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25 November 2025
Justice Department Opens Investigation into SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and Aquatica Orlando for Disability DiscriminationRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced that they have launched an investigation into United Parks & Resorts Inc. to determine whether it violates Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by discriminating against guests with disabilities. United Parks & Resorts is a global theme park and entertainment company that owns or licenses seven brands including SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and Aquatica Orlando.
The ADA prohibits discrimination based on disability by public accommodations, including theme parks.
The Department opened this investigation after receiving complaints from members of the public with disabilities who allege that three of its parks violate the ADA by banning guest use of certain walkers, known as “rollator walkers.” Complainants allege that they cannot access the parks without their rollators and the only alternative the parks offer would require them to use mobility aids that are inappropriate for their individual disabilities and to incur additional charges, among other allegations.
“The ADA protects every American from disability-based discrimination in places of public accommodation, including theme parks,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We are committed to upholding our federal civil rights laws so that no guest is denied access or charged more because of a disability.”
“Every year, millions of people from around the world travel to Florida to visit our theme parks,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “No one should ever be denied equal access to public accommodations based on disability. Our office remains steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that all individuals with disabilities are guaranteed their rights under the ADA.”
Trial Attorney David K. Gardner from the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra N. Karahalios from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida are handling this case.
If you believe you have been a victim of disability discrimination by United Parks & Resorts Inc., including parks such as SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and Aquatica Orlando, please file a complaint with the Civil Rights Division online at www.civilrights.justice.gov, or by calling the Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (1-833-610-1264 (TTY)). For more information on the ADA and the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.ada.gov or www.justice.gov/crt.
Justice Department Opens Investigation into SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and Aquatica Orlando for Disability DiscriminationRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced that they have launched an investigation into United Parks & Resorts Inc. to determine whether it violates Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by discriminating against guests with disabilities. United Parks & Resorts is a global theme park and entertainment company that owns or licenses seven brands including SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and Aquatica Orlando.
The ADA prohibits discrimination based on disability by public accommodations, including theme parks.
The Department opened this investigation after receiving complaints from members of the public with disabilities who allege that three of its parks violate the ADA by banning guest use of certain walkers, known as “rollator walkers.” Complainants allege that they cannot access the parks without their rollators and the only alternative the parks offer would require them to use mobility aids that are inappropriate for their individual disabilities and to incur additional charges, among other allegations.
“The ADA protects every American from disability-based discrimination in places of public accommodation, including theme parks,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We are committed to upholding our federal civil rights laws so that no guest is denied access or charged more because of a disability.”
“Every year, millions of people from around the world travel to Florida to visit our theme parks,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “No one should ever be denied equal access to public accommodations based on disability. Our office remains steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that all individuals with disabilities are guaranteed their rights under the ADA.”
Trial Attorney David K. Gardner from the Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra N. Karahalios from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida are handling this case.
If you believe you have been a victim of disability discrimination by United Parks & Resorts Inc., including parks such as SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, and Aquatica Orlando, please file a complaint with the Civil Rights Division online at www.civilrights.justice.gov, or by calling the Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (1-833-610-1264 (TTY)). For more information on the ADA and the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.ada.gov or www.justice.gov/crt.
Jay Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Distributing Narcotics and Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Jay man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for distributing narcotics and illegally possessing a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Stacy D. Neumann sentenced Thomas Ray Cook, 46, to four years in prison and three years of supervised release.
According to court records, Cook sold $600 worth of cocaine to a Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) confidential information source (CI) in February 2025 from Cook’s home in Jay. In March 2025, Cook sold the CI additional cocaine and seven firearms for $1,600, from a different residence in Farmington. Cook is prohibited from possessing firearms because of multiple prior Maine state felony convictions, including Aggravated Operating after Habitual Offender Revocation and Eluding an Officer.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and MDEA investigated the case.
Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Individuals arraigned on murder chargesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS - Two individuals accused of murdering a man on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation were arraigned yesterday, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Levi Terrance Olson, 29, and Brandon Lee Weaselboy, 30, both of Box Elder, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging both defendants with conspiracy, attempted robbery, attempted aggravated burglary, second-degree murder, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, the defendants face life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge John Johnston presided. Both defendants were detained pending further proceedings.
Count 1 of the indictment alleges that on July 29, 2024, near Box Elder, the defendants knowingly conspired, confederated, and agreed with each other to commit offenses against the United States of America—namely, robbery.
Count 2 of the indictment alleges that on July 29, 2024, near Box Elder, the defendants, by force and violence, and by intimidation, attempted to take from the person and presence of another something of value—that is, the defendants used firearms to threaten and assault multiple persons.
Count 3 of the indictment alleges that on July 29, 2024, near Box Elder, the defendants knowingly entered and remained unlawfully in an occupied structure on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation, and did so with the purpose to commit another offense therein—the robbery—and in the course of committing the offense were armed with weapons and did purposely and knowingly inflict bodily injury on another, and aided and abetted the same.
Count 4 of the indictment alleges that on July 29, 2024, near Box Elder, the defendants unlawfully and with malice aforethought, that is recklessly with extreme disregard for human life, killed John Doe, and aided and abetted the same.
Count 5 of the indictment alleges that on July 29, 2024, near Box Elder, the defendants knowingly possessed a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence that may be prosecuted in a court of the United States, namely second-degree murder, affecting commerce as charged in Count 4 of the indictment.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Chippewa Cree Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.
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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
PACER case reference. 25-118.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Indianapolis Pimp Given Three Life Sentences in Federal Prison for Running Sex Trafficking Enterprise and Committing MurderRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Kristopher McDonald, 37, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to three life sentences in federal prison. In May of 2025, a federal jury found McDonald guilty of the following eight counts related to his operation of a violent human trafficking enterprise:
Count 1: Murder in aid of racketeering activity.
Count 2: Brandishing and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
Count 3: Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Counts 4 & 5: Sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion.
Count 6: Enticing an individual to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution.
Counts 7 & 8: Travel act; a federal crime to engage in interstate or international travel, for the purpose of furthering certain "unlawful activities.”
According to trial testimony, from June 2023 through April 2024, Kristopher McDonald orchestrated and led a human trafficking operation in Indianapolis and other states. During this time, he recruited and exploited women, some from out of state, for commercial sex, maintaining strict control over the operation. McDonald managed all aspects of the criminal enterprise, using force, fraud, and coercion to control the activities of the women.
McDonald recruited the women over the internet, making false promises to them to lure them into his enterprise. He then used several means to manipulate and control the women to engage in commercial sexual activity. McDonald limited the victims’ access to the outside world by taking control of their personal identification, cash cards, and cellphones. McDonald threatened the women with physical violence and directly employed violence, including pistol whipping, to compel them to engage in commercial sex. McDonald also caused the women to become addicted to crack cocaine by rewarding them with the drug when they followed his orders and withholding it when they did not make enough money on a given day. McDonald also threatened to kill the victims and their families if they contacted the police. McDonald often compelled the victims to engage in commercial sexual intercourse on nine or ten occasions per day.
The trial testimony also established that on October 11, 2023, McDonald murdered another man in furtherance of his human trafficking organization. After the man engaged in commercial sex with one of the victims, McDonald emerged from an adjacent room and demanded an additional $200 from the man at gunpoint. The male victim drew his own firearm in self-defense and shot McDonald. McDonald ran back into the adjacent room, loaded his firearm with a magazine, and shot the male victim eleven times in the back as he attempted to flee the hotel room. McDonald, a previously convicted felon, was not permitted by law to possess the firearm that he used to murder the male victim.
“Kristopher McDonald’s reign of terror is over, and our community is safer because of it. This sentence sends a clear message that those who exploit vulnerable individuals through violence, addiction, and fear will face the full force of federal justice,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “I am grateful for the outstanding work of our law enforcement partners, whose collaboration and dedication made this prosecution possible, and to the survivors, whose strength and courage in coming forward were instrumental to securing justice.”
“There is no place in our society for criminals like Kristopher McDonald. The crimes he committed were despicable, outrageous, and cut to the very core of our moral fabric. Life in prison is exactly what he deserves — and ATF could not be prouder of the agents whose relentless work made this outcome possible,” said ATF Columbus Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jorge Rosendo.
“Kristopher McDonald wielded violence as a weapon to coerce victims, expand his sex-trafficking operation, and maintain power through fear,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “His life sentence removes a ruthless predator whose presence threatened the very fabric of our communities—and the importance of that removal cannot be overstated. IRS Criminal Investigation will continue leveraging its forensic accounting expertise to follow the money, dismantle criminal enterprises, and bring violent offenders like McDonald to justice.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley Blackington and Michelle P. Brady, who prosecuted this case.
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Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Elder Fraud Conspiracy Involving Gold BarsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Illinois man pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to taking part in an elder fraud conspiracy in which victims liquidated savings and retirement accounts to buy gold bars, coins, and cash.
Syed M. Makki, 37, a citizen of India, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Makki admitted that from 2023 to March 2024, he acted as a courier for the conspiracy, in which he picked up gold bullion and cash from victims and delivered it to co-conspirators.
From 2023 through March 31, 2024, conspirators put malware on people’s computers with a phone number to call. When the victims called, they falsely represented themselves as ‘Microsoft’ employees, banking officials, government employees, and law enforcement officers. Conspirators convinced the victims, who were mostly elderly, that their identities had been compromised, that their money was not safe in banks, and often that victims were assisting law enforcement.
Having established relationships with the victims, the perpetrators had the victims liquidate bank and retirement accounts and buy gold bullion in the form of gold bars or gold coins with the proceeds. When the gold was delivered to the victims’ houses, conspirators directed the victims to provide the gold for ‘safekeeping’ to a co-conspirator, including Makki.
Sometimes conspirators instructed the victims to package the gold and address it to the ‘Department of Justice’ in the name of a specific person, to further the false impression that victims were dealing with trustworthy officials. Makki and others picked up the gold or cash and then transported it across state lines to co-conspirators.
On March 25 and 26, 2024, Makki picked up 16 gold bars, weighing one kilogram apiece and worth more than $1 million, from victims in Littleton, Co. and Kansas City, Mo. On March 27, 2024, Makki transported the gold bars to Illinois to deliver them to co-conspirators. That date, Makki was arrested in possession of the gold bars by a Morgan County, Illinois, Deputy Sheriff and by an Illinois State Highway Patrol Sergeant.
Ten victims identified to date lost over $6 million in the scheme.
Under federal statutes, Makki is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of Makki will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen D. Mahoney. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, the Douglas County, Colorado Sheriff’s Department, the Illinois State Highway Patrol, and the Morgan County, Illinois Sheriff’s Department.
Idaho construction company settles paycheck protection program loan allegationsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Engineered Structures, Inc. (ESI), located in Meridian, Idaho, paid $5,750,000 to settle civil fraud allegations that it was ineligible for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan that it received during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The settlement began with a lawsuit, United States ex rel. Karen Bloomfield v. Engineered Structures Inc., filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims presented to the federal government.
The whistleblower complaint alleged that ESI received an $8.6 million PPP loan for which it was ineligible. According to the complaint, ESI should have included temporary workers from staffing agencies in its employee headcount, which would have increased ESI’s average employee count above 500 employees, making ESI ineligible for the PPP loan. The complaint also contended that ESI made false representations in connection with its PPP Loan Necessity Questionnaire. After the United States declined to intervene formally in the litigation, the whistleblower continued the litigation. ESI agreed to pay $5,750,000 to settle the whistleblower’s allegations. The United States consented to the settlement. The whistleblower received a share of the settlement.
The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gerard Mene with the assistance of the U.S. Small Business Administration.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Case records may be found on PACER under case number 1:22-cv-789.
The civil claims settled are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
Honduran National, Illegally in U.S., Sentenced to Seven Months in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a FelonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Marvin Enrique Pena-Portillo, 38, a Honduran national unlawfully residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to seven months in prison and two years of supervised release by United States District Judge Mia Roberts Perez for possession of a firearm by a felon.
Pena-Portillo was arrested on a criminal complaint and warrant in April of this year and charged by information in June. He pleaded guilty in July, waiving prosecution by indictment.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, on April 15, 2025, when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents arrested the defendant for immigration violations, Pena-Portillo had a loaded 9mm semiautomatic pistol in his waistband.
In August of 2024, in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, Pena-Portillo had pleaded guilty to carrying an illegal firearm in public and was sentenced to two years of probation for that offense.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The case was investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and the ATF and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert Eckert.
Henry County Woman Sentenced to 14 years in Prison for Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – A former resident of Henry, Tennessee has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for conspiring with others to distribute methamphetamine. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, during the first three months of 2024, investigators utilized controlled drug buys, traffic stops, and the execution of search warrants to determine that Carla Sue Stout and others were involved in the trafficking of large amounts of methamphetamine in Henry and Carroll counties in West Tennessee. Investigators were able to use a confidential informant to obtain over 450 grams of pure methamphetamine from Stout at her residence in Henry on two occasions in January 2024. Investigators subsequently executed a search warrant at Stout’s residence where they seized an additional pound of methamphetamine and over $3,000 in U.S. currency.
Investigators conducted another controlled drug buy from Stout and executed a search warrant at her trailer in Carroll County in March 2024, which led to the seizure of roughly two more ounces of methamphetamine. In all, Stout is responsible for distributing or possessing with the intent to distribute approximately 900 grams of actual methamphetamine.
After Stout’s guilty plea in federal court to conspiring with others to distribute over 50 grams of actual methamphetamine in August 2025, United States District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Stout to 168 months’ imprisonment on November 18, 2025 to be followed by five years of supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Methamphetamine that is trafficked in and through West Tennessee is increasing in dangerous purity, and continues to destroy individuals, families, and communities. Drug dealers who profit from the pain, addiction, violence and death caused by these dangerous substances deserve proper punishment, and this sentence does just that."
This case was investigated by members of the 24th Judicial Drug Task Force, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Assistant United States Attorney Josh Morrow prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Hays woman pleads guilty to assault on Fort Belknap Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS - A Hays woman accused of an assault on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation admitted to charges yesterday, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Heavenlee Drewann Sears, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Sears faces a term of imprisonment of 10 years, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for March 12, 2026. Sears was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on the evening of September 29, 2023, the defendant and a co-defendant were driving around on the Fort Belknap reservation and drinking beer. Late in the night, the two went to a bar to buy more alcohol before driving to John Doe’s home.
When Sears and her co-defendant arrived at Doe’s house, they were highly intoxicated, and they beat him. Sears hit him multiple times on the head with a peppermint schnapps bottle. Around 6:00 a.m. on September 30, Sears called a family member to say something was wrong with Doe. While they waited for the family member to arrive, Sears analyzed the bloody footprints around Doe and realized she had made the prints. Sears also called 911.
Doe was taken to Fort Belknap Indian Health Services. He was unresponsive and breathing erratically. His admission records state his ears and face were bruised and swollen, his nose was lacerated, his upper lip was lacerated, and there was a human bite mark on his forehead. There were also bite marks to his left wrist and left upper chest. After he was intubated, Doe was life flighted to a higher level of care.
On September 30, 2023, Sears spoke to law enforcement. She reported Doe was drinking earlier with a friend. Sears first told law enforcement she blacked out and when she “came to,” she found Doe on the ground, with lots of blood around him and blood coming out of his mouth. She told law enforcement she called a family member and then called 911. Sears said she didn’t remember what happened to Doe.
When officers told her it seemed like she remembered more than she said she did Sears started to cry. She said she “probably” hit him because she was drunk and has a temper. Sears said she thought she might have hit Doe with the empty peppermint schnapps bottle. When asked if she hit him, she nodded. When asked if she hit him with the bottle, she again nodded. Sears did not know how many times she hit Doe, but she hit him more than once. The second time she hit him, Doe fell to the ground.
On October 18, 2023, Doe was admitted to the Long-Term Care Hospital in Billings, Montana. He was diagnosed with traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage. Doe was largely unresponsive to stimuli and completely nonverbal due to his traumatic brain injury. Doe died on December 11, 2023.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.
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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Hacienda Employee Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the United StatesRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On Friday, November 21, 2025, Elsa Santiago-Colón, a Puerto Rico Department of Treasury (Departamento de Hacienda or “PRTD”) employee pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to defraud the United States, involving the theft of government funds, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. § 371.
According to the charges and evidence in the case, Elsa Santiago-Colón, knowingly and willfully conspired with others to steal more than $1,000 in federal funding, as well as accepting bribery payments in exchange for her corrupt acts. The allegations include that from January 2021 until May 2021, Santiago-Colón was a public official at the PRTD and had privileged access to the Internal Revenue Unified System (“SURI” for its Spanish acronym) accounts of Puerto Rico taxpayers. As part of the conspiracy to defraud, Santiago-Colón corruptly accepted cash payments and other benefits, including meals, in exchange for modifying and providing the SURI credentials of taxpayers to Individual A, a coconspirator. With that SURI information, Individual A later submitted fraudulent applications to the Business Interruption Grant (“BIG”) program, which provided assistance from the U.S. Treasury Coronavirus Relief Fund to eligible small businesses. In total, PRDT disbursed an approximate total of $128,000 in fraudulent funds because of the crimes charged.
“Together with our law enforcement partners, our office will continue to aggressively pursue corrupt individuals in the government who take advantage of the system to benefit a few in exchange for bribes,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow. “This prosecution serves as a warning to other public employees involved in these types of schemes that they will be investigated and prosecuted, and that such violations will not be tolerated.”
Elsa Santiago-Colón made her initial court appearance at the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico where she waived indictment and pleaded guilty to a one-count Information before United States District Judge Silvia Carreño-Coll. She faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine not to exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars, and supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine her sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linet Olinghouse is prosecuting the case.
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Guatemalan Man Guilty of Illegal Reentry of a Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JUAN CARLOS LOPEZ-SOSA (“LOPEZ-SOSA”), age 31, plead guilty on November 20, 2025, to illegal reentry of a previously removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to court documents, LOPEZ-SOSA, an illegal alien, was found in St. Tammany Parish on September 11, 2025. He had previously been convicted of violating 8 U.S.C. § 1325, Illegal Entry by Alien on April 6, 2018, in the United States District Court – District of Arizona. LOPEZ-SOSA was thereafter removed to Guatemala on April 20, 2018.
If convicted, LOPEZ-SOSA faces a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to one year of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
LOPEZ-SOSA sentencing is set for January 15, 2026, before United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe.
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. Customs and Border Protection in investigating this matter. Special Assistant United States Attorney Frederick W. Veters Jr., of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.
Group of Eight Pleads Guilty in Bank Fraud Conspiracy Involving Hundreds of Forged Checks Stolen from the MailRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – DERRY LEE DAVIS, 24, ANTAJAUN MONZELLE BROWN, JR., 24, AMAURION RAMONE NORMENT, 21, OLIVERNAESHA OLIEAH WOODS, 22, LORENZO JONES IV, 24, and MATEI LEANN BASS, 23, all of Oklahoma City, DAZJUAN JERAE DEMOND MATTHEWS, 21, of Kansas, and AMARION ADRIONE WHITESIDE, 22, of Texas, have pleaded guilty for their roles in a conspiracy to steal mail from mail deposit boxes across the Oklahoma City metro area using a stolen United States Postal Service (USPS) arrow key, forge checks found in the stolen mail, and deposit the forged checks to obtain cash from financial institutions. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to public record, beginning in 2022, Davis possessed a stolen USPS arrow key, which he and other conspirators used to access and steal mail from mail deposit boxes across the Oklahoma City area in search of checks. Davis and Brown would then alter information on stolen checks so that they could be deposited into the bank accounts of other conspirators who agreed to participate in the scheme. In order to find people willing to join the scheme, the court records allege that Davis, Brown, Norment, and others, advertised the scheme on social media urging those interested to contact them to make quick money. Matthews, Whiteside, Woods, Jones, Bass, and others agreed to join the conspiracy and allowed forged checks to be deposited into their bank accounts in exchange for a portion of the check proceeds.
Brown, Davis, Norment, Matthews, and Whiteside have each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and face up to 30 years in federal prison. Brown has also pleaded guilty to a second count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud for his role in a similar but separate check fraud scheme in Illinois and faces up to an additional 30 years in federal prison. Woods, Jones, and Bass have each pleaded guilty to forgery of securities and face up to 10 years in federal prison.
This case is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson D. Eldridge is prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Former Suffolk County Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty to COVID Unemployment and Loan FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former corrections officer employed by the Suffolk County Sherriff’s Department pleaded guilty today to submitting fraudulent information in an effort to obtain loans through CARES Act programs like the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
Christnel Orisca, 25, of Boston, pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution, arising out of PUA, traditional Unemployment Insurance and PPP loan benefits obtained prior to his employment at the Suffolk County Sherriff’s Department. U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick scheduled sentencing for March 11, 2026. Orisca was arrested and charged in December 2024.
Orisca was a Corrections Officer with the Suffolk County Sherriff’s Department from late 2021 to December 2024. Orisca fraudulently applied for pandemic unemployment and small business loan benefits while working full-time, initially for a security company and later for a delivery company. While employed full-time, Orisca collected approximately $54,700 in unemployment benefits and small business loan funds.
In his PUA application, Orisca made fraudulent representations about his employment status and thereafter falsely claimed, on a weekly basis, that he did not work and did not receive any income during the prior week. In his PPP loan application, Orisca submitted false statements to SBA-approved lenders, including about the income and/or payroll of his purported small businesses, in order to obtain his loan. He also made false representations on forms submitted to request that his PPP loans be forgiven.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charge of making false statements to a financial institution provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a $1 million fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., Inspector General, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Police Department and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Chao, Chief of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit, is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.
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 via the https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Former School District Accountant Sentenced for Embezzlement of Funds from Savannah School District and His EmployeesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Savannah, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court yesterday for theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, wire fraud, and embezzlement from an employee benefit plan.
Anthony S. Moon, 44, worked as the district accountant for the Savannah R-III School District (District). In addition to his duties as district accountant, Moon was also the owner and president of Parker and Associates LLC, a tax preparation and bookkeeping service company.
Moon was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to a total of 12 months and one day in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Moon to pay restitution of $92,746.99 to the District and $29,695.77 to his two employee-victims. In addition, the court entered a final order of money judgment forfeiture of $122,442.76.
Beginning in or about January 2023, and continuing through on or about Nov. 21, 2023, Moon embezzled funds from the District. Moon used his position at the District to write unauthorized checks to himself and his business from the District’s checking account. Moon also used the District’s checking account to make Automated Clearing House payments, to his and his wife’s personal credit card accounts.
Moon also devised a scheme as president of his accounting business and embezzled funds from his employees’ retirement savings plan. For his employees, Moon sponsored an employee pension plan subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Simple IRA Plan (Plan). However, for nearly two years, Moon caused tens of thousands of dollars to be withheld from salaries of his employees but failed to transfer those funds to the Plan. In addition, Moon failed to deposit funds in employer matching contributions to the Plan.
Moon used those embezzled funds to pay for his and his wife’s personal expenses, including, among other things, Kansas City Chiefs tickets, food, travel, gas, and entertainment.
The court ordered Moon to self-surrender on Jan. 8, 2026.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudolph R. Rhodes IV. It was investigated by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Labor – Employee Benefits Security Administration.
Former Rochester area teacher going to prison for possession of child pornographyRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Kevin Burns, 45, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor, was sentenced to serve 54 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Meredith A. Vacca.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who handled the case, stated that on November 5, 2024, the New York State Police executed a search warrant at the Burns’ residence in Irondequoit, because of a child pornography file he uploaded to Bing Image. During the search, electronic devices were seized, including a computer. More than 450 images of child pornography were found on the computer. Some of the images depicted violence against children and the sexual exploitation of an infant or toddler.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Kevin Sucher and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera.
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Former Recording Financial Secretary Pleads Guilty to Embezzling from Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen UnionRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former recording financial secretary of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, AFL-CIO, Local Lodge 21 (BRS Local Lodge 21), pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to embezzling nearly $55,000 from the labor union.
David L. Scofield, 65, of Independence, Mo., waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to an information charging him with four counts of bank fraud, one count of embezzlement theft of labor union funds, and one count of falsification of an annual financial report filed by a labor union.
Scofield was an officer of BRS Local Lodge 21, namely, the recording financial secretary, having been elected to that position in or about 2005, and holding that position until in or about November 2023. In that capacity, Scofield had access to BRS Local Lodge 21’s bank account and was authorized to use the checking account only for BRS Local Lodge 21’s expenses.
By pleading guilty yesterday, Scofield admitted that he used BRS Local Lodge 21’s bank account to make $54,412.67 in personal expenditures, including expenditures for the payment of his personal PayPal account, personal credit cards, and personal loans.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Scofield must pay a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $54,412.67.
Under federal statutes, Scofield is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole on the bank fraud counts to which he has pleaded guilty. 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. The sentencing hearing has been scheduled for March 31, 2026.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudolph R. Rhodes IV. It was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards, Kansas City Resident Investigator Office.
Former Okfuskee County Jailer Pleads Guilty to Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law for Assaulting an InmateRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Donovan Matthew Pruett, age 24, of Checotah, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to an Information for one count of Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
The Information alleged that on September 28, 2024, while on duty and working in an official capacity as an Okfuskee County jailer, Pruett physically assaulted the victim, an inmate in the Okfuskee County Jail, while the inmate was restrained, resulting in bodily injury to the victim.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable Judge Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Paladino, in consultation with the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, represented the United States.
Former Commodities Trading Executive Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Scheme to Defraud Employer by Hiding Trading LossesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that DAVID SMOTHERMON was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein to three years in prison. In May 2025, SMOTHERMON pled guilty to one count of wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud his employer by hiding trading losses.
“David Smothermon engaged in a fraudulent scheme that always ends badly: he concealed trading losses and inflated performance, induced his firm to award him a $15 million bonus, and when the losses were discovered, his firm was devastated,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “That devastation cost hundreds of jobs, including in New York. Our Office has no tolerance for insiders who like to enrich themselves at the expense of our fellow New Yorkers.”
As reflected in the Indictment and other court filings:
From 2005 through early September 2016, SMOTHERMON worked for a privately owned firm, headquartered in Manhattan, that engaged in the international marketing, distribution, and trading of commodities products (the “Company”). SMOTHERMON was the Chief Executive Officer of a subsidiary of the Company, based in Houston, Texas, specializing in the trading of liquefied petroleum gas or “LPG” (the “Subsidiary”). SMOTHERMON was also on the Board of Directors of the Company. The Subsidiary engaged in two forms of LPG trading: entering into and executing contracts for the purchase and sale of barrels of LPG (the “Physical Trading”) and trading financial derivative products related to LPG in an over-the-counter market (the “Financial Trading”).
From at least in or about December 2015 up to and including in or about September 2016, SMOTHERMON caused false entries to be made into an electronic accounting system used by the Company in an effort to hide substantial trading losses. Specifically, SMOTHERMON falsely inflated the marks, i.e., the values he assigned to individual trading positions in the Financial Trading book, and he directed other individuals to alter the terms of Physical Trading contracts in the company’s accounting system to make it appear as though those contracts were substantially more profitable than they were. In doing so, SMOTHERMON concealed over $240 million in trading losses. SMOTHERMON took these steps in order to obtain a large, discretionary bonus that he knew the Company was considering in early 2016. Ultimately, in May 2016, the Company awarded SMOTHERMON a bonus of approximately $15 million, of which approximately $11.6 million was paid immediately in cash.
In late August 2016, SMOTHERMON was contacted by a senior Company executive to alert him that the Company had unearthed a discrepancy between a Physical Trading contract and what was entered into the accounting system. Thereafter, on or about September 1, 2016, SMOTHERMON resigned from the Company and admitted to a Company executive that he had been mispricing his trading book. The Company ultimately concluded that SMOTHERMON had concealed more than $240 million in trading losses. Upon this discovery, the Company realized considerable losses that resulted in the significant downsizing of the company and the layoffs of hundreds of employees.
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In addition to the prison term, SMOTHERMON, 55, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $11,600,000 and pay restitution in the amount of $19,550,081. As a condition of his plea agreement, SMOTHERMON paid $8 million of this restitution amount in May 2025, after entering his guilty plea. SMOTHERMON also paid an additional $300,000 prior to sentencing.
Mr. Clayton praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in this case.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Qais Ghafary and Matthew Weinberg are in charge of the prosecution.
Florida Man and Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Sell Counterfeit Drugs on Dark WebRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A Boca Raton, Fl., man, Michael Basalyga, 36, and woman, Reina Chirinos de Urena, 39, were sentenced on October 9 by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier to 80 months and 45 months, respectively, for conspiring with others to produce and sell counterfeit drugs.
According to their plea agreements, Basalyga and Chirinos de Urena worked with their co-conspirators, Omar Thomas Wala, Vienna Cavanaugh, and Philbert Campbell, to make and sell counterfeit alprazolam, commonly known by the brand name Xanax. As part of the conspiracy, Basalyga, Chirinos de Urena, and their co-defendants made pills that looked similar to real tablets and were stamped with numbers used by legitimate manufacturers, but were in fact made from other substances, including clonazolam and etizolam, designed to replicate the effects of alprazolam.
The conspiracy involved selling directly to known customers and by selling the counterfeit drugs under pseudonyms on darknet marketplaces. People purchased the drugs with cryptocurrency across the United States, including in Kentucky.
Under federal law, Basalyga and Chirinos de Urena must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences. Upon his release from prison, they will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for two years.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, with assistance from the FBI, IRS, and United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Rosenberg is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Florida Man Ordered to Pay More Than $300,000 in Restitution for Sex Trafficking VictimsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Lake Placid man has been ordered to pay $327,735 in restitution to the victims he trafficked for sex. The restitution order was entered on Oct. 6 by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon.
Shannima Yuantrell Session, also known as “Shalamar,” 47, was previously sentenced to life in federal prison after a jury found him guilty of 10 counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and three counts of sex trafficking of a minor. The charges stemmed from Session’s exploitation of nearly a dozen women and girls.
“Human trafficking is one of the most vicious crimes imaginable—it strips victims of their freedom, dignity, and humanity,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This restitution order ensures that the survivors of Session’s cruelty receive some measure of justice for the years of exploitation and abuse they endured. Our Office will continue to pursue traffickers relentlessly and stand with the victims they sought to silence.”
According to evidence presented during the nine-day trial in September 2024, Session compelled his victims to engage in thousands of commercial sex acts between July 2011 and July 2013, and again between February 2016 and February 2019. Session lured women and girls facing unstable housing, substance abuse, or neglect with false promises of legitimate employment and housing assistance—promises calculated to gain their trust, expose their vulnerabilities, and ultimately allow him to control and exploit them.
Session forced victims to engage in commercial sex acts in squalid trailers housing migrant workers and in local orange groves. He used food, shelter, and drugs to maintain control, exploiting victims’ addictions and dependence. Evidence showed that Session used a firearm to intimidate and threaten his victims, and that he often resorted to brutal violence—punching and beating them with weapons, and, in one instance, taking victims to a nearby lake where he held two of their heads underwater and threatened to drown them if they disobeyed.
At trial and at the restitution hearing, the government demonstrated that Session made approximately $327,735 by compelling the victims’ coerced commercial sex acts. The restitution order requires Session to repay those illicit proceeds to his victims.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
The FBI Miami, Fort Pierce Resident Agency, investigated the case, with assistance from the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Hoover for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Leah Branch and Matthew Thiman of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-14074.
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Florencia 13 Gang Member Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Drug and Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Florencia 13 Gang Member, Gregorio Tabarez-Hernandez, aka “Trigger,” 20, of Sandy, Utah, was sentenced today to 240 months’ imprisonment, and three years’ supervised release for drug and gun crimes he committed in 2023.
The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge David Barlow, comes after Tabarez-Hernandez pleaded guilty on September 4, 2025 to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of a machine gun.
According to court documents and admissions made at Tabarez-Hernandez’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, on October 19, 2023 law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence. In Tabarez-Hernandez’s closet, investigators located cocaine, small plastic bags, over $23,000 in cash, and two firearms. One of the firearms was a Glock 22 .40 caliber handgun equipped with a machinegun conversion device known as a “switch.” Tabarez-Hernandez admitted that he had been distributing cocaine and that he possessed the firearms to protect his drugs and money.
Tabarez-Hernandez has a history of firearm offenses which is consistent with his association with Florencia 13, a criminal street gang affiliated with the Surenos.
“I am grateful to our state enforcement partners for their excellent investigation that led to Mr. Tabarez-Hernandez’s arrest,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “This administration is committed to working with our federal and state partners to stop drug trafficking and organized crime in our communities. Mr. Tabarez-Hernandez’s 20-year sentence demonstrates that strong commitment.”
“These types of cases require a lot of work for law enforcement, and the arrest and conviction of Mr. Tabarez-Hernandez is a perfect example of how partnering with local, state and federal agencies gets results,” said Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera.
"We are thankful for the hard work that the investigators put into this case,” said Sandy City Police Chief Greg Severson. “We are appreciative of our partnerships with local and federal agencies in taking this individual off our streets."
The case was investigated jointly by the Sandy City Police Department and the Salt Lake County Metro Gang Unit.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
Felon who Caused Serious Accident After St. Louis Police Chase Sentenced to 70 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Tuesday sentenced a felon who caused a serious accident after fleeing from police to 70 months in prison.
Juan Goodrich, 33, of St. Louis County, pleaded guilty in August to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On the evening of April 2, 2024, a St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officer spotted a 2014 Chrysler 200 running a red light at North Kingshighway Boulevard and Natural Bridge Avenue. Goodrich sped away, running another red light and later running a stop sign. A computer inquiry showed that his license plate was invalid. When the officer tried to stop Goodrich by activating the lights and siren, he refused to stop, continuing at speeds exceeding 80 m.p.h. The officer turned off the lights and siren due to safety concerns, but Goodrich continued to speed through the streets. He ran another red light and his vehicle began to wobble before striking a 2009 Nissan Maxima head-on. The Maxima’s 52-year-old driver was trapped in her vehicle with major injuries. Goodrich got out of his vehicle, holding a black AR-15-style rifle loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition, and ran. He stumbled and fell, dropping the rifle, and then continued to run. He was arrested and admitted being a felon and possessing a firearm.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Lane prosecuted the case.
Felon in Possession of a Pistol While on Supervised Release Sentenced to 18 MonthsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kevin Hopkins, 39, a previously convicted felon who had been residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced November 24 in U.S. District Court to 18 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded 9mm firearm while on supervised release for another conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Hopkins pleaded guilty on July 25 to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon before Judge Jia M. Cobb. In addition to the 18-month prison sentence, Judge Cobb ordered Hopkins to serve three years of supervised release.
Joining in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to court documents, on Nov. 20, 2024, MPD officers and DEA agents executed a search warrant at a residence in Southeast Washington, D.C. Hopkins did not reside at the residence, but the mother of his child did. When officers entered, Hopkins was seated on a couch in the main living area of the apartment.
After Hopkins moved from the couch, officers found an Astra A-100 9mm pistol wedged between the cushions on which he had been sitting. The firearm was loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition.
As a previously convicted felon, Hopkins was prohibited from possessing any firearm. Hopkins collected five adult convictions between 2004 and 2016 for possession of marijuana, distribution of marijuana, carrying a pistol without a license, attempted unlawful possession of liquid PCP, and burglary, assault with significant bodily injury, kidnapping, stalking, civil protection order violation, and destruction of property under $1,000. All but one of the offenses that led to those adult convictions were committed while the defendant was on supervision. Hopkins had been on supervised release for less than two months before he was arrested on the current felon-in-possession charge.
This case was investigated by the MPD and the DEA’s Washington Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Naseef and Mark Levy for the District of Columbia.
25-cr-0118
Former Pace Resident Pleads Guilty to COVID and Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Sean Eric Thompson, 44, formerly of Pace, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to five counts of wire fraud, three counts of making a false statement, six counts of money laundering, and three counts of bankruptcy fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration and the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Florida. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “My office is hard at work with our federal law enforcement partners to track down and prosecute every single instance of fraud against the U.S. Government during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue to aggressively prosecute these crimes and will use every available means to recover the U.S. taxpayer monies stolen by the fraudsters to enrich themselves.”
Court documents reflect that in May 2021, the defendant, who was a partial owner of a business that owned a brewery and restaurant, electronically submitted a fraudulent Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) application and supporting documents to the Small Business Administration (SBA). The RRF was created to provide funding for restaurants, bars, and similar businesses that served food and drink to keep their doors open during the COVID-19 pandemic. The application and supporting documents electronically submitted by the defendant falsely stated that the business had sustained $1,128,233 in COVID-19 related losses, and on May 25, 2021, the SBA paid $1,128,233 in RRF funds into an account designated by the defendant.
The defendant then spent the RRF funds on personal expenses, including transferring substantial funds to his personal investment account. Specifically, between August and November, 2021, the defendant transferred $150,000 in RRF funds to his personal investment account.
Finally, in August 2023, the defendant filed a Chapter 7, Voluntary Petition in bankruptcy. The petition and schedules submitted by the defendant contained a number of material, false statements and omissions, including failing to disclose the RRF funds and the defendant’s interest in a second, unrelated business. In connection with his bankruptcy proceeding, the defendant then testified falsely under oath during a September 2023 meeting of his creditors. During that meeting, the defendant falsely testified that his petition and associated forms were true and correct and also specifically denied that his second business had ever had any assets, which was false. Finally, in February 2024, the defendant caused to be submitted to the trustee administering his bankruptcy estate fraudulently altered financial statements.
Thompson faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release as to each wire fraud count. He also faces up to five years’ imprisonment and one year of supervised release as to each false statement count, and up to ten years imprisonment and three years of supervised release as to each money laundering count. Finally, he faces up to five years’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release on each bankruptcy fraud count when he is sentenced.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the SBA. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric W. Welch.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit theU.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Eleven Defendants Charged with Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Federal Law Enforcement Officers during Memphis Safe Task Force OperationRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – During the Memphis Safe Task Force (MSTF) operation, the United States Attorney’s Office announces that the following defendants have been charged with violating 18 United States Code Section 111 (18 U.S.C. § 111) which provides, “Whoever forcibly assaults, resists, opposes, impedes, intimidates, or interferes with any person designated as an officer or employee of the United States while engaged in or on account of the performance of official duties,” commits an offense. All suspects were charged by federal criminal complaints filed in the United States Magistrate Court in the Western District of Tennessee.
- Luis Cordova, 26 - On October 1, 2025, Luis Cordova was pulled over for running a red light. When it was determined that Cordova did not have a valid driver’s license and could not produce documentation that he was in the United States legally, a Deputy U.S. Marshal began to handcuff him when Cordova pulled back and attempted to run away. A criminal complaint for 18 U.S.C. § 111 was filed, and the case has since been indicted on October 30, 2025, for resisting, opposing, impeding, or interfering with a federal officer.
- Demario Burton, 21 - On October 3, 2025, Demarion Burton was pulled over for driving with no headlights. A Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) Officer, sworn in as part of the Memphis Safe Task Force operation, had Burton step out and frisked him, finding suspected drugs on Burton’s person. The trooper began to arrest Burton, but Burton fled. A criminal complaint for 18 U.S.C. § 111 was issued, and the case has since been indicted on October 30, 2025 for resisting, opposing, impeding, or interfering with a federal officer.
- Montavious Neal, 27 - On October 6, 2025, a Memphis Police Department officer sworn in as a Special Deputy with the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) as part of the Memphis Safe Task Force operation saw Montavious Neal driving a car that had window tint below the legal limit of 70%. Neal pulled into a parking lot, then put his car in reverse, hit the accelerator, and struck the police car in the front bumper three separate times. The officer was either still in his car or attempting to get out of his car at the time Neal was striking the vehicle. Two firearms were later found in plain view in the car. Neal was indicted for assault on a federal officer under 18 U.S.C. § 111 and has been detained.
- Luis Gonzalez, 28 - On October 23, 2025, MSTF officers conducted a traffic stop on Gonzalez for having a fraudulent temporary tag. Gonzalez pulled over but sped off as officers approached. One officer exited his vehicle and attempted to deploy a stop strip to disable the fleeing vehicle, but Gonzalez swerved to avoid hitting the strip, almost hitting the officer in the process. A 5-year-old child and a pregnant woman were also passengers in Gonzalez’ car. The defendant is currently in federal detention for assault on a federal officer under 18 U.S.C. § 111.
- Jesus Escobar-Villalta, 30 - On October 29, 2025, THP stopped a vehicle for traffic violations. Escobar-Villalta provided a fraudulent Honduras identification and was in the United States illegally. Escobar-Villalta refused to get out of his car and resisted. He grabbed the holstered and loaded firearm of an FBI Special Agent, attempting to pull the firearm out of the holster. Escobar-Villalta also bit the thigh of a USMS deputy who was assisting. Escobar-Villalta was charged with assault of a federal officer under 18 U.S.C. § 111 and was detained after a detention hearing.
- Christopher Vanzant, 53 - On November 2, 2025, a Tennessee Highway Patrol officer saw a truck being driven by Vanzant and believed to be running from Hernando, Mississippi. After verifying the license plate, THP tried to stop the truck, using blue lights and sirens. Vanzant began driving at a high rate of speed in residential neighborhoods, striking a fence. Vanzant’s speed, failure to signal turns, driving in the opposite lane and swerving endangered other drivers, pedestrians, and federally deputized THP officers. Vanzant struck a THP car in the process. Vanzant physically resisted the Troopers, while also attempting to use a lighter to smoke what appeared to be methamphetamine through a clear glass pipe. Vanzant struck a THP officer in the temple with a closed fist. Vanzant was charged with assault on a federal officer under 18 U.S.C. § 111. Vanzant’s detention hearing is pending in the United States Magistrate Court.
- Sanchon Dillup-Jones, 36 - On November 4, 2025, THP officers observed car driving recklessly at a strip mall where pedestrians were present. The driver was identified as Sanchon Dillup-Jones. Dillup-Jones refused to exit the car, and when the trooper attempted to open the driver’s door, Dillup-Jones rolled up the window and put the car in drive. The trooper reached in the window to put the car in park. Dillup-Jones drove away with the trooper’s body leaned inside the car, dragging the trooper approximately 50-60 feet before he could dislodge himself. Dillup-Jones is charged with assault on a federal officer under 18 U.S.C. § 111.
- Nicomedes Jimenez, 37 - On November 4, 2025, the Memphis Police Department (MPD) and Fayette County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop a car driven by Jimenez. Jimenez had two active warrants - one from May 2022 for aggravated assault and one from April 2022 for two counts of domestic assault. Jimenez refused to stop and accelerated, evading law enforcement for approximately 20 miles traveling at high speeds. Jimenez caused a civilian to lose control of their vehicle, continued to drive recklessly, losing control of his car and crashing into a barricade. A task force officer exited his car and Jimenez drove toward it, striking the door and rendering the car inoperable. The officer narrowly escaped being hit by jumping back into his police car just before the crash. A detention hearing is still pending for assault of a federal officer under 18 U.S.C. § 111.
- Justin Hardaway, 26 - On November 6, 2025, MPD tried to make a traffic stop for a car with no license plate or rear bumper being driven by Hardaway. Hardaway fled at a high rate of speed, intentionally striking a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) vehicle three times. Hardaway exited his car while it was still in motion and attempted to flee. The driverless vehicle almost struck approximately 20 children who were exiting a school bus and did strike a house before stopping. After a brief foot pursuit, Hardaway was taken into custody. Hardaway has not had an initial appearance yet on the charge of assault of a federal officer under 18 U.S.C. § 111.
- Khauleel Harrison, 22 - On November 7, 2025, THP and HSI were on Interstate 40 in pursuit of a car driven by Khauleel Harrison who was drag racing on I-40 East. Harrison reached speeds of 90-100 mph during the chase and weaved through traffic. Harrison exited the highway and made several illegal U-turns. Harrison turned towards the Tennessee Highway Patrol car, accelerated, and struck the patrol car head on. Harrison’s car was disabled after the head-on collision. Harrison is charged with assault a federal officer under 18 U.S.C. § 111.
- Shone Pugh, 24 - On November 12, 2025, Shone Pugh assaulted a U.S. Marshal during a traffic stop. Pugh was the passenger of a car stopped for running a red light. The U.S. Marshal asked Pugh to get out of the car. Pugh shoved the U.S. Marshal and tried to flee, throwing the U.S. Marshal to the ground. Near the area of the struggle, law enforcement located a pistol engraved with a Kansas City Police Department badge logo that was reported stolen. Pugh is charged with assault of a federal officer under 18 U.S.C. § 111.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "We take all threats against law enforcement very seriously, and we have zero tolerance for any assault on federal officers. There is no constitutional right to resist arrest, and doing so endangers everyone involved. During the MSTF Operation and every day, we urge anyone who encounters a law enforcement officer to comply first, and, if warranted, complain later. We will enforce Attorney General Pam Bondi’s warning: ‘If you touch any law enforcement officer, we will come after you'."
The charges and allegations contained in the criminal complaints are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Dublin man arrested in Utah on federal child exploitation chargesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Dublin, Ohio, man was arrested in Utah and charged federally with sexual exploitation crimes against minors.
Wade S. Christofferson, 72, was arrested on Nov. 20. He appeared in U.S. District Court in Utah today and his case was unsealed at that time. Christofferson is charged with attempting to sexually exploit a minor and with coercion and enticement.
According to charging documents, on Nov. 12, the Dublin Police Department received a report regarding the alleged sexual abuse of an Ohio child by Christofferson.
It is alleged Christofferson sexually abused the child in person 15 to 20 times.
He also allegedly engaged in a sexually explicit FaceTime call with a second minor victim and sent coded letters to her Utah home that referenced sexual activity. Christofferson also committed hands-on sexual abuse of that child as well.
A complaint affidavit details that Christofferson allegedly taught the Utah victim code words like “snow” for vagina, “friends” for nipples, “asterisk (*)” for naked, a drawn “smiley face” for rubs and “SS” for “Secret Spanks.” The defendant was allegedly overheard on a FaceTime call asking the victim if he could see her “snow” and “friends.”
Letters referenced in the charging documents include “Top Secret” hand-written messages. For example, Christofferson wrote to the Utah victim, telling her “It was nice to see Snow and her friends when we FaceTimed…” and “I can’t wait to see you and play * games! I have a new one to teach you called ‘school.’ You will like it!”
In one letter Christofferson allegedly included coupons he said were “Good for one * game with me!! You get to choose the game!”
Christofferson’s phone allegedly included search history for “criminal defense attorneys sex crimes columbus ohio” and “In Ohio do clergy have to report child abuse confessions.”
The defendant will be extradited from Utah to the Southern District of Ohio.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Adam Lawson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Dublin Police Chief Justin Paez and other members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force announced the charges.
U.S. Attorney Gerace commended the significant contributions to this case by the FBI Salt Lake City Division, the Payson, Utah Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.
Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Court Appoints Scott E. Bradford as U.S. AttorneyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— Scott E. Bradford has taken the oath of office to remain as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the District of Oregon.
Senior U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman administered the oath of office before staff, court personnel, and family. The moment was especially meaningful because Judge Mosman previously served as U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, and Bradford also clerked for him.
“Being chosen to lead the District of Oregon is a privilege I do not take lightly. I am deeply humbled by the district court’s vote of confidence in me, and I am committed to serving our community alongside remarkable colleagues and agency partners, who dedicate themselves to the mission every day,” said Scott E. Bradford, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “My focus remains on the Department’s priorities: keeping our country safe, upholding the rule of law, and protecting civil rights.”
Attorney General Pamela Bondi previously appointed Bradford as U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon on July 28, 2025.
Bradford has been a federal prosecutor for more than 18 years and has handled all manner of criminal cases, including violent crime, narcotics trafficking, child exploitation, fraud, cyber, and national security.
Bradford joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon in 2009 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and served in a variety of leadership roles within the office, including Chief of the White Collar Unit, Chief of the Economic, National Security, and Cyber Crimes Unit, and Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division.
In 2022, Bradford served as the U.S. Department of Justice’s Regional Cybercrime Attaché in Southeast Asia where he trained justice sector partners within the region to combat cybercrime. Before becoming the U.S. Attorney, Bradford was the Acting Chief of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section in the National Security Division in Washington, D.C.
Colorado Man Sentenced to 2 Years for Threatening to Kill Cayuga County ManRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jerry Gordon, age 56, of Colorado, was sentenced yesterday to 24 months in prison for transmitting a threat in interstate commerce to injure another person.
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 previously entered guilty plea, Gordon admitted that in April 2025, he sent threatening text messages to a man in Aurora, New York. In the text messages, Gordon told the victim to get his affairs in order before Friday April 25, 2025, as he was going to “drink your blood from the chalice that I will make out of your heart.” Gordon was arrested by FBI agents as he was getting off a plane in Syracuse, on April 25, 2025, after law enforcement became aware of the threats.
Acting U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Disgusting threats to kill the citizens of our district will not be tolerated. The defendant not only made these abhorrent threats; he traveled from Colorado to Syracuse to make good on them. Thankfully, local, state and federal agents, working together, were one step ahead of him. They apprehended the defendant as he was getting off the plane, thwarting his devious plans.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated: “The FBI, together with our law enforcement partners, worked to identify, investigate, and quickly intercept Mr. Gordon before he could follow through on his disturbing threats of violence. Today’s sentence should send a clear message that the FBI will not stand idly by when a dangerous individual threatens the safety of our communities.”
United States District Judge Elizabeth C. Coombe also imposed a 3-year term of post-release supervision.
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the New York State Police, Syracuse Regional Airport Authority Police Department, Syracuse Police Department, Cornell Police Department, Tompkins County Sherriff’s Office, United States Marshals Service, Cayuga County District Attorney’s Office, Federal Air Marshal Service, and the Oneida County Sherriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown prosecuted the case.
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City Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Committing Series of Violent Armed Carjackings and Robberies in PhiladelphiaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Khalil Dickens, 22, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 25 years in prison, five years’ supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution by United States District Judge Chad F. Kenney for committing a series of violent armed carjackings and robberies in the summer of 2023.
The defendant was charged by indictment in January 2024 and pleaded guilty in July of this year to conspiracy, eight counts of carjacking, and three counts of carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, between approximately June 2023 and July 2023, Dickens and others took part in seven armed carjackings, an attempted armed carjacking, 11 additional gunpoint robberies, and one receipt of a carjacked car, all in the city of Philadelphia. A number of these crimes involved the perpetrators physically assaulting, pistol-whipping, or even shooting, or shooting at, their victims.
“Khalil Dickens and his associates created their own crime wave, committing some 20 violent gunpoint robberies and carjackings in six weeks,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “We simply will not permit dangerous criminals to run around our city terrorizing innocent people. As Dickens can now attest, anyone violently victimizing others like this should be ready to spend not just years, but decades, in prison.”
“With Khalil Dickens sentenced to a quarter century in federal prison, a dangerous criminal is taken off Philadelphia’s streets,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Division. “Dickens and the other perpetrators physically assaulted and even shot at the victims of their many carjackings and robberies. Working with our Carjacking Task Force partners we are using the ATF’s unique forensic and investigative tools to stop criminals and protect our communities.”
“Violent carjackings and armed robberies cause fear in our neighborhoods and inflict real trauma on the people we serve,” said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message: if you choose to commit violent crimes in Philadelphia, you will be held fully accountable. I want to thank our federal partners and the dedicated investigators of the Philadelphia Police Department who worked tirelessly to bring this individual to justice. Together, we will continue to pursue those who harm our residents and work every day to make our city safer.”
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department.
Central Coast Man Arraigned on Federal Grand Jury Indictment Charging Him with Making Threats to Bomb SynagoguesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Luis Obispo County man was arraigned today on a three-count federal grand jury indictment charging him with threatening via social media last summer to bomb every synagogue within a 20-mile radius.
Elijah Alexander King, 36, of San Luis Obispo, is charged with one count of threats and false information regarding fire and explosives, one count of threats by interstate communication, and one count of false information and hoaxes.
King pleaded not guilty to the charges and a January 13, 2026 trial date is scheduled in this matter. He has been in federal custody since November 6 and has been ordered released on bond while the criminal case against him proceeds.
According to the indictment returned on November 19 and other court documents, on August 28, King used an X (formerly Twitter) social media account under the name “Billy Badass” and linked to an email address and telephone number he is known to use to post the threat. The threat read, “I’m gonna blow up every synagogue in a 20-mile radius.” He followed it up shortly afterward with “This is a real threat send the police and report me for terrorism.” Approximately 10 minutes later, King used his cellphone’s internet browser to repeatedly search for synagogues near him.
After law enforcement contacted King about the bomb threat and had him sent to a hospital for psychiatric monitoring, King continued to use his X social media account to make additional posts such as “I got arrested and put on a 3 day psych hold for my posts against the jews” and re-posted another user’s post, which said, “[w]e don’t need gun control. We need jew control.”
King’s X account prior to August 28 contained posts expressing antisemitic rhetoric, including praise for Adolf Hitler, and contained images of weapons, including a handgun, knives, and mace.
In September and October of 2025, King sent numerous racist voicemails and emails to the police detective who had him placed on a psychiatric hold on August 28.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, King would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for the count of threats and false information regarding fire and explosives, and up to five years in federal prison for the threats by interstate communication and false information and hoaxes counts.
The FBI is investigating this matter. The San Luis Obispo Police Department provided assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Laura A. Alexander of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section and Jenna W. Long of the National Security Division are prosecuting this case.
CEO of L.A.-Based Childcare Company and Camp Counselor Charged with More Than a Dozen Child Sexual Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury today charged a childcare program CEO, camp counselor, and private babysitter in a 16-count indictment with using his positions of authority to sexually exploit at least six children he babysat.
Miguel Adrian Gonzalez, 28, of West Los Angeles, is charged with two counts of obtaining custody of a minor with the intent to produce child pornography, seven counts of production of child pornography, two counts of distribution of child pornography, three counts of receipt of child pornography, and two counts of possession of child pornography.
Gonzalez has been in federal custody since October 28. A federal magistrate judge the following day ordered him jailed without bond. Gonzalez’s arraignment is scheduled for December 4 in United States District Court in Los Angeles.
According to the indictment and a criminal complaint previously filed in this case, from at least 2021 to 2025, Gonzalez – a long-time childcare provider, private babysitter, and the CEO of Let’s Play LA LLC, a childcare company based in West Los Angeles – produced sexually explicit images of children in his care or supervision. Gonzalez also sexually abused at least one minor victim.
In October 2023 and May 2024, Gonzalez texted the parents of two minor victims – each of them 6-year-old boys at the time – and offered to obtain custody or control of the two victims through his babysitting services, knowing that each victim would be portrayed in a visual depiction engaging in sexually explicit conduct. These requests led to two instances in which Gonzalez produced child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
From April 2025 to August 2025, Gonzalez used social media platforms such as Snapchat and Telegram to distribute and receive images and videos depicting CSAM, including images and videos depicting CSAM of children he had babysat.
In October 2025, Gonzalez knowingly possessed on two Apple iPhones images and videos depicting CSAM, including of the six children who had been under his supervision.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, Gonzalez would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office also has charged Gonzalez with a felony child sexual exploitation crime in connection with this matter. That case is pending.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Los Angeles Police Department are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kelsey A. Stimson and Kim Meyer of the Major Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
Austin Emergency Center and Affiliates to Pay $429,231 to Settle Civil False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – Austin Emergency Center, LLC, Austin ER, LLC, AEC ER 4, LLC, Pahala Ventures, LLC, AEC Physicians, PLLC, and AEC Pflugerville, LLC (collectively, “Austin Emergency Center”) have agreed to pay the United States $429,231 to resolve overbilling allegations under the False Claims Act.
The settlement resolves allegations that Austin Emergency Center, which operates and provides medical services at standalone emergency medical facilities in the Austin area, submitted inflated claims for reimbursement to the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program (FEHBP). The United States alleged that Austin Emergency Center charged the FEHBP more than it charged cash-paying patients for certain COVID-19 tests during the period from June 18, 2020, through April 2, 2021, and up-coded evaluation and management services for drive-through COVID-19 screening during the period from April 13, 2020, through April 2, 2021.
“Financially capitalizing on crisis and the fear and misfortune of others is at the heart of every unlawful act committed by the worst elements of our society. Doing so under the guise of being a healthcare provider, represents the worst of who we are and further erodes our collective trust in the healthcare system,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Those who have used or plan to use healthcare as a means to unlawfully enrich themselves should take note that the Department of Justice is actively looking for opportunities to recover stolen pandemic-era funds on behalf of the American people.”
“During a public health emergency, providers exploited federal employees’ health benefits for profit at the taxpayers’ expense,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek M. Holt of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Office of the Inspector General (OIG). “We applaud our investigative staff and our partners at the Department of Justice for continuing to hold these providers accountable.”
OPM OIG led the investigation of this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Parnham negotiated the settlement on behalf of the government.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to More Than 20 Years in Federal Prison for Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A Fayetteville man was sentenced on November 21, to a total of 248 months in prison on one count of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The Honorable Chief Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville. Torrance Dejuan Farmer, Sr. age 51, was convicted last August after a two-day jury trial.
According to the evidence presented in court, Farmer had an altercation with his daughter over lost drug proceeds and threatened to kill her. Subsequently, a vehicle pursuit ensued where Farmer ordered his wife to chase his daughter while brandishing a firearm. Farmer discharged the firearm near the Braum’s restaurant at 2511 North College Avenue in Fayetteville. A Fayetteville Police Officer located Farmer’s vehicle near Drake Street and Farmer and his wife fled from the pursuing officer. During the pursuit, the officer observed Farmer throw the firearm from the vehicle onto the overpass of Interstate 49. Shortly thereafter, the pursuit ended, and Farmer and his wife were taken into custody. Farmer has an extensive criminal history and is considered an Armed Career Criminal under Federal Law based on his prior felony convictions for violent and serious drug offenses.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Fayetteville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Harris, Dustin Roberts and Kevin Eaton prosecuted the case for the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov.
Anchorage man sentenced to 20 years for leading local drug trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man currently serving a 20-year term of incarceration was sentenced yesterday to an additional 20 years in prison for leading a drug trafficking organization that was responsible for trafficking over eight kilograms of dangerous drugs in Alaska.
According to court documents, from April to December 2023, Rodney Godwin, 51, organized and operated a drug trafficking organization while under indictment for a separate drug trafficking crime. Godwin’s organization imported and distributed over 3.8 kilograms of fentanyl, 1.8 kilograms of methamphetamine, 1.6 kilograms of cocaine and 1.3 kilograms of heroin within Alaska. Godwin also possessed numerous firearms in connection to the drug trafficking organization.
On Sept. 12, 2023, Godwin was arrested after he failed to appear for sentencing in another federal drug trafficking case. Immediately prior to his arrest, Godwin was a passenger in a vehicle that left the area of two motorhomes he used for his drug operation. When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, Godwin fled. He was apprehended later that day after a brief foot pursuit. Law enforcement officers discovered roughly $6,000 in cash on his person and a loaded handgun close to where he was arrested. He was sentenced in absentia to 20 years in federal prison earlier that day while in abscond status prior to his arrest.
Law enforcement continued their investigation and searched the vehicle. They found over $192,000 in cash, large amounts of drugs and a loaded firearm. Law enforcement also searched one of the motorhomes Godwin was using to traffic drugs and discovered large quantities of drugs and multiple firearms. Godwin continued to lead the organization from jail after he was arrested.
On May 23, 2024, Godwin and seven co-defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in this matter. On May 10, 2025, Godwin pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise. At sentencing, the Court ordered Godwin to serve his 20-year sentence consecutive to the 20-year sentence he received for his earlier federal drug trafficking conviction from 2023. In handing down the sentence, the Court emphasized Godwin’s extensive criminal history, the significance of his crime and the message his sentence sends to the public. Specifically, the Court expressed that if criminals running the drug trafficking organizations targeting Alaska reoffend, there will be harsh consequences.
“Mr. Godwin has a long criminal history and chose to continue to engage in conduct that placed our community at risk, landing him in jail for nearly the rest of his life," said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. "This sentence should serve as a warning to offenders in Alaska that my office, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners at the federal, state and local level, will be relentless in our efforts to keep our community safe from drug trafficking and violent crime.”
“Godwin oversaw the importation and distribution of dangerous drugs into and throughout Alaska, jeopardizing public safety in a profound way,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Brandon Waddle of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “For his actions, he will now spend decades in federal prison. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will not allow criminals like Godwin to operate with impunity in our communities.”
- Calvin Oktollik, 37, of Anchorage, pleaded guilty on July 28, 2025, and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 3, 2026.
- Miles Apatiki, 38, of Anchorage, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of money laundering conspiracy. Apatiki’s case remains pending.
- Jennifer Godwin, 41, of Anchorage, pleaded guilty on July 11, 2025, and is scheduled to be sentenced on a later date.
- Andrew Akulaw, 42, of Anchorage, pleaded guilty on Nov. 18, 2025, and is scheduled to be sentenced on a later date.
- Reigna Archuleta, 40, of Anchorage, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of attempted possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and one count of carrying firearms during a drug trafficking crime. Archuleta’s case remains pending.
- David Henry, 51, of Palmer, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Henry’s case remains pending.
- Page Peak, 27, of Sterling, pleaded guilty on July 30, 2025, and is scheduled to be sentenced on a later date.
The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Anchorage Police Department investigated the case as part of the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Anchorage Domicile, IRS Criminal Investigation, Alaska State Troopers and U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Beausang and Mandy Mackenzie are prosecuting the case.
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Alma Avenue gang member and brother, both prior felons, facing new drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Kevin Miller, 35, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, five grams or more of methamphetamine, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a $5,000,000 fine. In addition, Kevin’s brother, Kaylen Miller, 28, of Lackawanna, NY, was arrested and charged in a separate criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
According to the complaints, Kevin Miller was charged after he made two controlled sales of methamphetamine to an undercover officer. Since 2019, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, along with the Lackawanna and Buffalo Police Departments, have been investigating the drug trafficking activities of Kevin Miller, an Alma Avenue Gang member with a prior federal narcotics conviction.
Kevin’s brother, Kaylen Miller, was also charged as the result of the execution of a search warrant by law enforcement that resulted in the recovery of a loaded handgun, suspected cocaine, drug paraphernalia and $2,005.00 in cash. Further investigation determined that the recovered handgun had been reported stolen in Cleveland, Ohio. Kaylen Miller was prohibited from possessing the gun due to a prior felony conviction.
“Kevin and Kaylen Miller have a documented history of criminal behavior, which they have both been prosecuted and punished for in the past,” stated U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo. “These brothers clearly did not learn a lesson the first time around and are now being held accountable once again for their actions. Let these newest charges serve as a reminder that my Office, together with our law enforcement partners, will continue our efforts to keep defendants like the Miller brothers from filling our community with drugs, guns, and violence.”
“Kevin and Kaylen Miller are previously convicted felons, who, once again, find themselves, in federal custody. These arrests and seizures demonstrate our relentless determination to remove gun and drug-fueled violence from our city,” said Philip Tejera, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI’s Buffalo Field Office. “The FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force is proud to work side by side with the Lackawanna and Buffalo Police Departments, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring these individuals to justice.”
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna Duncan, Kaylen and Kevin Miller appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer today. Judge Roemer ordered Kevin Miller to be detained and released Kaylen Miller on conditions.
The complaints are the culmination of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Alphonso Wright, and the Lackawanna Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Packard.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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All 70 NYCHA Employees Charged in February 2024 Sweep Convicted of Bribery, Fraud, or Extortion OffensesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), Jocelyn E. Strauber, Acting Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General (“HUD-OIG”), Brian D. Harrison, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Region of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (“DOL-OIG”), Jonathan Mellone, and Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), Harry T. Chavis, announced that all 70 employees of the New York City Housing Authority (“NYCHA”) who were arrested and charged in February 2024 have now been convicted of bribery, fraud, or extortion offenses.
Of the 70 defendants charged in February 2024 with accepting bribes in exchange for awarding NYCHA repair contracts, three defendants were convicted after jury trials, 56 defendants pled guilty to felony offenses, and 11 defendants pled guilty to misdemeanor offenses. Sentencings are ongoing, but sentences imposed to date range up to 48 months in prison. The defendants were collectively responsible for accepting over $2.1 million in bribes in exchange for awarding NYCHA contracts worth over $15 million. As a result of the convictions, the defendants will collectively pay over $2.1 million in restitution to NYCHA and will forfeit over $2 million in criminal proceeds.
“Today’s plea of the 70th and final NYCHA pay-for-play contracting scheme defendant marks an important milestone in one of the largest single-day corruption cases in the history of the Justice Department,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “All 70 charged defendants have now been convicted for attempting to criminally leverage the contracting process of work for affordable housing for New Yorkers to line their own pockets. NYCHA residents deserve better. New Yorkers deserve better. This broad and swift action demonstrates our Office’s commitment to combatting corruption in our nation’s largest public housing authority—home to 1 in every 17 New York City residents.”
“Today, the last of the 70 NYCHA employees charged with bribery and extortion in connection with the awarding of micro-purchase contracts pled guilty, closing the chapter on an investigation in which DOI and our federal partners exposed widespread corruption that touched almost one-third of NYCHA’s 365 developments in each of the five boroughs,” said DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber. “All the defendants, many of them supervisors, now have taken responsibility for separate schemes that, in total, involved more than $15 million in no-bid contracts, awarded in exchange for the payment of more than $2.1 million in bribes to employees who chose to serve themselves instead of the residents of NYCHA, driving up costs of maintenance and improvements in a public housing system dependent on scarce resources. To date, approximately $2 million in restitution to NYCHA and nearly $2 million in forfeiture has been ordered. Equally important, DOI’s 14 recommendations to improve controls with respect to NYCHA’s micro-purchase contracting have been implemented – three of which were similar to DOI’s 2021 recommendations that were rejected by NYCHA. I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and our federal law enforcement partners for their commitment to thwart corruption that drains public housing resources, and NYCHA for the implementation of much-needed contracting reforms.”
“Today’s final guilty plea is an important milestone in bringing to an end the egregious pay-to-play bribery scheme that wasted millions of dollars that should have benefited HUD tenants in New York and raised serious questions about the integrity of NYCHA operations,” said HUD-OIG Acting Inspector General Brian D. Harrison. “All 70 of the NYCHA employees who failed to uphold the basic duty of not stealing from public housing have now admitted guilt or been found guilty at trial within two years of indictment, a testament to the investigative excellence of HUD OIG and its law enforcement partners. We are grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its support and prosecutions in this case and know that this sends a clear signal to corrupt public officials that they will be held accountable.”
“Nearly two years ago, HSI New York and our law enforcement partners announced a sweeping investigation that uncovered a brazen corruption and extortion scheme that marked the largest number of federal bribery charges in a single day in history,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “Today’s guilty plea is the latest step in exposing a scheme that exploited NYCHA’s operations, shortchanged its communities, and siphoned trust and resources from NYCHA residents—New Yorkers who deserve better. Working in lockstep with our federal, state, and local law enforcement counterparts, HSI will keep pressing forward to protect New Yorkers and ensure that anyone who attempts to jeopardize their well-being faces decisive consequences.”
“An important part of the mission of DOL-OIG is to investigate fraud and other federal crimes involving matters within the jurisdiction of the Office of Inspector General,” said DOL-OIG Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone. “The seventy convictions obtained in this investigation send a clear message that public corruption will not be tolerated. We are committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate those who exploit governmental programs and the American workers.”
“IRS-CI will continually use its unique expertise in tax and finance to find leverage in assisting with complex investigations,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis. “We are proud to build on our law enforcement partnerships to continue to bring criminals to justice.”
According to information contained in court filings and public court proceedings, including as proven at trial:
NYCHA is the largest public housing authority in the country, providing housing to 1 in 17 New Yorkers in 335 developments across the City and receiving over $1.5 billion in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development every year. When repairs or construction work require the use of outside contractors, services must typically be purchased via a bidding process. However, at all times relevant to the cases referenced above, when the value of a contract was under a certain threshold (up to $10,000), designated staff at NYCHA developments could hire a contractor of their choosing without soliciting multiple bids. This “no-bid” process was faster than the general NYCHA procurement process, and selection of the contractor required approval of only the designated staff at the development where the work was to be performed.
The defendants, all of whom were NYCHA employees during the time of the relevant conduct, demanded and received cash in exchange for NYCHA contracts by either requiring contractors to pay up front in order to be awarded the contracts or requiring payment after the contractor finished the work and needed a NYCHA employee to sign off on the completed job so the contractor could receive payment from NYCHA. The defendants typically demanded approximately 10% to 20% of the contract value—between $500 and $2,000 depending on the size of the contract—but some defendants demanded even higher amounts.
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Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of DOI, HUD-OIG, HSI, DOL-OIG, and IRS-CI, which work together collaboratively as part of the HSI Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force, as well as the special agents and task force officers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Mr. Clayton also expressed appreciation for the cooperation and support of NYCHA’s senior executive leadership.
These cases are handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jerry J. Fang, Jacob R. Fiddelman, Meredith Foster, Catherine Ghosh, and Justin Horton are in charge of the prosecutions, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Deininger, Jane Kim, Benjamin Burkett, Matthew J. King, and Amanda C. Weingarten also handled individual cases.
Alabama corporation settles Paycheck Protection Program false claimsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – Dynamic Staffing, Inc., located in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, has paid $1,725,000 to settle civil False Claims Act (FCA) allegations that it falsely certified that it was eligible for a Second Draw Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan.
The United States alleged that Dynamic Staffing received a PPP loan of more than $1.4 million, which was later forgiven, after submitting false statements on its application for the PPP loan in February 2021, and again on its application for forgiveness of the loan in October 2021.
The settlement began with a lawsuit, United States ex rel. GNGH2, Inc. v. Dynamic Staffing in Virginia, Inc., filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims presented to the federal government and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The whistleblower in this matter received a ten percent share of the settlement. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert McIntosh.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Case records may be found on PACER under case number 3:25-cv-200.
The civil claims settled are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
Adult residential group homes operator settles healthcare fraud claimsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – Sola, Inc., which formerly operated adult residential group homes in Gloucester, has paid $2,000,000 to the United States and Commonwealth of Virginia to settle civil fraud claims that it billed Virginia Medicaid for skilled and other nursing services for its residents that exceeded the total number of hours worked by its nurses.
The United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia alleged that Sola overbilled Medicaid $641,396.11 for nursing services that were impossible to perform, because the amount of time billed (measured in “units”) to the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) exceeded the corresponding number of hours worked by the nurses employed by Sola, as reported on the nurses’ time sheets.
The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Virginia Attorney General’s Office.
The matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert McIntosh and Virginia Senior Assistant Attorney General Megan A. Winfield.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The civil claims settled are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
Acting U.S. Attorney M. Scott Proctor Announces Indictment Alleging Drug Trafficking, Money Laundering, Firearms Crimes, and Attempted Killing of a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
On November 19, 2025, a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Indiana returned a 17-count indictment charging DeCarlos L. Smallwood, Robert Sanders, Kumar Bishop, Sanena Williams, and DeCarlos C. Smallwood with various drug, money laundering, and/or firearm offenses related to the distribution of methamphetamine in South Bend, Indiana. The indictment also charges DeCarlos L. Smallwood with attempting to kill a federal official engaged in the performance of federal duties on November 6, 2025, the date on which federal agents arrested him and searched his residence.
“Through this indictment, the grand jury has alleged that the defendants have committed exceedingly serious crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney M. Scott Proctor. “My office bears the burden of proving that the defendants are guilty of these charges. Meanwhile, I would like to remind the public of two things. First, the defendants are entitled to a fair trial and are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. And second, any credible allegation of attempted or actual violence against a federal agent will be pursued and, if appropriate, prosecuted by this office to the fullest extent of the law.”
“The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) remains committed to the disruption, dismantlement, and destruction of drug trafficking organizations that are threats to our communities and nation,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Chip Cooke. “Violent drug trafficking organizations are an even worse threat. In this investigation, the collaborative effort among DEA and its law enforcement partners, which includes the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana, led the grand jury to return an indictment that should serve as a powerful sign to anyone seeking to bring violence and drug distribution to north central Indiana: You will be investigated, charged, and prosecuted.”
Again, the public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Postal Inspection Service, Indiana State Police, South Bend Police Department, St. Joseph County Police Department, and Mishawaka Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lydia T. Lucius.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Indianapolis comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, ATF, IRS, Indiana State Police, and other partners, with the prosecutions being led by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana.
24 November 2025
Western District of Oklahoma Continues Dangerous Drug and Violent-Crime Prosecutions During Federal Funding LapseRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – During the lapse in government funding, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma continued its essential mission to protect Oklahoma communities from dangerous drugs and violent crime. Below are several sentencings in separate and unrelated cases that were finalized during this period.
BREON MONTE BELLAMY, 36, of Lawton, was sentenced to serve 156 months in federal prison, followed by six years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl and drug conspiracy. According to public record, on August 21, 2023, Bellamy sold fentanyl to REECY ANN BENCH, 22, at a casino in Lawton, Oklahoma. Bench then gave a portion of the fentanyl to JOANIE ANN WILSON, 38, while still at the casino. The federal investigation suggested that some of this fentanyl was then distributed to another Stephens County resident, who died of fentanyl and methamphetamine toxicity on August 23, 2023. Both Bench and Wilson have previously been sentenced after pleading guilty to drug conspiracy, with Bench receiving 42 months and Wilson receiving 54 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release for each.
ANDRES MICHI GENTRY, 20, of Purcell, was sentenced to serve 70 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of an unregistered firearm. According to public record, on April 2, 2024, Gentry assaulted a victim at their home and fired at officers with the Purcell Police Department who had responded to the home. Following Gentry’s arrest, officers executed a search warrant at his home and recovered a modified shotgun.
MARIO MANZO, 39, of California, was sentenced to serve 37 months in federal prison for assault on a federal officer. In August 2023, Manzo was incarcerated at the Federal Transfer Center (FTC) in Oklahoma City, where he was serving a 60-month sentence for importation of methamphetamine out of the Southern District of California. According to public record, on August 29, 2023, while incarcerated at the FTC, Manzo struck an FTC employee in the face.
PHILBERT QUENTIN MCCOY, JR., 23, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to serve 147 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession of black-market marijuana with intent to distribute and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to public record, McCoy was arrested on several occasions in Oklahoma for picking up distribution quantities of black-market marijuana. In January 2024, McCoy was stopped by Oklahoma Highway Patrol in possession of 83 kilograms of marijuana, $87,645, and multiple firearms. In March 2024, Oklahoma City Police encountered McCoy at short term rental property which was being used as a marijuana stash house. McCoy fled from the scene and struck a patrol vehicle causing injuries to one officer before he was apprehended. McCoy was in possession of $127,555 and a firearm along with approximately 96 kilograms of marijuana in the residence.
ADAM ROUSE,33, BRENDAN SHANE HOLDER, 32, DAMION BLAIR BRADLEY GEORGE, 31, and KRISTOPHER HAUSER, 32, all of Oklahoma City, were collectively sentenced to serve more than 520 months in federal prison for maiming in aid of racketeering activities of the Irish Mob Gang. The Irish Mob Gang is an enterprise engaged in, among other things, the distribution of controlled substances, firearms trafficking, and acts of violence. According to the Indictment, for purposes of gaining entrance to and maintaining and increasing their position within the Irish Mob Gang, Rouse and Holder severed a victim’s right pinkie finger with a hatchet, while Holder, George, and Hauser all participated in the burning of a gang tattoo off the back of a victim’s head with a heated machete. As a result, Rouse received a 108-month sentence, Holder a 120-month sentence, George a 180-month sentence, and Hauser a 120-month sentence. Each defendant received a three-year term of supervised release.
STEPHEN SCHERER, 46, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced to serve 240 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to public record, on September 27, 2024, police found almost 4 kilograms of methamphetamine, a small amount of fentanyl pills, digital scales, a large amount of U.S. currency, and a firearm at a hotel where Scherer had been staying and using as a base of operations for a significant drug trafficking operation. Public record further reflects that Scherer has previous felony convictions in Oklahoma County District Court that include larceny of an automobile and attempting to elude a police officer in case number CF-1997-2287, larceny from a person after former felony conviction in case number CF-2002-2765, and conspiracy to manufacture, attempting to manufacture, and possession of methamphetamine and child endangerment in case number CF-2004-3939.
BRUCE LAWAYNE TALLEY, JR., 40, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced to serve 135 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. According to public record, on July 12, 2024, Talley was seen picking up a brown cardboard box from a residence in Oklahoma City. After a traffic stop, Talley fled, leading the police on a high-speed pursuit which reached speeds of over 100 miles per hour. Talley was eventually stopped and taken into custody. The brown cardboard box was recovered from near the area where Talley was eventually stopped and contained over 750 grams of fentanyl pills.
LADON TREVAUGHN TURNER, 33, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced to serve 137 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegal possession of a firearm after a previous felony conviction and unlawful possession of a machinegun. According to public record, on January 1, 2025, Turner was involved in a shootout with others in Bricktown. Surveillance video showed Turner firing approximately nine rounds in the direction of the opposing group. After executing a search warrant at Turner’s home, officers with the Oklahoma City Police Department located a firearm used in the Bricktown shooting, as well as a 3D-printed machinegun conversion device (MCD). When installed, MCDs convert semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic machineguns, and possession of the devices violates federal law. Public record further reflects that Turner has previous felony convictions in Oklahoma County District Court that include second degree burglary in case number CF-2013-1969, possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute and possession of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a child under 12 years of age in case number CF-2015-593, and possession of a firearm while on probation after former felony conviction in case number CF-2017-1655.
XAVIER JORDAN WHITESIDE, 28, of Odessa, Texas, was sentenced to serve 60 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegal possession of a firearm after a previous felony conviction. According to public record, on January 19, 2025, officers with the Mooreland Police Department responded to Whiteside’s home on a domestic violence call involving the discharge of a firearm. At the home, officers located a loaded gun belonging to Whiteside under the covers of a bed. Public record further reflects that Whiteside has previous felony convictions in Texas for unauthorized use of a vehicle, possession of a prohibited weapon, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
These cases are the result of investigations by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Oklahoma City Police Department, the Norman Police Department, the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mooreland Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth M. Bagwell, Tiffany Edgmon, Stephen Hoch, Elizabeth Joynes, David McCrary, Mary E. Walters, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Laney Ellis prosecuted the cases.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
West Valley Man Admits to Robbing a Credit UnionRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Joseph Troy Ortega, 58, of West Valley City, Utah, pleaded guilty in court today to credit union robbery after he threatened a teller and fled with $3,690 in cash.
According to court documents and admissions made at Sanchez-Carrillo’s change of plea hearing on August 28, 2025, Ortega entered a credit union in West Valley City, approached the teller and demanded money. The teller complied with Ortega’s demands and handed over $3,690. Ortega then took the money and fled the credit union in his black Toyota Rav 4. A short time later, Ortega was located by law enforcement and taken into custody. In an envelope inside the vehicle, officers found a portion of the stolen money. See prior press release: West Valley City Man Indicted Following Alleged Credit Union Robbery.
Ortega is scheduled to be sentenced February 24, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. in courtroom 3.4 before a U.S. District Court Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.
Assistant United States Attorney, Carlos A. Esqueda, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Wayne County registered sex offender arrested on new child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, NY-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Geoffrey Hayes, 40, of Webster, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession, receipt, and distribution of child pornography, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a fine up to $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that in November 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a child pornography CyberTip from Stelivo LLC, a company that runs several chatroom websites, including FreeChat. The tip reported that an individual, later identified as Hayes, uploaded approximately 11 image files of suspected child pornography to the website schat.freechatnow.com. Hayes is a registered sex offender who was convicted of Attempted Possession of a Sexual Performance by a Child in 2021.
In May 2024, the New York State Police executed search warrants at Hayes’ residence. During the search, investigators seized two cell phones. An analysis of one of the phones recovered approximately 83 image files of suspected child pornography, approximately 41 image files of suspected child exploitative and erotica images, and approximately 81 image files of age difficult explicit material. An analysis of the second phone recovered approximately 5,174 image files and approximately 1,901 video files of suspected child pornography, and approximately 6,714 image files and 205 videos of child exploitative and erotica material.
Hayes made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Colleen D. Holland and was held pending a detention hearing.
The complaint is the culmination of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Kevin Sucher, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Washington Man Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for Producing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced today that Michael Avila Espinoza, age 34, was sentenced for two counts of Production of Child Pornography. Espinoza pleaded guilty on June 11, 2025. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Espinoza to 23 years in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release. Judge Rice also imposed a $15,000 assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act.
According to court documents, Espinoza met with and engaged in sex with two minor females, one as young as 12 years of age, and recorded the child rapes on his cell phone. Espinoza was identified during the course of a state sexual assault investigation involving one of Espinoza’s victims. Investigators obtained a search warrant for Espinoza’s social media and found communications between Espinoza and his minor victims that made it clear Espinoza met with the minors several times for sex. Investigators also observed in Espinoza’s social media records the sexually explicit videos Espinoza created and additional sexually explicit photos of the victims solicited by Espinoza. When the victims were interviewed, they confirmed that Espinoza offered and paid them small amounts of money in exchange for sex.
“It is difficult to imagine more violative conduct than the sexual assault of multiple minors, but here Defendant multiplied the horrors of his crimes by commodifying his child victims, and by recording his acts of violence against them,” said United States Attorney Serrano. “In a civilized society, it is everyone’s job to protect the innocent and the vulnerable. The United States Attorney’s Office stands with child victims and prioritizes their protection from sexual predators like Defendant. A 23-year sentence is significant, and demonstrates the collaborative partnerships of local, state, and federal law enforcement colleagues who work tirelessly to protect our communities.”
“Espinoza’s sentencing—23 years in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release—reflects the profound harm caused by the defendant’s crimes, including his abuse of minors in the production of child sexual exploitation material,” said HSI Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of HSI special agents from HSI Yakima and HSI Wenatchee, who supported our local law enforcement partners, this threat to children has been removed from our communities and will be closely monitored for the rest of his life. HSI remains unwavering in our commitment to stop the vile crime of child exploitation.”
“This negotiated sentence accomplishes several of the goals the State hopes for—it encompasses crimes from multiple jurisdictions, with multiple victims, holds the defendant accountable at a high level, and protects the victims from having to speak about and relive the trauma of what the defendant did to them multiple times.” Said Deputy Prosecutor Micaela Meadow. “Chelan County is grateful to our federal counterparts for assisting in and taking on these difficult cases where we may not be able to accomplish those goals at the State level.”
“Protecting the safety of our community, especially our most vulnerable, is our highest priority. We are grateful for the partnership that helped bring this offender to justice,” stated Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Undersheriff Tyler I. Caille.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated jointly by Homeland Security Investigations, the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ann T. Wick.
2:23-cr-00030-TORWapato Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Attempted Abusive Sexual Contact with a Child Under 12 on the Yakama ReservationRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastain sentenced Shawn De Sun Speedis, age 19, to 30 months in prison for Attempted Abusive Sexual Contact with a Child Under 12 years of Age in Indian Country. Judge Bastain further sentenced Speedis to 5 years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. As a result of this conviction, Speedis also will be required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing, on October 31, 2024, after the child returned home from trick-or-treating, and her mother had left their residence, Speedis asked the child if she wanted to see and touch his penis. When the child refused, Speedis continued to try and coerce the child. The child repeatedly told Speedis that she did not want to do what he asked. Speedis then exposed himself to the child. The child victim was eleven years old at the time of the offense.
“The sexual abuse of children is some of the most heinous criminal conduct that we face as a community,” said US Attorney Pete Serrano. “My office will continue to work alongside our tribal, state and federal partners to stand up for victims of sexual crimes and against those who seek to prey on the most vulnerable people in our community. No one can give the victim back what the Defendant took, but this significant sentence, along with Defendant’s ongoing supervision upon release, and his required registration as a sex offender reflects our commitment to prioritize these investigations and these victims.”
“Mr. Speedis turned Halloween evening last year into a profoundly traumatic experience for this child: a predator seeking to sexually abuse her in her own home," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "We hope this prison sentence and sex offender registration will serve as a warning to all that this behavior has long-lasting consequences.”
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which aims to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people through the resolution of MMIP cases and communication, coordination, and collaboration with federal, Tribal, state, and local partners. The Department views this work as a priority for its law enforcement components. Through the MMIP Regional Outreach Program, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify MMIP cases and issues in Tribal communities and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Yakama Nation Tribal Police Department. It was prosecuted by Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Assistant United States Attorney Bree R. Black Horse.
1:25-cr-02057-SABVermont Man Pleads Guilty to Failure to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Vermont Man Pleads Guilty To Failure To Register As A Sex Offender
CONCORD – A Vermont man pleaded guilty today in federal court for his failure to register as a sex offender as required by the federal Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
David Courtemarche, age 45, pleaded guilty to one count of failing to register as a sex offender. U.S. District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro scheduled Courtemarche’s sentencing for March 2, 2026.
According to the charging documents and statements made in court, in 2003 the defendant was convicted in Vermont of sexual assault involving a victim under 16 years of age. Due to this conviction, SORNA and related state laws required the defendant to register in each state where he resides or is employed. SORNA gives an individual three days in which to register. The defendant’s Vermont registration paperwork notified him of these requirements and the defendant claimed he lived in Vermont. However, by at least August of 2022, he began working in New Hampshire and, by at least November 2023, he began living in New Hampshire. Though the defendant lived and worked in New Hampshire and knew that state and federal law required him to register as a sex offender in New Hampshire, he did not do so.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, at least 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The United States Marshals Service investigated this case. Valuable assistance was provided by the New Hampshire State Police, the Littleton Police Department, and the Lancaster Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Hunter is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Union County Teacher Sentenced to 275 Months in Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man who was employed as a New Jersey high school teacher, was sentenced to 275 months in prison for producing child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Michael Hamilton, 53, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn to an Information charging him with one count of producing child pornography. Judge O’Hearn imposed the sentence in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Hamilton admitted to meeting a minor victim and engaging in sexual conduct with that victim, which Hamilton recorded on video. Law enforcement seized a copy of that video during the search of his home in October 2023. Hamilton also admitted to receiving and possessing sexually explicit messages, pictures, and videos of two other minor victims.
In addition to the prison term, Judge O’Hearn sentenced Hamilton to 10 years of supervised release, and to pay restation of $5,000 to a victim.
“There is no higher responsibility than safeguarding the welfare of our children. The defendant took advantage of children for his own sexual desires. We will continue to protect children and bring justice to sexual predators. I commend the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and our law enforcement partners for their critical work reaching this result.”
- Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba
Acting U.S. Attorney Habba credited FBI Newark’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, with the investigation. Acting U.S. Attorney Habba also thanked the Springfield Police Department and the Union County Prosecutor’s Office.
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 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The government is represented by Rebecca Sussman of the Narcotics and International Trafficking Unit and Robert Taj Moore of the Cybercrime Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Randy Davenport, Esq.
U.S. Attorney's Office Highlights Prosecutions During Lapse in AppropriationsRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – During the recent lapse in government appropriations, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada remained open and performed excepted duties related to national security, violations of federal law, and essential public safety functions.
The following are highlights of some cases prosecuted during the lapse in appropriations:
- Matthew Wade Beasley pleaded guilty to defrauding investors of money to fund loans, but in reality, he enriched himself and others, and to repay investors as if loans had been made. From 2017 to March 2022, he caused 1,213 investors to invest about $519.9 million. He paid himself about $33.5 million from the scheme, paid off gambling debts, and purchased luxury homes, high-end cars, and recreational vehicles. Sentencing is scheduled for January 28, 2026. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel Schiess and Jessica Oliva are prosecuting the case.
- A jury convicted Francisco Ivan Velazquez, a Mexican national, of operating a fraud scheme in which he impersonated an IRS officer and told victims he could obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars for them from a fictitious IRS program. Sentencing is scheduled for February 18, 2026. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
- Hua Xiao, Cheng Cheng Li, and Jianming Li from China, and Jisup Hwang from South Korea, were charged with operating brothels masquerading as massage parlors throughout Las Vegas and laundering the illegal proceeds. The FBI and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Steven Rose is prosecuting the case.
- Sergio Octavio Sanchez was indicted and made his initial court appearance for allegedly aiming the beam of a laser pointer at and in the flight path of a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department helicopter. The laser interfered with police operations and endangered the crew of the helicopter. A jury trial is scheduled to begin on February 23, 2026. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Tina Snellings is prosecuting the case.
- Steven Gregory Thornton was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to trafficking methamphetamine and felon in possession of a firearm. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Tina Snellings prosecuted the case.
- After a three-day trial, a jury convicted Elijah Sylee Shelton of possession of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. Sentencing is scheduled for January 8, 2026. The FBI and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys James Gaeta and Joshua Brister are prosecuting the case.
- Five-time felon Brenton Scott Williams was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. In furtherance of his crimes, Williams waited for individuals to leave the gun range, followed them as they left, and then later broke into their vehicles to steal their firearms. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
- Ryan Tyler Maness was sentenced to 10 years in prison for engaging in a sexually explicit conversation over Kik messenger with someone who he believed was a 13-year-old girl and attempting to engage in sexual activity with said minor. Maness attempted to meet who he believed to be a 13-year-old girl while being armed with a loaded firearm. At the time, he was on probation for a robbery conviction in Las Vegas. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Afroza Yeasmin prosecuted the case.
An Indictment merely contain allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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U.s. Attorney Heap Announces Forfeiture of Cryptocurrency and Return of Fraud Proceeds to VictimRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: Margaret E. Heap, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, today announced that, through a civil asset forfeiture action, the government has forfeited, liquidated, and returned approximately $84,327.50 to a victim of cryptocurrency theft.
“The Asset Forfeiture Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in coordination with the FBI and the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, worked diligently to locate, seize, and forfeit these funds, and thereafter, return money to the victim,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “This case demonstrates my office’s commitment to helping victims of crime. By using civil asset forfeiture, we can expeditiously recover as much stolen money as possible and return this money to victims. Although it can be difficult to come forward and admit that you were a victim of a crime, we stand ready to help you to the fullest extent possible. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will work with the victims in these cases and with the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section to properly return forfeited assets to eligible victims. If you think you have been a victim of a cybercrime, file a detailed complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.”
As set forth in the civil complaint, in October 2024, a resident of Richmond Hill, Georgia, noticed several unauthorized transactions in a cryptocurrency address the resident owned and controlled. As a result of the illegal transactions, approximately $124,000 was stolen from the Richmond Hill resident. Upon discovering the theft, the victim reported the crime to local law enforcement and to the FBI. The FBI thoroughly investigated the case, tracing the location of the majority of the stolen cryptocurrency, charting the pathway of the ill-gotten crime proceeds, and identifying the involvement of overseas actors, including in Cambodia. The FBI, working with the Asset Forfeiture Unit, quickly seized the traced cryptocurrency. Earlier this year, the property was forfeited through a federal civil forfeiture case in Savannah. Throughout the investigation and court proceedings, the FBI worked with the victim to advance the investigation and to return the net proceeds of the cryptocurrency after forfeiture and liquidation.
“The FBI is committed to pursuing justice for victims of cybercrime, no matter where the trail leads,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “In this case, our agents used advanced investigative techniques to trace stolen cryptocurrency across international borders and recover funds that otherwise might have been lost forever. We’ll continue working alongside our partners to identify cybercriminals, seize their illegal gains, and restore assets to those they’ve harmed.”
The Internet Crime Complaint Center is run by the FBI and serves as the country’s hub for reporting cybercrime. Visit www.ic3.gov to report a crime, and for updated information and other cyber fraud schemes.
This case was investigated by the FBI. The United States was represented by Senior Litigation Counsel J. Bishop Ravenel.
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Civil Complaint Default JudgmentTwo-Time Convicted Felon CEO and His Dietary Supplement Company Convicted of $4.7 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Following a six-week trial, Jared Wheat and his dietary supplement company, Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Hi-Tech”), were convicted by a federal jury of wire fraud after fabricating documents to deceive customers into believing that the company was certified as compliant with industry manufacturing standards. Hi-Tech, which is headquartered in Norcross, Georgia, was also convicted for laundering millions of dollars in proceeds from the fraudulent scheme.
“After two prior federal felony convictions, Wheat yet again put profits over product quality and consumer safety by forging documents purporting to show that an independent, third-party audit company had certified Hi-Tech as complying with Good Manufacturing Practices. As a result of the defendants’ deceit, Hi-Tech received millions of dollars from customers who relied on the fabricated documents,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “The defendants’ fraudulent scheme was uncovered through years of dedicated investigation and collaboration among law enforcement partners, and the verdict signals that companies that lie will face stern consequences.”
“Making fraudulent claims about FDA-regulated products shows a reckless disregard for public health and safety,” said Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Kelly McCoy. “We remain committed to pursuing and bringing to justice those who misrepresent key aspects of their products to unsuspecting customers.”
“Hi-Tech’s conviction for money laundering provides the expected outcome for any business engaging in this illegal activity,” said Demetrius Hardeman, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS-CI special agents are experts at following the money to uncover the various money laundering schemes carried out by business entities or criminals to hide illegal profits, including their use of layering, cyber laundering, and shell companies.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and information presented at trial: Wheat is the founder, owner, and Chief Executive Officer of Hi-Tech, a large dietary supplement company that claims to have $100 million in annual revenue. In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) issued new mandatory rules governing proper sanitary, hygienic, and production and process control standards for dietary supplement companies, called Good Manufacturing Practices (“GMP”), that were designed to ensure the safety of dietary supplements. The FDA does not certify that companies are following GMP, so many dietary supplement manufacturers seek certification from third-party, independent audit companies to provide a marketing advantage in a competitive industry.
In November 2010, the Defendants retained a reputable third-party audit company to inspect its facilities, and the audit company identified grave deficiencies in Hi-Tech’s compliance with GMP. For example, the audit report listed 75 categories that were not compliant with GMP, which was roughly 40 percent of the total criteria, including gaps and holes in facility doors that could permit rodents to enter, products exposed to dust and other contaminants before packaging, and critical lapses in its product specifications and testing for both raw materials and finished products.
Instead of fixing these quality and safety issues, Wheat and Hi-Tech fabricated a certificate in March 2011 purportedly issued from a company called PharmaTech Consulting (“PharmaTech”) stating that Hi-Tech complied with GMP. The defendants listed one of Wheat’s former attorneys in Belize as the General Manager of PharmaTech and forged the attorney’s signature on the certificate. The defendants did not disclose that PharmaTech was owned by Wheat, had conducted no inspection or audit of Hi-Tech, and was not an independent third-party auditor.
In addition, Hi-Tech doctored the inspection report issued by the third-party audit company to make it appear that PharmaTech had issued a favorable audit report. Specifically, after the legitimate audit report revealed 75 GMP deficiencies, Hi-Tech changed each category from “Not Acceptable” to “Acceptable,” and listed PharmaTech as the auditor.
Hi-Tech also fabricated FDA export certificates called Certificates of Free Sale, which indicate that food products are marketed in the United States and eligible for export, by altering dates and product names. Between 2011 and 2013, Hi-Tech sent fraudulent PharmaTech audit reports and GMP certificates, as well as Certificates of Free Sale, to its customers on dozens of occasions.
In many cases, customers forwarded the fraudulent documents to foreign regulators, which permitted Hi-Tech products to be sold abroad based on the fabricated certifications of its compliance with GMP. From March 2011 through April 2013, customers who received the fraudulent documents paid at least $4,763,292 to Hi-Tech.
On November 21, 2025, a jury convicted Wheat, 53, of Alpharetta, Georgia, of wire fraud. He faces a maximum of 20 years of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release. Wheat was previously convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama in 1991, and he was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and to introduce misbranded, adulterated, and unapproved drugs into interstate commerce in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in 2009.
The jury also convicted Hi-Tech of wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and money laundering. Hi-Tech faces a fine of up to twice the value of the criminal proceeds involved in the offenses, which could total nearly $10 million, and probation of up to five years. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.
The sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg has not yet been scheduled.
This case is being investigated by the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation.
First Assistant United States Attorney Nathan P. Kitchens and Assistant United States Attorney Kelly K. Connors are prosecuting the case. The FDA Office of Chief Counsel provided substantial assistance during the prosecution.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.