Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Thursday 25 September 2025
Oklahoma City Man Who Ran Nonprofit Indicted for Two Counts of Bank FraudRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – An unsealed indictment shows that Victor Kensington Colbert, Jr., 60, owned and operated the nonprofit,
Oklahoma Heartland Heroes Foundation (Heartland Heroes), in Bixby.The indictment alleges that Colbert submitted at least five applications on behalf of Heartland Heroes seeking CARES
Act funds. The CARES Act was signed into law in March 2020 and included the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). These programs were established to support small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. Of those applications, Colbert successfully obtained at least two PPP loans and one Economic Injury Disaster Loan advance, on behalf of Heartland Heroes, totaling approximately $217,000.Colbert allegedly submitted false documentation showing that he has several employees with monthly payroll expenses exceeding $55,000. He further claimed that any funds he received would be used to retain workers and maintain payroll, pay mortgage interest or lease payments, utility payments, and other covered expenses.
The Office of the Inspector General for the Federal Reserve System is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Buscemi is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a
court of law.The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division's prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at Justice.gov/OPA/pr/justice-department-takes-action-against-covid-19-fraud.
Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Using Company Funds for Personal UseRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – A Wood County man has been sentenced to prison for defrauding a computer technology support company of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Blake Underwood, 45, of Perrysburg, Ohio, was sentenced to 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary after pleading guilty in May to wire fraud. Underwood was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment.
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Underwood was employed by Nemsys, LLC, a Toledo-based information technology company. After the Nemsys business owners relocated to Florida to focus their efforts on a second company, Underwood became the CEO and ran the business on behalf of the owners. Court documents show that Underwood devised a scheme to defraud the company from December 2019 until April 2023. Even though he was not permitted to do so, Underwood used Nemsys funds intended for the revitalization of a historic Toledo property to purchase building supplies for his personal home. In 2023, the owners examined why Nemsys was underperforming financially and discovered that Underwood was using company funds to pay his personal credit cards, purchase personal vehicles, golf club memberships, jewelry, and more.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI Toledo Field Office prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Melching for the Northern District of Ohio.
Obstruction of Justice Scheme Results in Nine Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dawayne Joseph Spriggs, 35, of Washington, D.C. and Prince George’s County, Maryland, was sentenced today to nine years in prison for obstruction of justice and subornation of perjury, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Spriggs pleaded guilty on June 23, 2025, to obstruction of justice in Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Judge Jason Park also ordered that Spriggs serve a five-year term of supervised release after released from prison.
On September 13, 2023, a District of Columbia Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Spriggs in a 2014 cold case sexual assault. On October 11, 2023, the Grand Jury returned a superseding indictment, adding the charge of obstructing justice.
“Neither time nor pressure nor obstruction will prevent this office from identifying and convicting the guilty,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “This defendant pressured many witnesses to give false testimony and lie to cover up his violent crimes, which corrupts the principles of truth-seeking upon which our system of justice is based—it didn’t work.”
On May 18, 2023, the defendant was arrested for sexually assaulting a stranger on July 6, 2014. In 2016, a database reported a match between the DNA profile obtained from the victim’s rape kit and another sexual assault offense that had been reported in Anne Arundel County, Maryland in 2013, but the assailant’s remained unknown. In 2023, detectives with MPD’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Unit obtained a lead as to the assailant’s identity that led them to lawfully collect DNA samples from defendant Spriggs. These DNA samples were tested by both law enforcement entities and resulted in a match to both rape kits. The defendant was arrested on the D.C. sexual assault charges in May 2023 and indicted in September of 2023.
While awaiting trial in the District of Columbia, the defendant engaged in a months-long scheme to obstruct justice and evade responsibility for the underlying assault. Over hundreds of recorded phone calls and texts from the D.C. Jail, he pressured his then-girlfriend to tamper with evidence and urged associates to lie for him. The defendant bullied his girlfriend into obtaining photographs of the victim from her Instagram and other social media and provided them to his associates so they could falsely identify her. Over numerous months, the defendant solicited others to provide invented witness statements to his investigator, the grand jury, and the Court regarding events they did not witness. The defendant’s plan was for his investigator to bring these false statements to the government, causing the government to dismiss the case. The defendant attempted to cover up his corrupt actions and instructed his associates to clear their phones of his incriminating texts and emails. He pressured a close family member to commit perjury in the grand jury to undermine the government’s case. For her role in the scheme, the defendant’s then-girlfriend also pleaded guilty to attempted obstruction of justice and has been sentenced.
This case was brought as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative and investigated by MPD’s Sexual Assault Unit. In February 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia created the Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative. The goal of the Initiative is to collaborate with law enforcement partners to reinvestigate, solve and bring charges in previously unsolved cases of sexual assault against adults and juveniles. The Cold Case Initiative works with the MPD, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and state and local law enforcement agencies in the DMV area.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the efforts of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Zubrensky, who prosecuted the case.
New Orleans Man Guilty of Firearm Possession to Further Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced on September 16, 2025, that TYREE RUDOLPH (“RUDOLPH”), age 22, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty to one of three counts of an indictment charging him with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
U.S. District Judge Daryl J. Papillon will sentence RUDOLPH on December 16, 2025. RUDOLPH faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five (5) imprisonment up to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. RUDOLPH also faces a period of supervised release of up to five (5) years, a fine up to $250,000.00, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
According to court documents, in October 2023, the New Orleans Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated RUDOLPH due to his affiliation with known members of a New Orleans criminal organization known as “M3RE,” operating out of the Magnolia Housing Projects. During their investigation, detectives observed that RUDOLPH posted an advertisement for the sale of a Draco assault rifle for $800.00, referred to as a “drac” on social media.
On October 19, 2023, a search warrant was obtained for RUDOLPH’s residence. The following items were found inside of the residence: (1) one plastic bag containing 54.37 grams of fentanyl; (2) one plastic bag containing 21.20 grams of fentanyl; (3) $724.00 in U.S. currency; (4) thirty-four (34) counterfeit $100 bills; (5) a Glock Model 23 Gen4, .40 caliber handgun, with sixteen (16) live rounds of ammunition; (6) a Glock Model 19 Gen5, nine- millimeter caliber handgun, with twenty-five (25) live rounds of ammunition; (7) a Romarm/Cugir Draco, 7.62x39 caliber pistol, with twenty-nine (29) live rounds of ammunition; (8) a Glock switch machinegun conversion device; (9) various rounds of ammunition; and (10) various gun parts/accessories.
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. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed of the Violent Crime Unit/Strike Force Unit.
New Orleans Man Guilty of Cares Act Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that IRVIN C. FRANCOIS, III (“FRANCOIS”), age 54, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on September 23, 2025 before United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey to making false statements and money laundering related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
On March 27, 2020, the President of the United States signed into law the CARES Act, which provided emergency assistance, administered by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), to small business owners affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. One of the primary sources of funding for small businesses was the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
According to the charging documents, or about March 24, 2021, FRANCOIS, on behalf of a business that he owned, made false statements to an approved lender to obtain approximately $144,790 for a PPP loan. FRANCOIS then committed money laundering by using these ill-gotten funds to buy an automobile from a dealership in Kenner, Louisiana.
Sentencing is to be held on January 6, 2026. At that time, FRANCOIS faces up to five years in prison for the false statement charge and up to ten years in prison for the money laundering charge. The sentence for each charge also includes up to $250,000 in fines, up to three years of supervised release and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.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 https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
This case was investigated by an agent assigned to the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC was established to serve the American public by promoting transparency and facilitating coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 21 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending. The PRAC Fraud Task Force brings together agents from 15 Inspectors General to investigate fraud involving a variety of programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program. Task force agents who are detailed to the PRAC receive expanded authority to investigate pandemic fraud as well as tools and training to support their investigations.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General (a member of the PRAC) and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
* * *
New Jersey Man, New York Man, and Four Corporate Entities Indicted for Multi-Million Dollar Fraudulent Investment Scheme, Conspiracy to Obstruct Grand Jury InvestigationRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JOSIAH DAVID (aka “Dennis Lee”) (“DAVID”), age 79, a resident of Vernon, New Jersey, JAMES MICHAEL KAFES (“KAFES”), age 57, a resident of Carmel, New York, and four corporate entities with which they are affiliated, PROVISION CORPORATION, LLC (“PROVISION”), THE PREMIER HEALTHCARE SOLUTION, LLC (“PREMIER”), OUT OF POCKET RELIEF FOR AMERICANS, LLC (“OPRA”), and THE SUPPORTERS OF OPRA, LLC (TSOPRA”), were charged today in an eight-count indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1343 and 1349 (Count 1), six counts of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343 (Counts 2 through 7), and conspiracy to obstruct justice, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1503(a) (Count 8). All defendants are charged in Count 1, DAVID, KAFES, and PREMIER are charged in each of Counts 2 through 7, and DAVID and KAFES are charged in Count 8.
According to the indictment, Total Financial Group (TTFG) was a Louisiana business incorporated in 2005 and located in, Covington, Louisiana, until its operations ceased in 2017. Denis Joachim incorporated, owned, and operated TTFG. TTFG and Joachim created and marketed a Medical Reimbursement Account program called “Classic 105,” which had three fundamental parts: monthly administration fees charged to employee-participants and employer-clients for participating in the program, a loan from a lender to employee-participants that would effectively offset the amount of an employee-participant’s monthly fee that the employee-participants never needed to repay, and an insurance policy secured on the life of the employee-participant and payable to the lender at the time of the employee-participant’s death to repay the loan amount. DAVID and PROVISION formed an association with Joachim and TTFG to market Classic 105 to prospective employer-clients and to seek, ultimately unsuccessfully, financial institutions to fund the loan component of Classic 105.
Federal law enforcement authorities executed search warrants at Joachim’s residence and TTFG’s office in Covington, Louisiana in January 2017, effectively shutting down TTFG. Joachim was charged by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Louisiana, and thereafter pleaded guilty, based on the fraudulent development, marketing, and sale of Classic 105. Nevertheless, soon after the search warrant, DAVID and KAFES signed a “letter of intent” promising Joachim they would establish a program that would be a successor to Classic 105. DAVID and PROVISION then created PREMIER for two purported purposes: to develop and administer a program modeled on and that was a continuation of Classic 105 (the “New 105 Plan”) and to solicit investors to purchase “units” in PREMIER by representing that investor-owners would profit significantly once the New 105 Plan “launched.” PREMIER and DAVID also entered into a consulting agreement with Joachim that agreed to pay Joachim up to $20,000 per month, which they called “royalty payments,” despite PREMIER having no clients and generating no outside revenue. In fact, the New 105 Plan never even launched.
KAFES was the President of PREMIER. While DAVID was advertised as merely KAFES’s assistant, in reality, he was responsible for its development, operation, and management, and was its primary representative. The New 105 Plan had the same components as Classic 105. To convince potential and current investor-owners to contribute, DAVID, KAFES, and the entities they oversaw, made numerous false statements and material omissions. Among the false representations DAVID, KAFES, and their entities made were that the New 105 Plan was close to launch, that the New 105 Plan and its underlying intellectual property were “patent protected.” Additionally, DAVID and KAFES represented that PREMIER had already solidified funding for the loan component from financial institutions, and that law firms had vetted the New 105 Plan and deemed it legal and legitimate. DAVID, KAFES, and their entities also withheld material information from current and prospective investors, including falsely characterizing their relationship with, and obligations to, Joachim. They did so by, among other things, understating DAVID’s role in the program, failing to disclose that DAVID (under his original name, “Dennis Lee”) had multiple felony convictions, suits filed against him for violations of state securities and/or consumer protection laws, public warnings about him issued by multiple state regulator entities, and a stipulated order for a permanent injunction and final judgment entered based on charges brought by the Federal Trade Commission. In total, investor-owners made purchases and contributions totaling over $4,000,000. DAVID, KAFES, and PREMIER sent over $550,000 of these funds to Joachim in more than 120 transactions.
Further, DAVID and KAFES are charged with conspiring to obstruct the due administration of justice, namely a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Louisiana. DAVID and KAFES are alleged to have agreed and arranged for DAVID to withhold from production, material responsive to a federal grand jury, and discouraged an owner-investor from meeting with federal investigative authorities. Finally, on or about March 27, 2025, KAFES is alleged to have testified falsely while under oath before the Eastern District federal grand jury.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, DAVID and KAFES face up to twenty years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee for each of Counts 1 through 8 and, up to five years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee as to Count 8. Each corporate defendant faces, for each count with which it is charged, up to a $500,000 fine.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Department of Labor –Employee Benefits Security Administration and Office of Inspector General in investigating this matter. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson also recognized the contributions of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
Nashville Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Ladonta Glenn, 31, of Nashville, Tennessee, pleaded guilty today to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, one count of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity, and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor to travel in interstate to engage in unlawful sexual activity, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
“We will do what it takes to protect children in our community from sexual predators who prowl social media looking for victims,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “I want to commend the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their excellent work on this case. I also want to encourage all parents in our community to be aware of what your children are doing on social media, to know who they are talking to online, and to be aware that danger is lurking in every app.”
On August 1, 2024, officers with the Metro Nashville Police Department (“MNPD”) responded to a house in Nashville, after receiving a tip that a 16-year-old minor female runaway was there. When officers arrived at the house, they were let in by the Defendant’s mother. When the officers first asked the Defendant about the minor victim, he denied knowing her; however, his mother told the officers that she was upstairs.
After initially claiming he didn’t know the minor victim, Glenn stated he got her phone number from a friend through Instagram. He said the minor victim called him and said she needed a ride, then that he thought someone had given her a ride to his house. Glenn claimed he was going to let the minor victim stay at his house until her mother could come get her because he was “being a friend.” He claimed that she told him that her boyfriend stayed in Tennessee, but her boyfriend kicked her out. As officers continued speaking with Glenn, he said he met the minor victim through Instagram as she was “going out” with his friend, Brandon. He claimed someone dropped the minor victim off in Tennessee. After the minor victim got into a fight with her boyfriend, Glenn said he texted her and told her if she didn’t have any place to go, she could come to his house. Glenn admitted he knew she was 16 years old, but claimed he did not know she was a runaway.
After telling several different stories to the officers, Glenn was transported to MNPD Headquarters where he was interviewed by a Youth Services detective. Before being interviewed, Glenn was advised of his Miranda rights, which he agreed to waive and speak with the detective. He continued to tell different stories about how he knew the victim and how she got to his house. He initially denied being the minor victim’s boyfriend, but when she referred to him as her boyfriend, he said it was nothing serious. When he was asked if the minor victim sent him any nude images, he said she may have sent some through Instagram, but then said he didn’t do anything with them because “you could go to jail for exposing a little girl like that.” He claimed if he received nudes from the minor victim, he looked at the nudes and then deleted them. When asked if the nudes would still be on his phone, he indicated they would be in his “your eyes only” folder.
When asked about sexual contact with the minor victim, Glenn said he knew the law, and that because the minor victim was 16, she could not consent. He was then asked if he wanted to have sex with the minor victim, which he denied, but he then said if he did have sex with her, it was consensual. When asked about sexting with the minor victim, he denied sexting with the minor victim, but he admitted they engaged in sexual communications over text.
On August 1, 2024, when MNPD officers located the minor victim, they observed what appeared to be “hickies” on her neck while they were speaking with her. She stated that Glenn was her boyfriend, they had been dating for about a month, and that she believed he was 15 years old. During a forensic interview of the minor victim, she said she met Glenn on Instagram, they exchanged phone numbers and then began communicating on a regular basis. When she learned that he was 31 years old, she was shocked. She said they had phone sex, which she described as recording herself while she was masturbating, and she sent the recordings to Glenn using her cell phone. She said she sent a lot of videos to Glenn, which she recorded using her iPhone. She told the officers she took a Greyhound bus from her home in Ohio to Nashville, which Glenn paid for. Once she arrived at the Glenn’s house, he immediately asked her to perform fellatio on him in the bathroom, which she did, and after that they engaged in vaginal intercourse.
On August 27, 2024, the FBI performed a forensic extraction of the Defendant’s cell phone after obtaining a federal search warrant. The hidden folder on Glenn’s phone contained multiple photos and videos, including sexually explicit videos, of the minor victim. The FBI located a conversation between the Defendant and the minor victim starting on June 29 and ending on July 10. During the conversation, Glenn asked the minor victim to be his girlfriend, and the two began discussing sex.
When he is sentenced on February 2, 2026, Glenn faces a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years and a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Field Office, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica R. Morrison is prosecuting the case.
# # # # #
More Than Two Million Illicit Vaping Products Seized in Nationwide SweepRead the Press Release
The Justice Department, together with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), announced today that recent actions targeting unauthorized flavored e-cigarettes, or vapes, resulted in the seizure of more than 2.1 million illicit vaping products taken from five distributors and six retailers across seven different states.
In seizure complaints and accompanying court papers filed in U.S. District Court, the government alleged that the distributors and retailers where the electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products were seized received previous warnings from the FDA that their ENDS products required premarket authorization before they could legally be sold. According to the seizure complaints, recent FDA inspections and undercover purchases by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) showed that the firms continued to sell or distribute unauthorized ENDS products.
The seizures were carried out by the U.S. Marshals Service, ATF agents, and other law enforcement partners, with support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and FDA.
“These dangerous and unauthorized vapes are often smuggled in from China to be sold near schools and military bases, putting our kids and service members directly at risk,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This is a national security issue, and this month’s raids are just the beginning. Working with our partners at HHS, we will prosecute anyone participating in the illegal sale of these products.”
“Along with our partners, the U.S. Marshals seized and removed from the marketplace more than 2 million non-FDA approved products from five warehouse distribution centers and six retail locations across the country,” said Director Gadyaces S. Serralta of the U.S. Marshals Service. “This operation is a great example of the U.S. Marshals Service and its partners joining forces to protect our youth and to Make America Healthy Again.”
“The vaping products seized by the United States Marshals Service threatened the health and safety of our communities and undermined the integrity of statutory and regulatory safeguards designed to protect consumers, including our nation’s youth,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois, where one of the largest seizures took place. “Americans expect and deserve that prohibited products never make their way on consumer shelves, and that other products are lawfully marketed and comply with all federal laws and regulations. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure illegal products never enter into the stream of commerce and pursue all possible civil and criminal remedies against those who violate federal laws and regulations.”
The Department of Justice also filed civil injunctive actions against the distributors and retailers where the products were seized to prevent future violations. Those complaints allege that the defendants continued to market adulterated and misbranded tobacco products despite receiving warnings from FDA that they were violating the law. The injunction actions were filed against the same entities where the seizures took place along with related individuals, including:
- Tampa Vapor, a Tampa, Florida company, and its owner, Michael R. Synychak, filed in the Middle District of Florida;
- Progressive Retail Inc., doing business as Rainbow Food Mart, a Tampa, Florida company, and its president, Varun Chawla, filed in the Middle District of Florida;
- Bouslimi Holdings, Inc., doing business as Marathon/Food Center, a Tampa, Florida company, and its president, Imed Bouslimi, filed in the Middle District of Florida;
- A Joint Effort, Inc. doing business as Blvd Smoke Shop, a Miami, Florida, company, and its officer and director, Husam Bahhur, filed in the Southern District of Florida;
- Calle 8 Petroleum LLC, doing business as UGAS/Circle K, a company based in Miami, Florida, and its owner, Rashid A. Saeed, filed in the Southern District of Florida;
- Smoke House Sunset, a company based in Los Angeles, California, and its owner, Ali Masoud, filed in the Central District of California;
- D&A Distribution, LLC, doing business as Strictly E-Cig, a corporation based in Savannah, Georgia, and owner Robert S. Ali, filed in the Southern District of Georgia;
- PSM101, LLC doing business as Center Point Distributors, a corporation based in South Plainfield, New Jersey, and its owner Niravkumar G. Vora, filed in the District of New Jersey;
- B&G Trading LLC doing business as Vaportech Wholesale, a corporation based in Phoenix, Arizona, and its co-owners Ataman Bilgin and Hasmet Girgin, filed in the District of Arizona;
- Midwest Goods Inc. doing business as Midwest Distribution and Midwest Distribution Illinois, a corporation based in Bensenville, Illinois, and its owner and CEO, Kamran Yasin, filed in the Northern District of Illinois; and
- Dream Distro LLC, a company based in Garner, North Carolina, and its owner, Faisal A. Alhadrami, filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina.
An additional injunctive action was filed against Gorilla Vapes LLC, a New Jersey company, and its co-owners Nick Jurczyk and Russell Jurczyk, in the District of New Jersey.
Under the law, ENDS manufacturers generally must obtain premarket review of new tobacco products and obtain FDA’s marketing authorization before they can be legally sold through interstate commerce. In each of the seizure actions, the court issued a warrant authorizing the seizure of specified unapproved vapes that lacked marketing authorization.
Trial Attorneys Coleen Schoch, James T. Nelson, Roger Gural, Zachary L. Cowan, and Pauline A. Stamatelos of the Justice Department’s Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are handling the cases under the leadership of Sarmad Khojasteh, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott D. Heffron for the Northern District of Illinois, Carlos Raurell for the Southern District of Florida, Joseph Bozdech for the District of Arizona, and other AUSAs from districts across the country provided critical support, along with attorneys at the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of General Counsel and FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
The claims announced today are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Mobile Barber Bandits Sentenced for 2023 Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two St. Louis area men have been sentenced for the armed robbery of a mobile barber in Jennings in 2023.
U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Tuesday sentenced Keshaun Smith, 20, of Jennings, to 98 months in prison on charges of robbery and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of the robbery. Smith’s co-defendant, Andrew Giles, was sentenced September 19 to 105 months in prison for the same offenses.
According to court documents, on May 8, 2023, the victim, who was a “mobile barber,” went to a home on Garesche Avenue to cut Smith’s hair. When the victim arrived at the home to give the haircut, Smith met the victim outside as he parked his red car.
Approximately 15 minutes later, while the victim was cutting co-defendant Keshaun Smith’s hair inside the home, co-defendant Andrew Giles arrived on Garesche Avenue, parked his car on the street, and exited carrying what appeared to be a pistol.
As the victim finished cutting Smith’s hair roughly 90 minutes later, Giles and a second co-defendant entered the room where the haircut was occurring. Smith picked up a firearm belonging to the victim and the three defendants robbed the victim of his possessions. During the robbery the victim was struck across his face/forehead area, sustaining a frontal skull fracture. The victim was able to flee the location and subsequently called police.
Smith was seen after the robbery walking on Garesche Avenue openly carrying a firearm believed to have been stolen from the victim.
The St. Louis County Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI. Trial Attorney Matthew P. Mattis of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in St. Louis. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute the violent offenders and prevent further violence.
Mississippi Duo Charged with Using Counterfeit Currency to Scam Pineville Jewelry Store Appear in CourtRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two men from Mississippi are facing federal charges for using counterfeit U.S. currency to purchase high-end watches and other jewelry from a retail store in Pineville, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Robert Lewis Elliott III, 36, and Devin Alonzo Elliott, 30, of Okolona, Mississippi, are each charged with conspiracy to pass counterfeit obligations and passing counterfeit obligations. The criminal indictment was filed in August 2025 and was unsealed today following the defendants’ court appearance.
Steven Gutierrez, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Charlotte Field Office, and Chief Michael Hudgins of the Pineville Police Department, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
According to allegations in the indictment, in June 2025, R. Elliott and D. Elliott traveled to Pineville, N.C., to carry out a scheme to defraud a jewelry store. The indictment alleges that, on June 26, 2025, the defendants and another individual entered the store and told a store employee they wanted to purchase approximately $300,000 in luxury watches and jewelry. The defendants allegedly provided a $1,000 cash deposit and agreed to return the following day to finalize the transaction.
The indictment further alleges that on June 27, 2025, the men returned to the store to complete the purchase. R. Elliott provided a $10,000 stack of genuine $100 bills to the store employee to be counted. After the employee verified the money using an electronic counter and a counterfeit detection pen, R. Elliott allegedly used a sleight-of-hand technique, to swap the authentic bills with a stack of counterfeit notes, before placing the counterfeit bills into the store’s safe. He then recycled the same stack of genuine bills, repeating the process until all the counterfeit currency had been placed in the safe.
The indictment alleges that after the store employee finished counting the money, he requested for R. Elliott’s identification to complete the sale. R. Elliott said he wanted to buy more jewelry and needed to go to his car to get more cash and his identification. The defendants then exited the store and fled, taking the watches and jewelry: a Patek Phillipe diamond watch ($90,000); an Audemars Piguet watch ($48,000); a Cartier watch ($25,000); four Rolex watches ($76,300); a rose Cuban link chain ($32,000); a gold bracelet ($17,500); a bangle bracelet ($8,200); diamond earrings ($1,000); and 24k pointer earrings ($2,000).
U.S. v. Elliott et al. – Counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes allegedly used by the defendants to execute the scheme
The defendants were released on bond. If convicted, they face up to five years in prison for conspiracy to pass counterfeit obligations, and 20 years in prison for passing counterfeit obligations. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The charges against the defendants are merely allegations and they are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the U.S. Secret Service and the Pineville Police Department for their work on the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
Mexican man sentenced for illegal reentryRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Mexican man who was in the United States illegally was sentenced yesterday to a term of time-served and remanded to the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Leobardo Ricardo Torres-Torres, 38, pleaded guilty in April 2025 to illegal reentry.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Torres-Torres was removed from the United States in November 2016 and never obtained permission to return. On March 24, 2025, he was found in Havre, Montana when Border Patrol agents approached a vehicle registered to a person illegally present in the United States in the Walmart parking lot. An agent asked Torres-Torres if he owned the vehicle, and he admitted he did. He said was working construction in the area, was originally from Mexico, and had no documents that permitted him to enter or remain in the United States.
Torres-Torres’s immigration files show he applied for U.S. citizenship in 2002 but presented a fraudulent birth certificate with his application. He was allowed to withdraw the application and return to Mexico. In July 2009, Torres-Torres was found in Arizona and ordered removed after an arrest in Maricopa County for driving while intoxicated. In July 2010, Border Patrol agents found Torres-Torres, again in Arizona. He was convicted of illegal entry, a misdemeanor, sentenced to 30 days in prison, and removed from the United States. In August 2016, Border Patrol agents in Naco, Arizona, found Torres-Torres. He was again convicted of illegal entry, sentenced to 75 days in prison, and again removed from the United States. When he was arrested in Havre in March 2025, Torres-Torres told the Border Patrol he reentered the U.S. in November 2017, near El Paso, Texas.
The United States Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Border Patrol.
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).
XXX
Mexican Drug Trafficker Sentenced to over 15 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute 167 Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jorge Anaya-Valencia, 48, of Guyamas, Sonora, Mexico, who was unlawfully living in Arizona, was sentenced on September 23, by United States District Judge Krissa M. Lanham to 180 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine.
Anaya-Valencia’s co-defendants, all illegal aliens, were previously sentenced in this case. Jesus Manuel Soto Quihui was sentenced to 60 months in prison, and Diego Nunez-Aispuri and Ivan Manuel Higuera Torres both received sentences of 46 months.
According to court documents, in November 2023, investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) identified Anaya-Valencia as a member of a drug trafficking organization operating in Phoenix, Arizona. On January 23, 2024, while conducting surveillance on Anaya-Valencia, agents watched as Higuero Torres arrived in a red Ford F-150 pickup truck to meet with Anaya-Valencia. Anaya-Valencia initially inspected the back seat of the truck, and then Nunez-Aispuro loaded two plastic containers and one cardboard box out of the back seat of the Ford F-150 into the cargo area of a Chevrolet Tahoe, which Soto Quihui was driving.
After Nunez-Aispuro completed the transfer, all four defendants left in various vehicles, and were thereafter arrested by law enforcement. Agents searched the Chevrolet Tahoe and inside the plastic containers and cardboard box found and seized approximately 76 kilograms (167 pounds) of methamphetamine. Agents also seized two firearms: one inside the glove compartment of Anaya-Valencia’s vehicle, and a second in the waistband of Soto Quihui.
According to records, Anaya-Valencia has twelve prior removals from the United States and nine previous criminal immigration convictions. He also has a prior felony conviction for Conspiracy to Commit Possession of Dangerous Drugs for Sale. At the time he was arrested in this case, Anaya-Valencia was on supervised release, and he was sentenced to an additional 6 months in prison as part of the disposition in that case.
The DEA Phoenix East Valley Drug Enforcement Task Force HIDTA conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stuart J. Zander and Travis L. Wheeler, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 24-CR-00255-01-PHX-KML; 19-CR-01081-PHX-KML
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-154_Anaya-Valencia, et al.# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Mexican Citizen Sentenced for Illegal Reentry into U.S.Read the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Mexico pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of illegal reentry of a removed alien and was sentenced to 10 months of imprisonment on his conviction, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Daniel Alejandro Benzor-Mora, 31.
According to information presented to the Court, on March 19, 2025, Benzor-Mora was arrested by the Shenango Township Police Department for failing to stop at a stop sign, driving without a license and evading arrest on foot. Following this encounter, immigration officials determined that Benzor-Mora was illegally present in the United States and arrested him, on March 29, 2025, related to this charge. Benzor-Mora was previously removed from the United States on January 3, 2024, after incurring a lengthy criminal history, including 14 prior arrests and 6 prior convictions in Florida, and had not received permission to be in the United States, as required. As a part of his sentence, Benzor-Mora agreed to his removal from the United States. Benzor-Mora has been in custody since his March arrest and will be returned to immigration authorities for his removal following the conclusion of his federal sentence.
In imposing sentence, Judge Stickman expressed his intent that the sentence imposed would “impose respect for the law, impose a deterrent consideration and also to demonstrate that these crimes associated with being [in the United States] illegally are taken seriously.” After all, “the exercise of sovereignty requires that a nation guard its borders and that there be consequences for those who, in violation of the country’s law, violate its sovereignty.” Moreover, “this is not a defendant whose only offense against the United States and the people of the several states has been his illegal entry and reentry into the United States.” Rather, the defendant, “while not a legal resident of this nation, has a history of engaging in criminal acts in violation of the laws of the United States, the laws of the State of Florida and the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Benzor-Mora.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, combat illegal immigration, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Menomonie Man Sentenced to 2 ½ Years for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Demetrius Howard, 34, Menomonie, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 2 ½ years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Howard pleaded guilty to this charge on June 24, 2025.
On December 20, 2024, a deputy with the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office stopped Howard’s vehicle for speeding. After further investigation, the deputy searched the vehicle and found a bag in the backseat that contained a loaded Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun. Howard told the deputy that he would have fled if his child was not in the car and further commented that there could have been a “shootout.” Howard claimed that he found the gun by a dumpster the day before and was going to throw it into the water.
Howard has a prior state conviction for party to the crime of armed robbery. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from legally possessing firearms or ammunition.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson found it unlikely that Howard found the gun by a dumpster. Howard then admitted that was not true and that he actively sought out the gun due to threats he was receiving. Judge Peterson reminded Howard that he was prohibited from possessing firearms and said that the crime was aggravated because Howard was on supervision at the time.
The charge against Howard was the result of an investigation conducted by the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, which is comprised of federal agents from ATF and task force officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case.
Federal criminal cases involving firearms are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Manhattan Teacher Charged with Possession and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Ricky J. Patel, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, and Special Commissioner of the Office of the Special Commissioner of Investigation for the NYC School District (“SCI”), Anastasia Coleman, announced the unsealing of a Complaint charging CHRISTOPHER WARD with possessing and distributing hundreds of images and videos of child pornography that depict pre-pubescent children engaging in sexually explicit conduct. WARD was arrested yesterday and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave in Manhattan federal court.
“Every day, Christopher Ward stood at the front of a classroom of first graders while allegedly storing hundreds of images exploiting children just like them,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “The women and men of our Office are committed to ridding New York of child pornography. Together with our partners at Homeland Security Investigations and the New York City Police Department Special Investigations Unit, we will aggressively pursue and prosecute those who create, possess, and distribute child pornography.”
“Christopher Ward, a first-grade teacher, is accused of possessing and distributing child pornography, and even acknowledging his sexual attraction to his students—allegations that are chillingly disturbing and strike at the heart of every parent's fears,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “With over four years spent in close proximity to young children, the gravity of these accusations cannot be overstated. The safety of our children demands our unflinching attention, and HSI will not stop until the full facts are exposed and every offender faces the consequences.”
“When we send our children to school every day, we trust that they will be cared for and protected by their teachers. Instead, Christopher Ward made every parent’s worst nightmare a reality,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “These allegations are as sickening as they are illegal, and there is absolutely zero tolerance for anyone who exploits our most innocent in this way. I want to thank the NYPD investigators and our partners at HSI, SCI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for putting an end to this horrific behavior and ensuring our children our safe.”
“Christopher Ward's actions as alleged are repugnant—and violate the trust of his school, his students, and the community overall,” said SCI Special Commissioner Anastasia Coleman. “Possession of child pornography and other types of exploitation of minors are among the most serious issues society combats, and SCI works tirelessly to root out such misconduct from the New York City school district. SCI is grateful for its partners in law enforcement for their efforts in bringing Christopher Ward to justice.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint:[1]
From approximately September 2024 to approximately September 2025, WARD worked as a first-grade teacher at an elementary school in Queens, New York. Prior to that, from approximately January 2021 to approximately June 2024, WARD worked as a first-grade teacher at a school in Manhattan, New York.
From at least in or about July 14, 2024, through in or about July 22, 2025, WARD possessed and distributed hundreds of images and videos constituting child pornography on his account with an electronic mobile messaging application.
* * *
WARD, 37, of Farmingdale, New York, is charged with one count of receiving and distributing material containing child pornography, including files containing sexually explicit images of minors, and one count of possessing child pornography, including images and videos of prepubescent minors and minors who had not attained 12 years of age. Both counts carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the efforts of HSI, their agents and Task Force Officers; the NYPD Special Investigations Unit, Computer Crimes Squad; the SCI Investigators; the Complex Analytics and Social Media Enhancement Team at the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area; the Special Agents and Task Force Officers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York; and the Southern District of New York Digital Forensic Unit.
The case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adabelle U. Ekechukwu is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
u.s._v._ward_complaint.pdf
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Manager at Long Island Company Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud for Stealing from Customer Credit AccountsRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Tony Ream pleaded guilty to wire fraud committed in connection with his employment as a credit supervisor for a Long Island Company (the Company). Over the course of four years, Ream sent wire transfers totaling approximately $1.6 million from the Company’s bank account to a bank account that he controlled, and used those funds for his own personal gain. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Sanket J. Bulsara. When sentenced, Ream faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the guilty plea.
“Ream abused his authority and betrayed his employer and its customers to fund his own lavish lifestyle,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “In just a few years, Ream embezzled over $1.6 million and used the stolen money to pay for his wedding, luxury international travel, and for renovations to a restaurant he had opened. Ream will now be held accountable for this egregious conduct, thanks to the diligent work of our Office and our partners at the FBI.”
As set forth in court filings and statements made in court, the Company, headquartered in Melville, New York, is an American distributor of health care products and services, and serves as the world’s largest provider of health care solutions to office-based dental and medical practitioners worldwide. Ream was hired by the Company in 2019 to work in its credit department and became a credit supervisor. From approximately October 2020 through November 2024, Ream siphoned corporate funds from customer refund accounts, some of which were inactive, and diverted the funds to his own personal accounts, masking the fraud by recording each transaction as a refund that was issued to a customer. Ream also deceived his subordinates into unwittingly taking steps that facilitated his embezzlement scheme. In total, Ream embezzled approximately $1.6 million from the Company, which he spent on his wedding, luxury international vacations, and a failed restaurant venture in South Carolina. As part of his plea, Ream has agreed to make full restitution to the Company.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorney Charles P. Kelly is in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Samantha Schroder.
The Defendant:
TONY REAM (also known as “Tony Ream-Hendley” and “Tony Moul Ream”)
Age: 34
Greenville, South CarolinaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-179 (SJB)
Justice Department Sues Six States for Failure to Provide Voter Registration RollsRead the Press Release
Today the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced the filing of federal lawsuits against six states — California, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania — for failure to produce their statewide voter registration lists upon request.
“Clean voter rolls are the foundation of free and fair elections,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Every state has a responsibility to ensure that voter registration records are accurate, accessible, and secure — states that don’t fulfill that obligation will see this Department of Justice in court.”
“States are required to safeguard American elections by complying with our federal elections laws,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Clean voter rolls protect American citizens from voting fraud and abuse, and restore their confidence that their states’ elections are conducted properly, with integrity, and in compliance with the law.”
According to the lawsuits, the Attorney General is uniquely charged by Congress with the enforcement of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which were designed by Congress to ensure that states have proper and effective voter registration and voter list maintenance programs. The Attorney General also has the Civil Rights Act of 1960 (CRA) at her disposal to demand the production, inspection, and analysis of the statewide voter registration lists.
These lawsuits were filed on Sept. 25, 2025, in the federal districts of the respective states.
Jury Convicts Kansas City Man of Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was convicted by a federal jury for his role in drug trafficking and the illegal possession of firearms.
Brandon R. Haywood, 47, was found guilty on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, of one count each of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and felon in possession of a firearm.
On Feb. 4, 2023, law enforcement officers were dispatched to a store in Independence, Mo., regarding a sexual assault. The suspect was identified as Brandon Haywood. On Feb. 15, 2023, Haywood returned to the same store and was arrested by officers. His vehicle was towed from the scene in anticipation of a search warrant. When the state search warrant was executed on his vehicle, investigators located a Glock, Model 23, .40 caliber firearm; the defendant’s wallet; and approximately 30 grams of cocaine in the center console. Prior to this incident, Haywood was convicted of the felony offense of Voluntary Manslaughter in the Jackson County, Missouri Circuit Court.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., returned guilty verdicts on all charged counts to U.S. District Judge D. Greg Kays, ending a two-day trial.
Under federal statutes, Haywood is subject to a sentence of 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. Attorneys Ashleigh Ragner and Jessica Jennings. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department.
Jury Convicts Defendant of Hiding Methamphetamine in Stuffed AnimalsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Late yesterday, following a two-day jury trial, Damien Duwjan Shade, age 48, was found guilty of all charged counts in the indictment, that is, one count of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and one count of Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
“Stuffed animals are symbols of childhood, not vessels for poison,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Turning a child’s toy into a cover for lethal drugs shows the lengths drug traffickers will go to peddle their poison. This verdict ensures there will be consequences.”
According to evidence presented at trial, in March 2023, the Rochester Police Department responded to the FedEx facility at the Rochester Airport after learning of three suspicious packages sent from San Diego, California, to two separate addresses in Winona, Minnesota. The packages were all shipped from the same sender—“Trayvon Strange”—and were addressed to fictitious individuals whom law enforcement determined did not live at the stated addresses.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Rochester Police Department arranged for a drug detecting K9 to sniff the packages. The K9 alerted to the presence of drugs inside the packages. Law enforcement received warrants to open the packages. In the packages, law enforcement found six pounds of methamphetamine hidden inside of stuffed animals.
The next day, law enforcement placed sensors and tracking devices inside the packages, removing all but a small amount of methamphetamine from each box and replacing the methamphetamine with “filler”—rock salt and other materials—to approximate the original weight of the packages.
Law enforcement conducted a “controlled delivery,” delivering the packages to the addresses on the packages. The mother of the defendant’s children initially retrieved the packages and then the defendant arrived at her home to collect the packages, which he believed were full of methamphetamine. Law enforcement searched the scene and found that the defendant had opened the controlled delivery packages. Law enforcement found the controlled delivery methamphetamine and the guts of the cut-open stuffed animals.
The defendant confessed. He said that he traveled to California, purchased several pounds meth, and then shipped it back to himself in Minnesota using fake names. He admitted he hid the methamphetamine inside of stuffed animals. He also admitted he had a gun at his apartment, which he was not legally allowed to possess because he is a felon.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Shade’s home. There, they found the third controlled delivery package, unopened, on a chair in the living room. The package contained the stuffed animals, repackaged with the filler material that law enforcement switched out for the methamphetamine.
Law enforcement further found a loaded Comanche III .357 Magnum revolver in a dresser drawer, a digital scale, approximately 30 small Ziplock baggies in an unlocked safe, and what appeared to be a drug ledger. A search of the bedroom closet further revealed a stash of over 400 live .357 Magnum handgun rounds and a spent casing.
As charged in the indictment, in 2013, Shade was previously convicted of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm in San Diego, California.
On September 24, 2025, a federal jury convicted Shade on both charged counts in U.S. District Court before District Judge Michael J. Davis. Shade will be sentenced at a later date. He faces up to life in prison.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Rochester Police Department, the Winona County Sheriff’s Office, the Winona Police Department, and other members of the Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team (SEMVCET).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren O. Roso and Syngen Kanassatega prosecuted and tried the case.
Illegal alien sentenced to over 7 years for taco truck robberyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 49-year-old Mexican citizen who illegally resided in Houston has been ordered to federal prison for robbing a local food establishment at gunpoint, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Moises Arvizo Del Carmen pleaded guilty May 27.
U.S. District Judge Ellison sentenced Del Carmen to serve 94 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceeding following his imprisonment.
On Sept. 12, 2023, Del Carmen entered a taco truck through the customer window and demanded money from the register. He threatened and pointed a firearm at employees before exiting through the same window and fleeing. Surveillance video showed Del Carmen entering a Hummer decorated with purple flames.
Witnesses provided a description of the robber and the distinctive vehicle.
Approximately three weeks later, authorities executed a search warrant at Del Carmen’s residence and discovered clothing matching the description from the robbery as well as a firearm.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Smith prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, 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.
Illegal alien admits to abandoning corpse after smuggling scheme results in deathRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 24-year-old Mexican national who illegally resided in Edinburg has pleaded guilty to transporting other illegal aliens resulting in death, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
On May 27, 2024, Victor Manuel Martinez-Gallegos picked up several aliens in Brownsville and drove them to a stash house where he harbored and shielded them from detection.
The investigation revealed that an illegal alien from Guatemala was in visible distress but still alive. However, he later died at the location.
As part of his plea, Martinez-Gallegos admitted leaving the body at a site near Maverick Road in Brownsville. Authorities later discovered human remains at the location and identified them as belonging to the missing victim.
“Human smuggling is a depraved, dangerous business, and one where the smugglers often show no mercy or compassion to those they transport,” said Ganjei. “I implore anyone considering hiring a smuggler - either for themselves or their loved ones - to think twice. Stay home and stay safe.”
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera will impose sentencing Dec. 17. At that time, Martinez-Gallegos faces up to life in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office and University of North Texas Center for Human Identification. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana C. Cano is prosecuting the case.
Inkster Mayor’s Executive Assistant Pleads Guilty to Lying to Federal AgentsRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Former Inkster Mayor Patrick Wimberly’s executive assistant pleaded guilty today to lying to federal agents during their investigation into Wimberly’s bribery scheme, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Saif Alsenad, 33, of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, served as Mayor Wimberly’s executive assistant from May 2021, through June 2023. According to the information, in October 2024, Alsenad lied to FBI agents and told them he was not aware that Wimberly had corruptly solicited, demanded, and agreed to accept $100,000 with the intent to assist an investor in acquiring a vacant 13-acre parcel owned by the city of Inkster. At the time he made the statements, Alsenad knew they were false because he knew Wimberly had agreed to accept cash bribes in exchange for Wimberly’s assistance in obtaining the parcel of land for the developer. Alsenad was charged with making a false statement or representation to a department or agency of the United States, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2). This charge carries a maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.
In September 2024, Wimberly pleaded guilty to agreeing to accept $100,000 in cash bribes. He was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment.
“When law enforcement officers are investigating a crime, lying to them to help shield the offender is never the right decision. This is especially true when those involved are government officials who have a duty to serve the public’s interest, not their own,” said Gorgon.
"Today’s guilty plea by Saif Alsenad demonstrates the FBI’s steadfast commitment to investigate those who undermine the public’s trust, regardless of their position or influence,” said Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “Working for an elected official does not exempt anyone from accountability when engaging in public corruption. I want to thank the members of the FBI Detroit Area Corruption Task Force for their outstanding investigative work throughout this investigation.”
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eaton P. Brown.
Houston pimp felon sentenced to over 15 years for sexual conduct with minor and illegal possession of firearmRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 42-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison for coercion and enticement of a minor and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Brandon Dominic Porter pleaded guilty May 15.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake has now sentenced Porter to a total of 188 months in prison. He will also serve the rest of his life on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Porter will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
“The goal of Project Safe Childhood is to protect children from sexual abusers,” said Ganjei . “Thanks to the good work of law enforcement and our SDTX prosecutors, this dangerous predator will spend the next decade-and-a-half behind bars.”
On Oct. 11, 2022, the victim’s mother reported her daughter missing. The investigation led law enforcement to Porter who had been at a local hotel.
Following his departure, they conducted a traffic stop at which time they found a pink iPhone, school paperwork and documents containing the name of the victim. They also discovered another phone in the vehicle as well as a loaded Smith and Wesson .40 caliber pistol under the driver’s gear shaft and center console.
He claimed the pink phone was his, but authorities were able to link it to the victim. They located her the following day.
Forensic examination of the two phones revealed photos and videos, several of which depicted sexual activity between the minor female and Porter. The videos were taken July 20-Oct. 5, 2022. The investigation revealed he had coerced her into performing sex acts and prostituting herself for his financial gain.
Porter has multiple prior felony convictions. As such, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition per federal law.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Stuart Tallichet and former AUSA Sherri Zack prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Houston gunmen sentenced to 14 years for armed robberiesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Two Houston men have been sentenced to significant federal prison terms following their convictions for using a firearm during the commission of two convenience store robberies, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Derian Joel Caesar and Centel Devon Willis Jr. pleaded guilty in April.
Today, U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett ordered Willis to serve 14 years in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, Judge Bennett noted that if Willis continued to make these decisions following his imprisonment, he will either return to prison or could even end up dead.
Caesar was previously ordered to serve 14 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
Caesar and Willis admitted that on March 15, 2023, both acted together and used firearms to rob two different 7-Eleven convenience stores in Harris and Fort Bend Counties. In both crimes, Caesar carried a black firearm and took money from the cash drawer, while Willis pointed a black semiautomatic handgun towards the employee on duty.
Both have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin R. Martin prosecuted the case.
Honduran National Sentenced for Reentry of Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that ROLANDO HUMBERTO CASTILLO-BERNARDEZ (“CASTILLO-BERNARDEZ”), age 41, a native of Honduras, was sentenced on September 17, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to court documents, CASTILLO-BERNARDEZ was found in Orleans Parish on or around July 15, 2025. He had previously been deported to Honduras on May 17, 2019.
United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey sentenced CASTILLO-BERNARDEZ to time served and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. He will be transferred to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation to Honduras.
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).
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.
* * *
Honduran National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that OLGER RENE MALDONADO-SANTOS (“MALDONADO-SANTOS”), age 29, a citizen of Honduras, was sentenced on September 9, 2025, for illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Sections1326.
According to court records, MALDONADO-SANTOS reentered the United States sometime prior to May 17, 2025, after having been previously removed on or about February 14, 2018. MALDONADO-SANTOS was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshals by U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter after receiving credit for time served, and one year of supervised release. At the completion of his term of imprisonment, MALDONADO-SANTOS shall be surrendered to the custody of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal proceedings consistent with the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Bureau of Customs and Border Protection investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Irene González of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Hammond Man Sentenced to 262 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Michael Swiger, 41 years old, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after a jury found him guilty of distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography, following a three-day jury trial, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Swiger was sentenced to 262 months in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and ordered to pay $49,000 in restitution to the victims of the offenses.
According to documents in the case, a jury found Swiger guilty of distributing videos of child sexual abuse material over a social media application on April 4, 2022, and also of possessing child sexual abuse material on April 5, 2022.
“Today’s sentence stands as a warning to all those who believe distributing and collecting images and videos of the sexual abuse of children will be ignored or tolerated,” said Acting United States Attorney Proctor, “My office, in partnership with federal, state, and local agencies will aggressively investigate, prosecute, and seek restitution from anyone who victimizes the most vulnerable members of our community.”
“This case demonstrates the unwavering commitment of Homeland Security Investigations to pursue justice for the most vulnerable members of our society—our children,” said Homeland Security Investigations Chicago Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. Scarpino. “What began as a narcotics investigation quickly revealed the defendant’s involvement in the heinous crime of child exploitation. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of HSI Minneapolis, HSI Chicago/Hammond, and our local law enforcement partners, we were able to uncover the full scope of the defendant’s criminal activities and bring him to justice. This conviction sends a clear message: HSI will relentlessly pursue those who exploit children and will use every resource available to ensure they are held accountable for their actions.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (Chicago and St. Paul) with assistance from the Hammond Police Department and the Indiana State Police Digital Forensics Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Emily A. Morgan, Caitlin M. Padula, and Thomas M. McGrath.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty to Failing to Register as a Sex Offender and Being Illegally Present in United StatesRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A Guatemalan national, Roberto Nicolas-Simon, 24, pleaded guilty on September 24, 2025, to being illegally present in the United States after a prior removal and failing to update his registration as a convicted sex offender. Acceptance of the plea is pending before U.S. District Court Judge Colin S. Bruce. Sentencing for Nicolas-Simon has been scheduled for February 2, 2026, at the U.S. Courthouse in Urbana, Illinois.
In court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long, Nicolas-Simon admitted to illegally reentering the country and failing to update his sex offender registration. The government noted during the hearing, that Nicolas-Simon had previously been removed from the United States following his conviction for aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a minor in Champaign County, Illinois, in 2020. Due to that conviction, he was required to register his residential address under the Sex Offender Notification and Registration Act.
This year, an investigation revealed that Nicolas-Simon had illegally returned to the United States and was living in Champaign without registering his residence as required by law.
Nicolas-Simon remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Nicolas-Simon faces statutory penalties of up to ten years of imprisonment and up to a $250,000 fine for each offense. He could also receive up to three years of supervised release for being illegally present in the United States and at least a five-year term and a maximum life term of supervised release for failure to update his registration as a sex offender.
The case investigation was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, in collaboration with the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney William J. Lynch is representing the government in the prosecution.
Greenville Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Ala. – Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced today that a Greenville, Alabama, man has been sentenced to federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. On September 23, 2025, a federal judge ordered that 41-year-old Undray Lamond Lowery serve 120 months in prison. Following his prison term, Lowery will serve three years of supervised release. Federal inmates are not eligible for parole.
According to court records and police reports, on January 1, 2023, a Greenville patrol officer spotted a vehicle matching the description of one potentially linked to a shots-fired incident at a residence the night before. The officer recognized Lowery as the driver and was aware that Lowery had outstanding arrest warrants. After Lowery pulled into a parking lot and exited the vehicle, the officer placed him under arrest.
During a search of the vehicle, officers found a handgun. Because Lowery has prior felony convictions, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition. On June 11, 2025, Lowery pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Greenville Police Department investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney Paul Markovits prosecuted.
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).
Greensboro Man Sentenced for Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO – A Greensboro, North Carolina man was sentenced today in Greensboro to over 8 years in prison after pleading guilty to a firearm charge, announced United States Attorney Clifton T. Barrett of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC).
TRISTAN DYLAN GRAY, age 38, was sentenced to 100 months imprisonment plus 3 years of supervised release by the Honorable Catherine C. Eagles, Chief United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the MDNC.
According to court records, on January 1, 2024, officers with the Greensboro Police Department (GPD) responded to a shooting into an occupied apartment on Merritt Drive. On January 4, 2024, officers with GPD conducted a traffic stop on GRAY during which he was found in possession of Taurus handgun. GPD officers arrested GRAY as a felon in possession. Subsequently, a Firearms and Toolmark Examiner with GPD determined that the cartridge cases collected from the shooting at the apartment on January 1, 2024 were fired by the same Taurus handgun that GRAY possessed on January 4, 2024. After an evidentiary hearing today, the Court found that GRAY shot multiple rounds into the occupied apartment.
At the time of his arrest, GRAY had been previously convicted of felony hit and run inflicting serious injury (Rockingham County, 2022) and sentenced to an active term of imprisonment exceeding one year. Thus, at the time of the instant offense, GRAY was legally prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
GRAY pleaded guilty on June 10, 2025, to one count of felon in possession of ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
The case was investigated by the Greensboro Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by MDNC Special Assistant United States Attorney Mary Ann Courtney.
###
Former State Official and Lincoln Club Owner IndictedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned an Indictment charging Hobert Rupe, 58, and Brent Zywiec, 45, both of Lincoln, Nebraska, with offenses related to honest services fraud. Rupe and Zywiec were arrested on September 24, 2025.
Rupe, former Executive Director of the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission, and Zywiec, a partial owner of “The Office Gentleman’s Club” and “The Night Before Lounge” in Lincoln, are charged with Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Fraud and three counts of Honest Services Fraud. Additionally, Rupe is charged with two counts of Wire Fraud, and one count of Hobbs Act Extortion Under Color of Official Right. The alleged conspiracy occurred between on or about January 1, 2022, and May 28, 2025. The maximum possible penalty for each of the charges is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a special assessment of $100 for each count.
Rupe is alleged to have violated his oath of office as the Executive Director of the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission when he allegedly conspired with establishments’ owners to include Zywiec to receive a stream of significant personal and financial benefits in exchange for illegal assistance he provided the owners of the establishments. The alleged stream of benefits included commercial sex acts, cash, and free benefits at the clubs that others pay to receive such as VIP dances, alcoholic drinks, and cover charges. In exchange for these benefits, Rupe would fail to report or investigate numerous liquor license violations that occurred at each establishment and would separately abuse law enforcement resources in an attempt to harm Zywiec’s competitors in Omaha.
Rupe is additionally charged with failing to disclose these benefits on his state accountability forms.
Finally, there is a count of the Indictment that alleges Rupe extorted a business owner in the community for $65,000 with the understanding that Rupe would provide assistance with helping that business owner retain a liquor license that the business owner would not otherwise qualify for under state rules and regulations.
United States Lesley Woods stated, “Public corruption undermines the trust of all Nebraskans in their officials. The citizens of Nebraska are the primary victims of this case. The Executive Director of the Liquor Control Commission should be the official who polices establishments like the ones identified in the Indictment for the benefit of public safety. Furthermore, allowing individuals who should not have liquor licenses to obtain or retain those licenses is a dangerous abuse of power. There are good public safety reasons for many of the rules that govern liquor licenses, and the Executive Director of the Liquor Control Commission should serve as the public guardian against those threats to public safety, not be the enabler of them. Mr. Rupe is alleged to have violated that trust and allowed himself to be unlawfully influenced in the execution of those duties. This investigation was a joint effort with the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Attorney’s Office is grateful to those partners for their tireless efforts on this critical investigation.”
Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office.
Former Sacramento Man Pleads Guilty to Interstate Theft ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Trevor Christopher Fountain, 38, formerly of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to transport stolen property, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, Fountain worked with co-conspirators Stephan James Evanovich, 46, of Sacramento; Jonathan Matthew Curl, 36, of Sacramento; and Andrea Carter, 35, formerly of Sacramento, to illegally enter communications towers and steal rectifiers and other communications equipment. Rectifiers are a power source necessary to maintain power at communications towers. Fountain was responsible for stealing equipment and transferring it to Evanovich, who then paid him for the stolen equipment. Evanovich sold the stolen property to legitimate third-party vendors in California, Illinois, Colorado, and Texas. The conspirators stole, sold, and shipped more than 485 stolen rectifiers across state lines. The total value of the stolen rectifiers is no less than $260,000.
As part of the scheme, Fountain created false invoices in the name of a false business. These invoices were used to make it appear as though Evanovich had obtained the stolen rectifiers from legitimate businesses.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from Weld County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Delaney is prosecuting the case.
Carter pleaded guilty and was sentenced on June 5, 2025, to 29 months in prison. Evanovich and Curl are awaiting trial, which is scheduled for Feb. 23, 2026. The charges are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Fountain is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta on Feb. 19, 2026. Fountain faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Former Ohio Deputy Sentenced to More Than Nine Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing an InmateRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A former Ohio deputy employed at a detention facility has been sentenced to prison for sexually abusing a female inmate in his custody.
Damon K. Perry, 53, of Youngstown, was sentenced to 112 months (approximately 9.3 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after he pleaded guilty in May to two counts of sexual abuse of a detainee and two counts of sexual abuse.
“Mr. Perry’s abusive and appalling actions against a detainee were a violation of her basic human rights. Using his power of authority to deliberately take advantage of a woman, who he was charged with supervising, is dishonorable and despicable,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “We thank the DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General for investigating this matter.”
According to the plea agreement, Perry admitted to engaging in a sexual act with a female inmate under federal detention at the Mahoning County Jail on two dates in November 2023. The correctional facility, located in Youngstown, Ohio, serves under contract with a federal law enforcement agency to house detainees at their direction as needed.
The first sexual act committed without the victim’s consent occurred Nov. 9, 2023, when the inmate was under Perry’s supervision while she was being held in custody. A second incident occurred Nov. 30, 2023, when Perry again engaged in a non-consensual sexual act with the same federal detainee placed under his authority.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yasmine Makridis for the Northern District of Ohio.
###
Former CEO of Public Telecommunications Company Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Accounting FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that MICHAEL PALLESCHI, the former chairman and Chief Executive Officer of FTE Networks, Inc. (“FTE”), was sentenced today to 12 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon for leading a years-long scheme to inflate FTE’s revenue, conceal liabilities and expenses, and embezzle company funds. PALLESCHI previously pled guilty in August 2023 to conspiring to commit securities and wire fraud, making false statements in SEC filings and improperly influencing the conduct of audits, securities fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
“FTE’s financial statements were fraudulent, harming FTE’s investors and undermining confidence in our markets,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Our Office is committed to personal accountability in white-collar crime and Michael Palleschi’s sentence reflects that commitment.”
As alleged in the Superseding Indictment and statements made in public filings and public court proceedings:
FTE was a telecommunications company based in Naples, Florida, and Manhattan. As of December 2017, its stock traded on the New York Stock Exchange. From 2014 to 2019, PALLESCHI was the chairman of FTE’s Board of Directors and its Chief Executive Officer.
From 2016 to early 2019, PALLESCHI and others at FTE caused FTE to issue approximately 70 convertible notes with a total principal balance of more than $22 million to private lenders. The lenders could convert the notes to FTE’s common stock, either upon demand or upon default. Issuers of such convertible notes must recognize on their financial statements liabilities and expenses that arise from the notes’ conversion features. PALLESCHI and others caused FTE to recognize only the principal amounts and resulting interest expense on the company’s books, but not the substantial liabilities and expenses arising from the notes’ conversion features. He and others also took steps to conceal the notes’ conversion features, including by providing FTE’s accountants with fake notes, creating fake board resolutions with forged directors’ signatures that purportedly authorized the issuance of the convertible notes, forging the signature of FTE’s transfer agent on letters provided to lenders and repeatedly lying to FTE’s auditors by falsely denying that the company had issued convertible debt. As a result of this fraud with respect to convertible notes, PALLESCHI and others caused FTE to understate its debt derivative liabilities and warrant derivative liabilities and to fail to recognize losses on conversion derivative liabilities and losses on issuance of notes in 2017 and 2018.
As part of a second fraudulent scheme, PALLESCHI and others caused FTE to recognize more than $13 million in fraudulent revenue. This fraudulent revenue included more than $10 million in “unbilled” revenue that the conspirators represented FTE had earned from services it had supposedly provided to a large customer that had not yet accepted bills for those services. FTE never provided any such services. In addition, PALLESCHI and others caused FTE to recognize approximately $2.6 million as an account receivable for which there was no support. When FTE’s auditors said that the account receivable should be written off, PALLESCHI and others created a fake email from a representative of the customer saying that the customer would “expedite payments” for more than $1.5 million for projects completed by FTE in 2016 and 2017. The conspirators caused this fake email to be sent to FTE’s auditors so that FTE could continue to recognize the receivable. As a result of this fraudulent recognition of revenue, FTE’s financial statements overstated the company’s accounts receivable by between 18% and 120% for each of the quarters in 2017 and 2018 and by approximately 477% for 2016.
PALLESCHI also embezzled corporate funds by taking personal trips on the company’s private jet and unauthorized stock issuances.
At the sentencing, Judge McMahon said “this was a fraudulently run operation from the beginning.”
* * *
In addition to the prison term, PALLESCHI, 50, of Naples, Florida, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $13,541,707 in restitution and $546,846.75 in forfeiture.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Clayton also thanked the Securities & Exchange Commission for their assistance with the case.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Davis and James McMahon are in charge of the prosecution.
Forfeiture Actions Result in Remission of More Than $2.8 Million to Okaloosa Victim CharitiesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced today that more than $2.8 million in unlawfully retained bingo profits forfeited through criminal asset forfeiture actions have been sent to ten Okaloosa County charities as part of the Department of Justice’s remission process.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Victims of crime too often suffer losses at the hands of criminals that cannot ever be restored, but my office is committed to taking action to ensure those offenders cannot reap or retain the benefits of their wrongdoing, and we will remit the proceeds of those forfeitures whenever possible to compensate victims to the greatest extent. This case required substantial effort from our state and federal law enforcement partners to investigate and bring the defendants to justice, and this multi-million dollar recovery by my office and remission to victim charities will have a meaningful impact on our community.”
Larry and Dixie Masino were federally prosecuted and sentenced for illegal gambling and money laundering charges stemming from their ownership and operation of Racetrack Bingo in Fort Walton Beach, which purported to conduct bingo games and provide the proceeds to a group of local non-profit organizations. The Masinos made it appear that Racetrack Bingo was running charitable bingo when they were actually illegally conducting bingo and pocketing a substantial amount of the proceeds for themselves. Between 2006 and 2015, the Masino family personally retained and laundered over $5.8 million in illegal gambling profit that should have either gone to charities running the bingo games or returned to the players in the form of prizes.
As part of their sentences, the Masinos were ordered to forfeit substantial sums of money seized from bank accounts and three real properties. Funds forfeited and deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund may be used to compensate victims and restore losses caused by criminal conduct. The United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida requested and received permission from the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) to remit the forfeited funds back to the victim charities. MLARS administers the Department’s Asset Forfeiture Program victim compensation process to ensure forfeited funds are returned to victims when possible.
The forfeited assets in this case were converted to over $2.8 million, which will be shared among the following member non-profit organizations making up Fort Walton Beach Charities LLC:
- The ARC of the Emerald Coast, formerly Horizons of Okaloosa County, Inc.;
- Boys and Girls Club of the Emerald Coast;
- Emerald Coast Science Center;
- Habitat for Humanity in Okaloosa County;
- Horizons Foundation of Okaloosa County;
- Mental Health Association of Okaloosa and Walton Counties;
- Northwest Florida Ballet;
- Northwest Florida Fair Association;
- Okaloosa County Festival Association; and
- Order Sons of Italy in America, Joseph B. Franzalia Lodge 2422.
“After all these years of investigation and legal battles, I am thrilled to see these forfeited funds returned to the deserving charities of Okaloosa County,” said Sheriff Eric Aden. “This long-awaited justice not only holds the perpetrators accountable but also restores vital resources to organizations that uplift our community.”
“Through financial fraud, Larry and Dixie Masino betrayed charities providing important services to their communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker, IRS Criminal Investigation Tampa Field Office. “I am proud of the work IRS Criminal Investigation special agents, our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, along with the U.S. Attorney’s Office did to ensure these charities were made whole again.”
The forfeiture actions were the result of a joint investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Federal grand jury indicts former FBI director for false statements and obstruction in congressional testimonyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging former FBI Director James Comey with making a false statement and obstruction relating to his oral testimony before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Sept. 30, 2020.
“The charges as alleged in this case represent a breach of the public trust at an extraordinary level,” said U.S. Attorney Halligan. “The balance of power is a bedrock principle of our democracy, and it relies upon accountability and a forthright presentation of facts from executive leadership to congressional oversight. Any intent to avoid, evade, prevent, or obstruct compliance is a violation of professional responsibility and, most importantly, the law.”
If convicted, Comey faces up to five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-272.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Federal Indictment Charges Man with Forging Signatures of United States District Court JudgesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted a man for allegedly forging the signatures of two United States District Court judges in court filings.
WALTER BRZOWSKI, 67, of Chicago, is charged with eleven counts of forgery in an indictment returned Tuesday in the Northern District of Illinois. Each count is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. Arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.
According to the indictment and a criminal complaint previously filed in the case, Brzowski represented himself in numerous civil lawsuits that he initiated in federal court in Chicago. The U.S. District Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit dismissed the lawsuits and found that many of Brzowski’s filings were frivolous. In 2021, the Executive Committee of the U.S. District Court in Chicago issued an order placing restrictions on Brzowski’s ability to file new civil cases and warned that violating the order may lead to monetary sanctions or a contempt of court finding.
In 2023, Brzowski filed a “notice” in the District Court stating that he was relieved of any previously imposed prohibitions and instructing the District Court Clerk’s Office to “rescind any filing restrictions,” the charges allege. The notice included an attached Executive Committee Order that was purportedly signed by U.S. District Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer. The District Court determined that Brzowski had forged Judge Pallmeyer’s signature and sanctioned him $25,000, the charges allege. Brzowski allegedly continued to file materials with the Court, including multiple filings in 2025 that contained forged signatures of Judge Pallmeyer and U.S. District Chief Judge Virginia M. Kendall.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Ruth Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and LaDon A. Reynolds, United States Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Stern.
“The forgery of a judge’s signature is a serious matter and an attack on the rule of law,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “We will hold accountable those who use forgeries and frauds to undermine the important judicial work of the Honorable Judges of the Northern District of Illinois.”
“The defendant allegedly sent fraudulent court orders through the U.S. mail bearing forged signatures of multiple United States District Court judges in an effort to circumvent standing orders and unlawfully twist the legal system to his favor,” said Inspector-in-Charge Mendonça. “Thankfully, Chicago Postal Inspectors uncovered his scheme to delegitimize the rule of law, and brought him to justice."
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
brzowski_complaint.pdf brzowski_indictment_stamped.pdfFormer Tallahassee Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Gabriel Michael Stoelzel, 26, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, formerly of Tallahassee, pleaded guilty in federal court to attempting to entice or persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity, distribution of child pornography, and receipt of child pornography. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “It is one of our highest duties to protect our children from the predations of sex offenders like this defendant, so I applaud the outstanding investigative work by our state and federal law enforcement partners to identify and catch this offender. My office will continue to prosecute these sick individuals with the full force of the law to keep our children safe both online and in our communities.”
Court documents reflect that in 2024, the Tallahassee Police Department received CyberTips that were generated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children based on information provided by online social media platforms. Records show that the defendant uploaded child pornography to social media servers while he sent the files to other users. An investigation revealed that the defendant had been communicating with other users, some of whom said that they were as young as 14 years of age, to convince them to meet for sex. Additionally, the investigation revealed that the defendant sent and received child pornography through an online application.
The defendant faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, up to a maximum of life imprisonment, followed by five years to life of supervision upon release.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 5, 2026, at 10:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Federal Jury Convicts Baton Rouge Man of Wire Fraud and Engaging in Unlawful Monetary TransactionsRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Ellison C. Travis announced the conviction of Oscar Hills, IV, age 53, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After a three-day trial before U.S. District Court Judge Brian A. Jackson, the jury unanimously convicted Hills of two counts of wire fraud and two counts of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions. Hills has been living in Honolulu, Hawaii since 2021.
As the evidence at trial demonstrated, between March 2020 and May 2020, Hills submitted several fraudulent loan applications. One of these loan applications was submitted in the name of a supposed business called Bootstate Financial Group under the Payment Protection Plan (“PPP”) program, created by Congress under the CARES Act. Another loan application was submitted in the name of a supposed non-profit called Baton Rouge Teen Summit under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program, expanded by Congress under the CARES Act.
In the PPP loan application submitted in the name of Bootstate Financial Group, Hills represented that Bootstate had 40 employees and over $270,000 in average monthly payroll, both of which were material fraudulent representations. The lender relied on these representations by Hills, approving the loan application and depositing PPP loan proceeds of $675,272 into a bank account owned and controlled by Hills. Days later, Hills used $75,500 of these PPP funds to purchase a Dodge Viper.
In the EIDL application submitted in the name of Baton Rouge Teen Summit, Hills represented that this supposed non-profit had 25 employees and over $184,000 in annual operating expenses, both of which were false. The SBA relied on these numbers to approve the loan application and deposited $159,900 in total funds to a bank account owned and controlled by Hills. Hills subsequently used $23,272 of these EIDL funds to pay eleven years-worth of unpaid property taxes on his residence.
The evidence also demonstrated that this is the second time Hills has been convicted of wire fraud in the Middle District of Louisiana. On April 26, 2010, Hills pled guilty to four counts of wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud State Farm, Ascension Credit Union and Eagle Louisiana Federal Credit Union. On March 12, 2011, the late U.S. Chief District Court Judge Ralph E. Tyson sentenced Hills to 33 months imprisonment and ordered him to pay over $89,000 in restitution to his victims.
As a result of this most recent conviction, Hills now faces a maximum term of imprisonment of thirty years, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and supervised release per wire fraud count, and a maximum term of imprisonment of up to ten years, a fine of $250,000, and supervised release per money laundering count.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristen L. Craig and John B. Casey.
Anyone with information about allegations of pandemic fraud can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Eleven Accused of Large-Scale Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A California man, three St. Louis area residents and seven others have been indicted and accused of involvement in a large-scale cocaine conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus announced Thursday.
Jimmy Abraham Majeau, 43, of Chino Hills, made his first appearance in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Thursday and pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Majeau and ten others were originally indicted on May 28, 2025. The indictment was unsealed on July 9, when the initial arrests began.
Three of the defendants are from the St. Louis area: Michael Hunter, 63, Sonja Anne Orlando, 48, and Aaron Lamont Russell, 42.
A motion seeking to have Majeau held in jail until trial said he traveled frequently to Mexico to obtain cocaine, which he then transported throughout the U.S. using a commercial shipping company.
Also indicted were Earl Banks, 33, of Detroit, Eric James Hernandez, 42, Marvell Brian Lloyd, 43, Juan Jose Mendoza, 55, Alexxis Marie Ramirez, 36, Jonathon Javon Ward, 44, and Andrew Watson, 65.
The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of assets alleged to be linked to the crimes, including Majeau’s home, a 2021 Lamborghini Urus, $235,000 cash and 18 pieces of diamond and gold jewelry, including watches, rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces.
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 Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigation and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated 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.
Dayton Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Defrauding Veterans OrganizationRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— A Dayton, Oregon, woman was sentenced today for defrauding the Department of Oregon Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).
Cheryl Elizabeth Campos, 62, was sentenced to 25 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release.
According to court documents, between January 2022 and June 2024, Campos misused her position as Quartermaster of the VFW to access the VFW’s bank accounts and embezzled large sums of money to her personal accounts. To conceal the embezzlement, Campos falsified financial documents, bank statements, and accounting records.
In total, Campos embezzled more than $1.7 million from the VFW’s accounts to her personal accounts. Campos used the funds to buy hundreds of crystals, semi-precious rocks, marbles, stones, and statues. She also used the funds for personal expenses, including making credit card payments and purchasing a vehicle for a family member.
On March 24, 2025, Campos was charged by criminal information with wire fraud.
On April 15, 2025, Campos pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Robert S. Trisotto, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
D.C. Man Arrested for Felony MurderRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Richard Holmes, 35, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged with a homicide that occurred in the early morning hours of August 26, 2025, in Southeast D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Holmes made his initial appearance on September 24, 2025, before Superior Court Magistrate Judge Heide Herrmann who found probable cause that Holmes committed the offense of first-degree murder while armed (felony murder) and ordered that he be held without bond pending a detention hearing scheduled for October 8, 2025.
According to court documents, Holmes, shot and killed the victim, 31-year-old Franck Foute Mohdjiom, during an attempted robbery before fleeing the scene. Members of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Fugitive Unit assumed custody of Holmes while he was held at the D.C. Jail on an unrelated matter on September 23, 2025.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Carson.
These charges are merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
D.C. Inmate Gets an Additional 36 Months for Smuggling Contraband into JailRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Stefon Freshley, 29, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 36 months in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to smuggle a knife, dangerous drugs including fentanyl, and cell phones into the Central Detention Facility (CDF) of the Department of Corrections while he was awaiting trial for his role in the shooting of a 14-year-old boy and his father, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Freshley pleaded guilty June 27, 2025, to conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. In addition to the 36-month prison sentence, Judge Timothy J. Kelly ordered Freshley to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, in March 2019, Freshley was awaiting trial in two separate assault with intent to kill cases. He was being held in the maximum security units of the CDF where he was housed with other detainees from the Clay Terrace neighborhood that included co-defendants Marcel Vines and Darius Robertson.
The Clay Terrace detainees recruited a correctional officer to smuggle contraband into the jail. One of the smuggled containers was intercepted by DOC investigators and included a switchblade, an iPhone, an iPhone charger, eyeglasses, bundles of marijuana and tobacco, rolling papers, gambling dice, three sheets of paper that had been impregnated with a synthetic cannabinoid, and cigarettes. The correctional officer was put on administrative leave.
Freshley and the other Clay Terrace inmates recruited a new officer to smuggle goods into the CDF. Prior to a July 2024 smuggling incident, Freshley coordinated the delivery of two unlocked phones into the CDF. One of the phones was used in an apparent attempt to intimidate witnesses in Vines’ murder trial. The post sparked increased courthouse security measures for Vines’ trial.
On July 25, 2024, the Department of Corrections conducted two searches of the Clay Terrace inmate units for contraband. DOC staff found, among other things, 269 blue pills which tested positive for fentanyl; 60 cigarettes soaked in an unknown liquid, 255 suboxone strips, seven pieces of paper soaked in an unknown liquid substance, three cellphones; and cigarettes.
On Aug. 30, 2024, Freshley was sentenced to 90 months in prison for his role in the drive-by shooting of a 14-year-old boy and his father. Freshley was a passenger in a vehicle with two associates on Dec. 28, 2018, when one of the associates fired about 30 rounds into a moving SUV. The boy was shot nine times, including in the head, abdomen, chest, and back. The father sustained gunshot wounds to his leg and hand. Freshley and his associates fled the scene.
The sentence handed down today by Judge Kelly will be served consecutive with the previous 90-month sentence.
This case was investigated by the DOC Office of Investigative Services, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the FBI Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold and Sarah Santiago.
24cr520
Colombian National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Nationwide Jewelry Theft RingRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that YESENIA MELENDEZ RINCON, 41, a citizen of Colombia last residing in Kissimmee, Florida, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 24 months of imprisonment for her involvement in an organized jewelry theft ring that targeted mall-based stores and kiosks across the country.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from May 2023 through April 2024, Melendez Rincon and several other Colombian nationals burglarized jewelry stores and kiosks in malls and then transported the stolen property or the proceeds from it across state lines. Melendez Rincon and her co-conspirators burglarized jewelry establishments at the Connecticut Post Mall in Milford, Connecticut, on October 5, 2023; in Lombard, Illinois on October 17, 2023; in Hamilton Township, New Jersey, on October 27, 2023; and in Henrico, Virginia on November 4, 2023. The total losses from these burglaries exceed $1.33 million.
Melendez Rincon typically cased the targeted business, served as a “lookout” during the burglaries, and she was involved in the sale of the stolen jewelry to others.
A photo taken in January 2024 and retrieved from Melendez Rincon’s iCloud account shows Melendez Rincon wearing a distinctive heart-shaped ring that was stolen during the Milford, Connecticut, burglary in October 2023.
The investigation revealed that Melendez Rincon’s co-conspirators also were involved in the theft of an additional $3.1 million in jewelry from establishments in Paterson, New Jersey, on May 17, 2023; in Mentor, Ohio, on July 21, 2023; in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on August 13, 2023; in Greece, New York, on September 20, 2023; and in Horseheads, New York, on April 18, 2024. Members of the conspiracy also cased additional jewelry stores and kiosks in Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Delaware.
To date, none of the stolen jewelry has been recovered by law enforcement.
Melendez Rincon was arrested on July 18, 2024. On July 1, 2025, she pleaded guilty to conspiracy.
Melendez Rincon, who had been released pending sentencing, was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service at the conclusion of the sentencing. She faces immigration proceedings when she completes her prison term.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI New Haven’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force with the assistance of the Milford (Conn.) Police Department, the Hamilton Township (N.J.) Police Division, the Delaware State Police, the Henrico County (Va.) Police Division, the New York State Police, the New York Police Department, the Pensacola (Fla.) Police Department, the Paterson (N.J.) Police Department, the Mentor (Ohio) Police Department, the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Police Department, the Greece (N.Y.) Police Department, and the Lombard (Ill.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Huang and Conor M. Reardon.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and the FBI Field Offices in New York, Dallas, Miami, and Tampa for their assistance.
Christopher Reese Sentenced to 16.5 Years for Unlicensed Legal Services SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that CHRISTOPHER REESE, a/k/a “Christopher Eugene Thomas,” was sentenced today to 16.5 years in prison for crimes related to running a bogus legal services business, which defrauded numerous inmates and their family members. REESE, a nine-time convicted felon who is not a lawyer, deceived his victims into paying him to perform unlicensed legal services for them, including drafting and filing motions in federal courts. Despite REESE’s repeated promises to get inmates out of prison in exchange for money, courts overwhelmingly denied his motions, while REESE kept the money. REESE was sentenced to 15 years in prison in connection with his criminal convictions at trial in March of this year, and an additional 18 months for violating the terms of his supervised release in connection with a prior case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni.
“Christopher Reese conned vulnerable people by promising them outcomes in legal cases that he could not deliver and tried to manipulate the federal courts to further his scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Today’s substantial sentence is a clear reminder: the fraudulent and unauthorized practice of law is a crime. The public should be on guard against so-called ‘independent paralegals’ or ‘legal assistants’ selling services that only licensed lawyers can provide, without supervision by a licensed lawyer. Unlicensed practitioners may seem like a bargain, but often leave their clients in far worse circumstances.”
According to the Indictment and the evidence at trial:
For years, REESE ran a scam targeting federal inmates, their family members, and friends. To carry out his fraud scheme, REESE promised favorable results in criminal cases that he could not actually obtain, rendering legal services he was not authorized to provide in exchange for hefty fees. REESE styled himself as a “legal assistant” or “paralegal,” but worked without the supervision of a licensed lawyer and offered services that only a lawyer is authorized to provide, including drafting and submitting legal filings in federal courts. REESE induced prisoners and their family members to pay him by promising beneficial outcomes that he could not guarantee, while knowing—but failing to disclose—that his unlicensed legal practice was illegal.
REESE promised, for example, that defendants would be “immediately released” based on motions he would file in exchange for fees in the thousands of dollars. Sometimes REESE also offered to provide a refund if his motions were unsuccessful; but when they failed, REESE kept the money. When his fraud succeeded, and inmates or their family members paid REESE his fees, REESE engaged in the unauthorized practice of law, by making a business of drafting and filing legal motions and briefs in federal cases, including cases heard by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit at 40 Foley Square in Manhattan, a federal enclave where New York State’s prohibition on the unauthorized practice of law applies via the Assimilative Crimes Act. To hide his involvement from the courts, REESE wrote the inmate’s name in the signature block of each filing and falsely labeled it as “pro se,” i.e., written by the inmate.
REESE earned over a million dollars from this scheme, and REESE committed additional crimes in connection with these fraud proceeds. First, REESE was on supervised release in connection with a separate federal criminal case in this District during most of the scheme. In connection with his supervision, and in order to avoid paying criminal restitution that he owed, REESE made false statements to the U.S. Probation Office. Second, REESE laundered the proceeds of his scheme by using a co-conspirator to engage in financial transactions designed to conceal the source and movement of the fees REESE collected from his victims.
* * *
In addition to the prison term, REESE, 57, of East Meadow, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. The district court also imposed a forfeiture judgment of $1 million.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The case was prosecuted through the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Josiah Pertz, Kingdar Prussien, and James McMahon are in charge of the prosecution.
Central Oregon Man Charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.— Theodore Ernest Jokinen, 48, of Madras, made his first appearance in federal court yesterday after being charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, on September 19, 2025, detectives from the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team (CODE) observed Jokinen driving westbound on Interstate 84 near The Dalles, Oregon. Investigators previously received information that Jokinen traveled to Yakima, Washington, and was returning to Oregon in possession of methamphetamine intended for distribution in the Central Oregon area. Jokinen was initially stopped by The Dalles Police Department for a traffic infraction. A certified narcotics detection K9 alerted on Jokinen’s vehicle. Investigators obtained a search warrant for Jokinen’s vehicle. This search revealed roughly ten pounds of prepackaged suspected methamphetamine inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
Jokinen is currently on pretrial release in a Jefferson County felon in possession of a firearm case and has multiple prior convictions for delivery of a controlled substance.
The case is being investigated by the CODE and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from The Dalles Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, and the Mid Columbia Interagency Narcotics Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Andrew R. Doyle, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Central Georgia Woman Found Guilty of Pandemic Loan Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Milledgeville, Georgia, resident was found guilty of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 relief funds guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), with most of the funds received used for luxury cars and personal expenses.
Rosalend Way, 40, of Milledgeville, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of money laundering on Sept. 24, following a three-day trial that began on Sept. 22. Way is facing a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 2.
Codefendant, James Frank Austin, 51, of Americus, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of bank fraud and two counts of money laundering on Aug. 27. Austin is facing a maximum of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. Austin is scheduled for sentencing on Nov. 19.
U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell is presiding over the case. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Our office will pursue justice against those who exploited a taxpayer funded program created to sustain citizens during a national emergency,” stated U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “Our federal investigative and prosecutorial team is committed to holding these offenders accountable.”
“Way and Austin chose to commit fraud, further depleting funds designed to help people who struggled to survive during the pandemic,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue criminals who cheat federal health programs and profit at the expense of American taxpayers.”
“Defrauding the U.S. government is a serious offense which can bring lifelong consequences to individuals who commit the crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “Taxpayers expect their hard-earned dollars to fund the programs and policies enacted by the government. IRS Criminal Investigation special agents and our law enforcement partners will hold those accountable who exploit and defraud government programs for their own benefit.”
According to court documents and evidence submitted at trial, on June 21, 2020, Way and Austin applied for a PPP loan on behalf of Propel Opportunity Fund, a business established to raise capital through investors and use the funds to conduct pre-development work in underserved neighborhoods, preparing them for future development. The PPP loan application indicated that Propel had 18 employees with an average monthly payroll of $420,558, and they needed the funds to make payroll, as well as to pay their mortgage interest and utilities. They also submitted a fraudulent W-3 that indicated Propel paid $4,999,789 in wages in 2019. Way claimed 100% ownership of Propel on the PPP loan application.
IRS records from Propel’s 2019 corporate tax return showed that the company did not pay any salaries or wages, nor did Propel’s bank statements reflect payroll as suggested in the PPP application. The loan was approved and Propel received $1,051,395. Approximately $500,000 ended up in bank account’s belonging to Way and was spent on personal items including dining, retail, gas, groceries and cash withdrawals. Additionally, Austin used approximately $30,000 in funds from another fraudulently obtained PPP loan to pay off Way’s Mercedez-Benz.
Austin submitted a fraudulent PPP loan application on May 9, 2020, on behalf of the Austin Smith Center for Community Development (ASCCD). As a result of this fraudulent application, ASCCD was awarded a $654,315.00 PPP loan. Austin also obtained another fraudulent PPP loan for Propel and received $372,500 on March 15, 2021. Instead of these funds being spent for authorized expenditures under the PPP program, Austin used the money for personal expenses, including $119,840 on a Bentley. Austin obtained a total of $2,078,210 in fraudulent PPP loans.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The FBI and the IRS investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Howard and Hannah Couch are prosecuting the case for the Government.
Cayuga County Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Brien Fredendall, age 46, of Port Byron, New York, was sentenced Monday to 10 years in federal prison for his convictions on two counts of possession of child pornography. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
As part of his prior guilty plea, Fredendall, who has a previous New York State conviction for possession of child pornography, admitted that he possessed videos and images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) he received from a minor on his Snapchat account. He also admitted to possessing additional CSAM on his cellular phone.
Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also imposed a 15-year term of supervised release to begin after Fredendall’s release from imprisonment. Fredendall will also be required to continue to register as a sex offender upon his release.
Acting United States Attorney Sarcone stated: “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will relentlessly pursue and prosecute anyone who seeks to exploit and harm children. There is no room in our society for predators like Fredendall, other than in prison. His decade-long federal prison term is a clear message: those who prey on our most vulnerable will face the full force of the law. We are unwavering in our mission to protect children and hold offenders accountable.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Tremaroli said, “Mr. Fredendall, who was already a convicted predator, continued to prey on our most vulnerable. Now, he’s headed to federal prison for a decade. The FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force will continue to leverage our partnerships at every level of law enforcement to stop children from being exploited and bring to justice those responsible for these despicable acts.”
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force with the assistance of the Cayuga County Sherriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the 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.
Canadian Man Sentenced Following Trial Convictions for Pandemic FraudRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Joseph Osei, a/k/a/ “Kyngjo,” age 30, a Canadian citizen formerly of Albany, was sentenced on Tuesday to 54 months in prison for engaging in a fraudulent scheme to obtain COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits using stolen identities.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Boston Division; Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, Northeast Region, United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG), made the announcement.
The trial evidence showed that from August 2020 through November 2020, Osei fraudulently obtained unemployment insurance benefits from the New York State Department of Labor worth more than $200,000. Additional evidence also included Osei’s schemes to defraud the state workforce agencies of California, Rhode Island, and Arizona using stolen identities to apply for and obtain pandemic unemployment insurance benefits. In May, jurors deliberated for less than two hours before returning a guilty verdict on all counts, including four counts of mail fraud, one count of access device fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also ordered a 3-year term of supervised release to follow Osei’s release from prison, as well as restitution to the State of New York and State of Arizona in the total amount of $211,360, and forfeiture of a money judgment.
Acting U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Joseph Osei’s brazen exploitation of critical relief programs during a national crisis was an affront to every individual who genuinely relied on these resources to survive. By stealing the identities of other people, Osei not only violated the law but also undermined the very purpose of programs designed to help those in need. His actions were callous and calculated, and justice was served when he was found guilty on all counts and then sentenced yesterday to 54 months in prison. I thank each law enforcement agency involved in this task force for their hard work in prosecuting this case.”
USPIS Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward stated: “The relief programs that Osei stole from were created as lifelines during the COVID pandemic and Osei took funds away from those in need and victimized unsuspecting people by stealing their personal identifying information. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will relentlessly pursue those who misuse the mail for fraud and bring them to justice.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan said: “HSI Albany is proud to have played a role in ensuring Joseph Osei faced the consequences of his fraud and identity theft. The prosecution of Osei will serve as a deterrent to anyone else who thinks about trying to steal from New Yorkers and government programs.”
Jonathan R. Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, Northeast Region, USDOL-OIG stated, “Joseph Osei used stolen identities to fraudulently obtain critical taxpayer funds intended for American workers in need of unemployment insurance benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Safeguarding the integrity of the unemployment insurance program remains a top priority for the Office of Inspector General. We will continue to work closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to ensure the protection of U.S. Department of Labor programs and operations.”
This case was investigated by USDOL-OIG, USPIS, and HSI, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s New York Field Office and the New York State Department of Labor’s Office of Special Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander P. Wentworth-Ping and Joshua R. Rosenthal prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Charged with Possession of a MacHine Gun and Other Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – James Wiley Kelley, Jr., 50, of Altha, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act weapon, possession of a machinegun, and possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.
Kelley, Jr. appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick on September 24, 2025, in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for November 27, 2025, before District Court Judge Mark E. Walker.
If convicted, Kelley, Jr. faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment for possession of an unregistered NFA weapon, an identical penalty for possession of a machinegun, and up to fifteen years’ imprisonment for possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case, with the assistance of the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jason R. Coody is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.