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18 November 2025
Elkhart Woman Sentenced to 85 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Yesterday, Undrea House, 29 years old, of Elkhart, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to one count of bank robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
House was sentenced to 85 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, House walked into a bank in August of 2024 and pointed a loaded handgun at an employee while demanding cash. She took over $1,000 in cash and returned to her apartment, where police found her and arrested her later that day.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Goshen Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joel Gabrielse.
Elderly Man in Delaware County Defrauded by a Citizen of India in the United States on Student VisaRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A citizen of India residing in San Antonio, Texas, and in the United States on a student visa, was indicted for defrauding an elderly man in Delaware County.
Venkateswara Chagamreddy, 27, is charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud; Conspiracy to Demand Money and Property While Falsely Impersonating a Federal Officer; and Conspiracy to Obstruct, Delay, and Affect Commerce by Extortion.
According to court documents, the elderly victim called a phone number that he believed was Microsoft support. While speaking with “Microsoft,” the victim was told that criminal activity had been detected on his computer and that information would be turned over to the federal government. The victim was then contacted by someone who identified themselves as a federal officer and provided a false badge number. The fake federal officer told the victim that his identity had been stolen and provided to criminals, which resulted in him being “investigated,” and that his identity was used to commit federal crimes.
The fake federal officer spoke with the elderly victim about his finances and stated that he would be transferred to the “treasury department.” The victim was told that his money needed to be transferred to gold and that an “officer” would pick it up the following day. The elderly victim complied and provided photos of the gold. When the fake officer arrived, the victim handed him the package of gold.
A few days later, the victim was contacted again by the fake federal officer, who demanded more funds. The victim contacted a family member, who explained that he was being scammed and contacted the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office. With the victim's cooperation, deputies scheduled another pickup.
While deputies watched the arranged location, Chagamreddy arrived, and court documents allege that Chagamreddy was on the phone with the elderly victim when deputies arrested him. When deputies searched his vehicle, they found gold and marijuana, among other things. After waiving his right to an attorney present, Chagamreddy explained that he was in the United States on a student visa and was at risk of deportation after being suspended from school. Chagamreddy alleged that he recently travelled out of state to enroll in a different college and that, upon his return, the gold was in his vehicle.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Greenough is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Eight Members of Global Insider Trading Network Charged with Securities Fraud and Money Laundering OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A superseding indictment was unsealed today bringing securities fraud and money laundering charges against eight foreign nationals who are alleged members of a global insider trading network, including several leaders of the network:
- Samy Fadi Khouadja, 45, of France and the United Arab Emirates;
- Eamma Safi, a/k/a “TT,” a/k/a “Yummy,” a/k/a “Situatie Packered,” a/k/a “Roman Kna,” 38, of the United Arab Emirates and Germany;
- Zhi Ge, a/k/a “Josh Ge,” a/k/a “Josh Gez,” a/k/a “Jay Gat,” 34, of Singapore;
- Christophe Dong, 41, of France;
- Julien Liu, 35, of France and Hong Kong;
- Patrick Chou, 38, of France and Hong Kong;
- Cheuk Yue Lee, a/k/a “Ryan,” a/k/a “m100,” 43, of Hong Kong; and
- Dev Ananth Durai, a/k/a “Devah,” 39, of Singapore.
Safi and Ge were charged by criminal complaint in April 2024 and indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in July 2024. The superseding indictment charges all eight defendants with two counts of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, two counts of securities fraud, and one count of money laundering conspiracy. Safi is in U.S. custody, and Ge was provisionally arrested in Singapore on July 3, 2024, and remains in extradition proceedings. The remaining defendants are considered fugitives.
As alleged in the charging documents, which included information obtained from cooperating witnesses, Khouadja, Safi and Ge were leaders of an insider trading network from 2016 to 2024. As part of the scheme, Khouadja, Safi and Ge allegedly recruited investment bankers and other corporate insiders who had access to material, non-public information (MNPI) about the financial performance and merger-and-acquisition activity of publicly traded companies. As alleged, Khouadja, Safi and Ge then obtained MNPI from those insiders, including by paying the insiders for the information. Thereafter, Khouadja, Safi and Ge allegedly traded on the basis of the MNPI and recruited a network of traders, in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, to trade on it.
The defendants allegedly leaked MNPI to journalists and news outlets to profit on securities trades following the publication of the information. Many of the illegal trades allegedly took place over an automated exchange operated in Massachusetts.
It is further alleged that the network of traders, which included Dong, Liu, Chou, Lee and Durai, traded on the basis of the MNPI in exchange for their agreement to kick back a percentage of illicit profits to leaders of the network, through payments designed to conceal the nature of the proceeds, including cash transfers, third-party payments and the use of shell companies and sham loans and invoices. As alleged, the defendants and other co-conspirators who were members of the network traded on MNPI in advance of more than a dozen corporate transactions and announcements, generating tens of millions of dollars in illicit profits.
The defendants and other co-conspirators who were members of the network allegedly took various steps to conceal the scheme from law enforcement and regulators, including the use of burner or disposable cell phones, coded language, in-person meetings and various encrypted communications channels. Specifically, the defendants and other co-conspirators allegedly relied heavily on encrypted mobile messaging applications, featuring disappearing or auto-deleting messages, which they believed were beyond the reach of law enforcement.
For example, it is alleged that Durai messaged a co-conspirator trader that Liu was a “purely insider trading guy,” and that “the deal I made with the guy who gives me the tip [Liu] is that I give him 50% of profit…so you can buy and help me subsidize my payment to him.” In another message, Liu allegedly told Durai that Khouadja provided MNPI that was “only [a] 100% thing.” In another message, Khouadja allegedly told Dong to tell a co-conspirator trader that “the source wants 50, so for you, me and the source, you can tell him 200. He will give me the code [stock ticker] only if the guy [trader] is ok,” and thereafter, Khouadja told Dong to tell the trader that the deal “could be anytile [sic, anytime] | they are already drafting SPA [stock purchase agreement].” Khouadja also allegedly messaged Dong, “US deal 50c premium imminent…can he do it,” which Dong then forwarded to traders, including Chou and Durai. As another example, Safi allegedly provided MNPI to Ge to relay to Lee, and Safi said: “Is like [Lee] asking me in order to take our trade we should let him speak with the insider | I am his assurance,” and if “[Lee] wants the formal way let him go to a financial advisor.” It is further alleged that after Chou profitably traded on MNPI obtained from Dong, Dong sent Chou a phony invoice for dresses to substantiate a kick-back payment of illicit securities fraud proceeds from Chou to Dong.
“Protecting the integrity of our nation’s capital markets is a priority of my office,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Today’s charges show that we will aggressively pursue those who engage in insider trading and cheat the system. No matter how secret you think encrypted messaging is and no matter how many steps you take to conceal your illegal activities, if you sell inside information or trade on non-public information be warned, my office will use every tool at our disposal to track you down and one day, you will find yourself in federal custody.”
“These eight men are accused of engaging in a global con – trading on material, non-public information stolen from companies to score millions of dollars for themselves,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Boston Field Office. “We believe everything these men did, including their alleged attempts to conceal their crimes, show a willful disregard for the law. Protecting companies from theft and maintaining a level playing field for investors is critical to the financial markets. For that reason, the FBI takes our responsibility to investigate insider trading and other complex financial crimes seriously.”
The charge of conspiracy to commit securities fraud provides for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of securities fraud provides for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. The superseding indictment charges each defendant with one count of money laundering conspiracy, which provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved, whichever is greater. The superseding indictment charges Safi and Ge with one count of money laundering, which provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $500,000, or twice the value of the property involved, whichever is greater. 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.
U.S. Attorney Foley and FBI SAC Docks made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Government of Switzerland to secure the arrest and February 26, 2025 extradition from Switzerland of Safi. Assistant United States Attorney Ian J. Stearns of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Eagle Butte Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 ½ Years in Federal Prison for AssaultRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a man from Eagle Butte, South Dakota, convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The sentencing took place on September 30, 2025.
Jody Jeremy Dupris, a/k/a Jeremy Jody Dupris, age 45, was sentenced to six years and four months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Dupris was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024. He pleaded guilty on June 26, 2025.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred in the early morning hours of May 2024 in Eagle Butte, SD, within the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation. Dupris went to the victim’s residence and demanded to be let in. After the victim allowed him into the residence, Dupris stabbed the victim in his right shoulder with a box-cutter/utility knife, causing a deep laceration and bleeding. The victim was able to get away and seek medical care after Dupris passed out. When law enforcement officers entered the victim’s residence, they found Dupris lying on the floor with the weapon nearby.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.
Dupris was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Dubuque Felon Sent Back to Prison for Possessing a Gun While on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
A convicted felon who was on federal supervised release when he possessed marijuana and a loaded and stolen handgun was sentenced on November 17, 2025, to seven years in federal prison.
Tremaine Laron Moore, Jr., age 25, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 22, 2025, guilty plea to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and a November 15, 2025, admission that he violated the terms of his supervised release in a prior federal gun case.
Evidence at the hearing showed that, on December 19, 2024, United States Probation Officers went to Moore’s house in Dubuque for an unannounced home visit. The officers, along with a police officer from Dubuque, searched the home. They found a loaded, previously stolen 9mm handgun, baggies of marijuana, a scale, and cash. The District Court sentenced Moore to five years in prison for the new firearms charge and a second consecutive sentence of two years in prison for violating the terms of his supervised release.
Moore was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Moore was sentenced to a total of 84 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.
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.
Moore is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Reinert and investigated by the United States Probation Office for the Northern District of Iowa, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Dubuque Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 25-CR-01003 and 22-CR-01007.
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Dorchester Man Charged with Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dorchester man has been arrested and charged with trafficking firearms.
Joshua Morency, 28, was charged with one count of dealing in firearms without a license and one count of possessing a machinegun. Morency was arrested on Nov. 12, 2025 and was ordered detained pending a hearing scheduled for Nov. 19, 2025.
According to the charging documents, in August 2025, federal and state law enforcement began an investigation of Morency for unlawfully distributing firearms in the Boston area. Over the course of the investigation, Morency allegedly sold 21 firearms in undercover controlled purchases. It is alleged that the majority of the firearms purchased from Morency were 3D-printed, privately made firearms (commonly known as “ghost guns”).
The charge of dealing in firearms without a license provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possessing a machinegun provides for a sentence of up to ten years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston Police Department and the Suffolk County and Plymouth County Sheriff's Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra W. Amrhein and Anne Paruti and of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Derby Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Meth and CocaineRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANDRE MESSAM, also known as “Dre,” 49, of Derby, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 72 months of imprisonment and four years of supervised release for distributing methamphetamine and cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in May and June 2023, the FBI’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force conducted two controlled purchases totaling approximately 80 grams of methamphetamine and five grams of cocaine from Messam. Laboratory analysis of the methamphetamine determined that it was 100 percent pure. Investigators then arranged to purchase a kilogram of cocaine from Messam.
On July 19, 2023, as he traveled to the planned meeting location to conduct the cocaine transaction, Messam fled from law enforcement officers who attempted to stop his car in North Haven. Later that day, he was located and arrested at a rental car agency on the Berlin Turnpike in Newington. Messam possessed approximately $7,200 in cash at the time of his arrest.
Approximately two weeks later, a review of surveillance video revealed that Messam had thrown an object from the car as he drove on an entrance ramp to I-91 North. Investigators went to the area and found a kilogram brick of cocaine wrapped in cellophane.
On May 20, 2024, Messam pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, five grams or more of methamphetamine.
Messam’s criminal history includes state convictions and a federal heroin trafficking conviction. In June 2011, he was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 105 months of imprisonment. In March 2015, after federal sentencing guidelines were amended, his sentence was reduced to 81 months of imprisonment
Messam, who is released on a $250,000 bond, is required to report to prison on January 6. This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force, including members from the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the Brookfield and New Milford Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile.
Denton man sentenced to federal prison for child exploitation violationsRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Denton man has been sentenced to more than 14 years in federal prison for child exploitation violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Trinity Snow Cassells, also known as Dustin Joseph McDuffie, 34, pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography and was sentenced to 170 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on October 21, 2025.
According to information presented in court, Cassells was the subject of 10 different CyberTips between 2018 and 2024. He utilized multiple social media platforms, cloud storage accounts, email accounts, and the dark web to trade child pornography. Cassells chatted with purported minors on social media platforms commonly used by children, groomed them to engage in illegal sexual conduct, and encouraged them to abuse other children. As part of that conduct, he distributed child pornography to them.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Denton Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa Miller.
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Denton County man sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for child exploitation violationsRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – An Aubrey man has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for child exploitation violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
John Prentice Robertson, 65, of Aubrey, pleaded guilty to one count of producing child pornography and was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on October 21, 2025.
According to information presented in court, between May 2022 and April 2024, Robertson communicated with adult women in the Philippines over an internet-based social media application. He paid the women to capture images and videos of young children, under the age of 12, engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including oral sex, masturbation, and the graphic display of the children’s genitals. The women then sent the depictions through the social media application or through live-stream transmission. Robertson acknowledged that he transferred more than $8,000 to individuals in the Philippines between 2015 and 2021 through just one money remitting service.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Philippine National Police and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa Miller and Trial Attorney Rachel Rothberg, with the United States Department of Justice, Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
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Dallas father and son sentenced to federal prison in methamphetamine conspiracyRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas –A Dallas man and his son have been sentenced to federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
David Valdez, 45, and his son, Abel Valdez, 28, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and were both sentenced to 324 months in federal prison. Abel Valdez was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on October 21, 2025. David Valdez was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant on November 12, 2025.
According to information presented in court, between September 2023 and February 2024, the Valdez conspiracy was responsible for trafficking approximately 80 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine per month into the Dallas/Fort Worth area, which was then processed at the Valdez’ residence and sold into the community. Law enforcement issued a search warrant at the Valdez residence on February 8, 2024, during which 69 kilograms of methamphetamine and eleven semi-automatic weapons were found.
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.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration – Dallas Division. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Anderson.
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Cryptocurrency Money Launderer Pleads Guilty to RICO Conspiracy in Scheme that Stole $263 Million in CryptoRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kunal Mehta, 45, of Irvine, California, pleaded guilty today in connection with his role in a multi-state conspiracy that used social engineering to steal hundreds of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency from victims throughout the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Mehta, aka “Papa,” “The Accountant,” and “Shrek,” pleaded to participating in a RICO conspiracy before U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly and admitted that he helped to launder at least $25 million.
Joining in the announcement were FBI Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the Washington Field Office Criminal Division and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office.
“Kunal Mehta along with his co-conspirators stole hundreds of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency from victims and then laundered that money to give it the appearance of legitimacy, spending it lavishly on themselves,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “We are committed to rooting out fraud and holding those responsible fully accountable.”
‘Mehta is the eighth defendant to plead guilty for his role in this scheme,” said the FBI’s Davis. "Today's plea reaffirms the FBI's commitment to exposing fraudsters and should remind Americans to beware of online scammers: Do not reply to calls, emails, or texts that request personal information, such as your password, PIN, or any one-time passwords that are sent to your email or phone."
According to the court documents, the social engineering enterprise began before October 2023 and continued through at least March 2025. It grew from friendships developed on online gaming platforms and was comprised of individuals based in California, Connecticut, New York, Florida, and abroad.
Mehta was a money launderer for the group which also included database hackers, organizers, target identifiers, callers, money launderers, and residential burglars targeting hardware virtual currency wallets.
According to court documents, members of the enterprise stole cryptocurrency from victims throughout the United States through elaborate ruses committed online and through spoofed phone numbers. They then used the stolen virtual currency to purchase, among other things, nightclub services ranging up to $500,000 per evening, luxury handbags valued in the tens of thousands of dollars that were given away at nightclub parties, luxury watches valued between $100,000 and $500,000, luxury clothing valued in the tens of thousands of dollars, rental homes in Los Angeles, the Hamptons, and Miami, private jet rentals, a team of private security guards, and a fleet of at least 28 exotic cars ranging in value from $100,000 to $3.8 million.
The original indictment alleges that on Aug. 18, 2024, Mehta’s co-conspirator Malone Lam and another associate contacted a victim in the District of Columbia and, through the communications with that victim, fraudulently obtained over 4,100 Bitcoin – valued then at $263 million, and valued this week at more than $384.5 million.
Mehta first met the members of the in early 2024 through a money exchanger who was friendly with the owner of a Los Angeles exotic car dealership. The money exchanger solicited Mehta’s assistance with crypto-to-cash conversions in the tens of thousands of dollars. Mehta charged a 10% fee for converting the cryptocurrency to fiat cash.
Mehta created multiple shell companies in 2024 for the purpose of laundering funds through bank accounts created to give the appearance of legitimacy. To facilitate crypto-to-wire money laundering services, Mehta received stolen cryptocurrency from the group which they had already laundered. Mehta then transferred the cryptocurrency to associates who further laundered it through sophisticated blockchain laundering techniques. The solen funds returned to Mehta’s shell company bank accounts through incoming wire transfers from additional shell companies organized by others throughout the United States.
When members of the conspiracy requested cash, Mehta often delivered it himself. Mehta also performed wire transfers for the group, sending stolen funds to an exotic car dealership, a private jet company and real estate rental companies in exchange for a 10% fee for himself.
In addition, Mehta used his shell companies to facilitate exotic car purchases for members of the criminal enterprise. The co-conspirators -- predominately 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds -- did not want Lamborghinis, Rolls Royces, Porsches, Ferraris and the like held in their true names because it would bring unwanted attention to their unexplained wealth as unemployed young men. Mehta titled the vehicles in the names of his shell companies to help disguise the true owners. He also sought out straw signers who would place their names on the car titles and purchase documents in exchange for payments which exceeded $10,000 per signing. In turn, Mehta would typically charge a 10% fee for his services.
The FBI, IRS-CI, and U.S. Attorney's Office are committed to helping prevent Americans from falling victim to cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes.
If someone claiming to be a company "representative" contacts you and asks you to provide personal information or to verify your account by providing a code, you should initiate a new call to that company by dialing the company's verified customer service line. You can visit the FBI's website for more information about cryptocurrency investment fraud.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the IRS-Criminal Investigation Washington D.C. Field Office. Significant investigative and operational support was provided by the FBI’s Los Angeles and Miami field offices.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Rosenberg, Co-Chief of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Corporation and Former Chief Executive Officer Sentenced for Health Care Fraud and Tax ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KBWB Operations LLC, doing business as Atrium Health and Senior Living (KBWB-Atrium), and Kevin Breslin, former chief executive officer and managing member of KBWB-Atrium, were sentenced yesterday, in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin following prior guilty pleas to health care fraud and tax conspiracy related to the operation of numerous skilled nursing facilities, the Department of Justice announced.
Kevin Breslin, 58, of Hoboken, New Jersey, was sentenced to 90 months in prison and ordered to pay $146 million in restitution and $8.4 million in forfeiture. KBWB-Atrium also was ordered to pay the same restitution and forfeiture amounts. Breslin pleaded guilty on Dec. 17, 2024. KBWB-Atrium pleaded guilty on Jan. 21. According to court documents, Breslin is one of six owners of KBWB-Atrium. KBWB-Atrium’s corporate headquarters was located in Little Falls, New Jersey, and its Midwest corporate office was located in Appleton, Wisconsin. KBWB-Atrium operated and/or owned nursing facilities in New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
“Health care fraud drives prices up for all Americans and can cause serious negative outcomes for patients,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We remain dedicated to working with our law enforcement partners to protect the most vulnerable Americans from those who would take advantage of them.”’
“Protecting Medicare and Medicaid is not just about preserving the programs. It is about safeguarding the dignity, health, and financial security of the millions of Americans who rely on them,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma for the Western District of Wisconsin. “I commend the investigators and prosecutors who identified Mr. Breslin’s fraud scheme and worked tirelessly to hold him accountable for his serious criminal conduct.”
“Today’s sentencing underscores an investigative priority of the FBI,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Chris Ormerod of the FBI Milwaukee Field Office. “The FBI, in collaboration with its partners have not lost sight of investigating people and companies that misuse taxpayers’ money for personal gains and at the expense of people needing quality healthcare. The safety and well-being of Wisconsin residents remains our highest priority.”
“The defendant’s actions not only defrauded federal health care programs but also jeopardized the well-being of vulnerable nursing home residents,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Chicago Region. “HHS-OIG will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who exploit programs meant to provide essential care and services to our nation’s most at-risk populations.”
“Greed was the driving force behind this scheme, which not only defrauded our health care system but also violated employment tax obligations,” said Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes of IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “By failing to pay over withheld taxes, the defendants harmed their employees’ Medicare and Social Security benefits — while also exploiting healthcare programs meant to protect the most vulnerable.”
“Health care and the health benefit plans that provide coverage are of the utmost importance in everyday lives,” said Regional Director Mark Seidel of the Employee Benefits Security Administration in New York. “The Employee Benefits Security Administration remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who break the law and abuse their positions of trust while managing health benefit plans.”
On Feb. 1, 2023, a grand jury returned a 12-count indictment against Breslin and KBWB-Atrium charging health care fraud and tax conspiracy, among other charges. According to court documents, from approximately Jan. 1, 2015 to in or about September 2018, KBWB-Atrium operated 23 skilled nursing facilities in Wisconsin. Breslin was solely responsible for KBWB-Atrium’s management, operation, business, and finances. The primary source of income for the KBWB-Atrium Wisconsin facilities was federal Medicare and Medicaid funds from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
The government alleged that the defendants unlawfully diverted CMS funds intended for the operation, management, maintenance, and care of the residents at the KBWB-Atrium Wisconsin facilities for personal expenses and other purposes. The government further alleged that the defendants prioritized multi-million-dollar owner distributions and guaranteed payments regardless of KBWB-Atrium’s financial situation. The government alleged that the defendants knowingly and willfully failed to disclose to CMS that they were not using CMS funds for resident care, were not in compliance with applicable federal regulations and laws, and had not paid vendors or certain federal and state taxes. As a result, the government alleged, vendors went unpaid and residents did not receive adequate care.
The government alleged that the defendants also diverted health insurance premiums and 401(k) contributions from employee paychecks, as well as money from resident accounts. The government further alleged that as part of the tax conspiracy, Breslin, acting on behalf of KBWB-Atrium, directed that employment taxes withheld from KBWB-Atrium employees’ paychecks not be paid to the IRS, which caused employees to prepare inaccurate tax returns listing those withholdings.
Trial attorneys with the Civil Division’s Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin investigated and initially prosecuted the case with assistance from the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General – Office of Investigations, Milwaukee Field Office; the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, New York and Chicago Regional Offices; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Milwaukee Field Office; and the State of Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, Medicaid Fraud Control and Elder Abuse Unit.
Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to over 19 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Enticement of a Minor and Child PornographyRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a man from Rapid City, South Dakota, convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet and Receipt of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on September 29, 2025.
Aaron Williams, Jr., 24, was sentenced to 19 years and seven months in federal prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Williams was ordered to pay $570 in restitution and $200 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Williams was also ordered to forfeit his cell phone.
A federal grand jury indicted Williams for the charges in August 2024. He pleaded guilty on July 21, 2025.
During the 2024 Sturgis Bike Rally, the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted an undercover anti-child exploitation operation. During the operation, Williams used his Reddit account and cell phone to send messages to a person he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, who was actually the undercover persona of an investigator with the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. When Williams attempted to meet up with the girl to engage in sex acts, he was arrested. After Williams’ arrest, he called his father from jail, reported he had been arrested for child exploitation crimes, and requested that his dad get his “stuff” from Williams’ apartment. Shortly thereafter, Williams’ sister entered his apartment and removed several electronic devices. The devices were ultimately recovered by law enforcement. Analysis of Williams’ cell phone revealed hundreds of images of child pornography depicting infants, bestiality, and rape and bondage of children.
Williams was convicted in 2023 for Possession of Child Pornography, Viewing Child Pornography, and Distribution of Child Pornography, crimes committed during his military service in the United States Air Force. As a result of the previous conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender. On August 1, 2024, just days before his arrest, Williams had completed a term of federal supervised release.
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.
This case was investigated by the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.
Williams was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Connecticut Tobacco Wholesaler Who Defrauded State of $1.2 Million Sentenced to 20 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KHAWAR M. KHOKHAR, 37, of Ellington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 20 months of imprisonment and two years of supervised release for defrauding the State of Connecticut of more than $1.2 million in tobacco tax revenue.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Khokhar operated Smokin’ Wholesale LLC, a Connecticut-licensed tobacco wholesale business that acquired smokeless tobacco and other tobacco products from out-of-state distributors, including businesses in Pennsylvania and Illinois, and sold the products to retail merchants in Connecticut. Between approximately May 2017 and June 2019, Khokhar and Smokin’ Wholesale purchased approximately $2 million in tobacco products from the distributors, but failed to report accurately to the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services the value of the products imported into the state, and failed to pay to the state the tobacco-related taxes owed. Through this scheme, Khokhar and others caused Connecticut to suffer a tax loss of more than $1.2 million.
Judge Nagala ordered Khokhar to pay restitution in the amount of $1,140,994.13, and to forfeit $60,707 that was seized during the investigation.
Khokhar was arrested on May 20, 2024. On April 3, 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy.
Khokhar, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison January 19.
This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services, Criminal Investigations Division. The case was by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry.
Columbia Woman Who Coerced Minor Boy to Engage in Sexual Activity Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ALYSON CRANICK, 44, of Columbia, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Cranick, first using text messaging and Snapchat, and then using the internet chat service Discord, coerced an 11-year-old boy to engage in sexually explicit conduct with her. Several times during the summer and into the fall of 2022, Cranick induced the minor victim to leave his house after midnight to meet up with her. Cranick sexually assaulted the minor victim during these meetings.
Between July and October 2022, Cranick exchanged more than 4,700 messages with the minor victim on Discord.
Cranick was arrested on related state charges on November 14, 2023, and has been detained since November 28, 2023. She was federally charged in July 2024.
Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for February 12, at which time Cranick faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force and the Connecticut State Police’s Eastern District Major Crime Unit. The FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel E. Cummings and Katherine E. Boyles through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Tolland for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Collin County sex offender sentenced to federal prison for child exploitation violationsRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – A Plano man has been sentenced to more than 16 years in federal prison for child exploitation violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Ashley Blaine Brooks, 57, pleaded guilty to one count of receiving child pornography and was sentenced to 200 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder III on October 21, 2025.
According to information presented in court, Brooks was a registered sex offender living within the City of Plano. During a sex offender registry compliance check, Plano Police Department detectives discovered that Brooks was trading child pornography using computer equipment that he owned, the Internet, and a peer-to-peer file sharing platform.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Plano Police Department and the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa Miller.
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Clinton man sentenced to 2 years in prison on drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Clinton man who possessed fentanyl and methamphetamine and illegally possessed a firearm was sentenced today to 24 months in prison to be followed by 4 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Francis Levi Kelsey, 40, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on June 14, 2021, while conducting a stolen vehicle investigation, law enforcement in Park County, Montana encountered Kelsey driving a 2003 Chevy. Investigation led to a search of the vehicle and officers seized a Coca-Cola can on the driver’s seat containing 75 fentanyl pills and 22.4 grams of actual methamphetamine. The officers also found a firearm and ammunition in a void under the center console of the vehicle.
The defendant’s cellular phone was also recovered, and a search warrant was obtained for the phone. On the phone were various text messages in which Kelsey arranged the sale of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
On June 15, 2021, Kelsey made a recorded jail call and instructed an individual to get to the void under the center console of the vehicle, unaware law enforcement had already located the firearm inside.
Kelsey is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to a previous state felony conviction.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Godfrey prosecuted the case. The ATF, DEA, Park County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri River Drug Task Force 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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Cleveland Drug Dealer to Spend More Than 14 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Cleveland man with a history of violence and drug crimes has been sentenced to prison for his role in running an illegal drug trafficking scheme.
Clarence Payne, 40, was sentenced to 170 months (14 years and 2 months) in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker after a federal jury found him guilty of the following charges:
- Distribution of Cocaine.
- Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
- Felon in Possession of a Firearm; prior convictions include Drug Trafficking in 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2011, and Aggravated Assault and Drug Possession in 2011.
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine.
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin and Fentanyl.
Payne was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment. Judge Barker imposed the sentence Nov. 18.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, during the summer of 2023, Payne regularly supplied co-conspirator Harold Pearl, 41, of Cleveland, with cocaine that Pearl sold on the west side of Cleveland. Pearl arranged deals with buyers before he met with Payne to secure the drug amounts needed. Once he sold the drugs, Pearl returned to Payne’s home with the drug proceeds. Payne supplied Pearl with cocaine which was sold to undercover agents six separate times in June, July, and August 2023. Payne was arrested at his home, where multiple bags of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl were located. Law enforcement also seized a firearm and drug paraphernalia from the home.
Co-defendant Pearl pleaded guilty to his role in the drug trafficking. In January 2025, he was sentenced to 46 months in prison and ordered to serve three years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from the Cleveland Division of Police and numerous regional and federal agencies as part of a summer violent crime reduction effort in 2023.
Assistant United States Attorneys Adam J. Joines and Jennifer King led the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.
Child Predator Sentenced to 35 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Evin Scott Young (39, Texas) to 35 years in federal prison for production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Young pleaded guilty on May 14, 2025.
According to court documents, Young pursued four children solely for sex. Using various social media applications, he drew each of the victims – ranging from 15 to 17 years old – out of their homes after their parents went to sleep, instructed them to meet him at the front of their neighborhoods, and brought each back to his apartment. Young recorded himself having sex with two of the victims and invited another man to have sex with one victim. Over a 10-month period, Young continued his sexual abuse of another victim, sent him CSAM he made of the victim, and told the victim never to get caught with it. Over six months, Young repeatedly groomed and courted the final victim for sex. Law enforcement caught Young after following the thread of a CyberTip identifying explicit communications between him and one of the victims. From there, further investigation revealed evidence of his crimes.
“Protecting our nation's children from predators who exploit and abuse children is among the most critical responsibilities we hold as a society,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tampa acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Cochran. “This sentence reflects HSI’s unwavering commitment, alongside our state, local and federal partners, to ensuring justice is served and safeguarding the most vulnerable members of our communities.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Milliron.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Chief Executive Officer of Steel Manufacturer Charged with $66 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging DEREK WACHOB with wire fraud in connection with his multi-year scheme to defraud individual investors, a bank, an investment firm, and at least two steel pipe distributors of at least $66 million. WACHOB was arrested today in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, and will be presented this afternoon in the Northern District of Oklahoma. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken.
“Derek Wachob claimed to be a billionaire and successful CEO, but as alleged, that image was built on lies,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “He stole more than $66 million from a range of victims that included some of his closest friends, then used those funds to maintain a lifestyle of expensive cars, vacation homes, private jets, helicopters, and yachts. The steel industry is a pillar of our manufacturing community, where honest and hard-working success is to be celebrated, but there is no place for fraud. This Office will work relentlessly to bring high-flying fraudsters to justice.”
“Derek Wachob allegedly stole at least $66 million from investors, including some of his closest friends, and financial institutions to secretly fund his failing company and extravagant lifestyle through false promises of profitable business ventures,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “Wachob allegedly abused his authority as CEO to entice his targets with a mirage of success while shrouding the truth in deceit. The FBI remains committed to investigating any business leader who siphons from the accounts of trusting victims for personal enrichment.”
As alleged in the Indictment:[1]
From at least in or about October 2022 through in or about August 2024, WACHOB—the Chief Executive Officer of a large manufacturer of steel pipes based in Sapulpa, Oklahoma (“Company-1”)—engaged in a scheme to defraud individual investors, a bank, an investment firm, and at least two steel pipe distributors of at least $66 million. To obtain money from each of the victims, WACHOB lied and misled the victims by, among other things, falsely claiming to offer purported business opportunities based on future steel purchases that WACHOB pledged to make. WACHOB used these misrepresentations to take millions of dollars from even some of his closest friends. Instead of using the victims’ money as promised, WACHOB spent the funds to maintain his extravagant lifestyle of expensive cars, vacation homes, private jets, helicopters, and yachts, and prop up Company-1, which was struggling financially and in debt.
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WACHOB, 53, of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI. Mr. Clayton also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma for its assistance.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Danielle Kudla and Adam Sowlati are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the descriptions of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Cherry Valley, Ill. Man Sentenced to Seventeen Years in Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine and Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Cherry Valley, Ill. man has been sentenced to seventeen years in federal prison for distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and illegally possessing a firearm.
SEAN CLAEYSSEN, 35, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of distribution of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and one count of illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Claeyssen admitted in a plea agreement that between October and December of 2023, he knowingly and intentionally sold and distributed 664.6 grams of methamphetamine and 27.7 grams of cocaine. Claeyssen also admitted that he was in possession of a loaded firearm when he was arrested in December 2023.
On Nov. 14, 2025, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed a 204-month prison sentence.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Shane R. Catone, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The Winnebago County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office and the Beloit, Wisc. Police Department provided assistance in the investigation. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Kim.
Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to tackle a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.
Checotah Resident Sentenced for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Andrew Frank Lerblance, a/k/a Andrew Frank Lerblance, Jr., age 66, of Checotah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 84 months in prison for one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.
On June 30, 2025, Lerblance pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on October 3, 2023, Lerblance sold approximately 55 grams of methamphetamine in the parking lot of the Flying J Travel Center in Checotah, Oklahoma.
The Honorable John C. Coughenour, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing. Lerblance will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Howanitz represented the United States.
Cedar Rapids Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting Children and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who sexually exploited children and possessed child pornography pled guilty on November 13, 2025, in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Dawson Sanderson, age 24, of Cedar Rapids, was convicted of one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of child pornography. At the plea hearing, Sanderson admitted that, in 2021, he got minors to produce and send depictions of sexually explicit conduct. He also possessed child pornography.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Sanderson remains in the custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Sanderson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, $67,200 in special assessments, and supervised release for five years to life following any imprisonment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 25-51.
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Caldwell Couple Sentenced to 120 and 70 Months in Federal Prison for Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BOISE – Ray Gordon Capistrant, 57, and Patricia Lynn Webber a/k/a Patricia Lynn Capistrant, 56, both of Caldwell, were sentenced to 120 months and 70 months, respectively, in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Bart Davis announced today.
According to court records, in December of 2024, the Idaho State Police began investigating the Caldwell couple for distributing methamphetamine in the Treasure Valley. On four occasions from December 2024, and through January 2025, a confidential source purchased methamphetamine from Webber at the couple’s shared residence. During two of these occasions Capistrant was present nearby in the residence.
On February 8, 2025, the Idaho State Police executed a search warrant at Capistrant and Webber’s shared residence along with a rental vehicle that they had used to go to Arizona to purchase methamphetamine. In the trunk of the rental vehicle, law enforcement found 22 heat-sealed bags that contained methamphetamine wrapped in tinfoil. The combined weight of the methamphetamine in the 22 heat-sealed bags was approximately 9,847.7 grams. In the shared residence, law enforcement also found additional methamphetamine and various drug paraphernalia including multiple scales and plastic bags.
In total, Capistrant and Webber possessed 10,839.55 grams—approximately 24 pounds—of methamphetamine that they intended to distribute to others.
U.S. Attorney Davis commended the work of the Idaho State Police which led to the charges. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kane Venecia prosecuted the cases.
This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office with funds provided by the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. HIDTA is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives, including the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney position.
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Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to Prison for Failing to RegisterRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Octavius Durdley, 47, of Archer, Florida, was sentenced to six years in federal prison and a lifetime of supervised release after a jury found him guilty of failing to register as a sexual offender under the Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Keeping our communities safe from the disgusting sexual predators who seek to exploit and victimize our children remains one of the top priorities of my office. I appreciate the excellent work by our federal law enforcement partners to investigate this offender, and remain committed to aggressively prosecuting these offenses to ensure our children can grow up safe from the threats posed by criminals like this defendant.”
According to court records and trial testimony, the defendant, who was designated as a sex offender following a 2010 conviction for receipt and possession of child pornography, purposefully did not complete the required registration upon his release from prison in December 2024. This is the defendant’s second conviction for failing to register as a sex offender in the Northern District of Florida. The defendant was also sentenced to an additional year and two months in prison for violating the conditions of his supervised release, for a total of seven years and two months to be served.
Acting United States Marshal Greg Leljedal remarked: “If you are a convicted sex offender and fail to register, the U.S. Marshals will track you down and bring you to justice. Octavius Durdley attempted to evade the law and will now be behind bars for the next 7 years.”
This conviction was the result of an investigation by the United States Marshals Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Broken Bow Resident Sentenced for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Kenneth Marvin Bray, a/k/a Marvin Bray, age 54, of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 37 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm.
The charge arose from an investigation by the McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On July 1, 2025, Bray pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, Bray knowingly possessed a 9mm semi-automatic pistol on November 30, 2023, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Bray will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
British National Sentenced on Fraud, Money Laundering, and Immigration ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A British national from Northern Ireland illegally in the United States who admitted in one case to participating in a multi-state construction and money laundering fraud scheme that netted more than a million dollars, and in a separate case to using false information to enter the United States, has been sentenced to federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Elijah Gavin, 29, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to 48 months imprisonment, forfeiture of $4885.57, a forfeiture money judgment of $1,000,000, a restitution order of $1,109,500, and $300 in special assessments in one case, and one day imprisonment and a $100 special assessment in the other case, to run concurrently. Gavin pleaded guilty on June 12, 2025, to charges of wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, and false statement in a document used to gain entry into the United States.
In pleading guilty to wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering, Elijah Gavin admitted to the following:
- Gavin used various names when he approached and defrauded property owners in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York by, among other things, misrepresenting to property owners’ construction needs or repairs required on their properties.
- Gavin and his co-conspirators formed multiple construction businesses and falsely represented the business’ status, experience, and quality of work; falsely represented their identities and skills to homeowners; and made false representations to property owners regarding the condition of their properties, work they would perform, and the machinery, materials, and equipment needed to perform work.
- Between October 2022 and January 2025, Gavin and his co-conspirators defrauded property owners of over one million dollars, including a Rhode Island widow who was defrauded of $850,000, as well as other elderly victims in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and a church in New York.
- Gavin sent checks to money launderers in New York and California representing funds that were fraudulently obtained from his victims.
- Gavin is a fugitive from justice in the United Kingdom who entered the United States illegally. Gavin used a false Electronic System for Travel Authorization application to gain entry into the United States without a visa. Gavin’s ESTA application contained materially false information with respect to Gavin’s criminal history in the United Kingdom.
According to the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center, Conmen Travelers are groups of Irish or U.K. nationals who entered the United States on pleasure or tourist visas and overstayed their visits or, more commonly, entered the United States illegally. Once in the United States, they go to different cities and states, soliciting construction work. The members often quote a low price, and then, after further inspection, demand much more money and/or convince the homeowner that their homes or business need major repairs. Conmen Travelers often hire day laborers; do not have work authorization documents or pull permits; and do low quality, unnecessary, or incomplete work, sometimes damaging homeowners’ residences.
Gavin has been detained in federal custody since his arrest in New Jersey on January 29, 2025.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sandra R. Hebert and Taylor A. Dean.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Rhode Island State Police, and U.S Diplomatic Security Service.
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).
Boat Owner and Captain Arraigned in Miami on Federal Cocaine Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A boat owner and captain were arraigned in Miami on Sept. 26 to face charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
According to court documents, between Aug. 24 and 28, Jeffry Dominguez, 34, and Luis Antonio Garcia Rosario, 37, planned to transport hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from the Dominican Republic to Miami.
On Aug. 29, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted a 44-foot vessel entering U.S. waters. During a boarding of the vessel, law enforcement identified Dominguez, the registered boat owner, and Garcia Rosario. A search revealed 741 packages that contained approximately 742 kilograms of cocaine, concealed in a hidden compartment on board.
Dominguez and Garcia Rosario are charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. If convicted, Dominguez and Garcia Rosario face a maximum penalty of life in prison for each charge.
Garcia Rosario is a Dominican national and faces removal from the U.S. if convicted.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, and Sheriff Gregory Tony of the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) made the announcement.
DEA Miami Field Division and the Broward Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin McCormack is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/ or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20407.
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Billings man sentenced to 9 years in prison for child pornographyRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man who distributed child pornography was sentenced today to 108 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Kole David Kuntz, 41, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to two counts of distribution of child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on November 16, 2024, law enforcement created an undercover online persona on a social media site posing as an adult male with a minor daughter. Soon after establishing the account, another account, later attributed to Kuntz, reached out and inquired about the fictious daughter.
The conversations became increasingly sexual. For example, when Kuntz learned the “daughter” was 12 years old, he indicated he “could have a lot of fun with her.”
On November 21, 2024, Kuntz recommended they switch to a more secure application and both parties did so. Then, to ensure he was “serious,” Kuntz sent a roughly 45-second video of a female, between the ages of 12 and 14, removing her swimsuit and exposing her vagina to the camera. On November 22, 2024, and after additional communications during which Kuntz indicated that “6-14 is the money range I think,” he distributed a roughly 56-second video of a minor female performing oral sex on an adult.
Law enforcement connected the communications to Kuntz and searched his residence in Billings. A subsequent review of his electronic media led to the discovery of the communications referenced above as well as the possession of additional child pornography.
Kuntz was interviewed by law enforcement and admitted he was the individual referenced in the communications he had previously shared images and videos.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
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Baltimore County Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Traffic 14 FirearmsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced Cedrick Brinkley, 31, of Windsor Mill, Maryland, to 130 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, in connection with his conviction for conspiring to traffic firearms.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
According to the guilty plea, on multiple occasions in April 2024, Brinkley and co-conspirator Steven Lee, 38, of Baltimore, Maryland, agreed to sell firearms to an ATF undercover agent. The undercover agent explained that the purpose of buying the firearms was to resell to an individual in New Jersey. Judge Maddox sentenced Lee to 102 months in federal prison following his guilty plea to the firearms trafficking conspiracy on August 19, 2024.
On April 3, 2024, Brinkley met with the undercover agent and a second individual, a confidential informant, to sell firearms. At the meeting, Brinkley removed four firearms from a black satchel and sold them to the undercover agent, along with 50 rounds of ammunition, for $4,500.
Then on April 17, law enforcement observed Brinkley and Lee sitting in a vehicle at the location where they planned to meet the undercover agent. Brinkley exited his vehicle, met with the undercover agent, and exchanged five 9-millimeter pistols for $6,100.
On April 24, Brinkley and Lee arranged to sell additional firearms to the undercover agent. Prior to the transaction, law enforcement observed Brinkley and Lee meeting in a public parking lot. Brinkley retrieved a black bag from Lee’s vehicle, re-entered his vehicle, and then drove to the meeting location. Lee did not physically attend the meeting with the undercover agent.
At the meeting with the undercover agent, Brinkley brought the black bag, removed five firearms from the bag, and handed them to the undercover agent. The undercover agent wanted to negotiate a better price, so Brinkley called Lee on speakerphone to discuss prices with the agent directly. During the call, Lee described the firearms in detail, including one of the firearms that had a machinegun conversion device affixed to it.
The undercover agent reiterated to Brinkley and Lee that the purpose of buying the firearms was to resell them for profit. Then the undercover agent paid Brinkley $7,800 for five firearms, which included pistols of various calibers; one of which had a machinegun conversion device attached to it.
Between the three transactions, Brinkley sold the undercover agent 50 rounds of ammunition and 14 firearms — four of which were reported stolen — and one was affixed with a machine gun conversion device.
On May 3, Brinkley purchased 50 rounds of semi-jacketed hollow point .32 caliber ammunition from a gun shop in Essex, Maryland. Brinkley made the purchase despite being prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to a prior conviction punishable by more than one year in prison.
Then on July 2, investigators executed a search warrant at Brinkley’s Baltimore County residence. During the search, law enforcement recovered a Glock 43x 9mm pistol and $19,900 in a safe that contained Brinkley’s identification documents. Investigators also recovered a KE Arms KE-9 9mm rifle from a pile of Brinkley’s clothes in his closet.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. O’Donohue III who is prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Arcadia Woman Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Role in $11.6 Million Money Laundering Racket that Conned Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Gabriel Valley woman was sentenced today to 121 months in federal prison for orchestrating a large-scale international money laundering conspiracy that funneled more than $11.6 million in fraud proceeds from hundreds of victims – many of them elderly – who were conned by criminals pretending to be law enforcement, government officials, or computer support representatives.
Cynthia Song, 43, a.k.a. “Iris Song” and “Xin Wang,” of Arcadia, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr., who also ordered her to pay $10,069,518 in restitution.
Song pleaded guilty on June 10 to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. She has been in federal custody since October 2024.
From December 2022 to October 2024, Song conspired to launder millions of dollars in proceeds derived from various fraudulent schemes. Victims were conned via impersonation and technical support scams, in which fraudsters – often operating overseas – posed as government officials, law enforcement, or computer support representatives. The perpetrators deceived victims, typically elderly individuals, into sending large payments – sometimes their entire life savings – to bank accounts in the United States controlled by Song and her co-conspirators.
Song first joined the scheme by personally money laundering fraud proceeds in her accounts. For example, in December 2022, multiple victims were induced to wire at least $170,850 into an account controlled by Song under the business name SW Prosperity Real Estate Development LLC. Within days, nearly all the funds were withdrawn and transferred abroad.
Soon afterward, Song became a manager of money launderers and recruited at least 15 money launderers into the global scheme. Song and her network of recruited money launderers then opened dozens of business bank accounts to receive and transfer fraudulent funds. Once the victims’ funds were received, Song directed her associates to withdraw or transfer the money, taking a 5% to 10% cut before sending the remaining proceeds to fraud organizers overseas, primarily in China and Hong Kong.
Throughout the scheme, Song directed the recruited money launderers on how to deceive banks that questioned the suspicious transfers, and she provided them with cover stories for the transfers, victims’ driver’s licenses, and other information in order to deceive the banks into believing the transfers were legitimate and therefore to not freeze the accounts or funds. Song and her co-conspirators continued to launder money through various bank accounts until the banks froze the accounts for fraud, at which point, Song and her co-conspirators would switch to different bank accounts and co-conspirators.
Song admitted in her plea agreement that she knew the funds were criminal proceeds and she warned her recruited co-conspirators that the money they handled was not “clean.”
Song and her co-conspirators laundered at least $11,692,931 in fraud proceeds from approximately 180 victims across the United States. Of that amount, approximately $2,736,240 was frozen or recovered by financial institutions.
“The harm these crimes caused the victims cannot be understated,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “Some lost their entire life savings, others continue to experience shame, regret, and depression. Many dreamed to enjoy their golden years of retirement, but are now confronted with the harsh realities of lost savings and shattered dreams. Many have had to materially change their standard of living and most will never financially recover from these life-changing financial losses given their age.”
IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Andrew M. Roach of the General Crimes Section prosecuted this case.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 3 a.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific Time. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
Anchorage Doctor and Husband Plead Guilty to Multi-Million Dollar Health Care, Tax Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage doctor and her husband pleaded guilty today to executing a $12.5 million health care fraud scheme and evading over $4 million in taxes on the profits of their decades-long scheme.
According to court documents, Dr. Claribel Tan, 61, and her husband, Daniel Tan, 70, operated a rheumatology medical clinic in Anchorage. Dr. Tan specialized in the treatment of autoimmune and musculoskeletal diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and psoriatic arthritis, and prescribed injectable medications to treat those conditions. Mr. Tan performed office and management work for the clinic. As part of their scheme, the Tans deceived their patients about the medications Dr. Tan administered by injection in the office, and fraudulently billed health insurance plans for reimbursement of medications that the Tans did not purchase.
Beginning in 2009, Dr. Tan routinely and surreptitiously underdosed patients, injected them with free samples or a different medication than prescribed, injected them with expired medication, and/or injected them with medications purchased by other patients. The Tans then knowingly billed insurance plans as if Dr. Tan had provided each patient a full and proper injection. Specifically, the Tans claimed to have administered 4,829 units of the medications to patients, and billed the insurance plans for that amount, despite only purchasing 369 units of medication.
Mr. Tan helped execute the scheme in part by creating and submitting fraudulent insurance claims and ordering insufficient medication for the clinic. The Tans also made false statements about the length of Dr. Tan’s office visits with her patients and submitted fraudulent claims to insurance plans for services that Dr. Tan never provided. The Tans’ fraud scheme created significant health risks to the patients and caused a loss of approximately $12,522,446 to more than 10 insurance plans.
The Tans also created false tax records to conceal the health care fraud scheme. The Tans knew that the clinic had not purchased the quantity of medications that they billed insurance plans for, and they fraudulently overstated the clinic’s expenses on the clinic’s tax returns for 2014, 2015, and 2017, allowing them to falsely underreport the clinic’s income. From 2018 to 2021, the Tans willfully failed to file tax returns for the clinic. The Tans’ tax fraud scheme caused a loss of approximately $4,249,509 to the IRS.
In 2024 and 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office seized approximately $10,471,106 in health care fraud proceeds from the Tans. As part of their plea agreements, the Tans agreed to forfeit those funds to the U.S. and agreed to pay an additional $6,300,849 towards their expected restitution judgment. The Tans further agreed to pay the U.S. an additional $1,855,144 to settle civil claims under the False Claims Act arising from the health care fraud scheme. Dr. Tan has also surrendered her medical license.
Dr. Tan and Mr. Tan will be sentenced on a later date. They each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for health care fraud and five years in prison for tax fraud. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
More information about the case is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ak/united-states-v-tan-et-al. Victims may provide the court with a written Victim Impact Statement or may also provide a statement in person at sentencing. For more information, please contact [email protected] one week prior to sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman of the District of Alaska, Special Agent in Charge John Helsing, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Western Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke of the IRS Criminal Investigation Seattle Field Office made the announcement.
DCIS Western Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation Seattle Division, FBI Anchorage Field Office, Defense Contract Audit Agency, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General Criminal Investigations Division, Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration, Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations and State of Alaska Division of Insurance Investigation Unit investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Dominick Giovanniello of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Beausang and William Reed of the District of Alaska are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackie Traini of the District of Alaska led the civil fraud investigation.
UPDATE: This release has been edited to correct the email listed for USAAK Victim Witness.
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Amidst the Government Shutdown, the United States Attorney’s Office Continues Efforts to Combat Waste, Fraud and AbuseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that while the Government was shut down, the United States Attorney’s Office continued to work important cases focused on those who take advantage of our communities through Fraud, Waste and Abuse. The following are impactful cases that have occurred during the shutdown.
Wenatchee, WA- Wenatchee Man Sentenced to Thirty Months Imprisonment for Aggravated Identity Theft and False Statements in Passport Application. On September 24, 2025, District Court Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Brandon Wilkerson, of Wenatchee, Washington, to thirty months in prison for aggravated identity theft and false statements on a passport application. As set out in court documents, in October 2021, Wilkerson attempted to get a passport in his name but was denied in January 2022 because he was subject to a pending state warrant of arrest for felony unlawful possession of a firearm under Washington state law. In March 2022, Wilkerson stole his brother’s identity and applied for a passport under his brother’s name which was subsequently approved unknowing of the fraud. Wilkerson then used the passport to travel to Brazil, where he married a Brazilian national under his brother’s name. Wilkerson subsequently applied for legal status for the Brazilian national, again falsely and fraudulently using his brother’s name. Wilkerson was Indicted for this offense on March 19, 2024, and later placed into custody after violating the terms of his pre-trial release for committing a new criminal offense. The full press release is located here.
Yakima, WA - Coeur d’Alene Physician Found Guilty in Telemarketing Medicare Fraud Conspiracy. On September 29, 2025, a federal jury found Dr. David Antonio Becerril, age 69, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and formerly of Selah, Washington, guilty of sixteen (16) felony counts of conspiracy, health care fraud, and false statements in connection with Dr. Becerril’s participation in a telemarketing health care fraud scheme. Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian presided over the trial, which began on September 22, 2025. At sentencing, which is set for January 20, 2026, Dr. Becerril faces a maximum term of 20 years in prison. According to evidence presented at trial and court documents, between February 2018 and September 2019, Dr. Becerril, a licensed Washington physician, participated in a scheme and conspiracy to obtain millions of dollars by falsely billing Medicare for medically unnecessary genetic tests and durable medical equipment, including back, knee, shoulder, and ankle braces. The evidence at trial showed that Dr. Becerril signed false and fraudulent orders for genetic tests and braces for elderly Medicare beneficiaries that Dr. Becerril had never seen, spoken to, heard of, or had any contact with whatsoever, and which included deceased patients as well as elderly patients who had no limbs for the braces they were prescribed by Dr. Becerril. Dr. Becerril was paid per order he signed. In total, Medicare was billed over $3.2 million for the fraudulent prescriptions signed by Dr. Becerril. The full press release is located here.
Spokane, WA- Tri-Cities Urgent Care Clinic Agrees to Pay $2.8 Million to Resolve Claims of Overbilling for Diagnostic Tests. Health First Urgent Care, an urgent care clinic with locations in Richland and Pasco, Washington, has agreed to pay $2,807,729 to resolve claims that it fraudulently overbilled Medicare and Medicaid for diagnostic tests. According to the settlement agreement, a False Claims Act (FCA) claim arose from allegations that Health First Urgent Care fraudulently billed for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) respiratory and urinary tract infection panel testing. These panel tests were a predetermined group of medical tests used to test for multiple pathogens from a single sample obtained from a patient. The United States and State of Washington alleged that instead of billing for a single panel test, Health First Urgent Care improperly “unbundled” the panel test and billed for each individual test comprising the panel. This resulted in overbilling to Medicare and Medicaid programs. In addition, the State of Washington alleged that Health First Urgent Care improperly billed for panel tests that were more expensive and not medically necessary for individual patients, such as patients presenting with symptoms of Covid-19. The full press release is located here.
Spokane, WA- Spokane Valley Couple Sentenced on Fraud Convictions in Connection to COVID-19 Relief Loan. On October 8, 2025, United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Raymond and Jennifer Hilderbrand, ages 55 and 54, of Spokane Valley, Washington. Earlier this year, the Hilderbrands were found guilty at a jury trial on multiple fraud charges. Raymond Hilderbrand was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison; Jennifer Hilderbrand was sentenced to time served. Both Raymond and Jennifer Hilderbrand will be on supervised release for three years and are required to pay $363,000 in restitution. The full press release is located here.
Spokane, WA- Othello Man Convicted by Federal Jury of Odometer Tampering
On October 1, 2025, a federal jury in Spokane, Washington, convicted Reynaldo Garza, age 53, of Othello, Washington, of five felony counts of Odometer Tampering. After a thorough investigation by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, the evidence at trial established that Garza would purchase high-mileage used cars for cheap. Garza would replace the odometers in the vehicles with an odometer purchased from wrecking yards or used auto parts sellers. The new odometer would display many fewer miles than the original. Garza then sold the vehicles under the false and fraudulent representation that they had fewer miles than was true. In some cases, Garza sold cars by misrepresenting the mileage by up to 100,000 miles less than it the actual mileage. In other cases, the difference was tens of thousands of miles. In doing so, Garza made thousands of dollars in profits for each fraudulent sale. The full press release is located here.Amidst the Government Shutdown, the United States Attorney’s Office Continues Efforts to Combat Violent Crime and Crimes Against Our ChildrenRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that while the Government was shut down and the United States Attorney’s Office continued to work important cases to protect our communities and children from being victimized. The following impactful cases occurred during the shutdown.
Spokane, WA- Former Riverside School Employee Pleads Guilty to 12 Separate Counts of Child Exploitation Involving Multiple Minor Victims. on October 15, 2025, that former Riverside School District employee Dallas Michael Shuler pled guilty to 12 felony counts pertaining to the online exploitation of children. As indicated in court pleadings and hearings, in May 2024, the FBI Spokane Office was contacted due to a child sexual abuse material video, which had been posted online. When questioned about the video, Shuler indicated he had been in contact with the minors depicted in the video and had requested the minors produce the sexually explicit material. Further investigation into Shuler’s electronic devices and online accounts showed Shuler had engaged in hands-on sexual abuse of at least three minor children and had filmed the abuse. He also engaged in online sexual exploitation of children with dozens of additional victims, many of whom were contacted and victimized through Snapchat. The charges pled to encompass sexual exploitation against 37 different minor children. Sentencing is currently scheduled for January 21, 2026. The full press release is located here.
Spokane, WA- Mexican Citizen Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Attempting to Entice a Minor for Sex Online. on October 1, 2025, United States District Court Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Timoteo Roque Roque to 120 months of imprisonment to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release for the crime of Attempted Online Enticement of a Minor. According to information disclosed in court documents and proceedings, on July 28, 2024, an undercover (UC) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Officer (TFO) was participating in an undercover enticement operation in Chelan County with a goal of identifying those who were baiting children online for illegal sex. The UC ICAC TFO was online portraying a 13-year-old child and received communication from Roque Roque. During the communications, Roque Roque affirmed that he was interested in having sexual contact with minors and agreed to pay $250 for 30 minutes of sex with the child. Roque Roque traveled to a hotel on two separate occasions with the intention of having sex with who he believed was a child, before he was arrested. Roque Roque was also unlawfully present in the United States after previously being deported in July 2019. The full press release is located here.
Yakima, WA- White Swan Woman Sentenced to Twenty-Five Years in Prison for Murder on the Yakama Nation Indian Reservation. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Tahsheena Stacie Sam, age 33, to 300 months in prison for Second Degree Murder in Indian Country. Judge Dimke also imposed 5 years of supervised release. According to documents and evidence presented at sentencing, on Christmas Day 2017, Destiny Lloyd, an enrolled member of Yakama Nation, went missing after being seen in a vehicle that night with friends. Four days later, Ms. Lloyd’s body was discovered face-down in a snowy canal ditch located within the boundaries of the Yakama Nation Indian Reservation. Ms. Lloyd was 23 years old. The Yakama Nation Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation began a thorough and lengthy investigation into Ms. Lloyd’s death. After extensive efforts that included collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses, law enforcement eventually discovered that Ms. Lloyd had been killed by Tahsheena Sam on the evening of December 25, 2017. The full press release is located here.
Yakima, WA- White Swan Man Sentenced to Twelve Years in Prison for Attempted Sexual Abuse by Force or Threat on the Yakama Reservation. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Jerry Slockish, age 58, to 144 months in prison for Attempted Sexual Abuse by Force or Threat in Indian Country. The child victim was six years old at the time of the offense. According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing, on June 4, 2019—the child victim’s sixth birthday—Slockish waited until he was alone with the child and told her that he wanted to give her a birthday present. After the child refused, Slockish forcibly grabbed the child and started touching her. The child told Slockish to stop and began to scream. Slockish covered the child’s mouth with his hand and touched the genitalia of the child over her clothing. After Slockish sexually assaulted the child, she attempted to leave the bedroom, but Slockish grabbed her and dragged her back into the bedroom. Slockish then told the child that he would give her “whoopings” and bruises on her eyes, face and legs if she told anyone about the touching. The full press release is located here.
Yakima, WA- Convicted Murderer Sentenced to Thirteen Years in Prison for Assault with Intent to Commit Murder on the Yakama Reservation. Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastain sentenced Jordan Stevens, age 35, to 162 months in prison for Assault with Intent to Commit Murder. According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing, on October 6, 2018, the Yakama Nation Tribal Police Department received a report of shots fired at a residence in Toppenish, Washington. Through their investigation, law enforcement discovered that Stevens shot the victim in the chest for “ripping him off.” The victim’s friend transported the victim to the hospital where he received life-saving care and was discharged a few days later. Stevens is currently serving a life sentence for the 2019 murder of a separate Yakama Nation Tribal member. The full press release is located here.
Yakima, WA- Yakima Man Sentenced to 240 Months in Prison for Attempted Production of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography. On October 7, 2025, Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian, sentenced J’Lovfonte Jerrome Joe, age 31, of Yakima, Washington, to 240 months incarceration for Attempted Production of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography. Chief Judge Bastian also ordered that, following his sentence of incarceration, Joe be required to complete 5 years of supervised release. In addition, Chief Judge Bastian required that Joe pay $3,000 in restitution to victims of the child pornography he possessed. According to court documents, Joe posted images of a minor child who was in his care to a message board dedicated to child sexual abuse on the dark web on January 22, 2021. In addition to images of the child, including images where the child’s clothes were pulled down and Joe’s tongue was pictured extending between the sleeping child’s buttocks, Joe made statements to other persons on the message board that he was considering drugging the child to complete a sexual assault. On February 2, 2021, Homeland Security Investigations agents and task force officers executed a search warrant on Joe’s residence. Electronic devices seized from that residence linked to Joe, contained over fifty digital files of Child Sexual Abuse Material in addition to images taken of the child taken at his residence. Those other digital files of Child Sexual Abuse Material included images of pre-pubescent children being sexually assaulted by adults. Joe pleaded guilty without benefit of a plea agreement on December 3, 2024, after several violations of conditions of pre-trial release, including cutting off his ankle monitor. At sentencing, prosecutors requested a term of imprisonment of 320 months (26 years, 8 months) to be followed by ten years of supervised release. Defendant requested a sentence of the statutory mandatory minimum of 180 months (15 years) imprisonment to be followed by ten years of supervised release. The full press release is located here.
Pasco, WA- Convicted Rapist and Mexican National Sentenced to 30 Months of Incarceration for Unlawful Reentry After Deportation. On October 2, 2025, District Court Judge United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke, sentenced Jose Luis Cruz-Agustin, age 37, of Pasco, Washington, Washington, to 30 months of imprisonment for illegally entering the United States after multiple prior deportations. Judge Dimke also ordered Cruz-Agustin be subject to a three-year term of supervised release following his term of imprisonment due to his history of unlawfully returning to the United States. According to court documents, Cruz-Agustin was arrested for Driving Under the Influence and booked into the Franklin County jail in March of 2025. Thereafter, Immigration and Customs Officers discovered that Cruz-Agustin, a citizen and national of Mexico, had prior convictions for Rape in the Third Degree, Assault in the Third Degree with Substantial Pain, and Furnishing Liquor to a Minor, in Washington state. These convictions stemmed from Cruz-Agustin’s rape of two 15-year-old girls after he provided them with alcohol in 2015. ICE officers also learned that in 2014, Cruz-Agustin was convicted of various domestic violence offenses which also includes sexual violence. Cruz-Agustin has previously been deported form the United States on two prior occasions in 2016 and 2018. The full press release is located here.Amidst the Government Shutdown, the United States Attorney’s Office Continues Efforts to Combat Transnational Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that while the Government was shut down, the United States Attorney’s Office was continuing to work important cases where our communities were placed at risk due to transnational drug trafficking, violent crimes and weapons offenses. The following are impactful cases that have occurred during the shutdown.
Moses Lake, WA- Moses Lake Man Sentenced to an Additional 10 Years in Prison for Dealing Drugs from Federal Prison. On November 13, 2025, Chief District Court Judge Stanely Bastain sentenced Joshua Isaac Stine, age 40, of Moses Lake, Washington, to 120 months of incarceration following his guilty plea to Distribution of 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl. Judge Bastain ordered Stine’s sentence to commence after he finishing serving his current 20-year federal prison sentence, which was imposed for his previous significant drug trafficking in the Moses Lake area. Stine will be on 8 years of supervised release upon his release from this sentence. Evidence shows that while serving this federal prison sentence at FCI Forrest City (Arkansas), Stine utilized contraband cell phones and other methods, to facilitate the criminal enterprise “La Nuestra Familia” or “NF”, including distribution of fentanyl pills into the Moses Lake community. His criminal history dates back to 2000 and this is his 3rd federal conviction. In imposing this sentence, Judge Bastain noted Stine’s recidivism and unwillingness to change his behavior even after receiving a significant sentence. The full press release is located here.
Spokane, WA- Career Offender Convicted after Jury Trial of Sex Trafficking, Drug Trafficking, and Unlawful Possession of Firearms. James Anthony Stinson, age 55, of Spokane, Washington was convicted following a 3-day jury trial of eleven felonies pertaining to Sex Trafficking, Drug Trafficking, and Unlawful Possession of Firearms. Based on evidence presented during the jury trial, the investigation into Stinson began in 2021 following a series of controlled purchases of crack cocaine. Some of those purchases occurred from Stinson’s hotel room in Spokane Valley. Based on that information, law enforcement with the FBI, Spokane Police Department, and Spokane County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant on Stinson’s hotel rooms and located distribution quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl pills, along with multiple illegally possessed firearms as well as evidence consistent with sex trafficking. Stinson’s phones and other digital evidence revealed videos of Stinson threatening and violently beating a commercial sex worker. Messages on Stinson’s phones revealed his ongoing use of force, fraud, and coercion, described as an “atmosphere of fear” to force multiple victims to engage in sex work for Stinson’s personal financial enrichment. Stinson was previously convicted in Washington State Superior Court for Delivery of a Controlled Substance (Cocaine), for which he served 132 months and was released in 2011. In 2012, Stinson was convicted in federal court in the Eastern District of Washington for Addict and Unlawful User of a Controlled Substance in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition, for which he served 120 months in prison. At the time of his arrest in 2021, Stinson was on federal supervised release. The full press release is located here.
Spokane, WA- Mexican National Unlawfully Present in the United States Sentenced to 20 Years for Discharging a Firearm at Spokane Police During a Drug Trafficking Crime. On September 18, 2025, Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastain sentenced Israel Garcia, 36, to 20 years in federal prison after his guilty pleas to Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime and Possession with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl. Garcia was ordered to pay over $6,000 in restitution to the Spokane Police Department and placed on a period of 5 years of supervised release should he again return to the United States after serving his sentence. According to information disclosed in court documents and proceedings, Garcia, a documented gang member living in the Yakima, Washington area, was convicted in 2015 of Assault on Federal Officers related to a drug and firearm trafficking investigation. Garcia was released in 2021 and deported to Mexico. Garcia returned unlawfully to the United States in 2022 and resumed his drug trafficking. On October 16, 2022, Garcia traveled from Yakima to Spokane to deliver 10,000 fentanyl pills. When Spokane Police identified themselves and approached him to effectuate his arrest, Garcia got out of his vehicle and immediately opened fire on the officers, while attempting to flee to avoid arrest. The path of the bullets from Garcia were directed at multiple law enforcement officers; as well as in direction of his vehicle, which still contained his male and female passengers and a minor child. But for the angle of a car door window, which redirected one of Garcia’s rounds, a law enforcement officer would have been shot in the head. That officer nevertheless suffered injuries to his head and face. Officers returned fire, striking Garcia and ending the clear and present danger he presented to the officers and the community. The female passenger and minor child were terrified but otherwise reported to be physically unharmed. The full press release is located here.
Clarkston, WA- Clarkston Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine, Illegally Possessing Firearms. Loyal Otis Dickson, III, age 40, of Clarkston, Washington was sentenced on firearm and drug trafficking charges. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Dickson to 15 years in federal prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Based on court documents and argument presented through the pendency of the case, a search warrant was executed on Dickson’s residence on November 6, 2024, based on prior observations of drug trafficking activities and his possession of a large amount of methamphetamine in his residence. At the residence, law enforcement located in total approximately 2 pounds of methamphetamine shards, along with multiple firearms, including the components of an AR-style semiautomatic rifle consistent with a “ghost gun” which lacked markings or a serial number. Dickson was initially arrested and then subsequently released on state charges. Following his federal indictment, local law enforcement in Clarkston attempted to contact Dickson. Dickson fled into Idaho and engaged in a short foot pursuit with officers before being arrested. The full press release is located here.
Yakima, WA - Yakima Woman Sentenced to 151 months in Jail for Trafficking Methamphetamine with Firearm. on October 9, 2025, United States District Judge Rebecca L. Pennell, sentenced Allicianna Lynnzie Clark, age 31, of Yakima, Washington, to 151 months imprisonment for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Judge Pennell also ordered that, following her sentence, Clark be on supervised release for a period of five years. According to court documents, on August 5, 2024, two Yakima police officers were in a marked police vehicle when they observed a vehicle with expired tags. The officers observed that the driver was a female and was the only person in the vehicle. The officers initiated a traffic stop and the driver sped away into a neighborhood. A few minutes later the officers found the vehicle abandoned in an alleyway. The officers found Clark a short distance away, identified her as the driver of the vehicle, and arrested her. Inside a bag Clark possessed police found approximately 120 grams of actual methamphetamine and 25 grams of fentanyl. A Glock model 19, 9mm pistol was also inside the bag. Clark had previously served long prison sentences for assault, robbery, and illegal firearm possession. The full press release is located here.
Yakima, WA- Yakima Woman Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison Following Probation Violation. on October 21, 2025, Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian, sentenced Susen Ann Gorst, 37, of Yakima, Washington, to 57 months incarceration following violation of her terms of probation. Chief Judge Bastian also ordered that, following her sentence of incarceration, Gorst be required to complete 3 years of supervised release. According to court documents, on April 30, 2024, Gorst was sentenced to thirty-six months of probation following a guilty plea for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Gorst incurred multiple violations of the terms and conditions of probation imposed by the Court, resulting in the Court revoking Gorst’s probation and re-sentencing her to 57 months imprisonment. On August 15, 2024, Gorst failed to report to her probation officer as directed. She was also found to have previously consumed controlled substances and failed to submit to random drug testing. Gorst was arrested on July 7, 2025, by the Toppenish Police Department and on July 9, 2025, she was discovered in possession of controlled substances while in detention pending her probation revocation proceedings. Following evidentiary hearings on August 12, 2025, and October 6, 2025, Chief Judge Bastian sentenced Gorst on October 21, 2025. The full press release is located here.Alleged Sinaloa Cartel Methamphetamine Trafficker Extradited from MexicoRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Marco Antonio Lopez-Guerrero, an alleged Mexicali-based methamphetamine trafficker linked to the Sinaloa Cartel, was extradited from Mexico on October 24th to face drug and firearms charges.
Lopez-Guerrero was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of California in July 2020. He is charged with Conspiracy to Import Methamphetamine; Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine; Attempted Export of Defense Articles Without a License; and Smuggling Goods (i.e., firearms and ammunition) from the United States to Mexico.
According to court records, Lopez-Guerrero used young girls to smuggle methamphetamine through pedestrian lanes of Southern California ports of entry and to distribute the drugs in San Diego, San Bernardino and elsewhere. Lopez-Guerrero also used an ultra-light aircraft to smuggle methamphetamine; and he smuggled weapons to Mexico, including at least one short-barrel AR-15 rifle without a serial number and more than 150 rounds of ammunition, court records indicate.
At his first appearance in federal court on October 27th, Lopez-Guerrero was arraigned and entered a not-guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen S. Crawford. Following a detention hearing on October 30, 2025, Lopez-Guerrero was ordered detained pending trial. His next court appearance is scheduled for November 21, 2025, for a motion hearing/trial setting before U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta.
The prosecution in this case is part of a multi-year investigation that resulted in the seizure of more than 180 kilograms of methamphetamine; 19 kilograms of fentanyl; 2 kilograms of heroin; along with firearms and ammunition.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from Mexico. The U.S. Marshals Service assisted in bringing the defendant to the United States. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lawrence A. Casper and Edward Chang.
DEFENDANT Case Number 20cr2054-JO
Marco Antonio Lopez-Guerrero Age: 34 Mexicali, MX
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Import Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. Sections 952, 960 and 963.
Maximum Penalty: Mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life in prison, $10 million fine.
Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. Sections 841, 846. Maximum Penalty: Mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life in prison, $10 million fine.
Attempted Export of Defense Articles Without a License in violation of Title 22, U.S.C. Section 2778.
Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison, $1 million fine.
Smuggling of goods in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. Section 554
Maximum Penalty: Ten years in prison, $250,000 fine.
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Drug Enforcement Administration
Homeland Security Investigations
Imperial County Sheriff’s Department
U.S. Border Patrol – El Centro Sector
Department of Justice, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force
Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs
San Diego/Imperial County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Diego comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals, Department of Defense, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Interpol, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
17 November 2025
Ypsilanti Man Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison for Online Refund SchemeRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Mubasher Riaz, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, was sentenced last week by the Honorable Matthew F. Leitman to 50 months in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Earlier this year, Defendants Mubasher Riaz and his brother, Muzzammil Riaz, were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The brothers purchased online goods using fraudulent identities, virtual private networks, different electronic devices, and other means intended to avoid fraud detection by online vendors. The defendants purchased goods from hundreds of vendors, including cell phones, tablets, electronic doorbells, and clothing. After receiving the purchased goods, defendants submitted refund claims, falsely claiming the purchased goods were defective. Despite submitting a refund, the defendants did not return the purchased goods. Instead, the defendants shipped back an empty box, a counterfeit item, or alternative item such as a book that matched the expected shipment weight of the return. Mubasher Riaz would then resell the unlawfully obtained goods for profit.
FBI agents uncovered the scheme while executing a search warrant at the home of Mubasher Riaz in November 2023. At the time, Mubasher was under investigation for sexual exploitation of children. In connection with that case, Mubasher Riaz was sentenced to 188 months in prison earlier this year by the Honorable Sean F. Cox. A portion of Riaz’s fraud proceeds are being used to pay restitution to the minor victims in that case.
Agents found evidence of fraud in plain view in the Riaz home, including over 40 cell phones and 30 tablets that were individually labeled with the personal identifying information of different identities used for the fraud scheme. Riaz moved proceeds he acquired from his fraud scheme into cryptocurrency, which FBI agents ultimately recovered and liquidated. As part of Riaz’s sentence, he forfeited $400,000.00 of the liquidated fraud proceeds and forfeited 91 electronic devices as proceeds traceable to his fraud scheme. Riaz will also be ordered to repay his victims. A restitution hearing has been scheduled for February 4, 2026.
The FBI believes many possible victims of the scheme exist. Potential victims are encouraged to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at fbi.gov/mubasherriazvictims (Please note that the link to the website is case sensitive).
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Zurek, with Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Fasbinder handling forfeiture matters.
Yakima Woman Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison Following Probation ViolationRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on October 21, 2025, Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian, sentenced Susen Ann Gorst, 37, of Yakima, Washington, Washington, to 57 months incarceration following violation of her terms of probation. Chief Judge Bastian also ordered that, following her sentence of incarceration, Gorst be required to complete 3 years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on April 30, 2024, Gorst was sentenced to thirty-six months of probation following a guilty plea for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Gorst incurred multiple violations of the terms and conditions of probation imposed by the Court, resulting in the Court revoking Gorst’s probation and re-sentencing her to 57 months imprisonment. On August 15, 2024, Gorst failed to report to her probation officer as directed. She was also found to have previously consumed controlled substances and failed to submit to random drug testing. Gorst was arrested on July 7, 2025, by the Toppenish Police Department and on July 9, 2025, she was discovered in possession of controlled substances while in detention pending her probation revocation proceedings. Following evidentiary hearings on August 12, 2025, and October 6, 2025, Chief Judge Bastian sentenced Gorst on October 21, 2025.
“Methamphetamine traffickers like Ms. Gorst threaten the health and safety of our communities, but despite these concerns, she was given another opportunity to lead a productive life,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “She forfeited her second chance by once again ignoring our community’s values and now must pay the price.”
United States Attorney Pete Serrano noted that this sentence reflects efforts to hold individuals accountable who refuse to comply with conditions of probation. “Ms. Gorst was given a unique opportunity with a probationary sentence on a serious drug charge. Instead of capitalizing on it, instead, she violated community and the Court’s trust, the seriousness of which is reflected in the significant term of confinement Chief Judge Bastian sentenced her to.”
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Murphy.
1:22-CR-2084-SABYakima Woman Sentenced to 151 months in Jail for Trafficking Methamphetamine with FirearmRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on October 9, 2025, United States District Judge Rebecca L. Pennell, sentenced Allicianna Lynnzie Clark, age 31, of Yakima, Washington, Washington, to 151 months imprisonment for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Judge Pennell also ordered that, following her sentence, Clark be on supervised release for a period of five years.
According to court documents, on August 5, 2024, two Yakima police officers were in a marked unit when they observed a vehicle with expired tags. The officers observed that the driver was a female and was the only person in the vehicle. The officers initiated a traffic stop and the driver sped away into a neighborhood. A few minutes later the officers found the vehicle abandoned in an alleyway. The officers found Clark a short distance away, identified her as the driver of the vehicle, and arrested her. Inside a bag Clark possessed police found approximately 120 grams of actual meth and 25 grams of fentanyl. Also inside the bag was a Glock model 19, 9mm pistol. Clark had previously served long prison sentences for assault, robbery, and illegal firearm possession.
“Repeat offenders engaged in drug trafficking while armed pose a direct threat to our communities.” Said United States Attorney Pete Serrano. “Through the diligent efforts of our local law enforcement along with their DEA partners, they were able to bring this offender to justice and make our community safer.”
“All too often, the evil trinity of meth, fentanyl, and firearms lead to violence and death, but in this case, it led Ms. Clark back to prison for a very long time,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Seattle Field Division. “DEA and our partners work tirelessly to keep our communities safe from repeat offenders like Ms. Clark, who continue to threaten our communities with drugs and guns despite their previous incarceration.”
The case was investigated by the Yakima Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin D. Seal.
1:24-CR-2073-RLPYakima Man Sentenced to 240 Months in Prison for Attempted Production of Child Pornography and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on October 7, 2025, Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian, sentenced J’LOVFONTE JEROME JOE, 31, of Yakima, Washington, Washington, to 240 months incarceration for Attempted Production of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography. Chief Judge Bastian also ordered that, following his sentence of incarceration, Joe be required to complete 5 years of supervised release. In addition, Chief Judge Bastian required that Joe pay $3,000 in restitution to victims of the child pornography he possessed.
According to court documents, Joe posted images of a minor child who was in his care to a message board dedicated to child sexual abuse on the dark web on January 22, 2021. In addition to images of the child, including images where the child’s clothes were pulled down and Joe’s tongue was pictured extending between the sleeping child’s buttocks, Joe made statements to other persons on the message board that he was considering drugging the child in order to complete a sexual assault. On February 2, 2021, Homeland Security Investigations agents and task force officers executed a search warrant on Joe’s residence. Electronic devices seized from that residence and linked to Joe contained over fifty digital files of Child Sexual Abuse Material in addition to images taken of the child taken at his residence. Those other digital files of Child Sexual Abuse Material included images of pre-pubescent children being sexually assaulted by adults. Joe pleaded guilty without benefit of a plea agreement on December 3, 2024, after several violations of conditions of pre-trial release, including cutting off his ankle monitor. At sentencing, prosecutors requested a term of imprisonment of 320 months (26 years, 8 months) to be followed by ten years of supervised release. Defendant requested a sentence of the statutory mandatory minimum of 180 months (15 years) imprisonment to be followed by ten years of supervised release.
United States Attorney Pete Serrano emphasized the importance of these investigations and prosecutions, “predators who victimize our children must be removed for our communities. This Defendant is an example of the worst kind of sexual predator, someone who victimizes children he is entrusted to care for and then attempts to drug and further exploit them in a sick and twisted online community. I commend our law enforcement partners and the AUSAs in my office to facing this disturbing material and going after these offenders.”
“Predators like Joe who exploit the innocent will face the full justice of the law - we will find you and hold you fully accountable,” said Homeland Security Investigations acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Joe’s sentence reflects HSI’s relentless work to safeguard victims, dismantle networks of predators and prosecute offenders of this heinous crime.”The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and additional investigation regarding the physical sexual contact with the child was conducted by the Yakima Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Letitia Sikes and Michael Murphy.
1:22-CR-2095-SABWilmer Man Sentenced to 168 Months in Prison for Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Wilmer man was sentenced to 168 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon.
According to court documents, on April 21, 2025, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting on Trace Lane in Wilmer, Alabama. Upon arrival, deputies discovered a 17-year-old deceased male with apparent gunshot wounds. Witnesses identified, and the investigation confirmed, Jason Paul Covington, 43, as the shooter. Following the shooting, Covington hid the firearm under a nearby shed and fled the scene. Deputies recovered the firearm, a Winchester Model 1200, 12-gauge shotgun. Covington has a prior felony conviction for Escape. As a convicted felon, Covington is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Covington was indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm and pleaded guilty to the charge. United States District Court Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock sentenced Covington to 168 months in prison to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release for illegally possessing the firearm.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica S. Terrill and Jimmy L. Thomas prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
White Swan Woman Sentenced to Twenty-Five Years in Prison for Murder on the Yakama Nation Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington –United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Tahsheena Stacie Sam, 33, to 300 months in prison for Second Degree Murder in Indian Country. Judge Dimke also imposed 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents and evidence presented at sentencing, on Christmas Day 2017, Destiny Lloyd, an enrolled member of Yakama Nation, went missing after being seen in a vehicle that night with friends. Four days later, Ms. Lloyd’s body was discovered face-down in a snowy canal ditch located within the boundaries of the Yakama Nation Indian Reservation. Ms. Lloyd was 23 years old.
The Yakama Nation Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation began a thorough and lengthy investigation into Ms. Lloyd’s death. After extensive efforts that included collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses, law enforcement eventually discovered that Ms. Lloyd had been killed by Tahsheena Sam on the evening of December 25, 2017. That night, Ms. Lloyd, Sam and a group of several others were driving around the Yakama Nation Indian Reservation and consuming alcohol. At some point, the group learned that Ms. Lloyd had money on her – believed to be less than one-hundred dollars. A short time later, Sam assaulted Ms. Lloyd outside of the vehicle next to a snowy canal ditch and stole the money. Sam departed the vehicle with the others after the assault, leaving Ms. Lloyd behind. Sam then became concerned that Ms. Lloyd would report the assault, so she returned to the canal ditch armed with a wrench. Sam used a flashlight to follow Ms. Lloyd’s tracks in the snow. Upon locating Ms. Lloyd, Sam struck Ms. Lloyd in the head with the wrench and left her in the ditch to die.
Initial findings on autopsy revealed that Ms. Lloyd’s cause of death was cerebral trauma due to a skull fracture. At the time, it was unknown if the skull fracture had been caused by Ms. Lloyd falling down an embankment and striking her head, or whether Ms. Lloyd’s skull fracture and subsequent death were caused by being struck with an object. Law enforcement thoroughly processed the crime scene at the canal following the discovery of Ms. Lloyd’s body, although they found very little forensic evidence there.Law enforcement also questioned potential witnesses throughout the investigation, learning that the individuals Ms. Lloyd was last seen with included Tasheena Sam, Waylon Jake Napyer, Shelaine Slakish, as well as another male, all enrolled members of the Yakama Nation. Several people believed to have information on what transpired, initially refused to cooperate with law enforcement. In February 2018, a witness provided text messages to law enforcement which led police to believe that Ms. Lloyd had been murdered. The FBI obtained search warrants for multiple digital devices and/or social media accounts. Law enforcement also reviewed thousands of documents and continued to press potential witnesses for information.
As the investigation progressed, law enforcement determined that Waylon Jake Napyer was present when Ms. Lloyd was murdered, although evidence suggested that someone else had killed her. Because Mr. Napyer failed to notify authorities of the murder, in July 2022, he was indicted and charged with Misprision of a Felony. Once authorities determined that Sam had killed Ms. Lloyd by blunt force trauma to the head, Sam was charged with First Degree Murder and Felony Murder in a superseding indictment that included charging Napyer with Misprision of a Felony.
On July 16, 2024, Napyer pled guilty to Misprision of a Felony. On October 22, 2024, United States Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Napyer to 36 months in prison, to be followed by 1 year of supervised release.
On June 11, 2024, Sam plead guilty to an Information charging her with Second Degree Murder. On October 21, 2025, Judge Dimke sentenced Ms. Sam to 300 months in prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release.MMIP AUSA Bree Black Horse, who handled the sentencing hearing, recommended a sentence of 300 months in prison, higher than the federal guidelines. AUSA Black Horse noted the brutal nature of the crime: “This murder was not a spontaneous or isolated act of violence; rather, the Defendant deliberately perpetrated a merciless killing motivated by greed and desire to conceal criminal conduct. The Defendant’s actions strike at the very core of community safety and demand a punishment that conveys the gravity of this offense.”
“This was truly a horrific case that involved the death of a young woman in the prime of her life,” United States Attorney Pete Serrano said. “This kind of senseless violence simply has no place in our society. The Lloyd family has truly suffered so much pain due to Ms. Sam’s violent acts.” Mr. Serrano noted the difficulty investigating and prosecuting this case, saying, “I strongly encourage members of our community to come forward and cooperate with law enforcement so that families don’t have to wait years for justice to prevail. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Yakama Nation Tribal Police Department devoted countless hours to solving this tragic case so that Ms. Lloyd’s family could have some sense of justice. I also want to commend the six career Assistant United States Attorneys, in both Spokane and Yakima, who all contributed their time and effort, and never gave up in pursuing justice for Ms. Lloyd’s murder. This case truly demonstrates a team effort.”“In this shocking case, the defendant turned a holiday gathering nearly eight years ago into a tragic murder,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Ms. Sam stole money from someone she didn’t even know and abandoned the victim on the side of the road in the snow, then went on to return later and brutally murder her in an attempt to cover up her crime. Even though an investigation like this one may take years to come to a conclusion, the FBI and our partners will never stop pursuing justice for victims and their loved ones and communities. Combatting violent crime, including on tribal lands, is an important part of that work.”
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Yakama Nation Tribal Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bree R. Black Horse and Ian Garriques.
1:22-cr-02076-MKD-2White Swan Man Sentenced to Twelve Years in Prison for Attempted Sexual Abuse by Force or Threat on the Yakama ReservationRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington –United States Attorney S. Peter Serrano announced that United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Jerry Slockish, 58, to 144 months in prison for Attempted Sexual Abuse by Force or Threat in Indian Country. The child victim was six years old at the time of the offense.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing, on June 4, 2019—the child victim’s sixth birthday—Slockish waited until he was alone with the child and told her that he wanted to give her a birthday present. After the child refused, Slockish forcibly grabbed the child and started touching her. The child told Slockish to stop and began to scream. Slockish covered the child’s mouth with his hand and touched the genitalia of the child over her clothing. After Slockish sexually assaulted the child, she attempted to leave the bedroom, but Slockish seized her and dragged her back into the bedroom. Slockish then told the child that he would give her “whoopings” and bruises on her eyes, face and legs if she told anyone about the touching.
“Protecting children and our most vulnerable from sexual and physical abuse is a priority of this administration and my office.” Said United States Attorney Pete Serrano. “Successful prosecution depends on strong collaboration and partnership with our tribal partners, law enforcement, social services and child advocates. Together we can hold these heinous offenders accountable.”
At sentencing, MMIP AUSA Bree Black Horse noted Slockish’s nearly 30-year history of perpetrating physical, emotional, and sexual violence against women and children as reflected in police reports and Child Protection Services records. In recommending a 12-year sentence, MMIP AUSA Black Horse stated the “sexual victimization of a child is among the most serious of criminal offenses because this type of crime inflicts immeasurable and lasting harm on the most vulnerable in our society. A 12-year sentence makes clear the justice system prioritizes the protection of vulnerable victims and assures the community that the justice system will respond with seriousness and proportionality to the sexual assault of a child.”"A child’s birthday should be a day of joy and hope for the year ahead," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "Instead, on her sixth birthday, this victim tragically suffered long-lasting harm from an adult who should have protected her. I hope this case serves as a reminder that, no matter how long it takes, the FBI is dedicated to seeking justice for our nation's most vulnerable citizens within tribal lands and beyond."
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.
1:24-cr-2049-MKDWenatchee Man Sentenced to Thirty Months Imprisonment for Aggravated Identity Theft and False Statements in Passport ApplicationRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on September 24, 2025, District Court Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Brandon Wilkerson, of Wenatchee Washington, to thirty months in prison for aggravated identity theft and false statements on a passport application.
As set out in court documents, in October 2021, Wilkerson attempted to get a passport in his name but was denied in January 2022 because he was subject to a pending state warrant of arrest for felony unlawful possession of a firearm under Washington state law. In March 2022, Wilkerson stole his brother’s identity and applied for a passport under his brother’s name which was subsequently approved unknowing of the fraud. Wilkerson then used the passport to travel to Brazil, where he married a Brazilian national under his brother’s name. Wilkerson subsequently applied for legal status for the Brazilian national, again falsely and fraudulently using his brother’s name. Wilkerson was Indicted for this offense on March 19, 2024 and later placed into custody after violating the terms of his pre-trial release for committing a new criminal offense.
“Mr. Wilkerson knew that he could not get a valid passport in his own name because of his prior misconduct, so, under false pretenses, he fraudulently assumed the identity of his brother hoping the United States would not notice when he and his spouse tried to enter the United States,” said US Attorney Pete Serrano. “Mr. Wilkerson’s crime has serious consequences: the risks and dangers to our community of people entering the United States under false identities cannot be overstated. While this may seem like a Hollywood story, Catch Me if You Can, Mr. Wilkerson will not have a Hollywood ending thanks to the work from the men and women in our office and our partner law enforcement offices.”
“The Diplomatic Security Service is committed to investigating and holding accountable those who attempt to fraudulently obtain U.S. passports,” said Jonathan Kazmar, Special Agent in Charge of the DSS San Francisco Field Office. “The U.S. passport is America’s premier identity document, and its integrity is critical to our national security. Criminals and foreign adversaries often seek to exploit the passport system to facilitate illegal activities, including terrorism and human trafficking. These crimes pose significant threats to the safety of our communities and the security of the homeland, and DSS remains steadfast in its mission to combat them.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy J. Kelley.Wayne County Man Sentenced to 210 Months in Prison for Attempted Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Christopher Foster, age 31, a resident of Moscow, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on November 14, 2025, to over 17 years in prison by Senior United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for attempted production of child pornography.
According to the United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, between December 23, 2022, and December 27, 2023, Foster communicated with a 12-year-old child and a 13-year-old child via X-Box, video calls, and various social media platforms. Over the course of a year, Foster directed the children to take and remit sexually explicit images of themselves in exchange for “V-Bucks,” an in-game currency utilized to purchase tokens in the video game Fortnite. On December 27, 2023, a search warrant was executed at Foster’s residence and electronic devices, including computers, cellular telephones, and a gaming device belonging to Foster were seized and analyzed. In total, thousands of images of child sexual abuse material, including images and videos of the 12-year-old child engaging in sexually explicit conduct were recovered from Foster’s devices.
Foster admitted to communicating with the child victims and requesting sexually explicit images from them. Upon receiving the requested images and videos, he admitted to distributing the material on the dark web.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Philadelphia Division, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Wayne County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. Wilson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
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Wagoner County Resident Sentenced for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of A Child in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Clovis Lee Estes, age 36, of Wagoner, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 360 months in prison for one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child in Indian Country.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service.
On June 26, 2025, Estes pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on January 11, 2025, Estes knowingly engaged in a sexual act with the victim, a person who had not attained the age of 12 years. The crime occurred in Wagoner County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable John C. Coughenour, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing. Estes will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Morgan Muzljakovich represented the United States.
Utah Woman Sentenced After Defacing Petroglyphs on BLM LandRead the Press Release
ST. GEORGE, Utah – Daniela Ganassim Ericksen, 47, of Ivins, Utah, was sentenced today after she vandalized petroglyphs on the Bureau of Land Management land located in in Kane County, Utah, in 2024.
The court ordered Ericksen to 12 months’ probation and ordered her to pay a total of $14,853.36 in fines and restitution. Ericksen was also ordered to send a letter of apology to the relevant stakeholder tribes in the area and is prohibited from entering on to Bureau of Land Management land during her probationary period.
According to court documents, on November 23, 2024, Ericksen entered onto U.S. BLM land near the confluence of Buckskin and Wire Pass in Kane County and vandalized archaeological resources, specifically a petroglyph panel. As a result of her illegal conduct, the cost to restore and repair the damage is $11,853.36.
United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak for the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Land Management.
Assistant United States Attorney Joseph M. Hood of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
United States Seeks Civil Forfeiture of $70,000 and Two Rolex Watches as Proceeds of Construction and Elder FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The United States Attorney’s Office filed a civil forfeiture action to recover $70,000, in United States currency and two Rolex watches alleged to be proceeds of wire fraud and involved in money laundering.
Law enforcement seized these items on Jan. 20, 2024, following a traffic stop of Michael McInerney and Crystel O’Reilly, neither of whom had a driver’s license. McInerney and O’Reilly are Irish nationals and were not legally present in the United States. While inventorying their vehicle, officers found a white trash bag that contained $30,000 in one white sock and $40,000 inside a second sock and the two Rolex watches.
At the time of the traffic stop, law enforcement recognized McInerney as a suspected member of a transnational organized crime group that conducted construction, paving and roofing fraud schemes in the United States. The fraud schemes generally involved foreign nationals who pose as licensed contractors to induce homeowners, who were often elderly, to allow them to work on their homes. The foreign nationals often failed to pull required permits; performed unnecessary work; overcharged the homeowners; and disappeared when the homeowners discovered the fraud, expressed displeasure with the work, or threatened to report them to law enforcement. The foreign nationals bought jewelry and watches with the fraud proceeds in order to evade currency reporting requirements.
Following the stop, investigators obtained financial records and interviewed elderly homeowners in Somerville and Cambridge, Mass. who had written checks to McInerney, who is not legally authorized to work in the United States, for construction work. The Somerville homeowner, who was 75 years old, withdrew money from his retirement account to pay for the work and told investigators that the work was not completed and that he could not get in touch with the company after he paid them $199,500. The Cambridge homeowner, who was 78 years old years old, reported being charged $80,000 for work that should have cost no more than $30,000.
Investigators also learned that a homeowner in Washington, D.C., had obtained a default judgment against McInerney and an associate named Terrence Connors after writing checks totaling $60,000 to McInerney in August 2023. McInerney and Connors represented themselves to the homeowner as working for a legitimate roofing and masonry company. When the homeowner learned that the company was not legitimate, he confronted Connors, who threatened to tear up the roofing job if the homeowner did not pay an additional $20,000. The homeowner never saw Connors or McInerney again.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Quincy Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annapurna Balakrishna of the Asset Recovery Unit is prosecuting the case.
The accusations in the complaint, and the description of the complaint, constitute allegations that certain property is subject to forfeiture. The United States must prove, by a standard of preponderance of the evidence, that the property is subject to forfeiture.
United States Attorney’s Office Announces Appointment of Andrew B. Benson as U.S AttorneyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: The United States Attorney’s Office announced that Andrew B. Benson has taken the oath of office to become the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maine. U.S. Attorney Benson was nominated for the position of United States Attorney for the District of Maine by President Donald J. Trump on September 30, 2025. Attorney General Pamela Bondi appointed him U.S. Attorney effective October 22, 2025, pending Senate confirmation of his presidential nomination, and he was sworn in on the same date by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Lance E. Walker.
U.S. Attorney Benson is the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the District of Maine. He oversees a staff of 45 employees and contractors located in Portland and Bangor, including 21 attorneys, 21 non-attorney support personnel and three contractors. The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes in the district, including crimes related to terrorism, public corruption, child exploitation, firearms, and narcotics. The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.
U.S. Attorney Benson was born in western Maine and grew up in Bethel, attending local schools. After high school, he attended the University of Maine at Orono and received an honors degree in German literature. He then attended the University of Maine School of Law and received his Juris Doctorate in 1988.
A veteran prosecutor, Benson worked for a district attorney’s office in central Maine, trying serious and violent felonies. In 1999, he was appointed one of three senior homicide prosecutors for the Maine Attorney General’s Office by Maine Attorney General Andrew Ketterer and was assigned with the responsibility of overseeing and trying homicide cases throughout the state. During his fifteen-year tenure in the Attorney General’s Office, he dealt with over 100 murder and manslaughter cases.
In 2014, he was nominated to the bench of the Maine District Court by Governor Paul LePage. He was renominated by Governor Janet Mills in 2021. After each nomination he was unanimously confirmed by the Maine State Senate.
While a member of the district court bench, he presided over hundreds of trials, including dozens of serious criminal jury trials. He resigned from his judicial position in order to accept the position of United States Attorney for the District of Maine.
Editor’s Note: This matter occurred on the date indicated, but the press release was not published at that time due to the federal government shutdown. The release was posted and made available following the return to normal operations.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges over 180 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct in Arizona This WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During this week of enforcement operations from November 8, 2025, through November 14, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona has brought immigration-related criminal charges against 184 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 107 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 67 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States also filed 9 cases against individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border vigilance, and federal prosecutors also charged one defendant for assaulting a Border Patrol agent.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Martin Diego Ramirez-Granillo: On November 12, 2025, Martin Diego Ramirez-Granillo was charged by complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien and Reentry of Removed Alien. Ramirez-Granillo was pulled over by an Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) trooper for suspected violations of Arizona law. During the encounter the trooper suspected a human smuggling event and contacted U.S. Border Patrol for assistance. Border Patrol Agents responded to the scene to conduct an immigration inspection. Ramirez-Granillo and the passenger were determined to be citizens of Mexico, illegally present in the United States. Ramirez-Granillo was also determined to have previously been removed from the United States. Case No. 25-06444MJ
United States v. Anthony Shawn Hobbs: On November 13, 2025, Anthony Shawn Hobbs was charged with transportation of illegal aliens for profit. Hobbs was initially seen driving southbound on Interstate 19 as the only occupant of a Toyota Corolla. Shortly after, he was observed driving on State Route 82 with multiple visible occupants in the vehicle and the trunk was open and the lid was flapping. When Border Patrol agents stopped his sedan, he had four illegal aliens in the vehicle. Case No. 25-14313MJ
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CASE NUMBER: 25-06444MJ
25-14313MJRELEASE NUMBER: 2025-160_November 14 Immigration Enforcement
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.