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Tuesday 30 September 2025
Nigerian National Extradited from Poland to Face Elder Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Tochuwku Albert Nnebocha, 43, of Nigeria was extradited from the Republic of Poland and faces federal charges of engaging in a transnational criminal organization that operated an inheritance fraud scheme that cheated many American seniors out of their savings. Nnebocha made his initial appearance in federal court yesterday in Miami.
Nnebocha was arrested in April 2025 by authorities in Poland, based on an indictment filed in the Southern District of Florida, and has remained incarcerated since then.
According to court documents, Nnebocha is charged with operating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme. Over the course of more than five years, he, along with others, allegedly sent personalized letters to elderly consumers in the U.S., falsely claiming that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for the recipient by a family member who purportedly had died years before in Spain. Victims were told that, before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees, taxes, and payments to avoid questioning from government authorities. Victims sent money to the defendants through a complex web of U.S.-based former victims, whom the defendants convinced to receive money and forward to the defendants or persons associated with them. According to the indictment, victims who sent money never received their purported inheritance funds.
The defendant is charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, as well as mail fraud and wire fraud. Nnebocha made his initial court appearance yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjolique Lett. If convicted, Nnebocha faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Two additional defendants have pleaded guilty and been sentenced in this case. U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman previously sentenced both Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, who was extradited from Portugal, and Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, who was extradited from the United Kingdom, to 97 months of incarceration for their roles in the scheme.
USPIS and HSI are investigating the case.
This case is one example of efforts by the Justice Department to protect American seniors from domestic and foreign based scams. These efforts include cases against those who engage in, and knowingly facilitate, romance fraud, lottery fraud, tech support fraud, and grandparent scams. Romance fraud is a confidence scheme where a perpetrator feigns romantic interest with a victim only to later extract money or property under false pretenses. Lottery fraud schemes trick victims into believing they have won a non-existent lottery or sweepstakes prize in order to extract fake fees, taxes, or other fabricated charges from the victim. Tech support fraud scams involve perpetrators tricking victims into believing that their computer or phone has a problem, often through fake pop-up messages, and to later seek funds from the victims in order to “fix” the “problem.” Grandparent scams, another type of confidence scheme, involve scammers impersonating a grandchild or close family member who experiences a fictitious emergency and needs money from the victim as soon as possible.
Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorney Josh Rothman of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, the Federal Bureau of Investigations Legal Attache in Poland, INTERPOL, and Polish Authorities, all provided critical assistance.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
More information about the Department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-20140.
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Newburgh Woman Who Made Headlines for False Claims About Homeless Veterans Sentenced for Wire Fraud and Stolen ValorRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that SHARON TONEY‑FINCH, who made false public claims about assisting homeless veterans, was sentenced today to 12 months and one day by U.S. District Judge Vincent L. Briccetti for a years-long scheme to defraud military veterans’ charities and falsely claiming that she was a Purple Heart recipient. TONEY-FINCH previously pled guilty in March 2025 to wire fraud and stolen valor offenses. In issuing the Court’s sentence, Judge Briccetti described TONEY-FINCH’s conduct as “appalling” and “disrespectful to [her] fellow veterans.”
“Sharon Toney-Finch falsely claimed to be a Purple Heart recipient and used her foundation to defraud donors and others induced by that lie,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Let today’s sentence reaffirm that fraud built on lies about service and sacrifice will carry a heavy price.”
As alleged in the Indictment and in statements made in public filings and public court proceedings:
TONEY-FINCH is an Army veteran and founder of the Yerik Israel Toney Foundation (the “YIT Foundation”), a registered 501(c)(3) charity that was established in Sullivan County. TONEY-FINCH was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army with various commendations, but she never received a Purple Heart award.
TONEY-FINCH’s YIT Foundation reportedly strived to raise awareness of premature births, offer assistance to premature babies and their families, and provide a place to stay or transportation while the babies were in the neonatal intensive care unit. The YIT Foundation also claimed to help homeless and low-income military service veterans in need of living assistance.
In fact, the YIT Foundation was largely a fraud. TONEY-FINCH helped virtually no military veterans and, instead, used the money that had been donated to the YIT Foundation by bona fide military veterans’ charities principally for her own benefit, including to pay for her BMW, a gym membership, travel, meals, and other personal expenses. In raising funds for the YIT Foundation, TONEY-FINCH also lied extensively about her military service, claiming falsely that she had been injured in an improvised explosive device attack in Iraq and doctoring her military discharge paperwork to reflect that she had received a Purple Heart, among other things. In total, TONEY-FINCH obtained approximately $85,000 as part of the scheme.
For example, in June 2022, TONEY-FINCH induced a local foundation that donates money to charities that serve veterans, food pantries, and domestic violence survivors to give the YIT Foundation $10,000 ostensibly to fund the construction of housing for homeless veterans. TONEY-FINCH used this grant money not to construct a home for veterans but rather principally to pay for her luxury vehicle and for her personal expenses at bars, restaurants, and gyms.
In May 2023, TONEY-FINCH made national news after claiming to a newspaper that the YIT Foundation had been supporting numerous homeless veterans who were being evicted from a hotel in Newburgh to make room for migrants who were being bussed from New York City. This claim caused at least one donor to wire the YIT Foundation $25,000. TONEY‑FINCH’s claims about housing homeless veterans who were supposedly displaced by migrants were false.
In the process of soliciting other donations for the YIT Foundation, TONEY-FINCH frequently and fraudulently held herself as a military hero who had received a Purple Heart medal. For example, in September 2021, TONEY-FINCH submitted a doctored military discharge certificate to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor and was honored at a Purple Heart ceremony alongside commissioned military officers. And in July 2022, TONEY-FINCH appeared on a video podcast to discuss the YIT Foundation and her claimed military record. At the outset of this appearance, TONEY-FINCH stated that she is the founder of the YIT Foundation and falsely claimed that she was “a Purple Heart and Valor Award recipient.” TONEY-FINCH then told an elaborate and false story about being the victim of an improvised explosive device attack in Iraq, in which TONEY-FINCH supposedly sustained injuries that required dozens of surgeries and simultaneously saved the lives of multiple fellow servicemembers.
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In addition to the prison term, TONEY-FINCH, 43, of Newburgh, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $84,000 in restitution and $85,000 in forfeiture.
Mr. Clayton praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Hudson Valley White Collar Crime Task Force, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan W. Allison and Margaret N. Vasu are in charge of the prosecution.
New York Man Pleads Guilty to Impersonating Crypto Influencers in Investment ScamRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Noman Saleem, 38, of Queens and Levittown, New York, pled guilty today, in connection with his role in a wire fraud scheme. Saleem conspired to steal the victims’ money — including a victim in Maryland — under the guise of a crypto staking or crypto investment opportunity with guaranteed returns.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.
According to the plea agreement, beginning in December 2020, and continuing through at least March 2021, Saleem engaged in the investment scheme by promoting himself as popular online crypto influencers, convincing several victims to send crypto to virtual wallets that he owned and controlled. The victims invested with Saleem under the guise of a crypto staking or crypto investment opportunity with guaranteed returns. After Saleem took control of the victims’ crypto, he ceased communicating with them and disappeared with their crypto.
Cryptocurrencies are not tied to any nation’s fiat currency. The owner of cryptocurrency is assigned a mathematical encryption key pair consisting of a public key and a private key. A public key, also known as an address, is visible to the public. The public key allows the public to verify the owner of virtual currency and to send and receive cryptocurrencies. A private key, also known as a secret key, utilizes a password to complete cryptocurrency transactions. Secret keys are typically only shared with the owner of the public key. A wallet can hold multiple public keys for a user and an account can hold multiple wallets for a user.
Crypto staking involves holding cryptocurrency holdings for a period of time to earn interest or rewards. Crypto staking is often accomplished through groups of people or pools, with participants earning passive income on their holdings, ranging from 5 to 20 percent.
In 2020, Saleem began using Telegram as a messaging application. Saleem created a handle on Telegram used by a popular crypto influencer. Thousands of people joined Saleem’s public channel, and Saleem also created a VIP sub channel by subscription in exchange for approximately $500 to $600 of crypto. Saleem led members to believe that he was the influencer, as VIP channel members could direct message him. He also created a second handle using another popular crypto influencer’s handle and offered channel members the option to join his VIP channel by subscription.
Saleem advertised staking rewards through his Telegram channels, with terms of 30 to 90 days. He then enticed potential investors with promises that the more crypto that they invested, the greater the returns. Saleem never actually staked any crypto.
While conducting the crypto influencing and staking scheme, Saleem obtained at least $1,798,529 in U.S. currency. The Government seized much of these losses back in the form of crypto and U.S. currency, as identified in the plea agreement.
Saleem is facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud. His sentencing is set for March 3, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean R. Delaney and Evelyn L. Cusson, who are prosecuting the case, and recognized Paralegal Specialist Shelbe Mascaro for her valuable assistance.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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New Orleans Resident Guilty of Demanding Ransom for Release of Kidnapping VictimRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –JANETTE RAMIREZ (“RAMIREZ”), age 34, pleaded guilty on September 25, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Barry W. Ashe to interstate transmission of a ransom demand, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(a).
According to court documents, the victim was kidnapped by RAMIREZ’s co-defendants, Hector Mondragon-Flores and Edwin Salgado-Nunez. They bound the victim’s hands and legs together, held him at gunpoint in Mondragon-Flores’s apartment, and demanded the payment of a $7,000 ransom from the victim’s father for the victim’s release. Salgado-Nunez was arrested by New Orleans Police Department officers during a ransom exchange after the victim’s father paid Salgado-Nunez’s associate $3,000 in cash.
Following Salgado-Nunez’s arrest, Mondragon-Flores took the victim to RAMIREZ’s apartment. Mondragon-Flores then instructed the victim to facilitate a payment from the victim’s girlfriend for the victim’s release. RAMIREZ translated a conversation concerning the ransom payment, between the victim and his girlfriend, from English to Spanish for Mondragon-Flores so that he could monitor the conversation. RAMIREZ also agreed to use her CashApp account to receive the ransom payment and sent the victim’s girlfriend CashApp payment requests knowing that they would be viewed as a request for ransom for the victim’s release.
RAMIREZ faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
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.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys David Berman and Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit are in charge of the prosecution.
New Jersey Man Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Create and Distribute Videos Depicting Monkey Torture and MutilationRead the Press Release
Note: the release has been updated to include only information about Morelli. Additional information about another individual who has been charged in the case has been removed.
A New Jersey man was sentenced to prison today in connection with his involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.
Giancarlo Morelli, of Wharton, New Jersey, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for conspiring to create and distribute animal crush videos.
“Those making or sharing animal crush videos have reason to fear capture and swift justice in the form of sentences like today’s,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Congress has said clearly that this conduct has no place in our society. Beyond dark corners of the web, it is reviled. Anyone who sees it should turn in perpetrators to federal law enforcement. We will prosecute everyone we can, as we did with this chat group. If you’re involved in these groups, get out and get help.”
“If you pay others to torture animals or to share images of that horrific abuse, you can expect to be held accountable as if you committed the torture firsthand,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio. “Today’s sentence shows our resolve to punish everyone who participates in these despicable and sadistic conspiracies.”
“The acts of torture and abuse of young monkeys in this case are beyond disturbing,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Adam Lawson of FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office. “As a result of the work of the FBI, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and our Department of Justice partners, those involved in the creation and distribution of these repulsive animal torture videos are being held accountable for their criminal actions.”
“Those who produce or distribute animal crush videos should know that federal law enforcement is fully committed to identifying, apprehending, and prosecuting these offenders,” said Assistant Director Doug Ault of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement. “Such acts are universally condemned, and we commend vigilant members of the public who report these crimes when they are discovered. As demonstrated by this successful prosecution, we will aggressively pursue all who participate in these abhorrent acts.”
According to court documents, Morelli paid another individual 19 times for videos depicting the torture and abuse of monkeys. Morelli also kept up an extensive correspondence with the individual supplying him with the videos, providing feedback on the content of the videos, and offering suggestions for future videos.
According to statements of facts signed by Morelli, the videos included depictions of baby and adolescent monkeys being tortured in a multitude of ways, including having their genitals burned and cut off.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and FBI investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Adam C. Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section is prosecuting the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Oakley for the Southern District of Ohio also helped prosecute the case.
New Jersey Man Sentenced for Failing to Stop for Inspection at Calais International Port of EntryRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A New Jersey man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for failing to report his arrival and present himself for inspection at the international port of entry in Calais.
U.S. Magistrate Judge John C. Nivison sentenced Jason Brenner, 53, to 115 days of imprisonment, followed by a year of supervised release. Brenner pleaded guilty on August 12, 2025.
According to court records, on July 1, 2025, Brenner drove a vehicle traveling outbound from the United States and entered Canada. After a brief encounter with Canadian immigration officials, Brenner turned his vehicle around and sped back towards the U.S. Instead of stopping his vehicle and presenting himself for inspection at the Calais port of entry, Brenner entered the U.S. by traveling in the outbound lane in the wrong direction, bypassing the incoming traffic inspection lanes. Following a pursuit where Brenner reached speeds of over 100 mph, he crashed the vehicle and was found in the woods with a loaded firearm, two loaded magazines, and wearing body armor. Another loaded firearm was found inside the vehicle.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated the case with assistance from U.S. Border Patrol and the Baileyville and Indian Township police departments.
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New Hampshire Man Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Federal Prison for 2024 Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on September 30, 2025, Christopher Boisvert of Swanzey, New Hampshire was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 74 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release.
On June 10, 2025, Boisvert pleaded guilty to one count of Bank Robbery and stipulated to the commission of a second bank robbery and an attempted robbery of a marijuana dispensary, all committed on August 26, 2024. Boisvert’s conspirator, Meghan Cox, 40, of Laconia, New Hampshire, pled guilty on June 12, 2025 to her role in conspiring to rob the marijuana dispensary. Cox is scheduled to be sentenced on October 20, 2025.
According to court records, starting at around 2:00 p.m. on August 26, 2024, Boisvert and Cox attempted to rob a marijuana dispensary then Boisvert went on to successfully rob TD Bank in Bellows Falls and Brattleboro Savings & Loan in Brattleboro. Throughout the spree, Boisvert was masked, appeared to be armed, and obtained $7,500 by threatening bank tellers and their families with violence. After the Brattleboro robbery, Boisvert led law enforcement on a high-speed chase through back roads of Vermont before abandoning his truck in a business parking lot. Upon returning to their home in New Hampshire, Boisvert and Cox called law enforcement and falsely reported the truck stolen and claimed to be hiking all afternoon. Prior to this offense, Boisvert had multiple arrests and convictions for armed robberies from 2012 through 2023.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Vermont State Police, the Brattleboro Police Department, the Bellows Falls Police Department, the Keene (New Hampshire) Police Department, the Swanzey (New Hampshire) Police Department, the Cheshire County (New Hampshire) Sheriff’s Department, the New Hampshire State Police, the Athol (Massachusetts) Police Department, and the Winchendon (Massachusetts) Police Department.
The prosecutors are Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Ophardt and Dana Hill. Assistant Federal Public Defender Emily Kenyon represents Christopher Boisvert and Meghan Cox is represented by Richard C. Bothfeld, Esq.
Nevada Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Child Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
RENO – A Winnemucca man was sentenced today by United States District Judge Miranda M. Du to 10 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for transporting a 15-year-old girl from Colorado to Nevada, and having sexual contact with her, after meeting each other on a social media application.
According to court documents, from December 31, 2024, to January 2, 2025, Tyler Monson communicated via Snapchat with a 15-year-old victim who lived in Littleton, Colorado. During the conversation, Monson told the victim that he was 16 years old and lived in Colorado. Monson and the victim exchanged nude photos, and he sent the victim $2,000 via Venmo. They agreed to meet in person. Monson traveled from Nevada to Colorado for the purpose of sexual activity with the victim. While traveling back to Nevada with the victim, Monson sexually assaulted the victim multiple times.
Monson pleaded guilty to one count of transportation of a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
Acting United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Division made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Elko County Sheriff’s Office, and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, with assistance provided by the Winnemucca Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Megan Rachow prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
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Muskogee Resident Pleads Guilty to Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Tommy Lynn Byrd, Jr., age 37, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.
The Indictment alleged that on January 9, 2025, Byrd assaulted the victim, resulting in serious bodily injury.
The crime occurred in Muskogee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Muskogee Police Department.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Byrd will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Gross and Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.
Mexican man arrested, charged with illegal reentryRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Agustin Meza Lopez, 30, a citizen and national of Mexico, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with illegal reentry, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Irvin Jefferson, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in the early morning hours of August 31, 2025, Lopez was encountered by a Customs and Border Protection officer at the Lewiston Bridge Port of Entry in Lewiston, NY. He was an occupant in a Virigina plated vehicle that made a wrong turn onto the bridge. Lopez claimed to be a Mexican citizen but did not present any identity documents at the time. He was referred to secondary inspection to determine his identity and immigration status in the United States. A records check determined that Lopez was physically removed from the United States in August 2021.
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.
Lopez made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was detained.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.
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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Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering the US After Prior RemovalsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Mexican national pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to illegally entering the U.S. after a prior removal.
According to court records, on September 16, 2025, Javier Amateco-Navarrette, 38, was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by the U.S. Border Patrol in Oakland, Maine. During the traffic stop, Amateco-Navarrette admitted he was a citizen of Mexico and in the U.S. illegally. He was previously removed from the country on two separate occasions in 2018.
Amateco-Navarrette faces up to two years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case.
Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Mexican National Guilty of Illegal Reentry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that ALFREDO RAMIREZ-VAZQUEZ (“RAMIREZ-VAZQUEZ”), age 55, a citizen of Mexico, pled guilty on September 16, 2025, to illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of 8 U.S.C. ' 1326(a). Chief U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter scheduled the sentencing for November 13, 2025.
According to court records, RAMIREZ-VAZQUEZ reentered the United States sometime prior to April 1, 2025, after having been previously removed on or about February 5, 2024.
RAMIREZ-VAZQUEZ faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Acting U.S. Michael M. Simpson praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Irene González of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
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Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Cedar County man who distributed methamphetamine was sentenced on September 29, 2025, to almost 12 years in federal prison.
Shane Robert McDowell, age 44, from Clarence, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 14, 2025 guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance.
Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that, between 2016 and 2022, McDowell obtained methamphetamine from several different sources of supply and distributed it to drug customers. On February 5, 13, and 28, 2024, law enforcement officers conducted controlled purchases of methamphetamine from McDowell. In total, McDowell agreed that he was involved with at least 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine.
McDowell was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. McDowell was sentenced to 135 months’ imprisonment, and he must also serve a five‑year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
McDowell is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by former Special Assistant United States Attorney Jared Manternach and Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the Cedar County Sheriff’s Office, the Tipton Police Department, the Muscatine County Drug Task Force, and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24‑CR‑00070‑CJW.
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Mescalero Man Faces Federal Sexual Abuse ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man is facing federal charges after allegedly engaging in sexual acts with a minor.
According to court documents, following a report made to the Bureau of Indian Affairs in February 2021, an investigation was initiated into Deverne Torres, Jr., 45, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe. The complaint arose after a witness claimed to have seen Torres kissing and touching a minor and reportedly threatened the witness to keep quiet.
During a subsequent interview, the victim disclosed that Torres had engaged in sexual acts with them beginning when they were under the age of 12 and continuing for years.
Torres is charged with Aggravated Sexual Abuse and Sexual Abuse of a Minor and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Torres faces up t0 life in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson Dering is prosecuting the case.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is seeking other potential victims of Torres. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Bureau of Indian Affairs at (575) 464-4479.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mercer County Man Admits to Fraudulently Obtaining over $256,000 in Veterans BenefitsRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Mercer County, New Jersey man admitted that he defrauded the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs by improperly obtaining over $256,000.00 in program benefits, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Mark Stratton, 67, of Lawrence Township, New Jersey, pled guilty on September 25, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with theft of public money.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs provided disability benefits to Stratton’s father, which passed to Stratton’s mother after his father died. Those benefits were paid monthly through electronic funds into a joint bank account held by both Stratton and his mother. After Stratton’s mother died in 2008, the benefits should have been terminated; however, Stratton did not notify the Department of Veterans Affairs about his mother’s death. Instead, he made withdrawals of the disability benefits for his own personal use. Through a joint investigation by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs-Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, law enforcement determined that between 2008 and 2025, Stratton improperly withdrew approximately $256,027.00 in benefits.
The charge of theft of public money carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for January 27, 2026.
Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Abrams of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Jonathan Marshall, Esq.
stratton.information.pdfMays Landing Woman Admits to Conspiring to Defraud the IRSRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Mays Landing woman admitted to conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service by filing false employment tax returns that concealed a company’s cash payroll, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Denise Davis, 52, of Mays Landing, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court to an information charging her with one count of conspiring to defraud the IRS.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Davis worked at Davis Brothers Chimney Sweep & Masonry (“Davis Brothers”), a business located in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, owned by Davis’s spouse. Davis admitted that between January 1, 2018 and April 30, 2024, she conspired with Henry Collins, the business’s bookkeeper, to defraud the IRS. As part of the conspiracy, Collins utilized a commercial check casher to negotiate a substantial amount of Davis Brothers’s gross receipts checks. Collins used some of the resulting cash to pay himself and other Davis Brothers employees in cash. Collins provided the rest of the cash to Davis and her spouse. Davis and Collins then provided false and misleading information to the business’s outside accounting firm that resulted in the preparation and filing of false payroll tax returns that omitted the employees paid in cash and their cash wages. Davis also admitted that she failed to file individual income tax returns for herself and her spouse during the same time period. Davis admitted that the conspiracy resulted in a tax loss of approximately $1.18 million.
The count of conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for February 4, 2026.
Collins previously pleaded guilty for his role in the conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced in December 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
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Defense counsel: Michele Finizio, Esq., Moorestown, New Jersey
davis.information.pdfMaryland Accountant Sentenced to Federal Prison in Connection with $24-Million COVID Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Harold Dotson, 54, of Gaithersburg Maryland, to three years in federal prison, followed by three years supervised release — including six months of home confinement — in connection with a conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting financial institutions. The fraud involved submitting more than $24 million in fraudulent CARES Act loan applications. Judge Bennett also ordered Dotson to pay $24,807,432 in restitution.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act — a federal law enacted in March 2020 — provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It gives financial assistance including forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and other expenses. Established by the CARES Act, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) — administered through the Small Business Administration (SBA) — along with the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), helped businesses meet their financial obligations. An EIDL advance does not have to be repaid, and small businesses can receive an advance, even if they are not approved for an EIDL loan. The maximum advance amount is $10,000.
According to the plea agreement and other court documents, beginning in April 2020, and continuing through January 2022, Dotson engaged in multiple wire fraud conspiracies. These conspiracies involved submitting fraudulent loan applications for various COVID-19 relief benefits, including EIDL and PPP loans.
Dotson, an accountant and tax preparer, served as the owner and principal of H&M Tax Service LLC (H&M Tax), doing business as H&M Financial Group, LLC — a tax preparation business — during the time frame of the conspiracies. He used his accountant expertise to assist with preparing numerous false and fraudulent EIDL and PPP applications for purported businesses that did not exist in any legitimate capacity.
The fraudulent loan applications included false information about the phony businesses’ number of employees, monthly payroll costs, and revenue. Dotson also routinely created false and fraudulent Internal Revenue Service tax forms. He created the fraudulent tax forms for co-conspirator Ahmed Sary, 47, of Brooklyn, Maryland, and other co-conspirators to submit with the false PPP applications.
In return, Dotson received a percentage of the fraudulent loan proceeds, ranging from 2 to 27 percent. Through the scheme, Dotson received more than $828,498.95 from the co-conspirators. Then Dotson primarily used the fraudulent funds to gamble at various casinos in Maryland, including Maryland Live, the Horseshoe, and MGM National Harbor. He also used the money for a gambling trip to Las Vegas.
Dotson’s conspiracy with Sary resulted in the disbursement of $14,807,609.37 in fraudulently obtained PPP funds in connection with more than 85 fraudulent PPP loans. Additionally, Dotson’s conspiracy with another co-conspirator resulted in the disbursement of at least 30 fraudulent PPP loans valued at least $6,499,823.12. More than $3,500,000 was funded and disbursed in connection with Dotson’s submission of fraudulent EIDL applications.
In June 2024, Judge Bennett sentenced Sary to seven years in federal prison in connection with the conspiracy.
The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the CARES Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, SBA-OIG and the Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul A. Riley and Joseph L. Wenner, who are prosecuting the case, and recognized Paralegal Specialist Julie Jarman and Joanna Huber for their valuable assistance.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Man and woman arrested for stealing mailRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Alexandria E. Duncan, 22, of West Seneca, NY, and Timothee S. Tidwell, 25, of Buffalo, NY, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit mail theft, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who is handling the case, stated that in October 2024, law enforcement began focusing on specific U.S. Postal Service blue collection box locations that were identified as being regular targets of suspected mass mail theft. One location was adjacent to 35 Main Street, and a second was a small shopping plaza on Sunset Drive, across Camp Road, both in Hamburg, NY.
Between October 9, 2024 through October 12, 2024, law enforcement observed an individual, later identified as Tidwell, use a key to access a mailbox outside 35 Main Street in Hamburg. On October 14, 2024, a Village of Hamburg Police officer on patrol observed Duncan drop off Tidwell near the entrance to the Hamburg Post Office on Camp Road. She then drove to a gas station across the street and parked. The officer approached the vehicle and activated his patrol vehicle police lights. As he did this, Tidwell fled from the are of the mailboxes into a nearby wooded area behind the post office. Investigators executed a search warrant on the vehicle, recovering various opened and unopened mail taken from the mailboxes that did not belong to Duncan or Tidwell.
Later in the day on October 14, 2024, a witness contacted the Town of Hamburg Police to report a suspicious encounter with an individual, later identified as Tidwell, earlier that morning. The witness stated that Tidwell came into the witness’ business seeking shelter. He was soaking wet and muddy, teeth chattering, and requested a cup of coffee. According to the witness, Tidwell stated that he has a key, was at the post office, and told the witness not to put anything in “those boxes” because they are not secure. Tidwell then used the business’s phone, and later, Duncan came and picked Tidwell up. That same day, Duncan’s father posted a Facebook message on the Town of Hamburg Police Department’s Facebook page, stating that his daughter was arrested for mail fraud and that her boyfriend abandoned her while she was getting arrested.
Duncan and Tidwell made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and were released on conditions.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Village of Hamburg Police, under the direction of Chief Richard Schara, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector-in-Charge Ketty Larco Ward, Boston 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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Maine Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Trafficking Whale and Bird PartsRead the Press Release
Sergey Bachkovsky, of Greene, Maine, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland, Maine, to trafficking whale and bird parts in violation of the Lacey Act.
According to court records and statements during today’s hearing, between June 2023 and March 2024, Bachkovsky imported wildlife items from Eastern Europe and sold them online to buyers across the United States. The items included sperm whale and marine mammal teeth (both raw items and scrimshaw art pieces), blue whale and Antarctic minke whale ear bones, and a broad-winged hawk carcass. The charging document also includes a notice of forfeiture for wildlife items that Bachkovsky intended to sell, including marine mammal and bear teeth, whale vertebrae, and feathers and wings from eagles, hawks, owls, and vultures.
It is a violation of the Lacey Act, the oldest U.S. wildlife trafficking law, to trade in wildlife taken, possessed, transported or sold contrary to another U.S. or state law. The sperm whale and blue whale have been protected by the Endangered Species Act since 1973. The Marine Mammal Protection Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act prohibit the sale and transportation of whale and migratory bird items without a permit, such as for public display, scientific study, or enhancement of species survival.
Bachkovsky will be sentenced at a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the illegal activity.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Acting U.S. Attorney Craig Wolff for the District of Maine, and Assistant Director Doug Ault of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement made the announcement.
Bachkovsky was investigated and charged as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Operation Raw Deal, which targeted the unlawful import and resale of whale teeth and bone (such as in a South Carolina case recently sentenced).
Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Scott for the District of Maine are prosecuting the case.
Long-Term International Investigation into Conspiracy to Steal American-Funded Aid Concludes with 2 Indicted, 1 ConvictedRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — A long-term investigation concluded today with the unsealing of an indictment in the District of South Carolina charging two foreign nationals with conspiring against the United States to illegally divert U.S.-funded global health commodities from a Kenyan government-run corporation, Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA).
Eric Ndungu Mwangi, 40, a Kenyan national, and Davendra Rampersaud, 42, a Guyanese national, and their associated businesses were charged in a 2021 superseding indictment brought by a federal grand jury in the District of South Carolina. The superseding indictment was originally filed under seal to protect the ongoing investigation.
The investigation, led by the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), focused on the approximately $650 million USAID-funded KEMSA Medical Commodities Program (MCP). The purpose of KEMSA MCP was to establish and operate a safe, secure, reliable, and sustainable supply chain management system for HIV/AIDS commodities needed to provide care and treatment of persons with HIV/AIDS in Kenya, and to support the warehousing and distribution of select family planning, nutrition, and malaria commodities.
Beginning in 2014, Mwangi and his company, Linear Diagnostics (LD), systematically stole HIV test kits and other commodities intended for KEMSA. The stolen goods found a buyer in Rampersaud and his Guyanese company, Caribbean Medical Supplies, Inc. (CMS). In 2015, Rampersaud fraudulently secured a "Letter of Authority" to operate as an authorized distributor. This allowed him to secure a lucrative, sole-source contract with the Guyana Ministry of Health for the products he was acquiring illegally.
Between 2015 and 2019, Rampersaud paid Mwangi over $177,000 for the diverted medical supplies, including the stolen, USAID-funded HIV test kits meant for Kenya. Rampersaud then profited again by selling these stolen health commodities to the Guyanese government. Rampersaud and CMS also acquired and sold test kits stolen from another separate USAID program.
“This was an incredibly complicated investigation, spanning years and an ocean,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina “These defendants jeopardized a vital public health mission and caused a significant loss to the American taxpayers.”
In February 2021, Kenyan authorities arrested Mwangi on charges relating to theft and fraud. He is currently awaiting trial in Kenya. On the American charges, Mwangi faces up to 20 years on various counts, fines, and a term of supervised release.
In January 2023, Rampersaud was arrested on charges arising out of the superseding indictment when he flew into Miami in the United States during a flight layover, while attempting to travel back to Guyana. He was transported to Charleston, South Carolina, and pleaded guilty to conspiracy and to stealing or converting health commodities that USAID paid for as part of a health care benefit. He was sentenced by United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel. Rampersaud received credit for time served and was additionally sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay an $84,000 fine.
This case was investigated by Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Agency for International Development. The Justice Department and USAID OIG appreciate the substantial assistance provided by the Office of International Affairs, the Department of State’s Regional Security Offices in Nairobi, Kenya, and Georgetown, Guyana, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Kittrell and Dean Secor are prosecuting the case.
All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Little Rock Man Found Guilty of Conspiracy to Possess Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A Little Rock man was convicted by a federal jury on conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the guilty verdict which was handed down recently.
Spencer Walker, 36, was indicted by a federal grand jury in a superseding indictment on August 5, 2025, and charged with the three counts he took to trial. The four-day jury trial was held before United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky. The jury deliberated less than 45 minutes before returning a guilty verdict on all three counts for which Walker had been indicted.
The evidence at trial revealed that in September 2022, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) intercepted two packages, each containing five pounds of methamphetamine. Law enforcement officers performed a controlled delivery of those packages to Walker’s address. After the controlled delivery, they were able to secure a search warrant for Walker’s residence. During a search of Walker’s residence, law enforcement officers located an additional unopened package that was found to contain 10 pounds of methamphetamine; in his bedroom they located a shotgun with a 25-round drum magazine.
Law enforcement officers continued their investigation into the owner of the residence, tracing his location for a period of time. They noted that the owner frequented a house in Bryant, Arkansas. Law enforcement officers then discovered that an additional three packages addressed to the Bryant residence containing 10 pounds of methamphetamine each, had been previously intercepted. In January of 2023, law enforcement officers intercepted another package going to the Bryant residence that contained 10 pounds of methamphetamine. It was through the interception by USPIS of those parcels, as well as several witness statements and photo identification, that law enforcement officers were able to identify Walker as the intended recipient of all the packages containing methamphetamine.
Walker faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the DEA. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katie Hinojosa.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@USAO_EDAR
Lewisville man sentenced to federal prison for string of bank robberiesRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Lewisville man has been sentenced to federal prison for bank robbery in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Kyung Heo, 31, pleaded guilty to bank robbery and was sentenced to 71 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III on September 30, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on November 18, 2022, Heo entered the Comerica Bank on State Highway 121 in Lewisville and approached the bank manager asking if the bank could process a cashier’s check. When told the bank could only process cashier’s checks for clients, Heo produced a handgun and pointed it at the manager. Heo pushed the manager out of the way, pointed the handgun at the tellers, and demanded they give him money. After taking the money, Heo exited the bank and departed the area on foot.
On April 6, 2023, Heo entered the American National Bank on Cross Timbers Road in Flower Mound, approached a teller station, pulled out a handgun, jumped over the counter, and instructed the tellers to empty their cash drawers. Heo then placed the money in a plastic bag before departing the area on foot. Shortly after the robbery, officers searched the area and located a plastic bag containing $18,943 cash in a nearby drainage ditch. American National Bank reported an additional loss of $10,208 for a total amount of loss is $29,151. An analysis of surveillance videos from the two robberies was also used to link Heo to the June 6, 2023, robbery of the Citizen’s National Bank in Weatherford. Heo was convicted in the Northern District of Texas for that robbery and sentenced to 57 months in federal prison. His Eastern District of Texas sentence will run concurrently to the sentence for the Weatherford bank robbery.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Lewisville Police Department, and the Flower Mound Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson.
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Leader of Conspiracy to Fraudulently Register Vehicles in Missouri Sentenced to 5 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a man to five years in prison for bribing employees of Missouri motor vehicle license offices to fraudulently register motor vehicles.
Judge Schelp also ordered Gary Wilds, 48, to pay restitution of $335,218, including $319,778 to the state of Missouri.
Wilds bribed employees of motor vehicle license offices to falsely represent to the Missouri Department of Revenue that vehicles had passed emissions and safety inspections, that owners had paid their property taxes and had proof of insurance or other evidence of financial responsibility. Wilds also bribed employees into submitting forged documents claiming that vehicle owners were eligible for sales tax exemptions, thus reducing tax assessments from thousands of dollars per vehicle to as little as $11.
Wilds recruited Michelle Boyer and Megan Leone to aid his conspiracy. When Leone was promoted to manager, she told Ashlyn Graeff, who was her subordinate and who began working at the office in 2018, to fraudulently complete vehicle registration documents on behalf of Wilds. Wilds paid his recruits up to $100 for each transaction. Graeff initially conducted one or two fraudulent registrations per week for Wilds but that eventually grew to as many as 10 per day.
Some of the customers of Wilds’ business, Pinnacle Concierge, knew that Wilds was going to fraudulently register their vehicles because their vehicles could not pass emissions tests, they had outstanding child support orders or they had been barred from registering vehicles by another state agency. Customers who weren’t aware have suffered financial losses because Wilds only submitted part of their fees to the state and the fraudulent registrations were subsequently revoked. Even though these customers paid Wilds for their registrations, they are unable to properly register their vehicles without submitting the unpaid taxes and paying taxes and penalties to the state.
In one example in Wilds’ plea agreement, Wilds and Graef fraudulently registered a 2022 Dodge Ram for a customer on Sept. 13, 2022. Wilds told his customer that $1,350 would satisfy the fees and taxes due, but Wilds only sent $14.50 to the Missouri Department of Revenue. Wilds and Graeff avoided paying sales taxes by submitting a fraudulent form that falsely claimed that the vehicle weighed 24,000 pounds and was being leased to an interstate carrier registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Gary Wilds pleaded guilty in June to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, 22 counts of wire fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft and six counts of making a false statement. Graeff, now 40, pleaded guilty to three counts of making a false statement. Leone, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and one count of making a false statement. Boyer, 53, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.
Boyer was sentenced on September 18 to five years of probation and ordered to pay restitution of $206,847. Graeff was sentenced on July 17, 2024, to four years of probation and ordered to pay $84,554 in restitution. Leone is scheduled to be sentenced on October 8.
The case was investigated by the Missouri Department of Revenue and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is prosecuting the case.
Latvian Broker Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Illegally Export U.S. Aircraft Technology to RussiaRead the Press Release
Latvian national, Oleg Chistyakov, aka Olegs Čitsjakovs, 56, pleaded guilty today for his role in a years-long conspiracy to circumvent U.S. export laws by filing false export forms with the U.S. government and, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, continuing to procure and sell sophisticated and controlled avionics equipment to customers in Russia without the required licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
According to court documents, Chistyakov admitted that he conspired with U.S. citizens Cyril Gregory Buyanovsky, 62, and Douglas Edward Robertson, 58, of Kansas, to facilitate the sale, repair, and shipment of U.S.-origin avionics equipment to customers in Russia and in other countries that operate Russian-built aircraft, including the Federal Security Service of Russia (FSB). Buyanovksy and Robertson were charged and arrested in Kansas in March 2023 and have pleaded guilty.
Chistyakov also admitted that, after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and despite additional U.S. economic countermeasures levied against Russia, Chistyakov and his conspirators continued to smuggle and export sophisticated and controlled avionics equipment to companies in Russia without the required licenses from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Chistyakov further admitted that, while operating from Latvia and often through his Emirati company RosAero FZC, he worked with Buyanovsky and Robertson through their U.S. company, KanRus Trading Company Inc. (KanRus), to circumvent U.S export laws by purchasing avionics equipment from U.S. companies for customers in Russia.
Chistyakov admitted that he and his conspirators took numerous actions to conceal their illegal activities including creating false invoices, transshipping items through third-party countries, such as Laos and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), using bank accounts in third-party countries, such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and the UAE, and exporting items to intermediary companies which then reexported the items to the ultimate end destinations. As part of his guilty plea, Chistyakov also agreed to the imposition of a personal forfeiture judgment against him.
As a result of today’s guilty plea, Chistyakov faces a statutory maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 10, 2026.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg, U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser for the District of Kansas, and Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI Counterintelligence Division made the announcement.
The FBI and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Rask and Ryan Huschka of the District of Kansas and Trial Attorney Adam Barry of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs secured the arrest and August 2024 extradition from Latvia of Chistyakov and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection provided substantial assistance.
L.A. Fashion District Wholesaler and Executives Sentenced for Money Laundering and Avoiding Customs Duties and TaxesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A wholesale clothing importer located in the Fashion District of downtown Los Angeles and two of its executives have been sentenced for avoiding the payment of more than $8 million in customs duties on imported clothing, and for running a scheme in which the company laundered money and failed to report on tax returns more than $17 million derived from cash transactions, the Justice Department announced today.
On late Monday, C’est Toi Jeans Inc. (CTJ), which imported apparel from China and other nations and exported clothing to customers in Mexico, Central America, and South America, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark C. Scarsi to five years of probation and was ordered to submit to federal monitoring. Judge Scarsi also fined CTJ $11.5 million and ordered it to pay more than $15 million in restitution.
Si Oh Rhew, 71, of La Cañada Flintridge, CTJ’s president and a 75% owner of the company, was sentenced by Judge Scarsi to 103 months in federal prison, fined $8 million, and was ordered to pay more than $19 million in restitution.
Lance Rhew, 38, of downtown Los Angeles, Si Oh Rhew’s son, a CTJ corporate officer, and the owner of another Los Angeles-based company called GLLR Inc. that did business as CTJ, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison, fined $500,000, and was ordered to pay restitution.
CTJ was a business owned by Si Oh Rhew and his wife that the Rhews operated. CTJ received U.S. currency in bulk cash that was derived from drug trafficking as payment for customer invoices. Those funds were delivered to CTJ by money couriers unrelated to and unknown to CTJ or to the customers whose invoices were being paid.
CTJ and Si Oh Rhew failed to file currency transaction reports, which are required for any transaction involving more than $10,000 in cash, and the defendants concealed the cash receipts from an accountant who prepared their taxes, which led to the fraudulent omission of more than $17 million in gross sales from tax returns filed with the IRS.
The defendants also avoided customs duties and tariffs by purchasing garments from overseas manufacturers, including from China, but then submitting false information to United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that understated the true value of the items being imported into the United States.
As a result, the import duties owed on the shipments were lowered. The indictment alleges that the defendants sent 515 individual wire transfers totaling $137,156,726 to pay overseas suppliers for undervalued garments. Overall, CTJ imported goods that were undervalued by more than $51 million, causing approximately $8.4 million in unpaid tariffs and duties that should have been paid to CBP.
At the conclusion of a six-week trial, CTJ and Si Oh Rhew were found guilty by a jury in October 2024 of two conspiracies and multiple counts of failure to file reports of currency transaction over $10,000 in a trade or business. All three defendants were found guilty of three counts of entry of falsely classified goods, three counts of entry of goods by means of false statements, three counts of passing false and fraudulent papers through a customhouse, and two counts of international promotional money laundering.
CTJ was found guilty of an additional two concealment money laundering counts involving drug proceeds. Si Oh Rhew was found guilty of an additional two counts of aiding, assisting, and procuring the filing of a false tax return. Lance Rhew was found guilty of one additional count of aiding, assisting, and procuring the filing of a false tax return. Lance Rhew was also found guilty of one conspiracy count.
The jury found the defendants not guilty of several additional criminal counts, including – for CTJ – two counts of concealment money laundering and – for Lance Rhew – several counts of failure to file a report of a currency transaction in a nonfinancial trade or business.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and IRS-Criminal Investigation. They were aided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Monterey Park Police Department, the El Segundo Police Department, the Long Beach Police Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Gardena Police Department, and the West Covina Police Department.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The investigation was conducted by the HSI-led El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, a multi-agency task force that includes federal and state investigators who are focused on financial crimes in Southern California.
Assistant United States Attorneys Lana Morton Owens of the Transnational Organized Crime Section and James E. Dochterman of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section prosecuted this case.
Kansas Woman Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl in South DakotaRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a woman from Prairie Village, Kansas, convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on September 29, 2025.
Amanda Acosta, 43, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Acosta was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in February 2025. She pleaded guilty on July 17, 2025.
Acosta became involved with a California-based drug trafficking organization, operating out of Sioux Falls, in July 2024. She acted as a sub-distributor for the organization, purchasing significant quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl and then selling the drugs for a profit to individuals in Sioux Falls and other areas throughout South Dakota. She also allowed the organization to ship packages of fentanyl pills directly to her residence through the mail. Acosta’s involvement with the organization ended with her arrest in September 2024.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.
Acosta was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Kansas City Woman Sentenced to 11 Years for Covid-19 Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for her leadership role in two cases that resulted in more than $500,000 in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans being issued under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and more than $3,000,000 in stolen Treasury checks.
Briauna Adams, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 11 years imprisonment based upon her guilty pleas to wire fraud, money laundering, and theft of government funds relating to a counterfeit check scheme and stolen United States Treasury checks. The defendant also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering relating to a scheme to fraudulently obtain Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loans, guaranteed by the SBA under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
According to court documents, Adams rented a townhome in Raymore, Mo., using the name and personal identification information of another person. On July 27, 2024, Adams opened an individual investment account from the Raymore residence. On Aug. 15, 2024, Adams deposited a Treasury check worth $1,445,443.69 in her name to the investment account. Fraud investigators with the investment account company determined the $1,445,443.69 Treasury check was fraudulent and reversed the deposit before suffering a financial loss.
On Nov. 14, 2024, a search warrant was executed on Adam’s rental townhome in Raymore. Approximately 253 stolen Treasury checks were found in the residence. The total value of the checks was approximately $700,000.
Finally, Adams conspired with others to prepare and file fraudulent PPP loan applications on their behalf. Adams filed false PPP loan applications for numerous persons resulting in a loss of approximately $540,302, which she was ordered to pay back in a restitution judgment.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department.
Kansas City Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing eight firearms.
David Michael Gager, also known as David Kash, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 71 months in federal prison without parole for being a felon in possession of firearms.
On Mar. 7, 2025, Gager pleaded guilty to five counts of knowingly being a felon in possession of firearms between Apr. 19, 2024, and May 16, 2024. During this period, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives utilized a confidential informant and an undercover agent to conduct four separate controlled purchases of firearms from Gager. During these transactions, Gager mentioned that he could get machineguns and methamphetamine for future transactions. During one transaction, Gager indicated that he acquires firearms in Kansas City and transports them to Chicago where he sells them for a profit. On May 9, 2024, Kansas City, Mo. Police Department officers executed a warrant for Gager’s arrest. The arrest occurred at a convenience store located on Prospect Avenue. Officers discovered a 9mm handgun that Gager had thrown in a trashcan near the front of the convenience store when he noticed officers approaching.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo. Police Department.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
KC Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Meth and FentanylRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to being in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Donnique H. Kelley, 36, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to participating in a conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents, between the dates of Dec. 14, 2022 and March 23, 2023, Kelley and others sold methamphetamine and fentanyl to law enforcement officials on at least seven separate occasions.
On Sept. 12, 2023, following a car stop on East 63rd Street, Kansas City, Mo., a co-conspirator and source of supply of fentanyl and methamphetamine for the conspiracy was found in possession of 4.45 kilograms of methamphetamine, 2.02 kilograms of marijuana, and $14,382.
Under federal statutes, Kelley is subject to a sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department and the Overland Park, Kansas Police Department.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division Files First Lawsuit in Support of Gun Owners Seeking Concealed Weapons PermitsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – In the first affirmative lawsuit in support of gun owners, the Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) alleging a pattern and practice of infringing the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens seeking concealed carry weapons (CCW) permits.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division on March 27, 2025, initiated the first-of-its-kind Second Amendment investigation because of numerous complaints of unreasonable delays in CCW permitting decisions by LASD. After analysis of data and documents spanning more than 8,000 CCW permits, the Division today filed suit seeking relief on behalf of law-abiding applicants.
“Citizens living in high-crime areas cannot afford to wait to protect themselves with firearms while Los Angeles County dithers,” said Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “The right to bear arms is among the founding principles of our nation. It can and must be upheld.”
“The Second Amendment is not a second-class right,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This lawsuit seeks to stop Los Angeles County’s egregious pattern and practice of delaying law-abiding citizens from exercising their right to bear arms.”
Shortly after Assistant Attorney Harmeet K. Dhillon was sworn in to lead the Civil Rights Division, numerous complaints received by the Division revealed inexplicable delays well beyond California statutory requirements and in violation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.
Almost two months after receiving notice of the Division’s investigation, LASD provided data and documents that revealed only two approvals from more than 8,000 applications, and that LASD set out interviews to approve licenses as far as two years after receiving the completed application. The lawsuit was filed in United States District Court for the Central District of California.
This investigation was conducted by attorneys at the Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys within the Central District of California’s U.S. Attorney Office.
If you or someone you know has applied for a concealed carry permit in Los Angeles or any jurisdiction within the United States and have not received a reply or decision within four months after applying, please email [email protected]. The mailbox is actively monitored by attorneys assigned to protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.
Justice Department Sues New Orleans-Area Tax Preparation Business and Related Preparers to Stop Alleged Tax Preparation FraudRead the Press Release
The Justice Department filed a civil injunction suit today in federal court in New Orleans to bar Unnisha Paige, Rosetta Jones, Capriata Oatis, Keyante St. Cyr, Leah Smith, Laporscha Thompson, Deshira Horton, and India Toppins, who do business as Paige’s Income Tax Services (Paige Tax), from preparing tax returns for others and owning or operating a tax preparation business. The complaint also requests that the court require the defendants to disgorge the return preparation fees they obtained by preparing allegedly false or fraudulent tax returns.
According to the complaint, Paige franchises Paige Tax stores and is a full or partial owner of each franchise location. The complaint further alleges that Paige sells tax preparation software and provides training to individuals seeking to start their own tax preparation business. The complaint asks the court to bar Paige from selling or licensing a tax preparation business or franchise and tax preparation software.
The complaint alleges that the defendants, and those acting at their direction, prepare and file tax returns to falsely increase their customers’ refunds, and they profit through high and often undisclosed preparation fees — at the expense of their customers and the U.S. Treasury. According to the complaint, the defendants and those acting at their direction engage in misconduct, including:
- Falsely claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit
- Fabricating businesses and related business income and expenses reported on Forms Schedule C
- Claiming false fuel tax credits
- Claiming false child and dependent care credits
- Claiming fabricated COVID-19-related tax credits
The Tax Division reminds taxpayers that the IRS has information, tips and reminders on its site for choosing a tax preparer carefully (Choosing a Tax Professional and How to Choose a Tax Return Preparer) and has launched a free directory of credentialed federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers taxpayers tips to protect their identities and wallets when filing their taxes.
In addition, IRS Free File, a public-private partnership, offers free online tax preparation and filing options on IRS partner websites for individuals whose adjusted gross income is under $79,000. For individuals whose income is over that threshold, IRS Free File offers electronic federal tax forms that can be filled out and filed online for free. The IRS has tips on how seniors and individuals with low to moderate income can get other help or guidance on tax return preparation, too.
In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained civil injunctions and criminal convictions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Justice Department Sues Missouri Housing Authority for Sexual Harassment of Public Housing Applicant by Former Executive DirectorRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it filed a lawsuit against Eddie Joe Hankins and the Housing Authority of the City of Bloomfield, Missouri, for sexually harassing a female housing applicant in violation of the Fair Housing Act. Hankins was the executive director of the Missouri Housing Authority from 2019 through 2022.
“There is no place in America for public officials who abuse their trust to coerce sexual acts from the people they are duty-bound to help, be it in public housing or other areas. We will hold them accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
The lawsuit, filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, alleges that in 2021, a woman living with her three children applied for public housing. After her application was denied, the complaint alleges that she went to meet with Executive Director Hankins, who made unwanted sexual advances toward her. The suit also alleges that Hankins made sexual comments about the applicant’s appearance, conditioned housing for her family upon submission to his conduct, and that he refused to assist her with obtaining housing once she resisted his sexual advances. The lawsuit also alleges that the Housing Authority is vicariously liable for Hankins’ unlawful conduct.
The applicant filed a complaint against the Housing Authority and Hankins with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). After an investigation, HUD determined that the Housing Authority and Hankins discriminated against the applicant in violation of the Fair Housing Act and issued a charge of discrimination. After the applicant chose to have the matter decided in federal court, HUD referred the matter to the Department of Justice.
The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate the applicant harmed by the alleged harassment and a court order barring future discrimination.
If you are a victim of sexual harassment by another landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. This settlement is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative. The initiative, which the Department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 50 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered nearly $16.2 million for victims of such harassment.
Justice Department Seeks to Denaturalize Convicted Gun TraffickerRead the Press Release
Today, the United States filed a denaturalization action in the Middle District of Florida against Vladimir Volgaev, a native of Ukraine, who, according to the Department of Justice’s Complaint, concealed and misrepresented his involvement in a conspiracy to smuggle over a thousand firearms components out of the United States and ship them to foreign markets.
Starting in 2011, and continuing for two years after his naturalization, Volgaev engaged in the clandestine purchase, packaging and smuggling of firearm components to individuals in Ukraine and Italy. Also, beginning in 2013, Volgaev underreported his assets and income on applications for federal housing benefits, resulting in his improper receipt of those benefits. A federal court convicted him for these crimes in 2020. Volgaev misrepresented and concealed his crimes throughout his application for naturalization in 2014-15. He naturalized as a U.S. citizen on Jan. 11, 2016.
“This case sends a clear message,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The United States provided Volgaev with safety, housing, and citizenship, and he returned those gains with malice, including by defrauding one of the federal agencies that provided him benefits. We will not reward this kind of behavior by allowing such an individual to retain U.S. citizenship that should not have been granted in the first place.”
This is the eleventh denaturalization action that the Department has filed since Jan. 20.
This case was investigated by the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Felix Romero. The litigation is being handled by Trial Attorney Christopher Lyerla and reviewed by John Inkeles of the Office of Immigration Litigation, General Litigation and Appeals Section, Affirmative Litigation Unit.
The claims made in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Justice Department Opens Investigation into Des Moines Public Schools for Race-Based Employment PracticesRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division launched an investigation into Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) to determine whether it engages in employment practices that discriminate based on race, color, and national origin in violation of Title VII of the Civil Right Act of 1964, as amended.
According to its website, Des Moines Public Schools requires that its teaching and learning staff match the student population in terms of “demographics and cultural responsivity.” DMPS also set specific quotas for “increas[ing] the number of teachers of color” in an affirmative action plan. Its staff retention strategy prioritizes “lift[ing] up voices of our People of Color” and “creat[ing] a safer environment for People of Color.” DMPS also operates the “3D Coalition” project, a recruitment and hiring program for “aspiring minority teachers.”
“DEI initiatives and race-based hiring preferences in our schools violate federal anti-discrimination laws and undermine educational priorities,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “School districts must cease these unlawful programs and restore merit-based employment practices for the benefit of both students and employees.”
You can read the notice letter here.
Justice Department Launches Title IV and Title VI Investigation into University of Nevada Las VegasRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division launched an investigation into the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) to determine whether the University has denied equal treatment of individuals based on race or national origin, in violation of Title IV and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“Publicly-funded universities are barred from discriminating based on race, national origin, or religion,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This Department of Justice is fiercely committed to holding institutions of higher learning accountable and ensuring that every student receives equal access to the opportunity and education to which they are legally entitled.”
The compliance review investigation will examine whether UNLV, a recipient of federal financial assistance, has engaged in discriminatory practices based on race, color, or national origin against its students. The investigation will be conducted pursuant to Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which authorizes the Department to address certain equal protection violations in public colleges, and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits a recipient of federal funds from discriminating based on such protected characteristics. Institutions of higher education that are governed by Title IV and Title VI must protect students’ unfettered access to the school’s educational environment and opportunities, free from discrimination. The investigation will focus on the University’s response to antisemitism on campus.
Justice Department Files Complaint Against Social Media Company Iconic Hearts Holdings Inc. and Its CEO Hunter Rice Alleging Targeting of Children with Deceptive Practices in Violation of Federal LawRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), announces the filing of a civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against Iconic Hearts Holdings Inc. and its founder and CEO Hunter Rice for violations of the FTC Act, the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA), and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and its implementing regulations (COPPA) in connection with the social media messaging app known as Sendit.
“The Department of Justice is committed to preventing companies from using unfair and misleading business practices to profit off of American children,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to work with the FTC to enforce federal consumer protection laws to protect young people from such conduct.”
In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the United States alleges that Defendants generated and sent millions of anonymous and often provocative, romantic, or sexual messages to users of the Sendit app, many of whom are children or teenagers. As alleged, Defendants, in violation of the FTC Act’s prohibition on unfair and deceptive business practices, falsely led users to believe the messages were from their social media contacts rather than the Sendit app itself, and that purchasing a “Diamond Membership” would reveal the senders’ identities. The Complaint also alleges Defendants violate COPPA by collecting personal information from app users who are children under the age of 13 while failing to provide notice to their parents or obtain verifiable parental consent. Additionally, as alleged, Defendants violate ROSCA by failing to clearly and conspicuously disclose the material terms of their Diamond Memberships, which automatically renew and cost as much as $9.99 per week.
Defendants allegedly generated tens of millions of dollars in revenue from Diamond Membership purchases. The complaint seeks civil penalties, restitution for consumers, and injunctive relief.
The United States is represented in this action by Trial Attorney Marcus P. Smith and Assistant Director Zachary A. Dietert of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch. Siobhan C. Amin, Miles D. Freeman, and John D. Jacobs represent the FTC.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
The claims made in a complaint are allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government must prove by a preponderance of the evidence.
Jacksonville Child Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years for Accessing Child Sexual Abuse Materials Using the InternetRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Sean-Michael Smith (36, Jacksonville) to 10 years in federal prison for using the internet to access child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). The court also ordered Smith to serve a 15-year term of supervised release after incarceration and to forfeit his computer device. Smith is a registered child sex offender who was convicted in federal court in 2014 of distributing videos and photos of children being sexually abused. Smith was arrested on December 18, 2024, and he pleaded guilty on June 11, 2025.
After serving his federal prison sentence, and while on supervised release, Smith admitted that he had drawn sketches depicting nude children and had also accessed the internet several times. On December 10, 2024, U.S. Probation Officers conducted a search of Smith’s residence. During an interview, Smith admitted that he had accessed CSAM using the internet during August, September, and December 2024. He advised that he used a particular electronic device to access these materials. Officers seized the device and later forwarded the device and its internal computer chip to the FBI for further investigation.
On February 18, 2025, the FBI extracted the contents of the device’s computer chip. A review of the materials revealed that the device had been used by Smith to access at least 35 photos depicting young children being sexually abused.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify, rescue, and seek justice for child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Inmate Convicted of Possessing Shanks While in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Today, a federal jury in Memphis convicted Mervin Anderson, 40, of Memphis, Tennessee, of one count of possession of contraband in prison, including two homemade knives, or shanks.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Anderson was observed on video surveillance inside of the Detention Center in possession of two sharpened, handmade metal knives, commonly referred to as “shanks.” The defendant confronted another inmate while swinging the shanks at him. A corrections officer immediately responded to the cell block area and found the defendant still in possession of the shanks. When the shanks were taken from the defendant, he exclaimed, “God is on my side, I was about to kill that boy.”
The defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Sentencing will be set at a later date.
The defendant is currently awaiting trial in a pending case where he is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. The pending case is currently set for trial on Nov. 3, 2025.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy for the Western District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The U.S. Marshals Service and the Shelby County Division of Corrections are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Amanda J. Kotula and Cesar Rivera-Giraud of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative in Memphis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Tennessee and local, state, and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and their associates in Memphis.
Inmate Convicted of Possessing Shanks While in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, a federal jury in Memphis convicted Mervin Anderson, 40, of Memphis, Tennessee, of one count of possession of contraband in prison, including two homemade knives, or shanks.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Anderson was observed on video surveillance inside of the Detention Center in possession of two sharpened, handmade metal knives, commonly referred to as “shanks.” The defendant confronted another inmate while swinging the shanks at him. A corrections officer immediately responded to the cell block area and found the defendant still in possession of the shanks. When the shanks were taken from the defendant, he exclaimed, “God is on my side, I was about to kill that boy.”
The defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Sentencing will be set at a later date.
The defendant is currently awaiting trial in a pending case where he is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. The pending case is currently set for trial on Nov. 3, 2025.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy for the Western District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The U.S. Marshals Service and the Shelby County Division of Corrections are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Amanda J. Kotula and Cesar Rivera-Giraud of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative in Memphis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Tennessee and local, state, and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and their associates in Memphis.
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If you have questions, please use the contacts in the message or call the Office of Public Affairs at 202-514-2007.
Indictment Charges Hartford Man on Federal Supervised Release with Illegally Possessing Loaded FirearmRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; and Hartford Police Chief James C. Rovella today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging KEVIN BARCO, 41, of Hartford, with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.
The indictment was returned on September 3, 2025. Barco appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven and entered a plea of not guilty to the charge. He has been detained since his arrest by Hartford Police on related state charges on April 24, 2025.
The indictment alleges that, on April 24, 2025, Barco possessed a Springfield Armory XD .40 caliber handgun with an obliterated serial number and a high-capacity magazine loaded with 17 rounds of ammunition.
The indictment further alleges that Barco’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for weapon, robbery, and larceny offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
If convicted of the charge, Barco faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. He also faces additional penalties if he is found to have violated the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction.
On September 27, 2021, Barco was sentenced in Bridgeport federal court to 39 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for illegally possessing a sawed-off shotgun. He was released from federal prison in April 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. A charge is only an allegation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Harford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Miller.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Hungarian-Spanish Citizen Sentenced in Scheme to Export U.S. Military-Grade Radios to Russian Government End UsersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Bence Horvath, 47, a dual citizen of Hungary and Spain who resided in the United Arab Emirates, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 31 months in prison in connection with conspiring to illegally export U.S.-origin radio communications technology to Russian end users without a license, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Horvath pleaded guilty on June 17, 2025, to one count of conspiring to unlawfully export goods to Russia. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates ordered Horvath to serve three of supervised release and to pay a fine of $5,000. Horvath will be subject to deportation on completion of his sentence.
According to court documents, beginning at least around January 2023, Horvath and others initiated discussions with a small U.S. radio distribution company about procuring and exporting to Russia U.S.-manufactured military-grade radios and related accessories. Over several months Horvath worked to secure those items, which he intended to transship to Russia via a freight forwarder in Latvia.
As part of the conspiracy, Horvath purchased 200 of the military-grade radios and intended to export them to Russia. But Horvath was not successful. U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained the shipment and prevented the radios from falling into the hands of prohibited Russian end users.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service Southeast Field Office, and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California provided valuable assistance.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Tortorice and Maeghan Mikorski for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
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High School Baseball Coach Accused of Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A high school baseball coach in Illinois has been indicted and accused of drug trafficking crimes.
Demetrius Combs, 33, of Sauget, Illinois, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on August 27 with one count of distribution of fentanyl, two counts of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute in excess of 400 grams of fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute in excess of 500 grams of methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The indictment accuses Combs of conducting the drug sales between June and August of 2023.
Combs was arrested on September 25 and pleaded not guilty.
A motion seeking to have Combs held in jail until trial says an undercover officer with the St. Louis County Police Department purchased fentanyl on one occasion from Combs and meth on two occasions. During a court-approved search of Combs’ home in Bellefontaine Neighbors, officers found $3,746 in cash and capsules containing fentanyl in Combs’ possession. In his car, police found a pistol, three cell phones and more capsules containing fentanyl. In his home they found multiple firearms, two cell phones, thousands of dollars in cash, a pill press, fentanyl, meth and drug paraphernalia. One of the handguns was equipped with an auto sear or “switch” that converted it into a fully automatic weapon, the motion says.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christian Goeke is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Hickory Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison for Production and Transportation of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
HARLOTTE, N.C. – Kelly Lee Setzer, 64, of Hickory, N.C., was sentenced to 50 years in prison today for producing and transporting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in what the sentencing judge called “horrendous torture of babies,” announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the prison term imposed, Setzer was ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison. Setzer was ordered to pay $84,000 in restitution. The Court also ordered forfeiture of, among other things, Setzer’s primary residence in Hickory, where he produced and transported the CSAM.
James C. Barnacle, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Bryan Adams of the Hickory Police Department, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
“Setzer committed some of the most depraved crimes imaginable: preying on young children and producing horrific abuse material,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Fifty years behind bars ensures he will never harm a child again. I hope it is a message to others so future children are spared from similar actions.”
“There are no words to describe the lasting impact of Mr. Setzer’s vile behavior on his victims. At his age, a 50-year sentence is effectively a life sentence. Thankfully, he can never harm another child again. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue predators who victimize innocent children,” said Special Agent in Charge Barnacle.
According to filed documents and the sentencing hearing, on November 3, 2023, officers with the Hickory Police Department executed a search warrant at Setzer’s residence for suspected CSAM activity. The officers seized two computers and other electronic devices from the residence. A forensic examination of the seized devices revealed that on at least four occasions Setzer sexually abused a prepubescent child and produced videos depicting the abuse. Setzer also possessed an extensive CSAM library that contained over 48,000 videos and images of children being sexually abused, some as young as infants and toddlers. During the investigation, law enforcement also determined that Setzer had developed an online relationship with a minor and had induced the minor to send him CSAM on multiple occasions.
Setzer pleaded guilty to four counts of production, one count of transportation, and one count of possession and access with intent to distribute child pornography. He remains in custody pending placement at a federal facility by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
In announcing Setzer’s very significant sentence, U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell said, “we are talking about babies here and horrendous torture of babies.”
The FBI and the Hickory Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Cervantes and Benjamin Bain-Creed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte handled the prosecution and forfeiture proceedings in this case, respectively.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Gloucester Man Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Gloucester man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for sexual exploiting a minor and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Robert Burnham, 44, was indicted on one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of possession of child pornography. Burnham was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in September 2025 and remains detained pending trial. He will be arraigned in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, from on or about June 11, 2024 to Oct. 4, 2024, Burnham allegedly persuaded and coerced a 13-year-old minor female to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing pictures and videos and transmitting them to him via social media. Additionally, on April 28, 2025, Burnham knowingly possessed files that depict CSAM.
The charge of sexual exploitation of a minor provides for a sentence of at least 15 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Harper County Sheriff’s Office, FBI Kansas City, Lincoln Police Department and Gloucester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allegra Flamm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Georgia Tech Research Corporation Agrees to Pay $875,000 to Resolve Civil Cyber-Fraud LitigationRead the Press Release
Georgia Tech Research Corporation (GTRC) has agreed to pay the United States $875,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and federal common law by failing to meet cybersecurity requirements in connection with certain Air Force and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) contracts. GTRC contracts with government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), for research performed at its affiliate, the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).
“When contractors fail to follow the required cybersecurity standards in their DoD contracts, they leave sensitive government information vulnerable to malicious actors and cyber threats,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Together with DoD and other agency partners, the Department of Justice will continue to pursue and litigate violations of cybersecurity requirements to hold contractors accountable when they violate their cybersecurity commitments.”
“Defense contractors’ adherence to their cybersecurity obligations is essential to safeguarding sensitive government information from malicious actors,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia. “Contractors who fail to implement required cybersecurity controls, provide false information to the government, and otherwise fail to fulfill their cybersecurity obligations will be held accountable.”’
“Failure to follow required cybersecurity requirements puts all of us at risk,” said Stacy Bostjanick, Chief Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity, Deputy Chief Information Officer for Cybersecurity, Office of the Chief Information Officer. “Those who knowingly provide deficient cybersecurity products or services, misrepresent their cybersecurity practices or protocols, or violate obligations to monitor and report cybersecurity incidents and breaches must be held accountable. Enforcement efforts like this should serve as a reminder to industry to prioritize DoD cybersecurity compliance.”
“Deficiencies in cybersecurity controls pose a significant threat to our national security and jeopardize sensitive DoD programs that put our servicemembers at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Sargenski of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “As force multipliers, we place a substantial amount of trust in our contractors, and those who ignore the rules will be held accountable.”
“AFOSI is committed to pursuing allegations related to the security of our information systems and neutralizing threats malicious actors pose when contractors fail to meet their contractual obligations,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrell Freeman of Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), Procurement Fraud Detachment 5.
The settlement resolves a lawsuit against GTRC and Georgia Tech where the United States alleged that until December 2021, those entities failed to install, update or run anti-virus or anti-malware tools on desktops, laptops, servers and networks at Georgia Tech’s Astrolavos Lab while the lab conducted sensitive cyber-defense research for DoD. The United States also alleged that until at least February 2020, there was no system security plan in place for the Astrolavos Lab to set out the cybersecurity controls that GTRC’s contracts required.
Finally, the United States alleged that in December 2020 GTRC and Georgia Tech submitted a false summary level cybersecurity assessment score to DoD which supposedly applied campus-wide. That summary level score of 98 was allegedly false because (1) there was no campus-wide IT system at Georgia Tech and (2) the score was premised on a “fictitious” or “virtual” environment and did not apply to any actual covered contracting system at Georgia Tech that would process, store or transmit covered defense information. The United States alleged the submission of a cybersecurity assessment score was a condition of contract award for GTRC’s DoD contracts. The obligation to implement security controls specified in National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-171 (NIST SP 800-171) to protect certain DoD information has applied to DoD contracts, subcontracts, and similar contractual instruments since 2017 and will continue under the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program that DoD recently finalized. The CMMC program further bolsters the assessment requirements applicable to DoD contractors and subcontractors.
The settlement announced today stems from a complaint filed by Christopher Craig and Kyle Koza, former members of Georgia Tech’s Cybersecurity Team, under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private persons to bring a lawsuit on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. The Act also permits the Government to intervene and take over the lawsuit, as it did in this case as to certain allegations. The United States intervened in the qui tam suit and filed its complaint in August 2024. The settlement in this case provides for Craig and Koza to receive $201,250 as their share of the recovery.
The investigation, litigation, and resolution in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, DCIS, AFOSI, the Air Force Materiel Command Law Office Procurement Fraud Division, and DARPA. The matter was handled by Trial Attorney Joanna Persio of the Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melanie D. Hendry and Adam D. Nugent for the Northern District of Georgia.
The lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. Craig v. Georgia Tech Research Corporation et al., No. 1:22-cv-02698 (N.D. Ga.).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Fruitland Man Charged with Second-Degree MurderRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Fruitland man has been indicted on federal charges in connection with the murder of a woman.
According to court documents, on December 9, 2024, Timothy Begay, 38, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, intentionally killed Jane Doe.
Begay is charged with second degree murder and will be released third-party to a halfway house pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Begay faces up to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington 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 Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
View the Indictment (Begay).pdfAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former State Lawmaker Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. —Robert John May, III, 38, of West Columbia, has pleaded guilty to five counts of distributing child sexual abuse material.*
“The conduct May pleaded guilty to represents some of the most depraved and exploitative conduct we investigate,” said Bryan Stirling, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “Our office will bring every resource available to protect children from violence and abuse. This prosecution was made possible through excellent law enforcement coordination between Homeland Security Investigations, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and all those who work to protect the most vulnerable in our society.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2024, a tip was sent by Kik, a social-media platform, to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which indicated that over a five-day period in March and April 2024 a Kik account with the username “joebidennnn69” distributed videos depicting the sexual abuse of children to other Kik users 50 times.
Investigators connected the account to the home IP address and mobile device of May and determined videos depicting the sexual abuse of children were distributed from the account at least 479 times over the five-day period, with the majority resolving to May’s home address or cell phone. Kik records showed the account connected to May’s home Wi-Fi account at least 958 times and to his cell phone 67 times. A federal grand jury charged May with distributing 10 videos depicting child sexual abuse that were shared from the account.
Evidence indicated May was responsible. A forensic analysis of May’s phone revealed that the user dictionary included the term “joebidennnn” and the same email used to register the Kik account. It also revealed Kik, along with Telegram, Mega, and Sessions messenger—all applications referenced in Kik messages—were deleted on April 4, 2024, within 20 seconds of each other. May’s phone also received more than 450 alerts from the Kik application during the time the joebidennnn69 account was active, and several conversations on the joebidennnn69 account correlate with internet searches and application downloads that occurred on May’s phone and laptop at the same time. The investigation further revealed that May and the Kik account user shared the same pseudonym, Eric Rentling.
May faces a minimum penalty of five years in federal prison and a maximum of 20 years. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, up to lifetime supervision to follow the term of imprisonment, and he will be required to register as a sex offender upon release from prison.
United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie accepted the guilty plea and will sentence May on Jan. 14, 2026, after receiving and reviewing a pre-sentence report from the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Matthews, Elliott B. Daniels, and Dean Secor are prosecuting the case with Austin M. Berry of the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
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* The term “child pornography” is currently used in federal statutes and is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a person less than 18 years old. While this phrase still appears in federal law, “child sexual abuse material” is preferred, as it better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the child. The Associated Press Stylebook also discourages the use of the phrase “child pornography.”
Former School Employee Pleads Guilty to Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with a StudentRead the Press Release
Former School Employee Pleads Guilty to Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with a Student
CONCORD – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty September 30, 2025, to travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Jesus Moore, 36, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty to one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante scheduled sentencing for January 13, 2026. Moore will be detained pending sentencing.
According to the charging documents and statements made in court, on March 7, 2022, Moore, a basketball coach at Lawrence High School, ordered a rideshare to transport a Lawrence High School student to the Super 8 Motel in Manchester, New Hampshire. Moore also traveled from Massachusetts to the Super 8 Motel. Moore provided the student with alcohol and then engaged in sexual conduct with the student when the student was incapable of consenting.
The Department of Homeland Security, the Lawrence Police Department, and the Manchester Police Department led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski is prosecuting the case.
In February 2006, the Department of Justice introduced Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Former Office Manager Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More Than $1.7 Million from Ocean City Home BuilderRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Tammy Barcus, 56, of Berlin, Maryland, pled guilty to a three-count Information, charging her with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and tax evasion.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington D.C. Field Office.
Barcus, a former office manager and bookkeeper for an Ocean City-based home builder, admitted to embezzling at least $1,790,000 from her former employer. She forged a business owner’s signature on business checks at least 500 times. Barcus then concealed the embezzlement from her employer and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by making false entries into the business’ books and records.
In her guilty plea, Barcus acknowledged that she worked for the home builder as a trusted employee with substantial control over business records and financial accounts. As part of her daily job duties, Barcus had access to payment systems and accounting records that belonged to the home builder. She worked with a high degree of independence.
From 2016 through 2024, Barcus used her position of trust to embezzle money by issuing more than 500 fraudulently authorized checks from the home builder’s business bank account. Barcus forged the signature of one of the owners on the face of the business checks and then deposited the checks into bank accounts she controlled. She then used the money for her personal enrichment.
The former office manager and bookkeeper concealed the scheme by hiding the embezzled income from the IRS. She also made materially false and fraudulent edits and entries into the home builder’s internal accounting records to cover up the fraudulent payments and commingled the embezzled funds into a bank account she controlled.
Barcus is facing a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud, five years for tax evasion, and a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence for aggravated identity theft.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Judge Maddox set sentencing for Monday, February 9, 2026, at 10 a.m.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended IRS-CI for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Murphy and Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry Gruber, who are prosecuting the federal case, and Paralegal Specialists Joanna B.N. Huber and Shelbe Mascaro, for their valuable assistance.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Former HUD Property Manager Receives Five-Year Sentence for EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Glenburn woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for embezzling from an organization receiving federal funds and conspiring to alter money orders.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Kelly Ballinger, 59, to 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Ballinger will also be ordered to pay restitution totaling approximately $1 million. Ballinger pleaded guilty on May 1, 2024.
According to court records, Ballinger was a former property manager for a Portland apartment complex with residences funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). From about October 2015 to June 2021, Ballinger stole rent payments made by HUD Housing Choice Voucher Program tenants. Ballinger would direct the tenants to pay their rent with a blank postal money order and then would place her name or that of her subordinate employee Kathleen Conway, 71, on the payee line, adding information such as “groceries” on the memo line to suggest the payments were reimbursements. In some instances, Ballinger would deflate the tenants’ income to as low as $0 so that HUD would pay a larger share of the rent to disguise shortfalls.
Kathleen Conway pleaded guilty to embezzlement and was sentenced on June 6, 2024, to two years of probation and ordered to pay $35,710 in restitution.
In pronouncing the sentence, Judge Woodcock observed that Ballinger was “able to concoct a scheme that avoided detection for years.” The court described her embezzlement as “calculated, deliberate, and devious.”
The HUD Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
“Ballinger and her co-conspirator preyed on the vulnerability of elderly and disabled individuals and altered income and expense documents to falsely increase HUD rental subsidies, which she then funneled to her personal bank account,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Rice with HUD OIG. “HUD OIG will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to diligently pursue and hold accountable bad actors who willfully misuse federal assets.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service routinely seeks prosecution of individuals like Kelly Ballinger, who swindled funds that were designated to support fellow community members with housing,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division. “Postal Inspectors, alongside HUD OIG, uncovered the fraud schemes employed by Ballinger and her co-conspirator, to conceal her activities and line her pockets. We will continue to support and collaborate with our federal law enforcement partners to stop those who are engaged in these types of schemes.”
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