge or permission, falsely claiming to have 50 employees, and falsely claiming lost rental income. She fraudulently obtained three SBA loans, for a combined total of $319,800. Zou also pleaded guilty. IRS-CI investigated the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Washington DC Felon Sentenced for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A Washington, DC, felon received a federal-prison term for firearm-possession charges.
Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Kevin Darnell Ayers, 44, to 66 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Jarod J. Towers, Hyattsville Police Department (HPD).
According to court documents, on December 5, 2024, security personnel discovered a loaded handgun in Ayers’s bag as he went through security at the District Court of Maryland for Prince George’s County. Law enforcement subsequently learned that Ayers was at the courthouse to attend his own trial for domestic-related charges. The handgun contained approximately six rounds of ammunition.
Ayers’s previous felony convictions prohibited him from possessing a firearm and ammunition. Additionally, Ayers was on supervised release for an assault conviction, along with pretrial release for his pending state charges, at the time he possessed the handgun.
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.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and HPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle A. Li and Kenneth S. Clark who prosecuted this federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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WDNY joins DOJ Fraud Division, SBA, and SBA OIG in surge takedown exceeding $245 million in covid-era loan fraudRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, NY--The Western District of New York today announced the sentencing of an Oklahoma woman as part of a nationwide enforcement action led by the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, the Small Business Administration, and the SBA Office of Inspector General targeting fraud in the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). WDNY was a key participant in this surge effort.
From June 12 to September 1, federal prosecutors across the country facilitated fraud enforcement actions spanning over 160 criminal defendants, including approximately 80 newly charged defendants, reaching approximately $245 million dollars in intended loss to American taxpayers.
“The Paycheck Protection Program was designed to act as a safety net for small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic by helping them maintain payroll and cover essential expenses,” stated Michael DiGiacomo, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York. “This defendant abused the program and defrauded the American taxpayer to the tune of more than $30-million dollars. While the COVID epidemic is behind us, my office remains focused on pursuing those individuals who defraud any government program.”
“Pandemic loan relief was meant to keep American small businesses alive during government lockdowns—not line the pockets of fraudsters,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The defendants charged during our summer surge allegedly fabricated businesses, submitted false payroll and revenue claims, stole identities, and concealed foreign ties on their applications— but they will now be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“This summer surge shows what is possible when dedicated public servants across the country work together with a single purpose,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Our mission is clear: protect taxpayer funds, safeguard the integrity of federal relief programs, and deliver justice to those who exploited them. We will remain steadfast every day—standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners—to identify fraud, pursue those responsible, and restore confidence in the programs meant to help American small businesses thrive.”
“Today’s announcement represents the largest-ever action against perpetrators of SBA fraud, with 870,000 suspended borrowers tied to $39 billion in suspected fraudulent PPP and COVID EIDL activity. In partnership with Vice President Vance and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, we’re putting fraudsters on notice: the federal government will no longer turn a blind eye to those who stole from taxpayers and exploited programs designed to sustain small businesses during the pandemic,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “With demand letters going out to suspected fraudsters, we’re also sending a clear message that they must repay their debts or face Treasury collections and possible federal law enforcement. Under this Administration, the free ride is over. We are restoring accountability, recovering taxpayer dollars, and protecting SBA programs for the legitimate small businesses they were created to serve.”
“Operation No Doze brings a focused and coordinated approach to pursuing fraud in SBA’s pandemic relief programs,” said SBA Inspector General William Kirk. “By concentrating our investigative resources and working closely with SBA and our law enforcement partners, we are strengthening our ability to identify fraud, recover taxpayer funds, and hold accountable those who exploited programs created to help small businesses in a time of extraordinary need. This initiative makes clear that the passage of time does not diminish our commitment to accountability.”
In the WDNY, U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo announced that Amanda J. Gloria, 49, of Altus, Oklahoma, was sentenced to serve 98 months in prison for attempting to defraud the PPP Program of over $43 million in COVID-19 relief loans. Gloria admitted that she conspired to submit at least 153 fraudulent PPP applications seeking a total of approximately $43 million on behalf of at least 111 entities between approximately May 2020 and June 2021. Gloria admitted that she falsified or aided and assisted with falsifying various information on these loan applications, including the number of employees, payroll expenses and documentation, and federal tax filings. Gloria then submitted or aided and assisted with the submission of the fraudulent PPP applications to financial institutions. In total, the recipient entities unlawfully obtained approximately $31 million in PPP funds. From those fraudulently obtained funds, Gloria personally received at least approximately $1.7 million.
In April 2022, Gloria pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of engaging in monetary transactions with criminally derived proceeds. At sentencing, Gloria was ordered to pay more than $30 million in restitution and to forfeit more than $523,661.
Trial Attorney Jennifer Bilinkas of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Kruly for the Western District of New York prosecuted the case. The case was investigated by the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Allen D. Davis, II, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Harry Chavis, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Boston Division, under the direction of Acting Inspector-in-Charge Justin Page, and the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Amy Connelly, Boston New York Field Division.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
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Vergennes, Vermont Man Charged with Hobbs Act RobberyRead the Press Release
BURLINGTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Brayden Hemingway, 18, of Vergennes, Vermont, has been charged by criminal complaint with interfering with commerce by robbery, specifically the robbery of the Stewart’s Shop in South Burlington, Vermont on September 13, 2026.
On September 15, 2026, Hemingway appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. Hemingway was ordered detained, pending a detention hearing, which is currently scheduled for September 22, 2026.
According to court records, at approximately 7:00 pm on September 13, 2026, South Burlington Police were dispatched to the Stewart’s Shop on Shelburne Road in South Burlington, Vermont, following an armed robbery. Security footage showed a male—later identified as Hemingway—arrive at the store in a white Kia Soul, enter the store, point an apparent handgun at store clerks, demand money, and then leave the store with cash. A man matching Hemingway’s description and apparel robbed the Winooski Champlain Farms convenience store approximately an hour earlier in a similar manner. Hemingway is further suspected of engaging in three burglaries in Burlington and South Burlington between September 12 and 14, 2026.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the criminal complaint contains allegations only and that Hemingway is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Hemingway faces up to 20 years of imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the South Burlington Police Department, the Burlington Police Department, the Milton Police Department, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, the Vermont Highway Patrol, and the Winooski Police Department. Ophardt added: “I am extremely grateful for the coordinated, diligent, and swift work of the officers and agents who investigated these crimes, and who safely apprehended Hemingway.”
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Corinne Smith. Hemingway is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
University of Hawaii Agrees to Resolve Allegations of Insufficient Oversight of AmeriCorps GrantsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced yesterday that it reached a civil settlement agreement with the Hawaii Commission for National and Community Service (“HCNCS”) and the University of Hawaii (the “University”) whereby the University will pay $499,950 to resolve allegations that HCNCS and the University violated the False Claims Act by making false certifications to AmeriCorps that the agency’s grant and sub-grant funds were used for authorized purposes and in compliance with grant and sub-grant terms.
“AmeriCorps grant funds are designated to help enrich and strengthen people’s lives, but instead were misappropriated under the University of Hawaii’s watch,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “By requiring the University to pay half a million dollars, this settlement underscores a clear message: institutions that receive federal grant money have a responsibility to ensure proper oversight and to report the use of those funds honestly and accurately.”
The Office’s investigation of HCNCS and University oversight of AmeriCorps grant and sub-grant funds arose from previous criminal prosecutions by this Office. In October 2021, a former Executive Director of HCNCS, Stacy Higa, pleaded guilty to embezzlement of AmeriCorps grant funds, which he used in part on personal expenses. In addition, Hanalei Aipoalani, Program Director for Olelo Community Media, an AmeriCorps subgrantee, pleaded guilty in March 2021 to embezzling AmeriCorps program funds. In April 2021, Aipoalani’s wife, Angelita Aipoalani, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to embezzle. AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General also found evidence of the improper use of AmeriCorps funds by another HCNCS subgrantee.
During the period in which AmeriCorps grant and sub-grant funds were being misappropriated, the University submitted semi-annual Federal Financial Reports to AmeriCorps certifying the grant and sub-grant funds were used for authorized purposes and in compliance with grant and sub-grant terms. The United States contends that those certifications were knowingly false as a consequence of the HCNCS and the University conducting inadequate oversight and supervision.
AmeriCorps is a federally funded network of national service programs that address critical community needs, such as increasing academic achievement, mentoring youth, fighting poverty, sustaining national parks, preparing for disasters, and more.
“The egregious crimes committed by Aipoalanis and Higa could have been mitigated by the University with proper oversight of AmeriCorps programs and HCNCS staff,” said Michael Pritchard, Official Performing the Duties of the Inspector General. “This settlement demonstrates that when an organization accepts AmeriCorps grant funding, it has the responsibility to have the people, policies, and procedures in place to ensure that funding is spent appropriately. We appreciate the USAO-DC's partnership in protecting the integrity of national service.”
The settlement built on the previous work of the AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General, the FBI Honolulu Field Office, and criminal prosecutors of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The resolution of this Office’s False Claims Act investigation resulted from the work of Assistant United States Attorney Sean M. Tepe and Auditor Timothy J. Hurley.
The claims resolved by the civil settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
uh_and_hcncs_settlement_agreement_-_fully_executed_9-11-26.pdfU.S. Attorney’s Office announces convictions in 2 Dayton felon firearms casesRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – Two men charged with illegally possessing firearms as previously convicted felons pleaded guilty in federal court here.
Kaylon Bradley, 34, pleaded guilty today before Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose.
Bradley was arrested in late March during operations conducted by the Ohio Investigative Unit, Dayton Police Department and the Ohio State Highway Patrol as part of the Violent Crime Reduction Initiative between the City of Dayton and the State of Ohio.
On March 27, investigators observed Bradley at Salem Beverage and Market on Salem Avenue in Dayton. A pistol grip and magazine baseplate were visible in Bradley’s pants pocket as he entered the liquor store. The store had “no firearms” signage, which made it a crime under state law for Bradley to enter the business with a weapon. Officers stopped Bradley and recovered a loaded 9mm pistol.
Bradley has prior felony convictions of burglary, possession of heroin, weapons under disability and failure to comply causing serious physical harm. He was also on federal supervised release at the time of his most recent crime after being convicted as a co-defendant in a 2025 narcotics case.
Yesterday, Jason Smith, 46, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael J. Newman. According to his court documents, Dayton police officers encountered Smith on April 15 and, when asked if he had a firearm on him, the defendant fled on foot. Smith was apprehended and officers discovered a loaded 9mm pistol.
Smith has prior felony convictions of robbery, felonious assault with a deadly weapon and trafficking in drugs.
Possessing a firearm or ammunition as a previously convicted felon is a federal crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jorge Rosendo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Dayton Police Chief Eric Henderson and officials with the Ohio State Highway Patrol and Ohio Investigative Unit announced the guilty pleas. Deputy Criminal Chief Brent G. Tabacchi and Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth L. McCormick and Erica D. Lunderman are representing the United States in these cases.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Joins in Takedown of COVID-Era Loan Program Fraud Exceeding $245 MillionRead the Press Release
Two Cuban nationals have been indicted in Cedar Rapids as part of a nationwide enforcement action targeting fraud in the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The enforcement effort is led by the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, the SBA, and the SBA Office of Inspector General.
From June 12 to August 31, federal prosecutors across the country facilitated fraud enforcement actions involving more than 160 defendants, roughly half of whom were newly charged, and approximately $245 million in actual and attempted theft. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa was a key player in this effort.
“People who defraud government programs are thieves just as much as if they’d stolen cash from an armored truck,” said United States Attorney Leif Olson. “We’re committed to identifying, prosecuting, and convicting these criminals. And our civil lawyers are committed to using civil suits and forfeitures of property to recover every dollar possible from these crooks.”
Statements of Department of Justice Officials
“Pandemic loan relief was meant to keep American small businesses alive during government lockdowns—not line the pockets of fraudsters,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The defendants charged during our summer surge allegedly fabricated businesses, submitted false payroll and revenue claims, stole identities, and concealed foreign ties on their applications—but they will now be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“This summer surge shows what is possible when dedicated public servants across the country work together with a single purpose,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Our mission is clear: protect taxpayer funds, safeguard the integrity of federal relief programs, and deliver justice to those who exploited them. We will remain steadfast every day—standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners—to identify fraud, pursue those responsible, and restore confidence in the programs meant to help American small businesses thrive.”
Statements of Small Business Administration Officials
“Today’s announcement represents the largest-ever action against perpetrators of SBA fraud, with 870,000 suspended borrowers tied to $39 billion in suspected fraudulent PPP and COVID EIDL activity. In partnership with Vice President Vance and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, we’re putting fraudsters on notice: the federal government will no longer turn a blind eye to those who stole from taxpayers and exploited programs designed to sustain small businesses during the pandemic,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “With demand letters going out to suspected fraudsters, we’re also sending a clear message that they must repay their debts or face Treasury collections and possible federal law enforcement. Under this Administration, the free ride is over. We are restoring accountability, recovering taxpayer dollars, and protecting SBA programs for the legitimate small businesses they were created to serve.”
“Operation No Doze brings a focused and coordinated approach to pursuing fraud in SBA’s pandemic relief programs,” said SBA Inspector General William Kirk. “By concentrating our investigative resources and working closely with SBA and our law enforcement partners, we are strengthening our ability to identify fraud, recover taxpayer funds, and hold accountable those who exploited programs created to help small businesses in a time of extraordinary need. This initiative makes clear that the passage of time does not diminish our commitment to accountability.”
Cedar Rapids Indictment
The indictment charges two defendants, Adrian Rafael Pupo Perez and Helen Yaima Leyva Santiesteban, both Cuban nationals, with 47 counts of wire fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy. It alleges that, beginning in July 2020, the defendants and more than one hundred other Cuban immigrants attempted to obtain fraudulent PPP loans and other COVID-era benefits. Each falsely claimed to be self-employed and to have earned approximately $100,000 in gross income in 2019. In truth, each participant actually worked elsewhere, most of them at the same northern Iowa meatpacking plant. In total, the defendants submitted roughly 470 fraudulent PPP loan applications in the names of more than 100 individuals across the United States. Their fraudulent applications sought $4.5 million in loan funds, and they actually obtained about $2.4 million. Pupo Perez and Leyva Santiesteban are currently fugitives from justice, believed to have returned to Cuba.
The case is being investigated by the SBA Office of Inspector General and the FDIC Office of Inspector General and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tim Vavricek, Matt Cole, and Dan Chatham. As with any criminal case, an indictment is merely an accusation, and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case number is 24-CR-3013. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Joins DOJ Fraud Division, SBA, and SBA OIG in Surge Takedown Exceeding $245 Million in COVID-Era Loan FraudRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO--The U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners announced today a guilty plea and a sentencing as part of a nationwide enforcement action led by the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, the Small Business Administration, and the SBA Office of Inspector General targeting fraud in the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California and its law enforcement partners were key participants in this surge effort.
From June 12 to September 1, federal prosecutors across the country facilitated fraud enforcement actions spanning over 160 criminal defendants, including approximately 80 newly charged defendants, reaching approximately $245 million dollars in intended loss to American taxpayers.
“Every dollar stolen from the PPP program was a dollar that could have, and should have, gone to a hard-working family when they needed it the most,” said U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian. “Yet, as alleged, these defendants exploited a national tragedy and stole from the American taxpayer. Our office will continue to do all we can to protect the integrity of the PPP program and programs like it by identifying and prosecuting anyone who tries to cheat the system.”
“Pandemic loan relief was meant to keep American small businesses alive during government lockdowns—not line the pockets of fraudsters,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The defendants charged during our summer surge allegedly fabricated businesses, submitted false payroll and revenue claims, stole identities, and concealed foreign ties on their applications— but they will now be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“This summer surge shows what is possible when dedicated public servants across the country work together with a single purpose,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Our mission is clear: protect taxpayer funds, safeguard the integrity of federal relief programs, and deliver justice to those who exploited them. We will remain steadfast every day—standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners—to identify fraud, pursue those responsible, and restore confidence in the programs meant to help American small businesses thrive.”
“Today’s announcement represents the largest-ever action against perpetrators of SBA fraud, with 870,000 suspended borrowers tied to $39 billion in suspected fraudulent PPP and COVID EIDL activity. In partnership with Vice President Vance and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, we’re putting fraudsters on notice: the federal government will no longer turn a blind eye to those who stole from taxpayers and exploited programs designed to sustain small businesses during the pandemic,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “With demand letters going out to suspected fraudsters, we’re also sending a clear message that they must repay their debts or face Treasury collections and possible federal law enforcement. Under this Administration, the free ride is over. We are restoring accountability, recovering taxpayer dollars, and protecting SBA programs for the legitimate small businesses they were created to serve.”
“Operation No Doze brings a focused and coordinated approach to pursuing fraud in SBA’s pandemic relief programs,” said SBA Inspector General William Kirk. “By concentrating our investigative resources and working closely with SBA and our law enforcement partners, we are strengthening our ability to identify fraud, recover taxpayer funds, and hold accountable those who exploited programs created to help small businesses in a time of extraordinary need. This initiative makes clear that the passage of time does not diminish our commitment to accountability.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the following cases in connection with the surge:
United States v. Dory Lindsay Ford
On August 31, 2026, Dory Lindsay Ford pleaded guilty to Count Two of an indictment charging him with wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Ford, 59, of Monterey, was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 25, 2024. According to the plea agreement, Ford admitted to devising a scheme to obtain funds from COVID-19 relief programs.
Ford submitted a Restaurant Revitalization Funding (RRF) application to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). In his RRF application, Ford admitted to knowingly making material misrepresentations. Ford certified that his catering business, Aqua Terra Culinary, Inc., was operational and that he would use the funds for eligible uses, such as business expenses. Ford admitted that these certifications were false. As a result of his fraud, Ford received $3,313,398 from the SBA.
Ford’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 7, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Davila. Ford faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The court could also order restitution. Any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant United State Attorney Neal C. Hong is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Sahib Kaur. The prosecution is a result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and SBA Office of Inspector General.
United States v. Raouf Bouzidi et al.
On August 6, 2026, Raouf Bouzidi was sentenced to eight months in federal prison and a three-year term of supervised release for using SBA funds for unauthorized purposes and laundering proceeds from his impermissible use of the funds. Bouzidi was also ordered to pay $1,275,539.99 in restitution. U.S. District Judge William Orrick handed down the sentence.
Bouzidi, 53, of San Francisco, was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 17, 2024. On April 9, 2026, he pleaded guilty to two counts of conversion of government property and one count of money laundering in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 641 and 1957. According to the plea agreement, Bouzidi admitted to obtaining approximately $500,000 from the SBA through an Economic Injury Disaster Loan and approximately $775,000 from the SBA through its Restaurant Revitalization Fund grant program. The funds were obtained on behalf of a business that operated a San Francisco restaurant named Chez BeeSen.
Bouzidi admitted that although he knew the SBA funds could only be used for authorized business purposes related to the operation of Chez BeeSen, he nevertheless caused the funds to be used for impermissible purposes. In particular, Bouzidi purchased a Mercedes vehicle using SBA funds that he then shipped overseas. Bouzidi also directed a co-defendant to purchase a residential property in Sausalito, California, for approximately $960,000 using SBA funds. Bouzidi then managed renovations of the property and caused it to be sold for a profit as part of a real-estate flipping scheme, with the proceeds being deposited in the co-defendant’s personal account at Bouzidi’s direction. After the Sausalito residence was sold, Bouzidi directed his co-defendant to use the proceeds to purchase a second residential property in Novato, California. Bouzidi again managed the renovations of this property and caused it to be sold for a profit. After the Novato residence was sold, the FBI executed a warrant and seized more than $1 million in misappropriated funds.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Buszin is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kevin Costello. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and IRS-CI.
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On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Two Robinhood Employees Charged with FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced today the unsealing of Complaints charging HEFU CHAI and HUAISONG XIANG, a/k/a “Jerry Xiang,” with commodities fraud and wire fraud arising from a scheme to misappropriate confidential business information from their employer, Robinhood Markets, Inc. (“Robinhood”), and use that information to trade perpetual futures on Hyperliquid, a decentralized derivatives exchange. CHAI will be presented today in the Northern District of California. XIANG will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang.
“Misappropriating confidential information to trade in the derivatives markets for personal benefit is illegal,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. “That is exactly what we allege Hefu Chai and Huaisong Xiang have done. Today’s charges make clear that corporate insiders cannot evade the securities and commodities laws by trading based on misappropriated information in derivatives like perpetual futures, tokenized securities, or other similar financial instruments.”
“Hefu Chai and Huaisong Xiang are charged with commodities fraud and wire fraud for allegedly exploiting confidential business information taken from their employer to trade perpetual futures,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “These charges make clear the FBI with its partners will act when individuals access sensitive business information for their own benefit.”
According to the Complaints unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:(1)
CHAI and XIANG were employed as engineers at Robinhood. In connection with their roles at Robinhood, CHAI and XIANG had access to nonpublic information regarding whether and when Robinhood would support additional cryptocurrencies for trading on Robinhood Crypto, a Robinhood subsidiary that operates a digital asset trading platform.
Hyperliquid markets itself as a decentralized exchange for trading a wide range of derivative products, including cryptocurrencies and derivatives tied to other underlying assets. Investors on Hyperliquid can purchase, among other things, perpetual futures (“perpetuals”). Perpetuals are derivative products that allow investors to take positions on the price movements of an underlying asset, whether a cryptocurrency or another asset, without owning the asset itself. Unlike traditional futures contracts, Hyperliquid’s perpetuals do not expire and can be maintained indefinitely. To keep a position open, however, traders must make or receive periodic funding payments, which align the perpetual’s price with the spot price of the underlying asset. A trader can settle the perpetual at any time and realize their gain or loss.
Between 2025 and 2026, CHAI and XIANG repeatedly bought perpetual futures linked to cryptocurrency tokens on Hyperliquid in advance of Robinhood’s public announcements that the underlying cryptocurrency tokens would be listed on Robinhood Crypto. On each occasion, CHAI and XIANG possessed material nonpublic information that Robinhood would list the cryptocurrency token on Robinhood Crypto, and CHAI and XIANG traded on that information in breach of the duties that CHAI and XIANG owed to Robinhood to maintain the confidentiality of this information. CHAI and XIANG each profited more than $50,000 from their illicit trading.
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CHAI, 36, of Menlo Park, California, and XIANG, 30, of Jersey City, New Jersey, are charged with one count of violating the Commodity Exchange Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. McDonald praised the outstanding work of the FBI. Mr. McDonald further thanked Robinhood for its cooperation with the investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra N. Rothman is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaints are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
^
As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaints and the description of the Complaints set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.
Twin Lake Woman Sentenced for Disaster FraudRead the Press Release
Claimed beach house in Florida was her primary residence to steal
emergency funds meant for persons displaced by Hurricane Ian.
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that Toni M. Fisher, 61, of Twin Lake, MI was sentenced to 6 months in prison after a jury convicted her of Major Disaster Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1040. During sentencing, Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou said, this kind of crime “harms every taxpayer, but specifically those who have lost their primary home.”
In September 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall on the Florida coast, causing significant property damage and displacing thousands of year-round residents. Fisher, a landlord with numerous rental properties in Muskegon County, filed a fraudulent application for disaster benefits from FEMA in which she claimed her vacation home in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, was her primary residence. In fact, she was living at her lakeside home in Twin Lake, Michigan, when the hurricane struck. As a result of the fraud, she received nearly $50,000 in cash, including money that was to be used for rent and emergency living expenses.
Fisher called FEMA repeatedly from Michigan to check on the status of her application. She falsely claimed she had missed a housing inspection in Fort Myers Beach because she was “out of town at [her] second residency” since her home was destroyed. Fisher was actually at home in Twin Lake and had just returned from a vacation in Aruba with $13,500 in cash on her person the day before she filed the application for FEMA assistance.
When Fisher was interviewed by federal agents, she denied claiming the beach house was her primary residence, and falsely suggested that she lived more than half of each year in Fort Myers Beach. She testified at trial, and repeated the same claims. Bank, airline, and casino records admitted at trial, however, established that she was a “snowbird” who only spent the winters in Florida.
U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey said, “The FEMA program is an example of how generous Americans are when disaster strikes, and we try to get financial help to our neighbors quickly. But the availability of this money also attracts people who are willing to lie about being a victim in order to make an easy buck. Toni Fisher revealed herself to be one of those people, and today she paid the price for it. The public should know we are keeping a close eye on government program fraud and will not hesitate to bring serious criminal charges when we find it.”
The case was investigated by Special Agent Justin Efthemiou of the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General (DHS-OIG) and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nils Kessler and Julia Rugg.
Twice Deported Peruvian National Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Illegally Reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CESAR RUBEN YLLESCAS, 52, a citizen of Peru, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 15 months of imprisonment for illegally reentering the U.S.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between 1995 and 2015, Yllescas was arrested, convicted, and sentenced multiple times in Connecticut Superior Court and Chicopee, Massachusetts District Court for narcotics offenses, threatening, assault, failure to appear in court, and illegal operation of a motor vehicle. In June 2016, Yllescas was deported to Peru. He subsequently reentered the U.S., was convicted in federal court of unlawful reentry and, in December 2019, was sentenced to 10 months of imprisonment. In May 2020, Yllescas was again deported to Peru.
Yllescas again illegally reentered the U.S. and, on March 20, 2026, he was arrested by the West Springfield, Massachusetts Police Department for motor vehicle-related charges and on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in court in 2015 for a violation of probation. After Yllescas was released on bond on those state charges, he was arrested by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations on March 23, 2026, in West Springfield.
Yllescas has been detained since his arrest. On June 23, 2026, he pleaded guilty to unlawful reentry of a removed alien.
This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neeraj N. Patel and Michael S. Deel.
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.
Twelve People Charged in $10 Million Home Daycare Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Twelve people are facing federal fraud charges after an investigation revealed that more than $10 million intended to help low-income families pay for childcare was instead funneled to bogus daycare providers.
In a coordinated takedown early Thursday morning, more than 250 federal, state and local law enforcement officials arrested all 12 defendants and executed 12 search warrants at homes in San Diego purported to be used as daycare facilities.
“These charges underscore a simple truth: anyone who steals from programs meant to support children will face swift and uncompromising accountability, said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Fraud against these programs is an attack on vulnerable families, and law enforcement will continue to dismantle schemes that exploit them. I want to thank the prosecutors and agents in the Southern District of California whose relentless work exposed this scheme and ensured that those responsible are being held accountable.”
“Today is a bad day for home daycare fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon, “These are the first charges alleging this type of fraud since the formation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. These fraudsters may have criminally gamed the system before. But today, the game is over.”
“Programs that help families access childcare are intended to support children and working parents, not to enrich fraudsters,” said Homeland Security Investigations Assistant Director Michael Krol. “HSI is proud to stand with our federal, state, and local partners to identify and disrupt schemes that steal taxpayer-funded benefits from the communities they are meant to serve. These arrests reflect our commitment to protecting public programs, safeguarding children, and holding accountable those who exploit systems designed to help vulnerable families.”
“Today’s takedown exposes a sprawling fraud scheme that siphoned more than $10 million from programs designed to help low-income families who depend on subsidized childcare. By following the money, IRS Criminal Investigation uncovered patterns of deceit that revealed twelve ghost daycare operations billing for children who were never present. This was not a victimless crime. It deprived working parents of critical support and eroded trust in programs meant to protect the most vulnerable in our communities. We remain steadfast in our commitment to safeguarding federal funds and ensuring that those who exploit public programs for personal gain are held fully accountable,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Chief Jarod Koopman.
“Shameless attempts to steal taxpayer‑funded childcare funds for personal gain endanger support for some of our nation’s most vulnerable children,” said Special Agent in Charge Robb R. Breeden of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working alongside our law enforcement partners, HHS‑OIG will continue to pursue these schemes relentlessly to protect these funds and the families who depend on them.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides federal funding to California to help low-income families pay for childcare. In San Diego County, the County of San Diego, Child Development Associates (CDA), and the YMCA administer childcare subsidy programs.
When CDA or the YMCA determines that a family qualifies for subsidized childcare, the organizations pay the eligible childcare provider directly after the provider submits required monthly attendance records documenting the care provided. The records must be signed by both the provider and parent under penalty of perjury and include the dates and times children are in care.
California law also requires licensed childcare providers to be present and ensure that children are supervised at all times, except for limited temporary absences when a qualified substitute is present.
While the 12 federal complaints are unrelated, the scheme was essentially the same: Defendants obtained a California license to operate a home childcare facility and registered with Child Development Associates (CDA) and the YMCA to provide subsidized childcare to eligible families. To receive government-funded payments, the defendants were required to submit monthly attendance records accurately documenting the dates and times they provided care to each child.
Instead, the defendants knowingly submitted false attendance records claiming they provided childcare on dates and at times when they did not. They also falsely certified, under penalty of perjury, that the information was true and correct. CDA and the YMCA relied on those fraudulent records and issued payments with federal funds intended to pay for childcare actually provided to low-income families.
The complaints describe how surveillance recordings of the defendants’ licensed facilities conflicted with what the defendants claimed in their attendance records. For example, Abdulrahman Ayman Alawad submitted attendance records claiming to have provided childcare to 23 children in March 2026 and 25 children April 2026, and that he provided childcare every day of those two months. But surveillance recordings covering 57 days of those months showed children entering or exiting Alawad’s facility on just one day—coincidentally, the day a state inspector showed up for an unannounced inspection, when children and Alawad himself arrived at the facility after the inspector arrived.
Additionally, Alawad and several other defendants submitted attendance records claiming to have provided childcare at their homes when border crossing records shows they were not even in the United States. For example, according to a complaint charging Turkiya Mamdouh Alawad, border crossing records show that she departed the United States on or about on January 1, 2024, and returned to the United States around January 30, 2024. Despite not being in the United States, Alawad submitted attendance records to CDA and YMCA for the month of January 2024 and afterwards received eight direct deposits from CDA and YMCA that totaled $14,970.00 in February 2024.
It’s a lucrative scam, the complaints indicate. Each defendant brought in between $538,000 and $1.2 million during various time periods that range from months to years. According to the complaints, Alawad received over $300,000 in payments from San Diego County, CDA, and YMCA in 2025 alone, and several defendants have each received over $1 million in payments in the course of their respective schemes.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric R. Olah, with prior assistance from Deputy Assistant Attorney General Siddharth Dadhich (National Fraud Enforcement Division) Assistant U.S. Attorney Oleksandra Johnson, Trial Attorney Sarah Fix (Antitrust Division).
DEFENDANTS
- Fosiya Mohamoud 26-mj-05074
Age: 50 City of Residence: El Cajon, CA
- Abdulrahman Alawad 26-mj-05174
Age: 25 City of Residence: El Cajon, CA
- Zetun Abdi 26-mj-05184
Age: 43 City of Residence: San Diego, CA
- Ikramullah Mohmmand 26-mj-05185
Age: 25 City of Residence: El Cajon, CA
- Khetam Haouash 26-mj-05187
Age: 37 City of Residence: El Cajon, CA
- Khatera Hashimi 26-mj-05188
Age: 39 City of Residence: El Cajon, CA
- Mariam Khamis 26-mj-05189
Age: 42 City of Residence: San Diego, CA
- Mohamad Alawad 26-mj-05190
Age: 29 City of Residence: San Diego, CA
- Mazin Alawad 26-mj-05191
Age: 22 City of Residence: San Diego, CA
- Turkiya Alawad 26-mj-05194
Age: 63 City of Residence: San Diego, CA
- Zaryab Daudzai 26-mj-05195
Age: 25 City of Residence: El Cajon, CA
- Cezar Yaqoob 26-mj-05215
Age: 36 City of Residence: El Cajon, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1343
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $500,000 fine
*Money Laundering – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1957
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $500,000 fine
*While defendants are charged with wire fraud, not all are charged with money laundering.
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
IRS-Criminal Investigation
Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General
San Diego County Sheriff’s Office
El Cajon Police Department
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Diego comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals, Department of Defense, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Interpol, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ('Fraud Division'). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Twelve Individuals Charged in $10M Home Daycare Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
Twelve individuals are facing federal fraud charges after an investigation revealed that more than $10 million intended to help low-income families pay for childcare was instead funneled to bogus daycare providers.
In a coordinated takedown early Thursday morning, more than 250 federal, state and local law enforcement officials arrested all 12 defendants and executed 12 search warrants at homes in San Diego purported to be used as daycare facilities. The defendants are naturalized U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents originally from Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
“These charges underscore a simple truth: anyone who steals from programs meant to support children will face swift and uncompromising accountability,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Fraud against these programs is an attack on vulnerable families, and law enforcement will continue to dismantle schemes that exploit them. I want to thank the prosecutors and agents in the Southern District of California whose relentless work exposed this scheme and ensured that those responsible are being held accountable.”
“Today is a bad day for home daycare fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California. “These are the first charges alleging this type of fraud since the formation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. These fraudsters may have criminally gamed the system before. But today, the game is over.”
“Programs that help families access childcare are intended to support children and working parents, not to enrich fraudsters,” said Assistant Director Michael Krol of Homeland Security Investigations. “HSI is proud to stand with our federal, state, and local partners to identify and disrupt schemes that steal taxpayer-funded benefits from the communities they are meant to serve. These arrests reflect our commitment to protecting public programs, safeguarding children, and holding accountable those who exploit systems designed to help vulnerable families.”
“Today’s takedown exposes a sprawling fraud scheme that siphoned more than $10 million from programs designed to help low-income families who depend on subsidized childcare,” said Chief Jarod Koopman of IRS Criminal Investigations. “By following the money, IRS Criminal Investigation uncovered patterns of deceit that revealed twelve ghost daycare operations billing for children who were never present. This was not a victimless crime. It deprived working parents of critical support and eroded trust in programs meant to protect the most vulnerable in our communities. We remain steadfast in our commitment to safeguarding federal funds and ensuring that those who exploit public programs for personal gain are held fully accountable.”
“Shameless attempts to steal taxpayer‑funded childcare funds for personal gain endanger support for some of our nation’s most vulnerable children,” said Special Agent in Charge Robb R. Breeden of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working alongside our law enforcement partners, HHS‑OIG will continue to pursue these schemes relentlessly to protect these funds and the families who depend on them.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides federal funding to California to help low-income families pay for childcare. In San Diego County, the County of San Diego, Child Development Associates (CDA), and the YMCA administer childcare subsidy programs.
When CDA or the YMCA determines that a family qualifies for subsidized childcare, the organizations pay the eligible childcare provider directly after the provider submits required monthly attendance records documenting the care provided. The records must be signed by both the provider and parent under penalty of perjury and include the dates and times children are in care.
California law also requires licensed childcare providers to be present and ensure that children are supervised at all times, except for limited temporary absences when a qualified substitute is present.
While the 12 federal complaints are unrelated, the scheme was essentially the same: Defendants obtained a California license to operate a home childcare facility and registered with Child Development Associates (CDA) and the YMCA to provide subsidized childcare to eligible families. To receive government-funded payments, the defendants were required to submit monthly attendance records accurately documenting the dates and times they provided care to each child.
Instead, the defendants knowingly submitted false attendance records claiming they provided childcare on dates and at times when they did not. They also falsely certified, under penalty of perjury, that the information was true and correct. CDA and the YMCA relied on those fraudulent records and issued payments with federal funds intended to pay for childcare actually provided to low-income families.
Locations of Executed Search Warrants in Daycare Fraud InvestigationThe complaints describe how surveillance recordings of the defendants’ licensed facilities conflicted with what the defendants claimed in their attendance records. For example, Abdulrahman Ayman Alawad submitted attendance records claiming to have provided childcare to 23 children in March 2026 and 25 children April 2026, and that he provided childcare every day of those two months. But surveillance recordings covering 57 days of those months showed children entering or exiting Mr. Alawad’s facility on just one day — coincidentally, the day a state inspector showed up for an unannounced inspection, when children and Mr. Alawad himself arrived at the facility after the inspector arrived.
Additionally, Mr. Alawad and several other defendants submitted attendance records claiming to have provided childcare at their homes when border crossing records shows they were not even in the United States. For example, according to a complaint charging Turkiya Mamdouh Alawad, border crossing records show that she departed the United States on or about on Jan. 1, 2024, and returned to the United States around Jan. 30, 2024. Despite not being in the United States, Alawad submitted attendance records to CDA and YMCA for the month of January 2024 and afterwards received eight direct deposits from CDA and YMCA that totaled $14,970.00 in February 2024.
This daycare scam is lucrative, the complaints indicate. Each defendant brought in between $538,000 and $1.2 million during various time periods that range from months to years. According to the complaints, Mr. Alawad received over $300,000 in payments from San Diego County, CDA, and YMCA in 2025 alone, and several defendants have each received over $1 million in payments in the course of their respective schemes.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric R. Olah for the Southern District of California, with prior assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Oleksandra Johnson for the Southern District of California, Trial Attorney Sarah Fix (Antitrust Division), and Senior Counsel Siddarth Dadhich (National Fraud Enforcement Division).
DEFENDANTS
1. Fosiya Mohamoud; (Country of Origin: Somalia) 26-mj-05074; Age: 50; City of Residence: El Cajon, CA
2. Abdulrahman Alawad; (Country of Origin: Syria); 26-mj-05174; Age: 25; City of Residence: El Cajon, CA
3. Zetun Abdi; (Country of Origin: Somalia); 26-mj-05184; Age: 43; City of Residence: San Diego, CA
4. Ikramullah Mohmmand (Country of Origin: Afghanistan); 26-mj-05185; Age: 25; City of Residence: El Cajon, CA
5. Khetam Haouash; (Country of Origin: Syria); 26-mj-05187; Age: 37; City of Residence: El Cajon, CA
6. Khatera Hashimi; (Country of Origin: Afghanistan); 26-mj-05188; Age: 39; City of Residence: El Cajon, CA
7. Mariam Khamis; (Country of Origin: Sudan); 26-mj-05189; Age: 42; City of Residence: San Diego, CA
8. Mohamad Alawad; (Country of Origin: Syria); 26-mj-05190; Age: 29; City of Residence: San Diego, CA
9. Mazin Alawad; (Country of Origin: Syria); 26-mj-05191; Age: 22; City of Residence: San Diego, CA
10. Turkiya Alawad; (Country of Origin: Syria); 26-mj-05194; Age: 63; City of Residence: San Diego, CA
11. Zaryab Daudzai; (Country of Origin: Afghanistan); 26-mj-05195; Age: 25; City of Residence: El Cajon, CA
12. Cezar Yaqoob; (Country of Origin: Iraq); 26-mj-05215; Age: 36; City of Residence: El Cajon, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1343
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $500,000 fine
*Money Laundering – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1957
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $500,000 fine
*While defendants are charged with wire fraud, not all are charged with money laundering.
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
IRS-Criminal Investigation
Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General
This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Diego comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals, Department of Defense, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and Interpol, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
An indictment or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tohatchi Man Charged with Murder in Fatal ShootingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Tohatchi man is facing federal charges for allegedly shooting and killing another man during a confrontation in an arroyo.
According to court documents, on September 8, 2026, law enforcement officers responded to an arroyo near Yah-Ta-Hey, New Mexico, within the exterior boundaries of the Navajo Nation, where they found the victim deceased with an apparent gunshot wound to the torso.
Investigators determined that the previous day, Jason Duboise, 39, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, and several members of his family had gone looking for the victim following an incident involving another family member. According to witnesses, members of the group chased the victim toward the arroyo, and at least one person was carrying a rope.
Duboise told investigators that he and another man followed the victim into the arroyo to confront him. Duboise alleged that the victim picked up a rock and attempted to throw it at the other man, at which point Duboise drew a firearm and fired at the victim. Duboise claimed that he intended to fire a warning shot but admitted that he pointed the pistol at the victim when he discharged the weapon.
Duboise left the victim in the arroyo without contacting law enforcement. Investigators later recovered the firearm that Duboise identified as the one used in the shooting from a vehicle parked outside his residence.
Duboise is charged with second degree murder. He will remain in custody pending a detention hearing, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charge, Duboise faces up to life in prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Special Agent in Charge Justin A. Garris of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall 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.
Three Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – Three men were sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a cocaine and marijuana conspiracy. One man was also sentenced for his possession of a firearm as a felon and in furtherance of the drug conspiracy.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, between November 2021 to March 2025, three men engaged in distribution of cocaine base and marijuana across the Quad Cities area.
- On June 10, 2026, Davon Ryan Orr, 26, of Rock Island, was sentenced to a 70-month prison term, followed by a four-year term of supervised release. Orr pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a mixture containing cocaine base and marijuana.
- On July 8, 2026, Tyrelle Alexander Richardson, 34, of Rock Island, was sentenced to a 13-year prison term, followed by a four-year term of supervised release. Richarson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a mixture containing cocaine base and marijuana.
- On September 10, 2026, Dumonta Eric Terrell, 33, of Maquoketa, was sentenced to a 15-year prison term, followed by an eight-year term of supervised release. Terrell pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a mixture containing cocaine base and marijuana, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and felon in possession of a firearm.
There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department investigated the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan Joins the DOJ’s Fraud Division, SBA and the SBA OIG in COVID-Era Loan Takedown Exceeding $245 Million in FraudRead the Press Release
Joint national takedown: 40 U.S. Attorney’s Offices, along with 20 federal and state investigative agencies, participate in two-month enforcement surge
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that Cynoda Jonelle Sparkling, 35, of Lansing, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with defrauding three different federally funded COVID relief programs. Sparkling is scheduled to be sentenced on November 30, 2026, and faces a minimum of two years and up to 20 years in prison.
From June 12 to September 1, federal prosecutors across the country facilitated fraud enforcement actions spanning over 160 criminal defendants, including approximately 80 newly charged defendants, reaching approximately $245 million dollars in intended loss to American taxpayers.
The case was part of a nationwide enforcement action led by the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, the Small Business Administration, and the SBA Office of Inspector General targeting fraud in the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The Western District of Michigan was a key participant in this surge effort.
Sparkling defrauded various COVID-era relief programs by stealing or attempting to steal $124,995 from the Paycheck Protection Program, $17,000 from the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, and $262,248 from several different states’ unemployment insurance programs. She applied for the loans in her own name and in the names of third parties using stolen identities.
U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey said, “Every federal district in America is prosecuting people like Sparkling, who saw an opportunity to defraud the taxpayers when the government rolled out COVID-era relief programs. Sparkling will now face the consequences of her fraudulent conduct, and so will others that engaged in similar fraud. I want our message to be clear: if you are thinking of trying to defraud a federal program, you had better think again because you will not like what happens to you.”
“Pandemic loan relief was meant to keep American small businesses alive during government lockdowns—not line the pockets of fraudsters,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The defendants charged during our summer surge allegedly fabricated businesses, submitted false payroll and revenue claims, stole identities, and concealed foreign ties on their applications— but they will now be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
This summer surge shows what is possible when dedicated public servants across the country work together with a single purpose,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Our mission is clear: protect taxpayer funds, safeguard the integrity of federal relief programs, and deliver justice to those who exploited them. We will remain steadfast every day—standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners—to identify fraud, pursue those responsible, and restore confidence in the programs meant to help American small businesses thrive.”
“Today’s announcement represents the largest-ever action against perpetrators of SBA fraud, with 870,000 suspended borrowers tied to $39 billion in suspected fraudulent PPP and COVID EIDL activity. In partnership with Vice President Vance and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, we’re putting fraudsters on notice: the federal government will no longer turn a blind eye to those who stole from taxpayers and exploited programs designed to sustain small businesses during the pandemic,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “With demand letters going out to suspected fraudsters, we’re also sending a clear message that they must repay their debts or face Treasury collections and possible federal law enforcement. Under this Administration, the free ride is over. We are restoring accountability, recovering taxpayer dollars, and protecting SBA programs for the legitimate small businesses they were created to serve.”
Operation No Doze brings a focused and coordinated approach to pursuing fraud in SBA’s pandemic relief programs,” said SBA Inspector General William Kirk. “By concentrating our investigative resources and working closely with SBA and our law enforcement partners, we are strengthening our ability to identify fraud, recover taxpayer funds, and hold accountable those who exploited programs created to help small businesses in a time of extraordinary need. This initiative makes clear that the passage of time does not diminish our commitment to accountability.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Investigator General are investigating this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay Stiffler is prosecuting it.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Northern District of West Virginia joins DOJ Fraud Division, SBA, and SBA OIG in Surge Takedown Exceeding $245 Million in COVID-era Loan Fraud; Two Morgantown Business Owners Part of National Fraud TakedownRead the Press Release
Joint national takedown: 40 U.S. Attorney’s Offices, along with 20 federal and state investigative agencies, participate in two-month enforcement surge
MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGIINA – The Northern District of West Virginia, today, announced the sentencing and plea agreement as part of a nationwide enforcement action led by the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, the Small Business Administration, and the SBA Office of Inspector General targeting fraud in the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The Northern District of West Virginia was a key participant in this surge effort.
From June 12 to September 1, federal prosecutors across the country facilitated fraud enforcement actions spanning over 160 criminal defendants, including approximately 80 newly charged defendants, reaching approximately $245 million dollars in intended loss to American taxpayers.
“These defendants deliberately stole from programs funded by American taxpayers and intended to support legitimate small businesses,” said United States Attorney Matthew Harvey. “Our office will aggressively pursue those who misuse federal funds and will hold accountable anyone who attempts to defraud the United States.”
“Pandemic loan relief was meant to keep American small businesses alive during government lockdowns—not line the pockets of fraudsters,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The defendants charged during our summer surge allegedly fabricated businesses, submitted false payroll and revenue claims, stole identities, and concealed foreign ties on their applications— but they will now be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“This summer surge shows what is possible when dedicated public servants across the country work together with a single purpose,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Our mission is clear: protect taxpayer funds, safeguard the integrity of federal relief programs, and deliver justice to those who exploited them. We will remain steadfast every day—standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners—to identify fraud, pursue those responsible, and restore confidence in the programs meant to help American small businesses thrive.”
“Today’s announcement represents the largest-ever action against perpetrators of SBA fraud, with 870,000 suspended borrowers tied to $39 billion in suspected fraudulent PPP and COVID EIDL activity. In partnership with Vice President Vance and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, we’re putting fraudsters on notice: the federal government will no longer turn a blind eye to those who stole from taxpayers and exploited programs designed to sustain small businesses during the pandemic,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “With demand letters going out to suspected fraudsters, we’re also sending a clear message that they must repay their debts or face Treasury collections and possible federal law enforcement. Under this Administration, the free ride is over. We are restoring accountability, recovering taxpayer dollars, and protecting SBA programs for the legitimate small businesses they were created to serve.”
“Operation No Doze brings a focused and coordinated approach to pursuing fraud in SBA’s pandemic relief programs,” said SBA Inspector General William Kirk. “By concentrating our investigative resources and working closely with SBA and our law enforcement partners, we are strengthening our ability to identify fraud, recover taxpayer funds, and hold accountable those who exploited programs created to help small businesses in a time of extraordinary need. This initiative makes clear that the passage of time does not diminish our commitment to accountability.”
James Baldwin, II, owner of Select Decks, a business in Morgantown, West Virginia, was sentenced to 30 days in federal prison and ordered to pay $1,007,223 in restitution. Baldwin, 46, applied for and received several Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans during the COVID-19 pandemic, both for his deck building business, Select Decks, and for three other businesses that were not in operation before the pandemic. Baldwin falsified documents for the loan application to obtain $738,230 in PPP loans from multiple banks and then obtained forgiveness for the loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA).
Baldwin also failed to pay $258,993 in payroll taxes to the Internal Revenue Service. Beginning in tax year 2016, Baldwin issued pay stubs and W‑2 forms to his employees reflecting that employment taxes had been withheld. However, investigators determined that Baldwin failed to file required IRS Forms 941 or W‑3 for Select Decks and did not remit any of the withheld taxes to the Internal Revenue Service.
In a separate case, Kurt Ly, owner and operator of Vin Phat, Inc., in Morgantown, West Virginia, has admitted to a scheme to defraud federal pandemic relief programs designed to support small businesses during the COVID‑19 crisis. According to investigators, Ly, 69, of Morgantown, obtained Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, used the funds for impermissible expenses, and then obtained forgiveness from the SBA by falsely certifying to the SBA that the money was used for permissible business expenses.
In addition to the PPP loans, Ly received an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) loan of $146,600 in August 2020 after certifying that the funds would be used solely as working capital for Vin Phat. Instead, investigators found that Ly used the money for large personal expenditures, including a $15,000 payment for a vehicle, multiple cryptocurrency investments, and transfers to his personal bank account.
The PPP program was created under the CARES Act to help small businesses maintain payroll and cover essential expenses during the public health emergency. Applicants were required to provide accurate payroll documentation, verify their identities, and certify that loan proceeds would be used only for permissible business purposes. In addition, borrowers seeking loan forgiveness were required to certify—under penalty of perjury—that PPP funds were spent on allowable expenses such as payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities.
The Baldwin case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer T. Conklin. The Ly case was investigated by the Federal Reserve Bureau - Office of Inspective General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer T. Conklin and Eleanor F. Hurney.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
St. Albans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jeremy Lee Camp, 46, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 4, 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Camp’s residence and seized 428 grams of methamphetamine and 16 grams of fentanyl. As part of his guilty plea, Camp admitted that he possessed the seized controlled substances and intended to distribute them. Camp further admitted that he also distributed a total of 21 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant over five separate transactions between February 27, 2025, and March 25, 2025, in St. Albans.
Camp is scheduled to be sentenced on February 1, 2027, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department, and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Amy L. McLaughlin is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-170.
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Southern District of Ohio joins DOJ Fraud Division, SBA & SBA OIG in surge takedown exceeding $245 million in COVID-era loan fraudRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio today announced a conviction as part of a nationwide enforcement action led by the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, the Small Business Administration, and the SBA Office of Inspector General targeting fraud in the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
From June 12 to September 1, federal prosecutors across the country facilitated fraud enforcement actions spanning over 160 criminal defendants, including approximately 80 newly charged defendants, reaching approximately $245 million dollars in intended loss to American taxpayers.
“The case we are announcing today as part of this nationwide surge is now the second pandemic loan relief fraud case that we have announced this summer,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “Our district, in conjunction with the National Fraud Enforcement Division and our federal and state investigative partners, remains resolute in its determination to fight all forms of taxpayer-funded fraud.”
“Pandemic loan relief was meant to keep American small businesses alive during government lockdowns—not line the pockets of fraudsters,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The defendants charged during our summer surge allegedly fabricated businesses, submitted false payroll and revenue claims, stole identities, and concealed foreign ties on their applications— but they will now be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“This summer surge shows what is possible when dedicated public servants across the country work together with a single purpose,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Our mission is clear: protect taxpayer funds, safeguard the integrity of federal relief programs, and deliver justice to those who exploited them. We will remain steadfast every day—standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our partners—to identify fraud, pursue those responsible, and restore confidence in the programs meant to help American small businesses thrive.”
“Today’s announcement represents the largest-ever action against perpetrators of SBA fraud, with 870,000 suspended borrowers tied to $39 billion in suspected fraudulent PPP and COVID EIDL activity. In partnership with Vice President Vance and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, we’re putting fraudsters on notice: the federal government will no longer turn a blind eye to those who stole from taxpayers and exploited programs designed to sustain small businesses during the pandemic,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “With demand letters going out to suspected fraudsters, we’re also sending a clear message that they must repay their debts or face Treasury collections and possible federal law enforcement. Under this Administration, the free ride is over. We are restoring accountability, recovering taxpayer dollars, and protecting SBA programs for the legitimate small businesses they were created to serve.”
“Operation No Doze brings a focused and coordinated approach to pursuing fraud in SBA’s pandemic relief programs,” said SBA Inspector General William Kirk. “By concentrating our investigative resources and working closely with SBA and our law enforcement partners, we are strengthening our ability to identify fraud, recover taxpayer funds, and hold accountable those who exploited programs created to help small businesses in a time of extraordinary need. This initiative makes clear that the passage of time does not diminish our commitment to accountability.”
In the Southern District of Ohio, U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II announced that a defendant pleaded guilty to PPP-related fraud involving approximately $440,000 in losses. Pierre-Maurice D. Harris, 36, of Columbus, was stopped by the TSA on his way to Miami, Florida, and found to be in possession of $25,000 and seven debit cards in other peoples’ names. Agents identified Ohio PUA fraud, California PUA fraud, PPP fraud, and EIDL fraud connected to the stolen identities.
Harris pleaded guilty in July to conspiring to commit mail fraud and wire fraud (up to 20 years in prison), aggravated identity theft (mandatory addition of two years in prison) and money laundering (up to 20 years in prison).
This case was investigated by IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
In June, the Southern District of Ohio announced charges against four defendants in a conspiracy scheme to defraud the government out of more than $1.4 million in COVID-19 relief funds.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Investigation Leads to Identification of Minor Sexually Abused by Kennewick ManRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on September 14, 2026, United States District Court Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Cecil Lloyd Ramey, age 48, of Kennewick, to 15 years of imprisonment, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for the Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography.
According to information disclosed in court documents and during court proceedings, in March of 2022, Ramey came to the attention of the Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (SER-ICAC) due to two CyberTips from Google. The CyberTips detailed hundreds of image and video files of suspected child pornography located in a Google account determined to belong to Ramey. At the time, Ramey resided at a residence in Kennewick with his wife and her child.
SER-ICAC detectives obtained a search warrant for the content of Ramey’s Google account. During a review of the content of Ramey’s Google account, detectives located hundreds of images and videos of child pornography. Some of the images and videos depicted images and videos depicting children identified in previous investigations and known to law enforcement. However, other image and video files depicted the sexual abuse of a prepubescent child by Ramey and were new to investigators. SER-ICAC detectives worked to find and identify this prepubescent child, ultimately discovering that Ramey had sexually abused the child when he resided in another state. Detectives also learned that Ramey used his position of trust with this prepubescent child to facilitate the sexual abuse and memorialize the abuse in both image and video form. Ramey then possessed this material for more than a decade, ultimately uploading the videos and images to his Google account in 2022.
A search warrant was executed at Ramey’s residence, and his electronic devices were seized. Ultimately, the investigation revealed that Ramey had stored image and video files depicting the sexual abuse of the identified prepubescent child and other minor children, on electronic storage devices in his home, and within his Google account. Ramey was indicted by a grand jury in the Eastern District of Washington for the conduct that occurred in Washington state- the receipt and possession of child pornography- and pled guilty to those offenses in February of 2026.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Dimke spoke of the bravery of the prepubescent child, who had disclosed Ramey’s sexual abuse to another adult immediately after it occurred, to no avail. Although Ramey wrote a letter to the prepubescent child at the time of his arrest stating, “I have spent all these years try [sic] to forget the past. And live a better future. I pray, the things I did to you, you were not aware of and it has had no effect on your life,” Judge Dimke advised Ramey that the minor children he victimized, personally and through trafficking their sexual abuse images and videos, would relive their experiences for the rest of their lives.
“Today’s conviction underscores the critical work of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in our district,” said Serrano. “What began as an investigation into the possession of known child pornography, morphed into a mission to identify a previously unknown child, whose sexual abuse was memorialized by her abuser, Ramey. Thanks to the dedication of our investigators and prosecutors, we were able to uncover the truth and bring this horrendous offender to justice. Our office remains committed to protecting children, pursuing those who harm them, and ensuring that victims receive the support they deserve.”
“Crimes against children are among the most heinous someone can commit,” said Acting HSI Seattle Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Ramey’s abuse of his position of ‘trust’ within the family makes his actions that much worse. This sentence gets a predator off the street and will hopefully allow this child to get the help needed from these traumatic acts. We will not stop finding and investigating predators like Ramey; we owe this to our children and communities.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laurel J. Holland.
Southbridge Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Role in Drug Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON –A Southbridge man was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for conspiring to distribute cocaine in Central Massachusetts.
Luis Sastre Pagan, 37, of Puerto Rico and formally of Southbridge, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to eight years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In June 2026, Sastre Pagan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Pagan was charged in November 2024, along with co-conspirators Eric Rivera and Miguel Lopez.
From in or about April 2023 through April 2024, Sastre Pagan participated in a conspiracy that shipped kilograms of cocaine into Central Massachusetts from Puerto Rico. Evidence showed that the defendant was in communication with co-conspirators before and after the deliveries and that Sastre Pagan was directing the activity of his co-defendants and other co-conspirators as to the activity of the drug trafficking organization in and around Southbridge and Worcester. Over the course of the investigation, four packages were seized, each of which were found to contain cocaine. In total, between 15-50 kilograms of cocaine is attributable to Sastre Pagan as part of his participation in the conspiracy.
In August 2025, Rivera pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine. In November 2025 he was sentenced to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In April 2026, Lopez was sentenced to six years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Justin Page, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the DEA Puerto Rico and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin Brown of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
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 Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
South Bend Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Gregory Hilliard, 66 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Hilliard was sentenced to 33 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
“Gregory Hilliard is a convicted sex offender who chose to possess a handgun in violation of federal law and bring that handgun to a medical facility in violation of the facility’s clear rules. He entered the medical center in South Bend with a handgun and left it behind in a waiting room chair. Thankfully, an employee recovered the handgun after he left without anyone being hurt. The reckless way he left his loaded firearm in a vulnerable public space spoke loudly of his disdain for society and the rule of law. The Defendant has prior felony convictions for criminal deviate conduct and aggravated battery, and he was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm. Thanks to the partnership of the ATF, South Bend Police Department, Indiana State Police Laboratory Division, St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s office led by Ken Cotter, and AUSA Andrew Krumweid, this violent Defendant received a dose of incarceration and 2 years of supervised, rehabilitative release that will remove him as threat to the citizens of the Northern District of Indiana.” United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred said.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the South Bend Police Department, Indiana State Police Laboratory, and the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew A. Krumwied and former Assistant United States Attorney Hannah T Jones.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
Santa Rosa County Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring with Others to Share Obscene Child Sexual Abuse Material OnlineRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – Christopher M. Mayer, 32, of Navarre, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy to distribute, receive, and possess visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and one count of receipt of child pornography. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the guilty plea.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Our excellent state and federal law enforcement partners remain ever-vigilant in the fight against sexual predators peddling child sexual abuse material online, and I deeply appreciate their excellent investigative work that supported the successful prosecution of this defendant by my office. Keeping our kids safe from these sick individuals demands aggressive prosecutions and severe punishments, and that is exactly what my office will continue to pursue in these cases.”
Court records reveal the defendant communicated with others via online social media platforms regarding the sexual exploitation of minors. This led to law enforcement executing a search warrant for his electronics at his residence earlier this year. Law enforcement seized over two dozen terabytes data from the defendant’s electronic devices, which revealed the defendant in possession of multiple cellular telephones as well as a computer tower full of child pornography and computer-generated streaming videos of child sexual abuse. The defendant was found to be online discussing these illicit images and sharing them with others.
Mayer will be sentenced in federal court before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II in Pensacola, Florida, on December 3, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.
Mayer faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years’ imprisonment, and up to 20 years’ imprisonment, on each of the counts. Mayer would also be required to register as a sexual offender and forfeit all the electronic devices utilized to commit the crimes.
The case was jointly investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Thomas S.P. Geeker.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Repeat Felon Arrested and Charged in $4.75M Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Michigan returned an indictment charging Emory Matthews, 62, of Farmington Hills, Michigan, with conspiring to bill Medicare for psychotherapy services that were never provided to patients of an adult day care center owned by his wife. He was arrested yesterday.
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Emory Matthews was a managing employee and administrator of New Beginnings Adult Center Inc. (New Beginnings), an adult day care center in Detroit depicted below:
New Beginnings, the Adult Day Care Center where Emory Matthews was allegedly an Administrator and Managing Employee, and Where Matthews and his Wife Purportedly Provided $4.75 Million of Psychotherapy Services Fraudulently Billed to Medicare.Matthews was previously convicted of soliciting and receiving illegal health care kickbacks and bribes stemming from his earlier operation of the adult day care center. As a result of that conviction, he was excluded from billing Medicare.
As alleged in the indictment, Matthews and his wife, Yolanda Matthews:
- Submitted false and fraudulent claims for individual and group psychotherapy services that were not provided;
- Billed Medicare for services purportedly provided to beneficiaries at New Beginnings when in fact those beneficiaries were hospitalized at the time and could not have received the services;
- Billed Medicare for services purportedly provided to beneficiaries at New Beginnings when those beneficiaries were deceased;
- Used the names of former employees on false claims submitted to Medicare; and
- Fraudulently concealed Matthews’ exclusion from Medicare by failing to disclose his role as a managing employee of New Beginnings as required by the rules.
From January 2020 through June 2025, Matthews allegedly participated in submitting over $4.75 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare.
Yolanda Matthews pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud on July 27.
Emory Matthews is charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and three counts of health care fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan of the FBI Detroit Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas Ethridge of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI Detroit Field Office and HHS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Jeffrey A. Crapko of the Fraud Division’s Health Care Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Pulaski County Man Sentenced for Defrauding Elderly RelativeRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky.- A Science Hill, Ky., man, Samuel Turner, 42, was convicted on Monday by a federal grand jury sitting in London for four counts of wire fraud. The jury returned the conviction after three hours of deliberation.
According to evidence at trial, Turner gained access to an elderly family member’s bank accounts and credit cards and used the funds as his own. With the victim’s money, he bought, among other things, guns, concert tickets, items from Amazon, and items from a gun accessory store. He also cashed out a certificate of deposit worth over $35,000 belonging to the victim.
Jason Parman, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; jointly announced the conviction.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Mattingly Williams.
Turner will appear for sentencing on January 6, 2027. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Mission, focusing on identifying and prosecuting those who facilitate elder financial exploitation. The initiative is carried out locally through the Kentucky Elder Justice Task Force. Anyone who knows of someone who may be a victim of elder financial exploitation, is encouraged to contact law enforcement or get more information by visiting https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
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Pulaski County Man Convicted for Defrauding Elderly RelativeRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky.- A Science Hill, Ky., man, Samuel Turner, 42, was convicted on Monday by a federal grand jury sitting in London for four counts of wire fraud. The jury returned the conviction after three hours of deliberation.
According to evidence at trial, Turner gained access to an elderly family member’s bank accounts and credit cards and used the funds as his own. With the victim’s money, he bought, among other things, guns, concert tickets, items from Amazon, and items from a gun accessory store. He also cashed out a certificate of deposit worth over $35,000 belonging to the victim.
Jason Parman, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; jointly announced the conviction.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Mattingly Williams.
Turner will appear for sentencing on January 6, 2027. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Mission, focusing on identifying and prosecuting those who facilitate elder financial exploitation. The initiative is carried out locally through the Kentucky Elder Justice Task Force. Anyone who knows of someone who may be a victim of elder financial exploitation, is encouraged to contact law enforcement or get more information by visiting https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
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Prior felon charged with new cocaine chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that David Garrett, 56, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with attempting to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
According to the criminal complaint, Garrett was sentenced to time served and six years supervised release after being convicted on a federal charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine. In August 2026, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and DEA began conducting a joint investigation targeting the shipment of narcotics to the Buffalo area. On September 6, 2026, the USPIS was alerted to a Postal Service parcel being shipped from Puerto Rico to Garrett in Buffalo. On September 9, 2026, investigators executed the search warrant on the parcel and found approximately two kilograms of suspected cocaine inside the parcel concealed inside a white box decorated with pink flowers. On September 11, 2026, investigators conducted a controlled delivery of the parcel, which was replaced with sham, to Garrett’s Sycamore Street residence. After the delivery, Garrett left the residence with the parcel and was arrested a short time later following a traffic stop.
Garrett made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. and was detained.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt I. Kass. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector-in-Charge Justin Page, and the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Field Division.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Pocatello Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine and FentanylRead the Press Release
Michael Joseph Pena, 28, of Pocatello, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today.
According to court records, Pena sold methamphetamine and fentanyl on multiple occasions throughout the summer and fall of 2025. When questioned by investigators, Pena admitted to distributing illegal drugs in Pocatello.
Two co-defendants, William Hoover and Brandon Hoover, were indicted in the same case with Pena. William Hoover pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for trial on November 23, 2026. Brandon Hoover is scheduled for an initial appearance on the indictment on October 5, 2026.
U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Pena to serve 5 years of supervised release following his 10-year prison sentence. Pena pleaded guilty to the charge on June 23, 2026.
U.S. Attorney Davis made the announcement and commended the work of Drug Enforcement Administration and Idaho State Police, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Blythe H. McLane prosecuted the case.
This investigation was supported by the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. HIDTA is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Idaho State Police, along with the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office, the Pocatello Police Department, and Chubbuck Police Department make up the HIDTA BADGES Task Force that investigated the case.
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Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Trafficking of Cocaine, Fentanyl, and Other NarcoticsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 60 months of imprisonment, to be followed by 48 months of supervised release, on his conviction for possession with intent to distribute 10 grams or more of fluorofentanyl, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, 500 grams or more of cocaine, and a quantity of crack cocaine, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Anthony Johnson, 37.
According to information presented to the Court, in the spring of 2022, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General opened a drug investigation into Anthony Johnson. The investigation established that Johnson resided in Pittsburgh and stored distribution quantities of controlled substances within a stash house located in Verona, Pennsylvania. On May 10, 2022, authorities executed a search warrant upon Johnson’s stash house, where they seized $57,239, drug packaging material, and controlled substances. A forensic scientist weighed and analyzed the controlled substances, and determined that the substances included 21 grams of a fluorofentanyl and fentanyl mixture, 100 grams of fentanyl, 544 grams of cocaine, and 14 grams of cocaine base in the form commonly known as crack.Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and the Drug Enforcement Administration for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Johnson.
Pittsburgh Felon Sentenced to Seven and a Half Years in Prison for Narcotics and Firearm ConvictionsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 90 months of imprisonment on his convictions for possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing fentanyl and heroin, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Darion Ethridge, 26, on September 14, 2026.
According to information presented to the Court, on June 24, 2021, state and local law enforcement conducted a drug suppression detail in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, after authorities received information that a male operating a black Jeep Cherokee with tinted windows would be bringing 10 bricks of heroin to a hotel. Upon the arrival and parking of the vehicle, a detective positioned his car with lights and siren activated behind the Jeep and exited his vehicle, identifying himself as police and directing the driver to exit. The driver reacted by starting his vehicle, reversing the Jeep into the detective’s vehicle, and driving through the parking lot until law enforcement boxed in the Jeep. At that point, the driver exited the vehicle and fled on foot, with officers pursuing and arresting the driver.
A search incident to arrest resulted in the seizure of approximately $3,952. From the vehicle, authorities seized 991 bags of a fentanyl and heroin mixture, a loaded .40 caliber handgun which was determined to have been reported stolen, and a medical marijuana card and Pennsylvania Department of Corrections card both bearing Ethridge’s name. Ethridge had previously been convicted of four felonies in the Court of Common Pleas in Allegheny County. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Monroeville Police Department and Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Ethridge.
Peoria Man Charged with Defrauding AHCCCSRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – In a joint press conference in San Diego today, United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine announced charges against a Peoria man who is accused of fraudulently billing Arizona’s Medicaid agency more than $33 million in one year and using the funds to purchase property and a luxury vehicle.
On September 8, 2026, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned an 11-count indictment against Maurice Marcell Williams, 48, of Peoria, Arizona for health care fraud and money laundering.
The indictment alleges that Williams owned and operated Thinking and Learning Together 2, LLC (TLT), which held itself out as a behavioral treatment provider in Phoenix. According to the indictment, Williams defrauded Arizona’s Medicaid program, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) by failing to disclose in his initial AHCCCS application his ownership of TLT and his prior criminal conviction, as well as by billing AHCCCS for services that were never rendered. Williams specifically targeted AHCCCS members who were covered under the American Indian Health Care Program (AIHP) fee-for-service plan available to Native Americans. Between May 2022 and May 2023, Williams billed AHCCCS over $33 million and AHCCCS paid Williams approximately $19.7 million based on these false and fraudulent claims. The indictment also includes forfeiture allegations that seek forfeiture of two residential properties, a Rolls Royce Cullinan, and brokerage accounts owned by Williams.
A conviction for health care fraud and money laundering carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count of conviction.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Homeland Securities Investigation and IRS-Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation, with substantial assistance from the AHCCCS Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aron Ketchel, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CASE NUMBER: 26-CR-1055-PHX-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-158_Williams# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Organizer in $36 million transnational scheme to defraud more than 400 elderly and vulnerable Americans pleads guilty to money laundering conspiracyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Juliet Mora, 42, residing in Nicaragua formerly of Hayward, California, pleaded guilty Sept. 14 to conspiracy to commit money laundering involving a $36 million fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced today.
According to court documents, Mora was part of a sophisticated transnational fraud organization operating out of the United States and several countries in Latin America responsible for stealing more than $36 million from more than 400 American victims, mostly the elderly. The fraudsters pretended to be attorneys who reached out to elderly timeshare owners and fraud victims with the promise that the victims were entitled to restitution and payments. Believing they were talking to real attorneys, the victims signed fake representation agreements and bogus non-disclosure agreements, then paid fees to the fraudsters. The victims were directed to send checks and wire transfers to shell companies controlled by U.S.-based co-conspirators.
The organization used a complicated web of U.S.-based members who created shell companies and bank accounts to launder victim money. The members evaded financial institutions’ anti-money laundering procedures by misrepresenting to financial institutions the true purpose and nature of their activities. Members intentionally and fraudulently misrepresented the true nature of the transactions to conceal their actions.
Mora became involved in the fraud scheme in August 2021. Throughout the scheme, she maintained shell companies and received more than $1,569,826 in victim funds. Investigators traced $2,749,649 in stolen victim funds directly to accounts controlled by Mora. Mora lied to banks to conceal the true nature and origin of the funds. She would open and reopen bank accounts closed for suspicious activity, and on several occasions she would directly deposit victim funds into her shell company’s bank account.
Mora eventually moved to Nicaragua where she became an organizer within the fraud scheme. There, she communicated with the US-based co-conspirators, directed them to receive and send victim funds, open shell companies, and prepare legal documents to help perpetrate the fraud. She also used fake emails of fake paralegals to communicate directly with victims. Mora was arrested on a second superseding indictment after arriving in Boston Logan International Airport from Panama City, Panama in December 2025.
In October 2025, investigators arrested 15 US-based defendants across four states and seized more than $2.1 million in victims funds. Several defendants, however, fled to Mexico and other Central American countries. Recently several of these defendants have been arrested and returned to the United States. In July 2025, local Nicaraguan authorities, in coordination with Department of State Diplomatic Services arrested one of the main subjects of this investigation, Marlon Solis Bonilla. He was transferred to United States custody and escorted by FBI Agents from Managua, Nicaragua to Houston, Texas.
Additionally, in August 2026, Mexican authorities arrested defendants Julian Jauregui, Sergio Jauregui, and Eduardo Navarro in Guadalajara, Mexico. This apprehension operation was facilitated by FBI Legat Mexico City in coordination with the U.S. Marshals Service and Secretaría de Seguridad del Estado de Jalisco. All three detained individuals were transported to Mexico Immigration (INM) where they were processed for deportation and subsequently removed to the United States. Three defendants are still at large.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Bakersfield Police Department conducted the investigation with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Truckee Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody S. Chapple and Arelis M. Clemente are prosecuting the case.
Mora is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Dec. 14, 2026. Mora faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine, or twice the amount laundered whichever is greater. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Operator of Fraudulent Prize Insurance Business Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KEVIN KOLENDA, 69, of Norwalk, pleaded guilty today in Bridgeport federal court to an offense related to his operation of a fraudulent prize insurance business.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Kolenda has owned and operated Hole-in-Won LLC, Compliance HIW LLC, Hole-in-Won Worldwide, and Hole-in-Won.com (“Hole-in-Won”), which together have provided prize insurance to customers who offered promotions or prizes at events, including golf tournaments and fishing contests. Through its website, www.hole-in-won.com, and other promotional materials, Hole-in-Won claimed to be “the most successful prize insurance company in the world” and to have “paid out 1000’s of awards” to winners throughout the world.
The investigation revealed that, in reality, Kolenda had for years defrauded dozens of organizations and individuals out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. As part of the scheme, victims, often charitable or civic organizations, obtained insurance from Kolenda and Hole-in-Won for one or more prizes at an event. For example, the host of a golf tournament might include a lucrative prize, such as a new car, for any player who hits a hole in one on a specific hole. The victim would complete an insurance contract and pay the insurance premium to Kolenda and Hole-in-Won, and Kolenda and Hole-in-Won would promise to pay out the insurance claim for the cost of the insured prize if there was a winner at the event. If no one won the insured prize at the event, Kolenda and Hole-in-Won would keep the premium.
If someone won the insured prize, however, Kolenda used various fraudulent techniques to avoid payment of the claim. For example, Kolenda, often using various aliases to hide his involvement in the scheme, referred victims to the Hole-in-Won “claims department” at an office in Washington, D.C., which did not exist; made frequent excuses to victims as to why Hole in-Won was delayed in paying out the claim; and threatened victims with bogus legal action and reputational harm if they continued to seek payment of the claim. Ultimately, Kolenda would simply stop responding to correspondence from victims and refused to pay out the cost of the insured prizes. The victim hosts or organizations, or their partners, often paid for the cost of the insured prizes themselves in order to avoid reputational harm and potential legal action.
During the many years Kolenda engaged in his illegal conduct, neither Kolenda nor his entities were licensed to sell insurance products, and, in many states, insurance departments issued cease and desist orders in an effort to stop his illegal sales, warnings that Kolenda ignored. In fact, Kolenda and his businesses have been instructed to cease and desist from selling prize insurance coverage via cease and desist orders, judgments, and other legal documents in Connecticut, Iowa, North Carolina, Washington, Massachusetts, Oregon, Nevada, Virginia, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, California, and Arkansas. In 2011, he was convicted in Connecticut Superior Court of larceny in the first degree and attempt to commit larceny in the third degree and ordered to pay restitution and serve a three-year term of probation. In 2013, he was convicted in Missoula County Justice Court in Montana of one count of acting as an insurance producer without a license and was fined $10,000. In 2014, he was convicted in King County Superior Court in Washington of two counts of engaging in an unauthorized insurance transaction and one count of theft in the first degree and was sentenced to 90 days in prison, and he was again convicted in King County Superior Court in 2016 of attempted theft in the first degree and attempted engaging in an unauthorized insurance transaction, and was sentenced to 15 months of imprisonment.
Kolenda pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill on December 15.
Kolenda was arrested on April 5, 2024. While released on bond pending trial, Kolenda violated the conditions of his release by, among other things, continuing to sell prize insurance without an appropriate license to do so, and his bond was revoked. He has been detained since March 6, 2026.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel P. Gordon and Christopher W. Schmeisser.
OnlyFans Content Creator Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that SEATHRA ZMEENA ORR, 39, of Stamford, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to tax evasion.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Orr worked as a content creator, creating and placing photographic and video content on the internet, including through the paid subscription website OnlyFans. For the 2019 through 2022 tax years, Orr earned more than $3 million in income from posting content on OnlyFans, and OnlyFans issued Orr Forms 1099 that reported non-employee compensation in the amounts of $164,669.96, $801,395, $1,339,900, and $822,400, respectively. However, Orr willfully failed to pay any taxes for those years, failed to file tax returns, and willfully evaded payment of her taxes by using multiple business names, applying for and receiving 12 Employee Identification Numbers (EINs) for these “businesses,” opening 11 “business” bank accounts and eight “personal” bank accounts, and moving money between those accounts without a legitimate business purpose. She also purchased and used cashier’s checks, and used her business bank accounts, to make at least $1.3 million in personal expenditures, including paying rent for her apartment, purchasing luxury vehicles, and buying more than $110,000 in jewelry.
“Many content creators are earning significant income through a variety of online platforms, but it is without question that we all have still have a legal obligation to pay required taxes,” said U.S. Attorney Sullivan. “This prosecution should serve as a warning that no matter how or where you earn your money, you are not absolved from paying taxes on it. Any attempt to intentionally hide earnings and evade the payment of taxes will lead to serious criminal consequences.”
“Today’s guilty plea should send a strong message to all content creators, pay your fair share of taxes or we will find you and ensure that you are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Demeo.” Advances in technology have allowed anyone the opportunity to become an overnight sensation and potential millionaire, but all content creators must remember that all income is taxable income. Paying taxes is the responsibility of every American, no matter what they choose to do for work. When you don’t pay your taxes, you hurt every single American citizen by reducing available funds for schools, road repairs, and social welfare programs.”
Tax evasion carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
The government has calculated that Orr owes more than $1.1 million in restitution to the IRS, and Orr has agreed to pay at least $476,970 in restitution. A final restitution order will be determined by the court.
Orr is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.
This matter is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry.
Oklahoma City Man Receives Statutory Maximum Sentence for Illegally Possessing Ammunition Connected to Shooting of Unarmed ManRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – TY LAMONT NELSON, JR., 30, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 180 months in federal prison, the statutory maximum, for unlawful possession of ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to public records, on July 2, 2024, officers with the Midwest City Police Department responded to a shooting at a residence. A woman at the home told police that Nelson had come to the residence and forced his way inside her bedroom. He then retrieved a rifle from a bag underneath the bed, assembled and loaded it, and shot an unarmed man four times at close range. Nelson then left the residence with the firearm. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital where he underwent emergency life-saving surgery.
Officers recovered spent shell casings from inside the residence that were consistent with the type of ammunition commonly used by the rifle Nelson was reported to have possessed. At the time of the shooting, Nelson was subject to a protective order in Oklahoma County District Court case number PO-2023-1563 and was thus prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
On August 20, 2024, a federal grand jury charged Nelson with being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition. Nelson pleaded guilty on February 5, 2025, and admitted that he knowingly possessed ammunition that had crossed state lines while subject to a protective order.
At a sentencing hearing on September 8, 2026, U.S. District Judge Jodi W. Dishman sentenced Nelson to serve the maximum sentence, 180 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing her sentence, Judge Dishman found that Nelson’s actions on the morning of July 2, 2024, were premeditated and committed with malice aforethought. In sentencing Nelson, Judge Dishman noted that this was Nelson’s third domestic-related shooting incident, and that out of all the firearm and ammunition possession cases she has seen, she viewed this case differently in light of the violence, cruelty, and impact on the victims.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Midwest City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Drew E. Davis and Mary E. Walters prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative to reduce violent crime through coordinated federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partnerships. PSN is a key component of Operation Take Back America (OTBA), the Department’s nationwide effort to combat violent crime and other threats to public safety.
This case is also part of “Operation 922” and “Shots Fired.” “Operation 922” is the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation of OTBA that prioritizes the prosecution of federal crimes connected to domestic violence. “Shots Fired” targets federal cases involving individuals who discharge firearms as part of their criminal activity, including drive-by shootings and incidents in which shots are fired during robberies, domestic disputes, or other criminal conduct.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Northampton County Man Sentenced to a Year and a Day in Prison for Possession of Unregistered FirearmsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Hayden Laubach, 36, of Bath, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 12 months and one day in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge John M. Gallagher for unlawfully possessing multiple guns.
The defendant was charged by information in April of this year and pleaded guilty in May to one count of possession of nonregistered firearms.
As detailed in court filings and statements, on September 19, 2025, Bushkill Township police officers conducted a vehicle stop of Laubach for an expired registration and suspended license. A search of the defendant’s Toyota 4Runner ensued and resulted in the seizure of ammunition, to include 9mm, .223 caliber, and shotgun shells, loaded AR-15 magazines, two privately made firearms, a short-barreled shotgun, an AR-style short-barreled rifle, and a silencer. The defendant has no current or approved applications on file permitting him to possess the unregistered firearms and silencer.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Bushkill Township Police Department, with assistance from the Bethlehem Police Department Bomb Squad, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Dimmig.
Nigerian Man Previously Ordered Removed from U.S. Convicted of Unlawfully Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- A federal jury has found Djamalou Ousseini, 56, of Niger, guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. Ousseini was indicted on December 17, 2025.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, records maintained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) show that Ousseini, a citizen of Niger, illegally entered the United States in 2000 using a false passport under the name “Abdou Dijbo.” An immigration judge ordered him removed from the United States on April 29, 2008. Ousseini was eventually released from immigration custody in 2008 and was under an Order of Supervision, wherein he was required to check in with immigration officials regularly. Ousseini was never granted lawful status in the United States and never obtained legitimate travel documents, though he was repeatedly instructed to do so. Ousseini stopped communicating with immigration officials in 2022.
On November 5, 2025, at approximately 8:00 a.m., FBI Special Agents and ICE officers arrived at Ousseini’s Indianapolis residence to arrest him on his removal order. When Ousseini answered the door, investigators immediately observed a Smith & Wesson SW40VE .40‑caliber handgun in a holster on his hip. The firearm was loaded with multiple live rounds.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated the case. U.S. District Judge James P. Hanlon presided over the trial and will sentence Ousseini at a later date.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked the prosecution team—Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey L. Massa, Paralegal Specialist Sarah Helbig, and Systems Manager Kathy Wells—for their work on the case.
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Multiple defendants indicted for immigration violationsRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, Georgia: Multiple defendants have been indicted by the September term of the federal Grand Jury in the Southern District of Georgia for Re-entry after Removal or Deportation, a charge applied to an illegal alien present in the United States after at least one prior removal.
Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, announced the indictments. Those facing federal charges include:
- Marla Irene Barrientos-Bustillo, 33, a citizen of Honduras, illegally in the U.S., apprehended in Glynn County.
- Francisco Campos Chino, 40, a citizen of Mexico illegally in the U.S., apprehended in Glynn County.
- Gerialan Humberto Cruz-Dionicio, 32, a citizen of Honduras illegally in the U.S., apprehended in Richmond County.
- Alejandro Lara Del Los Santos, 41, a citizen of Mexico illegally in the U.S., apprehended in McDuffie County.
- Sergio Mendez-Tuxtla, 50, a citizen of Mexico illegally in the U.S., apprehended in Chatham County.
- Edwin Antonio Pacheco-Rivera, 35, a citizen of Honduras illegally in the U.S., apprehended in Glynn County.
- Gaspar Ramirez-Diego, 21, a citizen of Guatemala illegally in the U.S., apprehended in Chatham County.
- Omar Rubio-Figueroa, 45, a citizen of Mexico illegally in the U.S., apprehended in Camden County.
Reentry after Removal or Deportation charges carry statutory penalties of up to two years in prison, followed by referral to immigration authorities for deportation. If a defendant’s removal is subsequent to a felony or aggravated felony, statutory penalties can be significantly more severe.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
These cases are being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and local law enforcement agencies and are being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Olivia C. Brame, Joshua Kyle Davis, Thomas M. Kent, Steven T. Poland, Kelsey L. Scanlon, and Darron J. Hubbard.
Mozambican receives lengthy federal prison sentence for money laundering conspiracy in the Eastern District of Texas as part of Homeland Security Task Force investigationRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Mozambican has been sentenced to over 11 years in federal prison as part of a Homeland Security Task Force investigation for a money laundering conspiracy in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Norolamin Gulam, 53, a national of Mozambique living in Portugal, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant on September 15, 2026. Gulam was also ordered to pay a money judgement of $7.5 million.
According to information presented in court, since 2021, Gulam was identified as the leader of a transnational money laundering organization with connections and ties throughout Europe, Africa, Southeast Asia, the United States, and Central and South America. Gulam used multiple businesses and real estate ventures to launder multi-million dollar amounts of drug proceeds. It is believed Gulam was responsible for laundering a minimum of $500 million in U.S. currency.
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 Dallas comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Dallas Field Office; U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations - Dallas (ICE-HSI); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Dallas Field Division; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Dallas Field Division; Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (IRS-CD; United States Postal Service, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Transportation Security Administration, Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS); United States Secret Service (USSS); Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DSS); TEXOMA HIDTA; U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Eastern District of Texas; and the DEA Bilateral Investigations Unit - Special Operations Division, Virginia, with the prosecution being led by Eastern District of Texas Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson.
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Mobile County Woman Sentenced to 84 Months’ Imprisonment for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – Amanda Michelle Guy was sentenced on September 14, 2026, by Chief United States District Court Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock, to 84 months in prison for trafficking fentanyl.
Court documents established that, on October 5, 2022, Mobile County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) deputies and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency used a confidential informant to purchase 15.06 grams of fentanyl from Guy. Eight days later, MCSO deputies seized 18.08 grams of pure methamphetamine from a vehicle Guy was driving. On January 26, 2023, MCSO deputies executed arrest warrants for Guy at a home in Mobile County. During the arrest deputies seized small amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl from a shed on the property, along with two digital scales used to weigh drugs.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney George F. May prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Mobile comprises agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and other federal and local agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.
Missouri Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Using Stolen Identification to Buy CarsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Tuesday sentenced a man to 51 months in prison for using stolen personal information he obtained on the dark web to buy five vehicles worth $333,000 at dealers around the country.
Judge Clark also ordered Michael Calvin, 45, to pay $193,000 in restitution. Some of the vehicles have not been recovered and the dealers incurred costs in recovering others.
Calvin purchased victims’ stolen personal information and a template of a Missouri driver’s license on the dark web and then created fake licenses and identification cards to use in his scheme. From Nov. 1, 2023, to Aug. 31, 2024, Calvin used fake identification and the stolen personal information to purchase cars online, as shown below:
DateVehicle LocationPrice Nov. 1, 2023 Chevrolet CamaroIowa$45,122 Feb. 24, 2024Jeep CherokeeWisconsin$43,967April 29, 2024Dodge Charger HellcatTennessee$90,785July 8, 2024Chevrolet CorvetteOklahoma$61,175Aug. 2, 2024Dodge DurangoWisconsin$92,921Calvin was shot in St. Louis on Aug. 13, 2024, while trying to sell the Durango, according to court documents. He was living at a Rolla motel at the time of his arrest. He pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in May to two counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service; the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department; the Missouri State Highway Patrol; the Ohio State Highway Patrol; and police departments in Eureka, Independence, Raymore, Richmond Heights, Rolla and St. Ann in Missouri; as well as Davenport, Iowa; El Reno, Okla.; Fond du Lac, Wisc.; and Lombard, Ill. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Roy prosecuted the case.
Members of Russian Intelligence Services Network Charged with Conspiring to Finance Terrorism and Commit Murder for Hire in the United StatesRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today the unsealing of charges against five individuals working for the intelligence services of the Russian Federation to conduct attacks and murders around the world, including in the United States. As detailed in the unsealed indictment, the network is alleged to have, among other things, paid and attempted to pay individuals within the United States and elsewhere to conduct pre-operational surveillance and carry out targeted killings, and commissioned associates to commit and attempt to commit acts of terrorism against civilian and military infrastructure in European countries that are aligned, or perceived to be aligned, with Ukraine. The defendants remain at large.
“It is our job to stop America’s adversaries from unleashing violence and terror on American soil,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “And that’s precisely what we are doing thanks to the work of the FBI and our Justice Department prosecutors.”
“The charges announced reveal an alleged plot by the Russian intelligence services to murder a dissident on U.S. soil for daring to speak out against the Russian government,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “As alleged in the indictment, this plot exposes the lengths to which our adversaries will go to silence its critics and illustrates the grave threat transnational repression poses to the lives and freedoms of all who challenge authoritarian regimes. The FBI is committed to defending the free speech of everyone within our homeland and will not tolerate any attempts by foreign governments to violate our laws and threaten our freedoms.”
“These defendants allegedly operated as part of a global assassination network that reached into the United States, attempting to recruit U.S. citizens and foreigners to carry out killings at the behest of the Kremlin,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Actions like these represent a gross violation of our sovereignty and a threat to our national security. We will stamp out any foreign intelligence services’ attempt to operate freely in our great Nation, and we will not rest until they and their enablers suffer the most severe consequences that federal law can levy.”
“We will not tolerate efforts to finance terrorist activities and engage in acts of violence — particularly when these activities are commissioned by state actors and touch American soil,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald for the Southern District of New York. “As alleged, the defendants, working for the intelligence services of Russia, conspired to cause destruction and mayhem around the world, including right here in the United States. The Russian-led network charged in today’s indictment is brazen, aggressive, and far-reaching, and the charges levied against the defendants should send a clear message: no matter where you are, and no matter who you work for, we will investigate and prosecute you for your crimes. I thank our partners at the FBI who work tirelessly to protect our communities and am grateful that our law enforcement partners neutralized this deadly and outrageous threat.”
“As alleged in this indictment, members of the Russian Intelligence Services and their affiliates conspired to intimidate, threaten, or murder people on U.S. soil and around the world,” said Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI New York Field Office James C. Barnacle Jr. “The FBI disrupted this operation through relentless work and rock-solid partnership. The FBI is committed to confronting transnational repression wherever it occurs and protecting those targeted for exercising their fundamental rights. We thank the multiple FBI Field Offices and the U.S. Attorney’s Office whose coordination and commitment made this disruption possible.”
“The charges announced today represent the culmination of extraordinary work by multiple FBI field offices, components, and partner agencies that collectively disrupted Russia’s attempts to conduct violent acts in our nation’s capital and throughout the United States,” said Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Darren B. Cox. “When this threat was identified, the Washington Field Office and our partners moved quickly to disrupt the plot and hold the Russian government accountable for its actions. Our message is clear: any foreign intelligence service that attempts to direct violence inside the United States will face an unrelenting and coordinated response from the FBI and our partners to protect the homeland.”
As reflected in the indictment unsealed today:
Since at least 2024, a network of individuals working for the intelligence services of the Russian Federation (the “RIS Network”) has conspired to conduct and conducted attacks and murders around the world, including within the United States. The RIS Network is one arm of the Russian Federation’s apparatus to carry out external attacks, including murder, and has focused on Russian dissidents and defectors and, most recently, on nations perceived as allies of Ukraine. Most recently, members of the RIS Network have attempted to recruit multiple individuals within the United States to carry out pre-operational surveillance and murder within this country.
Three of the defendants are high-ranking members of the RIS Network. Those three defendants are: Yuri Khrameev, also known as “Colonel Yuri,” 63, of Russia, a former colonel in the Russian intelligence services who has participated in the recruitment of multiple individuals to commit murder against perceived Russian dissidents; Kirill Khrameev, 27, of Russia, an officer in the Federal Security Service of Russia (FSB) and Yuri Khrameev’s son; and Oemis Romagoza Durruthy, 35, a Cuban national who is an influential member of the Cuban diaspora living in Russia who has coordinated attacks for the RIS Network. Two additional members of the RIS Network who are charged in the indictment are Yaidel Delgado Suarez, also known as “Viking,” 35, of Cuba, who is a prolific recruiter for the RIS Network and who has recruited or attempted to recruit multiple individuals in the United States; and Angel Eduardo Castro, 22, of Venezuela, who participated with Suarez in the recruitment of U.S.-based individuals to surveil and attempt to murder a prominent U.S.-based Russian dissident (Victim-1).
The RIS Network has allegedly carried out or conspired to carry out multiple schemes around the world. Most recently, this summer, the RIS Network recruited an individual based in the United States (U.S. Resident-1) to surveil and murder a prominent Russian dissident they believed to be residing in the United States. Among other things, Suarez sent U.S. Resident-1 two locations associated with Victim-1 to surveil; provided U.S. Resident-1 with explicit instructions on how to conduct surveillance; and promised U.S. Resident-1 between $1,000 and $1,500 dollars to carry out the pre-operational surveillance. In turn, U.S. Resident-1 conducted the requested surveillance and passed back to Suarez multiple photographs and videos of locations associated with Victim-1. Suarez and Castro further offered U.S. Resident-1 $40,000 to “eliminate” or “disappear” Victim-1 and, when U.S. Resident-1told them that he did not want to carry out the murder by his own hand, asked U.S. Resident-1 if he knew “someone [who] can do the work.” Suarez also told U.S. Resident-1 that he had “people in Mexico” who could otherwise carry out the murder, but they were delayed in doing so. In addition, Suarez attempted to recruit multiple other individuals within the United States to conduct pre-operational surveillance and murder Victim-1 and other potential targets within the United States and offered them substantial sums of money to carry out the targeting of the U.S. based victims.
The alleged attempted murder of Victim-1 is the latest in the RIS Network’s efforts. Last year, as alleged in the indictment, the RIS Network solicited a U.S. Citizen (U.S. Citizen-1) to surveil and murder an individual located in Lithuania (Victim-2) who the RIS Network described as a “bad guy” who was “telling lies about Russia.” Kirill Khrameev first recruited U.S. Citizen-1 to travel to Victim-2’s purported address and take pictures. After U.S. Citizen-1 accepted and completed the assignment in exchange for a promise of $200, Kirill Khrameev introduced U.S. Citizen-1 to someone he described as his “boss” and a “colonel,” later identified as Yuri Khrameev. Yuri Khrameev then offered U.S. Citizen-1 approximately $25,000 to “kill him” — that is, Victim-2. Yuri Khrameev further told U.S. Citizen-1 that they wanted Victim-2 dead because he was “spreading dirt about my country” and “distorting history.” Yuri Khrameev then sent U.S. Citizen-1 a photograph of Victim-2 and described that he could be murdered by “throwing a bottle of gasoline” or “sticking a knife” in him. After U.S. Citizen-1 declined to carry out the murder, Yuri Khrameev offered to give him a “simpler job” which could include “set[ting] fire to a warehouse of property or food” or “throw[ing] a bottle of gasoline at an electrical substation.” Yuri Khrameev made clear to U.S. Citizen-1 that the purpose was to target “all the countries that are helping Ukraine” and that he was offering “serious money for serious work.” Finally, Yuri Khrameev confirmed that he was a “colonel of Russian intelligence agencies.”
The RIS Network has also allegedly recruited others to carry out acts of terrorism overseas. Oemis Romagoza Durruthy coordinated travel and logistics for the network. In or about June 2024, Durruthy coordinated an attack in Prague, Czechia, including by sending another participant potential attack sites and facilitating that participant’s travel. In or about September 2024, Durruthy coordinated another attack in Lithuania in which he booked travel reservations for another individual involved in the attack and had frequent and ongoing communications with an individual involved in the attack. Durruthy also communicated with Yuri Khrameev in or about November 2025, during which Durruthy obtained media of one of Victim-1’s dwellings, which was ultimately surveilled by U.S. Resident-1 this year.
Yuri Khrameev, Kirill Khrameev, Oemis Romagoza Durruthy, Yaidel Delgado Suarez, and Angel Eduardo Castro are all charged with participating in a conspiracy to finance terrorism (Count One), which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Yuri Khrameev, Suarez, and Castro are also charged with participating in a conspiracy to commit murder for hire (Count Two), which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
The Counterintelligence Division of the FBI New York Field Office investigated the case, with the significant assistance of the Washington Field Office and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Coyle, Kaylan E. Lasky, Adam Margulies, and Jason A. Richman for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Andrew Briggs of the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division and Trial Attorney Yifei Zheng of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Members of Russian Intelligence Services Network Charged with Conspiring to Finance Terrorism and Commit Murder for Hire in the United StatesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, Attorney General for the United States, Todd Blanche, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, John A. Eisenberg, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Kash Patel, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI, James C. Barnacle, Jr., and Assistant Director in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the FBI, Darren B. Cox, announced today the unsealing of charges against five individuals working for the intelligence services of the Russian Federation to conduct attacks and murders around the world, including in the United States. As detailed in the unsealed indictment, the network is alleged to have, among other things, paid and attempted to pay individuals within the United States and elsewhere to conduct pre-operational surveillance and carry out targeted killings, and commissioned associates to commit and attempted to commit acts of terrorism against civilian and military infrastructure in European countries that are aligned, or perceived to be aligned, with Ukraine. The defendants remain at large.
“We will not tolerate efforts to finance terrorist activities and engage in acts of violence—particularly when these activities are commissioned by state actors and touch American soil,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. “As alleged, the defendants, working for the intelligence services of Russia, conspired to cause destruction and mayhem around the world, including right here in the United States. The Russian-led network charged in today’s indictment is brazen, aggressive, and far-reaching, and the charges levied against the defendants should send a clear message: no matter where you are, and no matter who you work for, we will investigate and prosecute you for your crimes. I thank our partners at the FBI who work tirelessly to protect our communities and am grateful that our law enforcement partners neutralized this deadly and outrageous threat.”
“It is our job to stop America’s adversaries from unleashing violence and terror on American soil,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “And that’s precisely what we are doing thanks to the work of the FBI and our Justice Department prosecutors.”
“These defendants allegedly operated as part of a global assassination network that reached into the United States, attempting to recruit U.S. citizens and foreigners to carry out killings at the behest of the Kremlin,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Actions like these represent a gross violation of our sovereignty and a threat to our national security. We will stamp out any foreign intelligence services’ attempt to operate freely in our great Nation, and we will not rest until they and their enablers suffer the most severe consequences that federal law can levy.”
“The charges announced reveal an alleged plot by the Russian intelligence services to murder a dissident on U.S. soil for daring to speak out against the Russian government,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. "As alleged in the indictment, this plot exposes the lengths to which our adversaries will go to silence its critics and illustrates the grave threat transnational repression poses to the lives and freedoms of all who challenge authoritarian regimes. The FBI is committed to defending the free speech of everyone within our homeland and will not tolerate any attempts by foreign governments to violate our laws and threaten our freedoms.”
“As alleged in this indictment, members of the Russian Intelligence Services and their affiliates conspired to intimidate, threaten, or murder people on U.S. soil and around the world,” said Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI New York Field Office James C. Barnacle, Jr. “The FBI disrupted this operation through relentless work and rock-solid partnership. The FBI is committed to confronting transnational repression wherever it occurs and protecting those targeted for exercising their fundamental rights. We thank the multiple FBI Field Offices and the United States Attorney's Office whose coordination and commitment made this disruption possible.”
“The charges announced today represent the culmination of extraordinary work by multiple FBI field offices, components, and partner agencies that collectively disrupted Russia’s attempts to conduct violent acts in our nation’s capital and throughout the United States,” said Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Darren B. Cox. “When this threat was identified, the Washington Field Office and our partners moved quickly to disrupt the plot and hold the Russian government accountable for its actions. Our message is clear: any foreign intelligence service that attempts to direct violence inside the United States will face an unrelenting and coordinated response from the FBI and our partners to protect the homeland.”
As reflected in the Indictment unsealed today:(1)
Since at least in or about 2024, a network of individuals working for the intelligence services of the Russian Federation (the “RIS Network”) has conspired to conduct and conducted attacks and murder around the world, including within the United States. The RIS Network is one arm of the Russian Federation’s apparatus to carry out external attacks, including murder, around the world, which has focused on Russian dissidents and defectors and, most recently, on nations perceived as allies of Ukraine. Most recently, members of the RIS Network have attempted to recruit multiple individuals within the United States to carry out pre-operational surveillance and murder within this country.
Three of the defendants are high-ranking members of the RIS Network. Those three defendants are: YURI KHRAMEEV, a/k/a “Colonel Yuri,” a former colonel in the Russian intelligence services who has participated in the recruitment of multiple individuals to commit murder against perceived Russian dissidents; KIRILL KHRAMEEV, an officer in the Federal Security Service of Russia (“FSB”) and YURI KHRAMEEV’s son; and OEMIS ROMAGOZA DURRUTHY, a Cuban national who is an influential member of the Cuban diaspora living in Russia who has coordinated attacks for the RIS Network. Two additional members of the RIS Network who are charged in the Indictment are YAIDEL DELGADO SUAREZ, a/k/a “Viking,” who is a prolific recruiter for the RIS Network and who has recruited or attempted to recruit multiple individuals in the United States; and ANGEL EDUARDO CASTRO, who participated with SUAREZ in the recruitment of U.S.-based individuals to surveil and attempt to murder a prominent U.S.-based Russian dissident (“Victim-1”).
The RIS Network has allegedly carried out or conspired to carry out multiple schemes around the world. Most recently, this summer, the RIS Network recruited an individual based in the United States (“U.S. Resident-1”) to surveil and murder a prominent Russian dissident they believed to be residing in the United States. Among other things, SUAREZ sent U.S. Resident-1 two locations associated with Victim-1 to surveil; provided U.S. Resident-1 with explicit instructions on how to conduct surveillance; and promised U.S. Resident-1 between $1,000 and $1,500 to carry out the pre-operational surveillance. In turn, U.S. Resident-1 conducted the requested surveillance and passed back to SUAREZ multiple photographs and videos of locations associated with Victim-1. SUAREZ and CASTRO further offered U.S. Resident-1 $40,000 to “eliminate” or “disappear” Victim-1 and, when U.S. Resident-1 told them that he did not want to carry out the murder by his own hand, asked U.S. Resident-1 if he knew “someone [who] can do the work.” SUAREZ also told U.S. Resident-1 that he had “people in Mexico” who could otherwise carry out the murder, but they were delayed in doing so. In addition, SUAREZ attempted to recruit multiple other individuals within the United States to conduct pre-operational surveillance and murder Victim-1 and other potential targets within the United States, and offered them substantial sums of money to carry out the targeting of the U.S.-based victims.
The alleged attempted murder of Victim-1 is the latest in the RIS Network’s efforts. Last year, as alleged in the Indictment, the RIS Network solicited a U.S. Citizen (“U.S. Citizen-1”) to surveil and murder an individual located in Lithuania (“Victim-2”) who the RIS Network described as a “bad guy” who was “telling lies about Russia.” KIRILL KHRAMEEV first recruited U.S. Citizen-1 to travel to Victim-2’s purported address and take pictures. After U.S. Citizen-1 accepted and completed the assignment in exchange for a promise of $200, KIRILL KHRAMEEV introduced U.S. Citizen-1 to someone he described as his “boss” and a “colonel,” later identified as YURI KHRAMEEV. YURI KHRAMEEV then offered U.S. Citizen-1 approximately $25,000 to kill Victim-2. YURI KHRAMEEV further told U.S. Citizen-1 that they wanted Victim-2 dead because he was “spreading dirt about my country” and “distorting history.” YURI KHRAMEEV then sent U.S. Citizen-1 a photograph of Victim-2 and described that he could be murdered by “throwing a bottle of gasoline” or “sticking a knife” in him. After U.S. Citizen-1 declined to carry out the murder, YURI KHRAMEEV offered instead to give him a “simpler job” which could include “set[ting] fire to a warehouse of property or food” or “throw[ing] a bottle of gasoline at an electrical substation.” YURI KHRAMEEV made clear to U.S. Citizen-1 that the purpose was to target “all the countries that are helping Ukraine” and that he was offering “serious money for serious work.” Finally, YURI KHRAMEEV confirmed that he was a “colonel of Russian intelligence agencies.”
Overseas, the RIS Network has also allegedly recruited others to carry out acts of terrorism. One key member of the RIS Network who is involved in this overseas effort is OEMIS ROMAGOZA DURRUTHY, who coordinated travel and logistics for the RIS Network. In or about June 2024, DURRUTHY coordinated an attack in Prague, Czechia, including by sending to another participant potential attack sites and facilitating that participant’s travel. In or about September 2024, DURRUTHY coordinated another attack in Lithuania, in which he, again, booked travel reservations for another individual involved in the attack, and had frequent and ongoing communications with an individual involved in the attack. DURRUTHY also communicated with YURI KHRAMEEV in or about November 2025, during which time period DURRUTHY obtained media of one of Victim-1’s dwellings, which was ultimately surveilled by U.S. Resident-1 this year.
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YURI KHRAMEEV, a/k/a “Colonel Yuri,” 63, of Russia, KIRILL KHRAMEEV, 27, of Russia, OEMIS ROMAGOZA DURRUTHY, 35, of Cuba, YAIDEL DELGADO SUAREZ, a/k/a “Viking,” 35, of Cuba, and ANGEL EDUARDO CASTRO, 22, of Venezuela, are all charged with participating in a conspiracy to finance terrorism (Count One), which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. YURI KHRAMEEV, SUAREZ, and CASTRO are also charged with participating in a conspiracy to commit murder for hire (Count Two), which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. McDonald praised the outstanding efforts of the Counterintelligence Division of the FBI’s New York Field Office. Mr. McDonald also thanked the FBI’s Washington Field Office for their significant assistance, as well as Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey W. Coyle, Kaylan E. Lasky, Adam Margulies, and Jason A. Richman are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Andrew Briggs of the Counterterrorism Section and Trial Attorney Yifei Zheng of the Counterespionage Section.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.
Marion Man Pleads Guilty to Murdering S.C. EMS WorkerRead the Press Release
FLORENCE, S.C. — Jaremy Alexander Smith, 35, of Marion, has pleaded guilty to the 2024 kidnapping, carjacking, and murder of a Florence County EMS worker.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on March 13, 2024, Smith entered the home of Phonesia Machado-Fore in Marion where he kidnapped her and took her to a remote location near Nichols. Once there, Smith executed Machado-Fore behind an abandoned house while she was bound and blindfolded. Smith then drove Machado-Fore’s car back to her residence where he stole several firearms that he later sold. Smith then drove the stolen car to New Mexico, where he killed New Mexico State Police (NMSP) Officer Justin Hare on March 15, 2024. In April 2025, Smith was sentenced to life in prison in the District of New Mexico for killing the NMSP Officer.
“The senseless murders of Ms. Machado-Fore and NMSP Officer Hare were shocking and heartbreaking,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “Now, thanks to a multi-state law enforcement investigation, Smith faces accountability for these two heinous acts. We offer our continued condolences to both families as they heal and remember their loved ones.”
“The defendant’s violent and horrific attacks on two first responders sent shockwaves throughout South Carolina and New Mexico,” said FBI Columbia Special Agent in Charge Anish Shukla. “While his acceptance of responsibility cannot bring back Ms. Machado‑Fore or Officer Hare, we truly hope their families and friends can start healing knowing that the defendant is being held fully accountable for his despicable actions.”
Smith faces a mandatory penalty of life in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and a term of supervision to follow imprisonment. United States District Judge Joseph Dawson III accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Smith after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Everett McMillian and Christopher Lietzow are prosecuting the case with support from DOJ’s Capital Case Section Trial Attorneys Barry Disney, Julie Adams and Aria Merle.
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