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10 September 2026
Former Quincy City Manager Found Guilty of Firearm Possession as Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Robert Edward Nixon, 61, Qunicy, Florida, has been found guilty by a federal jury in Tallahassee following a two-day jury trial for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the guilty verdict.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “My team of tenacious federal prosecutors continues to deliver outstanding trial victories to hold accountable any and all criminals who brazenly violate our laws. My thanks go out to our state and federal law enforcement partners, whose excellent investigative work led to this successful prosecution.”
Court records and trial testimony revealed that on February 10, 2026, during a law enforcement investigation, a search warrant was executed on the defendant’s residence. Two loaded handguns were discovered in the defendant’s nightstand. The defendant was previously convicted in the United States District Court, Northern District of Florida, Tallahassee Division, in 2011 of three felonies, including two counts of conspiracy to steal or misapply funds from an organization that receives federal assistance and to commit wire fraud and aiding and abetting or misapplying funds as a credit union employee. The defendant was terminated from his position as the City Manager of Quincy in June 2025.
The case was jointly investigated by the Office of the State Attorney, Second Judicial Circuit, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 19, 2026, at 11 a.m. in the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
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 https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Former NFL Player Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Operating Large-Scale Dog Fighting and Trafficking Venture in OklahomaRead the Press Release
Note, Johnson was sentenced to 60 months in prison. A previous version of the release misstated his prison sentence. The release has been updated.
Former NFL player LeShon Johnson of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $30,000 fine after being convicted at trial of six dog fighting-related charges.
Testimony at trial showed that Johnson — who pleaded guilty in 2004 to Oklahoma dog fighting offenses — had been running a major operation since at least 2007 that bred and sold fighting dogs for profit. Johnson, who previously ran “Krazyside Kennels” referred to his new operation as “Mal Kant Kennels.” The jury heard evidence that Johnson bred and trafficked hundreds of dogs for the purpose of dog fighting around the country. Authorities seized 190 dogs from his property, the largest number ever seized from a single individual in a federal dog fighting case.
Screen grab of a video sent by Johnson of one of his dogs. Screen grab of a video sent by Johnson of one of his dogs.“LeShon Johnson will face justice for building another particularly egregious and violent dog fighting scheme,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “As Johnson was well aware, dog fighting is a felony in all 50 states. To anyone attempting to build violent and illicit business schemes: you can run, but you can’t hide from the Department of Justice.”
“LeShon Johnson continued to traffic dogs for illegal fighting despite a 2004 state conviction for similar conduct,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “We are grateful to our colleagues at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma and the FBI for partnering with ENRD to bring this repeat offender to justice and to the U.S. Marshals Service for executing the biggest rescue operation of its kind.”
“The defendant operated a business which promoted and profited from animal cruelty,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. “I applaud our law enforcement partners for their work to investigate this case and hold Mr. Johnson accountable for his crimes.”
“The animals in this case were defenseless and the defendant used them to harm each other for his entertainment,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “The FBI appreciates the work of ENRD and the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Oklahoma to hold Mr. Johnson responsible for his mistreatment of these animals.”
At trial, the jury heard evidence that Johnson advertised many of his dogs as “champions” and “grand champions,” meaning they had won three or five fights, respectively. Johnson also boasted of the fighting prowess of his dogs. Johnson would sell litters of puppies from favorable fighting bloodlines and “stud fees” for the right to breed with one of his male dogs, with proceeds totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The FBI’s New Orleans Field Office, Shreveport Resident Agency Office investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section is prosecuting the case. Additional assistance was provided by former Trial Attorneys Ethan Eddy, Sarah Brown, and Todd Gleason of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section, and by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan Howanitz and Olivia Staubus for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
Former Morgan City Teacher Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Enticing Student via EmailRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE – On September 9, 2026, United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays sentenced Katherine Albarado, 32, of Morgan City, to 60 months in federal prison for attempted possession of child pornography. Albarado had previously pled guilty to the charge.
“Predators—and especially people in positions of trust—who abuse our children have nowhere to hide in this District,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “We urge parents to remain vigilant and aware of their children’s digital and online communications, and this Office, along with our state and federal partners, will continue to investigate and prosecute those who exploit children for perverse, sexual purposes.”
According to court documents, in May 2022, Albarado was employed as a teacher at Morgan City High School. During this period, Albarado used a personal email account to initiate and continue email communications with a student whom Albarado knew to be 16 years old. The messages were aimed at enticing the student into illegal sexual contact. They were extremely graphic and included a request for the minor victim to send sexually explicit images of himself to her.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
The Morgan City Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren L. Nickel with assistance from Legal Assistant Christy Angelle.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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 Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), PSC 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. Learn more at https://www.justice.gov/psc/about-project-safe-childhood.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer, under Case Number 6:25-cr-00355-01.
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United States Attorney’s Office: www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
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(337) 262-6704Former Director of Nasdaq Company Convicted of Securities FraudRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Donald Danks of Irvine was convicted by a federal jury today of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, witness tampering, obstruction of justice, and perjury in connection with a multi-million-dollar scheme to defraud investors in a Nasdaq-listed company and his subsequent efforts to obstruct the investigation into his conduct.
After a two-week retrial, the jury found that Danks engaged in a six-year securities fraud scheme involving the stock of Loop Industries, Inc. Danks used his position as a company insider to obtain nonpublic information and influence investors while secretly selling Loop shares for his own benefit.
According to evidence presented at trial, Danks helped form Loop and served on its board of directors and audit committee, giving him access to a steady stream of inside information that continued even after he left the board. During the conspiracy, Danks solicited investors to purchase more than $100 million in Loop stock, including through the selective disclosure of inside information. He also directed investors to purchase shares at specific times, prices, and volumes in an effort to influence the stock price.
Danks carried out the scheme through Ventanas Capital LLC, a shell company he created with a former associate. He created fictitious employees and used the company to conceal his and his associate’s roles in the transactions. Danks transferred hundreds of thousands of Loop shares to Ventanas and gradually sold them to finance his and his associate’s lifestyle. He also used Ventanas to conduct stock transactions that concealed his identity as a seller.
Although Danks was required to disclose his control and trading of Loop stock, he failed to disclose that he was selling shares through Ventanas. At the same time, he repeatedly promoted Loop as a strong investment and represented that he was purchasing shares, while secretly selling shares himself and through Ventanas. In total, Danks profited more than $4 million from the scheme.
After the SEC and FBI began investigating, Danks and his associate took additional steps to conceal the fraud. Among other things, they fabricated and backdated promissory notes to create the appearance of legitimate loans. Evidence presented at trial showed that documents purportedly created over a period of years were actually prepared at the same time. Danks subsequently testified about those documents during his first trial without disclosing that they had been created after the investigation began.
Danks also tampered with his associate, encouraging her to repeat his false account of who controlled their shell company. His first trial ended in a mistrial.
Danks is scheduled to be sentenced on December 4, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Cynthia A. Bashant.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Janaki G. Chopra and Nicholas W. Pilchak.
DEFENDANT Case Number 22-CR-2701-BAS
Donald Danks Age: 69 Irvine, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371
Maximum Penalties: Five years in prison; $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss
Witness Tampering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(b)(1)
Maximum Penalties: Twenty years in prison; $250,000 fine
Obstruction of Justice, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1503
Maximum Penalties: Ten years in prison; $250,000 fine
Perjury, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1623(a)
Maximum Penalties: Five years in prison; $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Former Bethalto Attorney Accused of Stealing over $400,000 from Minor ClientsRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – Yesterday, an attorney who practiced in Bethalto appeared in federal court to face 15 federal charges for bank and mail fraud related to his guardian ad litem appointment for four minors in Madison County.
David K. Elliott, 41, was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 18, 2026. The indictment alleges that Elliott was a lawyer licensed to practice law in the state of Illinois, with his primary practice in Bethalto, Madison County. In 2016, Elliott was appointed by the Circuit Court of Madsion County, Illinois to serve as the guardian ad litem for three minor children in connection to a pending lawsuit brought on behalf of their deceased mother. In 2017, Elliott was appointed to represent another minor in connection with a pending lawsuit brought on behalf of the minor’s deceased father.
According to the indictment, lawyers appointed by a court to act as a guardian ad litem in these cases owe a duty to act in the best interest of the minors, and to make reports and recommendations to the Court on proposed settlements. In this role, guardian ad litem open bank accounts in the name of the minors and serve as the custodian over those accounts until the minor turns 18. Lawyers serving as guardian ad litem are paid for their services prior to the disbursement of settlement funds and are not permitted to withdraw funds from a minor’s account without special order from the court.
The indictment alleges that during his guardian ad litem appointments for these minor children, Elliott opened bank accounts for the minors and deposited settlement funds into the accounts for the benefits of the minors. Thereafter, from May 2019 to October 2022, Elliott fraudulently withdrew more than $400,000 from the minors’ bank accounts and used those funds for his own benefit. To obtain the funds from the minors’ accounts, Elliott provided the bank with fraudulent court orders that appeared to have been filed in the Madison County Circuit Court and entered by the judge presiding over the underlying lawsuit.
Elliott is also accused of executing a scheme to cover up his embezzlement from the minors and their families. According to the indictment, when the first of the minor children approached the age of 18, Elliott withdrew money from two of the minors’ accounts and deposited those funds into the other account to conceal his embezzlement from the minors. Elliott further told one of the minors that they could not access the money in their account until they turned 21. In support of this false information, Elliott mailed the minor a fraudulent court order that appeared to have been entered in the Madison County Circuit Court. According to the indictment, two of the minors never received any of their respective settlement funds. Another only received a small portion of their settlement funds.
“The indictment charges that a lawyer appointed to protect minor children took more than $400,000 from their accounts and used fake court orders to do it,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Conduct of that kind, if proved, cannot be tolerated.”
Trial is set for November 9, 2026 in the Benton Courthouse before Chief Judge Staci M. Yandle.
Bank fraud convictions carry a maximum penalty of 30 years’ imprisonment and fines not more than $1,000,000. Mail fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and fines not more than $250,000.
"An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury."
FBI Springfield is investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Gross is prosecuting the case.
Florida woman sentenced to federal prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraudRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, Georgia: A Florida woman has been sentenced to prison for her role in a multi-state scheme to fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance benefits.
The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen and announced by Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Cheryl Galloway, 67, of Yulee, Florida, was sentenced to 71 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $454,624.20 and criminal forfeiture of $96,119 after being convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud.
There is no parole in the federal system.
As described in court documents and testimony, over a two-year period Galloway, along with her co-conspirators, electronically submitted fraudulent applications with agencies in at least 40 states. The fraud scheme employed by Galloway and her co-conspirators involved filing for pandemic unemployment benefits around the country, stating they were impacted in those states, and lying about various material aspects of the applications. As a result, the conspirators received approximately $480,000 to which they were not entitled, and they attempted to obtain even more money through fraudulent and deceptive means. Some of the benefits were in the form of a debit card sent to Galloway through the U.S. Mail.
Galloway’s co-defendant, Ricki Johnson, 42, of Trenton, South Carolina, was previously sentenced to 54 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $104,632 after pleading guilty to Mail Fraud.
“This sentence demonstrates this offices commitment to safeguarding taxpayer-funded benefits against illegal access by those that would seek to enrich themselves,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “This case, and many others like it, demonstrate that federal investigators and prosecutors will work together to identify these criminals and hold them accountable.”
In March 2020, Congress authorized additional funding and expanded eligibility for state-administered unemployment insurance programs as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. In an effort to maintain the integrity of those benefits, the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Labor (OIG-DOL) investigates individuals attempting to fraudulently access unemployment insurance funds.
"Cheryl Galloway and her co-conspirators fraudulently obtained unemployment insurance benefits they were not entitled to, draining hard-earned tax dollars and betraying the trust of hardworking Americans. Stealing benefits is a crime and every fraudster will face the consequences they deserve,” said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor. "This ruling stands as a powerful reminder that my office, in partnership with the Department of Justice, is committed to identifying and prosecuting every individual who defrauds our benefits programs. Accountability and justice will always prevail.”
Anyone with information about attempted unemployment insurance benefits fraud can contact OIG-DOL at www.oig.dol.gov/hotline.htm.
The case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Labor and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelsey L. Scanlon, J. Bishop Ravenel and former Assistant U.S. Attorney George J.C. Jacobs III.
Felon Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Possessing Multiple Firearms and Violating Supervised Release Terms for Prior Federal Drug ConvictionRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – An armed felon was sentenced to prison yesterday for possessing multiple firearms and for violating the terms of his supervised release stemming from a prior federal conviction, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Rex Allen Hawkins, 55, of Traphill, N.C. was ordered to serve 20 months in prison for the firearms offense, and an additional 12 months in prison for the supervised release violation, for a total active sentence of 32 months in prison. Hawkins was also ordered to serve three years of court supervision after he is released from prison.
According to court records, Hawkins was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute, possess with intent to distribute, and to manufacture methamphetamine. As part of his sentence, he was ordered to serve a term of supervision upon completion of his prison sentence. Between 2021 and 2023, the court revoked Hawkins’s supervision twice for violating conditions of supervised release. According to court records, Hawkins began his most recent term of supervision in May 2024.
According to court documents, in September 2024, U.S. Probation officers conducted a warrantless search of Hawkins’s residence in Traphill, N.C., pursuant to the standard conditions of the court-ordered supervision. During the search, probation officers found multiple firearms inside residence, including a Marlin, Model 25MN, .22 WMR bolt action rifle; a Rossi, Model S201220RS, Youth Matched Pair firearm with interchangeable .22LR barrel and 20-gauge shotgun barrel; a firearm lower receiver; and multiple live rounds of various calibers of ammunition. Probation officers also found hydrocodone pills, well as small amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the residence.
In February 2026, Hawkins pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation to a federal facility.
This investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Probation Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Gleason of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Federal Firearms Offenses Weekly RoundupRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada, working with our partners in federal, state, and local law enforcement, are combining resources to protect Nevada’s communities from offenders who violate federal firearms laws. We are jointly committed to bringing to justice those who endanger our communities.
“This week's sweeping indictments send a clear message: if you flood our streets with illegal guns or use a firearm to terrorize our neighborhoods, you will be caught and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of federal law,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “Our office, alongside our dedicated local and federal law enforcement partners, will continue to use every tool at our disposal to dismantle the networks driving gun violence and bring peace back to our communities.”
This week, federal firearms enforcement efforts in the District of Nevada resulted in the sentencing of an individual involved in the unlawful purchase of firearms and separate federal indictments charging four individuals prohibited from possessing firearms.
Jerion Ballott was sentenced today to three years’ probation for providing a false statement during the purchase of a firearm at a Federal Firearms Licensee in Las Vegas. Between May 2020 and March 2022, he aided his co-defendant in purchasing 18 firearms that were later resold to others – some of those firearms ended up in the hands of criminals. He has a prior domestic violence conviction, and he is prohibited by law from possessing firearms. The government recommended 18 months’ imprisonment.
In addition, a federal grand jury returned separate indictments this week charging three individuals with prior felony convictions and one individual who is unlawfully in the United States with illegally possessing firearms.
According to allegations made in the separate indictments: • On or about August 13, 2026, Charles Richard Cleary, Jr. possessed a semi-automatic .32 caliber pistol, a .30-06 Springfield caliber semi-automatic rifle, and a 12-gauge shotgun, after he had previously been convicted of murder in Indiana. Cleary Jr. is charged with one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
• On or about August 27, 2026, Vadim Merkulov, who is an illegal alien in the United States, possessed multiple firearms including a 9x18mm Makarov firearm, a .45 caliber firearm, and a 5.56 caliber firearm. Merkulov is charged with one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
• On or about June 9, 2026, Rondall Talley possessed a .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol after he had previously been convicted of carjacking, interference with commerce by robbery, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence in Nevada. Talley was on federal supervision at the time of this alleged offense. Talley is charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
• On or about February 20, 2026, Wesley Alan Wilson possessed a 9mm semi-automatic pistol after he had previously been convicted of grand larceny auto, possession of forged instrument, two counts of possession of stolen vehicle, and attempt possession of stolen vehicle, all in Clark County, Nevada. Wilson is charged with one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
These cases are being investigated by the ATF, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Melinda Brewer, Steven Rose, Joseph Sciscento, and Melanee Smith are prosecuting these cases.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Fall River Man Sentenced for Shipping Cocaine Through the MailRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Fall River man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for a drug trafficking offense arising from his shipment of cocaine through the U.S. mail from California to Massachusetts.
Justin Dupras, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to time served (two days). In May 2025, Dupras pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute. Dupras was charged by criminal complaint in January 2025.
Dupras mailed a package containing approximately two kilograms of cocaine from a post office in Los Angeles, Calif. to Fall River, Mass. on Dec. 17, 2024. Dupras then returned to Massachusetts and, on Dec. 19, 2024, drove to the Fall River Post Office. Another individual signed for the package containing cocaine and handed it to Dupras.
In addition, Dupras mailed packages containing cocaine from California to Massachusetts on multiple prior occasions. For example, on Sept. 17, 2024, Dupras mailed a box containing more than two kilograms of cocaine from Chino Hills, Calif. to Fall River, Mass. On Oct. 29, 2024, Dupras mailed a box containing approximately two kilograms of cocaine from Los Angeles, Calif. to Fall River, Mass. Flight records show Dupras returning to Massachusetts on the same day that he mailed the two packages.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Justin Page, Acting Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Fall River Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely prosecuted the case.
Dompé U.S. Agrees to Pay $32M to Resolve False Claims Act Liability Relating to Self-Disclosure of Patient KickbacksRead the Press Release
Dompé U.S. Inc. (Dompé), based in California, has agreed to pay $32 million to resolve allegations that, between 2018 and 2021, it paid Medicare beneficiary co-pays through two patient assistance foundations to induce the purchase of its drug, Oxervate, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute and the False Claims Act.
“This settlement demonstrates the United States’ commitment to enforcing the Anti-Kickback Statute and ensuring that pharmaceutical manufacturers do not use unlawful inducements,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department encourages companies that uncover improper kickbacks to self-disclose such conduct.”
“Kickbacks to beneficiaries undermine the purpose of the Medicare co-pay system and drive up the cost of drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts. “My Office has recovered over $1.4 billion for taxpayers through settlements and enforcement actions concerning drug company kickbacks to purported charities, and we will continue to pursue these matters to ensure that all drug companies play by the rules and to protect federal taxpayer funded healthcare programs.”
“Pharmaceutical manufacturers that attempt to disguise kickbacks as charitable patient assistance are engaging in blatant misconduct which corrupts medical decision‑making and drains federal health care programs,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Dompé’s actions undermined critical safeguards Congress put in place to protect Medicare, driving up costs for taxpayers while exploiting patients. HHS-OIG does not tolerate such conduct and will continue to work tirelessly for justice and accountability.”
When a Medicare beneficiary obtains a prescription drug covered by Medicare, the beneficiary may be required to make a partial payment, which may take the form of a co-payment, co-insurance, or deductible (collectively “co-pays”). Congress included co-pay requirements in these programs, in part, to encourage market forces to serve as a check on health care costs, including the prices that pharmaceutical manufacturers can demand for their drugs.
Under the Anti-Kickback Statute, a pharmaceutical manufacturer is prohibited from offering or paying, directly or indirectly, any remuneration – which includes money or any other thing of value – to induce Medicare patients to purchase the company’s drugs. This prohibition extends to the payment of patients’ co-pay obligations.
As part of the settlement, Dompé admitted that, around the time of Oxervate’s 2018 launch in the United States, Dompé U.S. employees expressed reservations about launching the drug before making a payment to a patient assistance foundation that paid the co-pays for Oxervate. After conversations with Dompé employees, two foundations opened funds that, among other things, paid co-pays for Oxervate, and Dompé made contributions to those foundations. Dompé also solicited patient assistance foundation data directly from the foundations, and from the specialty pharmacy that provided hub services to Dompé U.S. patients. This data was provided, directly or indirectly, to certain individuals involved in the patient assistance foundation budgeting process.
Dompé is the U.S. subsidiary of Dompé farmaceutici S.p.A., a pharmaceutical company incorporated in Italy. Dompé farmaceutici self-disclosed this conduct to the United States. Following the disclosure, both Dompé farmaceutici and Dompé U.S. cooperated with the government in this matter and received credit under the Department’s guidelines for taking self-disclosure, cooperation, and remediation into account in False Claims Act cases.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division.
The matter was handled by Senior Trial Counsel Sarah Arni of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Ross and Brian LaMacchia for the District of Massachusetts.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Dompé U.S. Agrees to Pay $32 Million to Resolve Kickback Allegations Involving Patient Assistance FoundationsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Dompé U.S., Inc. (Dompé), based in California, has agreed to pay $32 million to resolve allegations that, between 2018 and 2021, it paid Medicare beneficiary co-payments through two patient assistance foundations to induce the purchase of its drug, Oxervate, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute and the False Claims Act.
When a Medicare beneficiary obtains a prescription drug covered by Medicare Part B or Part D, the beneficiary is often required to make a partial payment, which may take the form of a co-payment, co-insurance, or deductible (collectively “co-pays”). These co-pay obligations may be substantial for expensive medications. Congress included co-pay requirements in these programs, in part, to encourage market forces to serve as a check on health care costs, including the prices that pharmaceutical manufacturers can demand for their drugs. The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits pharmaceutical companies from offering or paying, directly or indirectly, any remuneration – which includes money or any other thing of value – to induce Medicare patients to purchase the companies’ drugs.
Dompé admitted that, around the time of Oxervate’s 2018 launch in the United States, Dompé U.S. employees expressed reservations about launching the drug before making a payment to a patient assistance foundation that paid the co-pays for Oxervate. After conversations with Dompé employees, two foundations opened funds that, among other things, paid co-pays for Oxervate, and Dompé made contributions to those foundations. Between 2019 and 2021, despite having an annual budgeting process for contributions, Dompé sometimes approved mid-year increases to those foundations or held certain amounts in “reserve” so that it could determine mid-year which of the foundations were running low on funding and allocate the “reserve” accordingly. Dompé also solicited patient assistance foundation data directly from the foundations, and from the specialty pharmacy that provided hub services to Dompé U.S. patients. Certain Dompé employees involved in the patient assistance foundation budgeting process received this data through either direct or indirect means.
“Kickbacks to beneficiaries undermine the purpose of the Medicare co-pay system and drive up the cost of drugs,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “My Office has recovered over $1.4 billion for taxpayers through settlements and enforcement actions concerning drug company kickbacks to purported charities, and we will continue to pursue these matters to ensure that all drug companies play by the rules and to protect federal taxpayer funded healthcare programs.”
“This settlement demonstrates the United States’ commitment to enforcing the Anti-Kickback Statute and ensuring that pharmaceutical manufacturers do not use unlawful inducements,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department encourages companies that uncover improper kickbacks to self-disclose such conduct.”
“Pharmaceutical manufacturers that attempt to disguise kickbacks as charitable patient assistance are engaging in blatant misconduct which corrupts medical decision‑making and drains federal health care programs,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Dompé’s actions undermined critical safeguards Congress put in place to protect Medicare, driving up costs for taxpayers while exploiting patients. HHS-OIG does not tolerate such conduct and will continue to work tirelessly for justice and accountability.”
Dompé is the U.S. subsidiary of Dompé farmaceutici S.p.A., a pharmaceutical company incorporated in Italy. Dompé farmaceutici voluntarily self-disclosed this conduct to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts, which Dompé U.S. discovered following an internal compliance review. Following the voluntary disclosure, both Dompé farmaceutici and Dompé U.S. fully cooperated with the government in this matter. By 2022, Dompé implemented changes to its patient assistance foundation contribution practices.
U.S. Attorney Foley, AAG Shumate and HHS-OIG SAC Coviello made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Ross and Brian LaMacchia, Chief of the Affirmative Litigation Unit, handled the matter along with Senior Trial Counsel Sarah Arni of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section.
dompe_settlement_agreement_fully_executed.pdf
District Man Sentenced for Possession of Firearm After Ditching Cocaine Trafficking Evidence in a Trash CanRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tavon Valentine Lee, 29, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 60 months in prison in connection with his possession of a loaded Glock 23 while participating in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Lee pleaded guilty on Jan. 30, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Amir H. Ali to one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. In addition to the 60-month prison sentence, Judge Ali ordered Lee to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court papers, beginning in the summer of 2024, the FBI launched an investigation into a large-scale cocaine conspiracy spanning the District, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. The investigation revealed that Lee possessed a firearm as he distributed gram quantities of cocaine, which he obtained from co-defendant Marcus Devonta Williams, in the D.C. area. Williams in turn received multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine transported from New York by co-defendant Daryl Smith-Winfree.
On March 24, 2025, law enforcement observed co-defendant Daryl Smith-Winfree meet with co-defendant Marcus Williams in a parking lot in Wilmington, Delaware. After entering and remaining in Smith-Winfree's vehicle for about two minutes, co-defendant Williams left Smith-Winfree's vehicle and reentered his own Ford Raptor holding a brown paper bag. The next day, on March 25, 2025, investigators followed co-defendant Williams to a parking lot in Silver Spring, Maryland, where he met briefly with Lee. Investigators witnessed Lee as he got into co-defendant Williams’ Ford Raptor empty-handed and emerge about two minutes later carrying a brown paper bag. Lee threw the bag into a trash can before driving off alone in a Mercedes SUV.
Investigators recovered the discarded bag. Inside, they found packaging materials consistent with kilogram-quantity distribution, cocaine residue on cutting instruments, and a parking receipt matching the license plate of the Williams’s Ford Raptor.
Montgomery County police officers stopped Lee’s Mercedes a short time later. A search of the vehicle turned up about 257 grams of cocaine, roughly 65 pills suspected to be counterfeit oxycodone, and a loaded Glock 23 handgun with an extended 15-round magazine.
Co-defendant Smith-Winfree pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and was sentenced to 96 months in prison. Co-defendant Williams pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and was sentenced to 70 months in prison.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Washington Field Office, the Drug Enforcement Agency’s Washington Division Office, the Montgomery County Police Department, Howard County Police Department, and the Arlington County Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael L. Barclay, Daniel Seidel, and Anthony Scarpelli prosecuted this matter.
25cr163
Defendants sentenced after pleading guilty in Georgia prison drug trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
STATESBORO, Georgia: A defendant and his co-conspirators in a Georgia prison drug trafficking operation have been sentenced in district court.
The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall and announced by Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Deivon Waller, a/k/a “Hitman,” a/k/a “VP”, 32, an inmate at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson, Georgia, was sentenced to 240 months in prison and a $2,000 fine followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine and Marijuana.
Waller was a co-conspirator in a network of prison inmates and outside conspirators who used drones and other methods to deliver large quantities of drugs, cell phones and other contraband to Smith State Prison in Glennville, Telfair State Prison in McRae-Helena, and various other Georgia state prisons beginning as early as 2019 and continuing through July 2024.
Amongst more than 20 defendants, six were not in Department of Corrections custody at any time during the conspiracies, and each of them is alleged to have been in contact with incarcerated co-defendants in furtherance of the conspiracy.
Additional defendants associated with the operation have also been sentenced, they include:
- Kelvin Rogers, a/k/a “Gangsta,” 40, an inmate at the Smith State Prison, was sentenced to 96 months in prison and a $500 fine followed by one year of supervised release after pleading guilty to two counts of Unlawful Use of a Communication Facility.
- Tristahn Ash, a/k/a “Mohawk,” 29, an inmate in the Georgia Department of Corrections, was sentenced to 92 months in prison and a $1,500 fine followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
- Asa James Ward, a/k/a “Foolay,” 30, an inmate at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison, was sentenced to 56 months in prison and a $1,500 fine followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine and Marijuana.
There is no parole in the federal system.
More than a dozen additional co-conspirators await sentencing while others have upcoming trials in federal court for various charges including, Unlawful Use of a Communication Facility and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
“This is but one step of many to bring these defendants to justice in a widespread conspiracy,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “We commend the many federal, state and local law enforcement agencies whose collaborative work unraveled this criminal scheme.”
“Prisons should not be targets for sophisticated drug trafficking operations,” said Michael J. Connolly, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “This investigation exposed an effort to use technology to circumvent security and deliver dangerous drugs and contraband behind prison walls. DEA’s commitment to pursuing those responsible does not stop at the prison gate.”
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Georgia Department of Corrections Criminal Investigations Division, the Georgia Department of Corrections Intelligence Division, and local law enforcement agencies including the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, Telfair County Sheriff’s Office, Tattnall County Sheriff’s Office, Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, the McRae-Helena Police Department, and the Eufaula, Ala., Police Department.
“Identifying and managing those participating in criminal activity using contraband cell phones introduced into our facilities via drone or otherwise, is paramount in our commitment to public safety,” said GDC Commissioner Tyrone Oliver. “We appreciate the support of our federal partners in ensuring that justice will be served on these individuals for their role in jeopardizing the safe operations of our facilities, and most importantly, the safety of the public.”
This case is being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy P. Dean and Criminal AUSA Chief Patricia G. Rhodes.
Defendants Convicted for Scheme Enabling More Than 100 Drivers, Many Not Proficient in English, to Fraudulently Obtain Commercial Driver’s LicensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – All six defendants involved in a bribery scheme, that enabled more than 100 people to fraudulently obtain commercial driver’s licenses, have now pleaded guilty, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
JENAY DAVIS (“DAVIS”) pleaded guilty on September 2, 2026, and CHRISTOPHER BRYAN BURNS (“BURNS”) and SHAKERA MILLIEN (“MILLIEN”) pleaded guilty on September 9, 2026. The other defendants—MAHMOUD ALHATTAB (“ALHATTAB”), JONATHAN PARSONS (“PARSONS”), and MARLINE ROBERTS (“ROBERTS”) pleaded guilty on July 29, 2026. All six defendants appeared before U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo.
ALHATTAB, a restaurant owner, led a scheme in which Commercial Driver’s License (“CDL”) applicants paid him an average of $5,000 to obtain unearned CDLs. The scheme enabled applicants to bypass all three main federally-mandated steps of the CDL qualification process: the knowledge test, entry-level driver training, and the skills test.
“The commercial transportation industry is a vital component of this nation’s economy. As a result, the competency and fitness of commercial drivers to safely and knowledgeably operate those vehicles on our streets and highways, is vital to the welfare of all the other drivers in our communities,” said United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana David I. Courcelle. “Solely to satisfy their own greed, the perpetrators of this sweeping fraudulent scheme callously endangered the lives of other drivers by allowing commercial drivers, who were woefully unprepared to safely navigate travel hazards, to operate on America’s roadways. However, today’s convictions demonstrate the combined mission of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General’s Southern Region, to hold fraudsters accountable for their crimes and to keep American roads safe for commuters.”
“Every defendant in this case was willing to endanger the motoring public by giving unqualified people authorization to operate commercial vehicles,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “Our partners at the DOT-OIG, Louisiana Department of Public Safety Office of Motor Vehicles, and the Louisiana Office of Inspector General helped us build a strong case for prosecutors. We thank the U.S. Attorney's Office for their unwavering support in our fight against dangerous fraud.”
“The convictions announced today underscore the grave danger posed by schemes that undermine the integrity of the commercial driver’s licensing process. Deliberately circumventing federally mandated safety requirements is not only unlawful—it puts everyone on our nation’s roadways at risk,” stated Joseph Harris, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General’s Southern Region. “We will continue working with our federal, state, and local partners to aggressively investigate these schemes, dismantle them, and hold accountable those who put the traveling public at risk for personal gain.”
The knowledge test, administered at the Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV), is a written examination covering vehicle safety systems, emergency situations, procedures for various maneuvers, and extreme driving conditions. Passing this test results in the issuance of a commercial learner’s permit, which is required before an applicant can proceed to training and the skills test.
To bypass the knowledge test, ALHATTAB bribed MILLIEN and DAVIS, employees at the Donaldsonville, Louisiana OMV office. ALHATTAB typically sent MILLIEN or DAVIS a photograph of an applicant’s driver’s license via cell phone, along with any requested endorsements, such as a school bus endorsement. MILLIEN or DAVIS then completed the applicant’s knowledge test. They used their cell phones to conduct online research to answer test questions. For example, one on occasion, MILLIEN visited webpages on brake inspection, vehicle fires, hazardous materials, and how to stop a skidding trailer. Similarly, on one occasion, DAVIS conducted online searches for emergency-controlled braking, hydraulic brake failure, and pre-trip vehicle inspections.
After MILLIEN or DAVIS falsified the test results, ALHATTAB would bring the applicant to the Donaldsonville OMV office, where MILLIEN or DAVIS issued a commercial learner’s permit based on the fraudulent scores. MILLIEN and DAVIS allowed ALHATTAB to bring applicants into the OMV office through a non-public side door and permitted him access to non-public areas. On some occasions, ALHATTAB even went behind the counter and operated the OMV camera to take applicants’ photographs for the permits. ALHATTAB paid MILLIEN and DAVIS in cash and provided them with meals.
After passing the knowledge test and obtaining a commercial learner’s permit, most CDL applicants are required to complete entry‑level driver training, which includes demonstrating proficiency in operating a commercial vehicle on public roads.
To bypass the training requirement, ALHATTAB bribed PARSONS and BURNS, each of whom operated a truck‑driver training business. ALHATTAB typically sent PARSONS or BURNS a photograph of an applicant’s commercial learner’s permit via cell phone, thereby providing the information to create false training records. PARSONS and BURNS, in exchange for payments from ALHATTAB, reported in a federal database that applicants successfully completed training when, in fact, no training occurred.
The final major step in the CDL process is the skills test, administered by state‑authorized examiners who are agents of the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections. Federal regulations require the skills test to include a pre‑trip vehicle inspection, vehicle control skills, and safety‑related on‑road driving skills.
To defeat the skills test requirement, ALHATTAB again bribed PARSONS and BURNS, who, in addition to being trainers, were certified by Louisiana to administer the test. They falsely reported to the State that applicants passed the skills test when the applicants had not taken it. Early in the scheme, ALHATTAB would pose as an applicant and drive the test vehicle to make it appear that PARSONS was conducting a legitimate test. Eventually, ALHATTAB and PARSONS concluded that such precautions were unnecessary, and thereafter PARSONS routinely entered fraudulent test results with neither ALHATTAB nor the applicant present. On some occasions, PARSONS paid another examiner, defendant ROBERTS, to assist by creating fake score sheets to support PARSONS’s fraudulent test entries.
After an applicant received false skills test scores, ALHATTAB typically alerted MILLIEN or DAVIS that the applicant would be returning to the OMV office to obtain the CDL. Because many applicants were not proficient in English, ALHATTAB sometimes informed MILLIEN and DAVIS of the language barrier. For example, on one occasion he texted DAVIS that an applicant “is outside [the OMV office] to get his CDL” and “No English,” meaning the applicant did not speak English.
In August 2023, ALHATTAB and PARSONS, who had been in the scheme for years, met with BURNS at ALHATTAB’s restaurant to discuss BURNS joining. BURNS initially agreed to compensation of $400 per fraudulent skills test entry. However, BURNS later complained that the amount was too low, texting ALHATTAB that this was why BURNS “only agreed to 3 or 4 [false skills test entries] per week.” ALHATTAB then agreed to increase BURNS’s payment to $500 per entry and to assign BURNS more skills tests to enter.
To conceal the scheme, PARSONS and BURNS occasionally rescheduled purported skills tests to avoid the appearance that applicants tested in bad weather. For example, in February 2021, when asked whether an applicant was “good to go” to the OMV, PARSONS texted ALHATTAB who replied, “Naw, we couldn’t do any testing today because of the frozen roads up here. I couldn’t pass him, it wouldn’t look right.” Similarly, in December 2023, BURNS texted ALHATTAB, “I had to cancel test today. Raining bad. Will reset Tuesday.”
Text messages showed a desire to increase the volume of applicants. For example, in January 2021, ALHATTAB told PARSONS that he had approximately 20 individuals seeking CDLs and that “[t]his year it will be a good year,” to which PARSONS replied, “Heck yeah”; ALHATTAB texted PARSONS, “I have to[o] many” applicants to which PARSONS replied, “That's a good thing”; and PARSONS texted, “Keep them coming!” to which ALHATTAB replied, “Will do.” Similarly, in December 2023, ALHATTAB and BURNS discussed targeting out‑of‑state applicants, whom they believed would pay more. BURNS texted, “My original plan funnel people from Texas and Florida” and “Get it set up and we roll”; ALHATTAB replied, “the door is open now to Texas the guy you did has over 15 guys they have permit”; and BURNS texted, “Sweet!”; “line em up” and “send some to [PARSONS] so we spread it around.”
From August 2020 through February 2024, ALHATTAB caused at least 124 people to fraudulently receive CDLs. During that time, MILLIEN issued at least 108 commercial learner’s permits in exchange for payments from ALHATTAB. Also, during that period, PARSONS caused at least 118 people to fraudulently receive CDLs by providing each person with a false training entry, or a false skills test entry, or both. In early 2023, ROBERTS created false score sheets for PARSONS on seven occasions. From August 2023 through January 2024, BURNS caused at least 18 people to obtain fraudulent CDLs by providing each person with a false skills test entry, and, for some of them, also providing false training entries. From March 2023 through February 2024, DAVIS issued at least 14 commercial learner’s permits in exchange for payments from ALHATTAB.
The six defendants each pleaded guilty to Bribery Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds, which is punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Sentencing is set for October 28, 2026, for ALHATTAB, PARSONS, and ROBERTS; for December 2, 2026, for DAVIS; and December 9, 2026, for BURNS and MILLIEN.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General investigated this case.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle thanked the Louisiana State Office of Inspector General and Louisiana Public Safety Services for their valuable assistance in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Cuban National Sentenced for Assaulting Transportation Security Officers and Local Law Enforcement Officers at AirportRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Cuban national who was on probation following a conviction for assault with a deadly weapon and with other prior violent convictions was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon to 33 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to attempting to access a secure passenger boarding area using a fake boarding pass then assaulting four officers at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. The government recommended a sentence of 60 months’ imprisonment.
“The violent actions of this defendant directly threatened the safety of everyday travelers and the dedicated personnel who work tirelessly to secure our nation's airways,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “Physical assault against our TSA and local law enforcement partners will be met with the full force of federal prosecution. Our office remains steadfastly committed to ensuring our transit hubs remain safe and secure, and we will continue to hold accountable anyone who compromises public safety through violence.”
“TSA officers perform a vital public safety mission every day, and assaults against them are unacceptable,” said TSA Administrator David P. Cummins. “I commend the TSA officers at Harry Reid International Airport, along with TSA Investigations and our law enforcement partners, for their professionalism and quick response in protecting the checkpoint and the traveling public. TSA will continue to work closely with local law enforcement and the criminal justice system to ensure individuals who attempt to compromise airport security or assault our employees are held accountable.”
According to court documents, on November 3, 2025, Jhon Raul Vizcaino Ramirez presented a TSA screening officer a boarding pass in the name of another person and attempted to enter the passenger boarding area. After Vizcaino Ramirez refused to provide his identification, the TSA officer would not return the boarding to Vizcaino Ramirez and Vizcaino Ramirez assaulted that officer. Officers attempted to detain Ramirez, but he resisted arrest. During the altercation, Vizcaino Ramirez assaulted two TSA officers and two Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers who were assisting TSA. One officer sustained an injury that required surgery.
Vizcaino Ramirez pleaded guilty to two counts of interference with security screening personnel; two counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding person assisting certain officers or employees; and one count of entry by false pretenses to secure area of any airport.
This case was investigated by TSA Investigations with the assistance of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Tina Snellings prosecuted the case.
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Convicted Felon Found Guilty of Using a Firearm During a Brooklyn Attempted Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Pierre Lee, also known as “Pierre Wilmoth,” was convicted today by a federal jury in Brooklyn of use of a firearm during a crime of violence. The charge relates to Lee’s attempted robbery of a Capital One Bank branch in Brooklyn on April 26, 2026 (the Capital One Attempted Robbery). The verdict followed a three-day trial before United States Chief District Judge Margo K. Brodie. Prior to trial, on September 1, 2026, Lee pleaded guilty to four counts of the indictment: bank robbery, two counts of attempted bank robbery—including the Capital One Attempted Robbery—and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition (Lee had a prior robbery conviction). The bank robbery and attempted robberies were committed over a four-day spree in Manhattan and Brooklyn. When sentenced, Lee faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the verdict.
“Today’s verdict holds the defendant accountable for bringing a firearm to a bank robbery and attempting to use the threat of violence to steal monies that did not belong to him,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who use firearms to threaten and endanger our communities.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the New York City Police Department (NYPD) for their assistance in the case.
“Today’s verdict serves as a stark reminder that the FBI and NYPD Violent Crime Task Force will employ every available resource to aggressively investigate anyone who attempts to rob a bank in New York City. Thanks to the outstanding work of our partners at the NYPD and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, Lee has now been held fully accountable for his actions,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
As proven at trial, Lee knowingly used a firearm during an attempted bank robbery, which is a crime of violence. On April 26, 2026, at approximately 11:30 a.m., Lee, carrying a red Target bag, entered a Capital One Bank branch located at 2150 86th Street in Brooklyn, New York, and handed the teller a note that stated he was armed, “dead serious,” and demanded “loose bills” in denominations of $100, $50, $20, and $10. The teller was unable to access the cash at his station and informed Lee. In response, Lee demanded return of the note, exited the bank, and stashed the Target bag inside a grey shopping bag.
NYPD officers canvassed the area and located Lee one block from the bank at the Bay Parkway subway station approximately 25 minutes later. After his arrest, Lee was taken to the 62nd Precinct, where a loaded Hi-Point A .380 caliber firearm was recovered inside his Target bag, as well as the handwritten note that he had passed to the Capital One Bank teller.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Brachah Goykadosh and Joseph P. Klemme are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Yael Wellisch.
The Defendant:
PIERRE LEE
Age: 43
Zebulon, NCE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-CR-143 (MKB)
Colombian National Indicted in Homeland Security Task Force Investigation into $135M Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Greenville returned a single-count indictment, presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, charging William Andres Holguin Mendez, 40, of Colombia, for his role in a $135 million money laundering conspiracy.
The indictment alleges that in August 2023, FBI agents began investigating individuals believed to be involved in the international laundering of drug proceeds in the Greenville area. Law enforcement identified numerous bank accounts associated with shell corporations that were receiving proceeds from the sale of illegal narcotics. These bank accounts would then, in turn, send the drug proceeds to a single account with a United States-based cryptocurrency exchange. Know Your Customer (KYC), a compliance process used by financial institutions to verify customer identities and assess risks, revealed that the sole owner of the accounts was Holguin Mendez. The investigation revealed that the drug proceeds in this account would be converted to stablecoin cryptocurrency before ultimately being moved to an account with a foreign-based cryptocurrency exchange. KYC information provided to the foreign-based cryptocurrency exchange also revealed that the sole owner of the account was Holguin Mendez. The investigation showed that the cryptocurrency in the foreign based cryptocurrency exchange account was then converted to Colombian pesos and distributed to 207 Colombian bank accounts. Approximately $135 million in United States dollars traveled through Holguin Mendez’s account from March 2023 to May 2024.“The Homeland Security Task Force continues to disrupt drug money laundering organizations, as is alleged in the indictment of a $135 million scheme orchestrated by Holguin Mendez,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “Law enforcement will work together across domestic and international borders to trace illegal drug profits to investigate and prosecute narcotics dealers.”
“The defendant, as alleged in the indictment, backchanneled approximately $135 million of illegal drug proceeds tied to Upstate South Carolina,” said FBI Columbia Special Agent in Charge Anish Shukla. “The FBI, along with our HSTF partners, is on a continuous mission to identify, investigate, and prosecute every criminal involved in large-scale drug operations from the dealers to the money facilitators. We are committed to making our communities safe and removing the threat of cartels.”
Holguin Mendez faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and is currently detained pending trial.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Bondura is prosecuting the case.
All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.###
Coggon Man Sentenced to Decades in Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
A man who received and possessed child pornography was sentenced today to more than 27 years in federal prison.
Matthew Jason Manos, age 42, from Coggon, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 11, 2026, jury verdict finding him guilty of receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography, including a depiction of a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained 12 years of age.
The evidence at trial and sentencing showed that in February 2023, law enforcement officers searched Manos’s residence in Coggon and took his cell phone. Between December 2022 and February 2023, Manos had downloaded images of child pornography. He viewed the images on his cell phone multiple times. Manos then fled Iowa, abandoning his pets in his home where the pets were later rescued by law enforcement. Manos ultimately moved to Illinois, where he was arrested in August 2023. During his arrest, law enforcement officers took his new cell phone. Evidence showed that Manos had used that new phone to access child pornography as well. Manos was previously convicted of continuous sexual abuse of a child, lascivious acts with a child, lascivious conduct with a child, dissemination and exhibition of obscene material to minors, and indecent exposure.
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.”
Manos was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Manos was sentenced to 327 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to make $3,000 in restitution to a victim in the case. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Manos 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 Attorneys Devra T. Hake and Ashley Corkery and was investigated by the Linn County Sheriff’s Office and the Cedar Rapids Police Department, with assistance by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-14.
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Cleveland Man Sentenced to Six Months in USDA Fraud Scheme That Netted $400,000 for Himself and His UncleRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jamarea Grant, 33, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced yesterday to six months in prison in connection with a kickback scheme in which he and his uncle, Kirk Perry, a former U.S. Department of Agriculture program director, conspired to bill the federal government nearly $400,000 for work that Grant did not actually perform, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“Jamarea Grant conspired with his uncle to line their pockets with hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “He will now join his uncle behind bars for their attempt to exploit the government for personal gain. Fraud will not be tolerated, especially when those entrusted with government authority use their positions to commit it.”
Grant pleaded guilty on Nov. 27, 2024, before U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to conspiracy to commit money, property, and honest services wire fraud. In addition to the six-month prison term Judge Kollar-Kotelly ordered Grant to serve 36 months of supervised release and to pay restitution of $399,319. Federal prosecutors had requested restitution and a prison term of six months.
Perry, 62, of Loraine, Ohio, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money, property, and honest services wire fraud and was sentenced on August 7, 2026, to 24 months in prison, and ordered to serve two years of supervised release and to pay restitution of $399,319.
“This corrupt fraud scheme siphoned nearly $400,000 in taxpayer funds to a no‑show job orchestrated by a federal official and a family member,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Public funds exist to serve the American people, not to enrich those who abuse positions of trust. Protecting the integrity of government programs is essential, and the Department will not tolerate schemes that betray that trust.”
“The sentence issued today reflects our continued commitment to thoroughly investigate fraud, waste, and abuse. This individual benefited from his family member in a government position by receiving payment for work he never performed. The USDA OIG is ensuring oversight is in place to uncover these deceptive fraud schemes and we will relentlessly investigate these types of allegations in order to safeguard taxpayer dollars. We are grateful to our partners at the USAO for their support in bringing this investigation to its culmination,” said Jeldrys Lowry, Special Agent in Charge for USDA OIG Sensitive Investigations Office.
According to court documents, Perry was a senior director within the USDA’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights and used his position to secure employment for Grant as an Equal Opportunity Assistant. They billed the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights and Grant received about $399,319 from the government for work that was not performed.
In pleading guilty, Perry and Grant admitted that, from August 2015 through November 2022, Perry arranged for Grant to be hired by two companies under contract with the USDA Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. Grant reported directly to Perry, who also approved the invoices billing for Grant’s time, and the two of them conspired to bill the government for work that Grant did not perform.
Perry additionally had access to Grant’s bank account. As part of the criminal scheme Perry transferred approximately $125,000 of the USDA payments from Grant’s account to his own account.
This case was investigated by the USDA Office of Inspector General Sensitive Investigations Office. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Kelly.
The Department of Justice in April announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President JD Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
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Career Criminal Sentenced for Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – A Huttonsville, West Virginia man will spend the next 87 months in prison for selling methamphetamine in Randolph County, U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced.
Justin Michael Hoover, 35, sold methamphetamine to a confidential source from both his home and his vehicle. In total, investigators recovered more than 61 grams of methamphetamine. Hoover’s criminal history includes earlier offenses involving drugs, firearms, domestic battery, and various driving violations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Mountain Region Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
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.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
California Man Sentenced to 72 Months in Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining $46 Million in Public Benefits and Laundering Proceeds to ChinaRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Carlos A. Grijalva, age 60, of Simi Valley, California, was sentenced yesterday to 72 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for conspiracy to launder monetary instruments in the amount of approximately $46.4 million.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Grijalva previously pleaded guilty and admitted that he and his coconspirators, Brian R. Cleland, age 72, and Bruce Jin, age 61, along with other unnamed coconspirators, conspired to obtain state unemployment compensation funds, and other public funds, through fraudulent means. Grijalva, Cleland, and Jin, and others entered into a series of agreements to make it appear as if they were operating legitimate businesses selling masks and other COVID19 personal protective equipment. The funds that the defendants obtained and laundered through their companies were derived mostly from fraudulently obtained state unemployment compensation (“UC”) benefits.
Unnamed members of the conspiracy, including some believed to be in China, established thousands of accounts at banks across the United States using the personal identifying information (“PII”) of identity theft victims. From there, fraudulent UC claims were generated and paid to these accounts, including accounts in the names of people residing in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. These fraudulent UC claims were also generated by fraudsters based in China. As a result of this fraudulent activity, tens of millions of dollars in fraudulent UC payments were made by Pennsylvania and other states.
After UC funds were paid out, they were then transferred from identity theft victims’ accounts to companies controlled by Grijalva, Cleland, and Jin. Grijalva and Cleland, for instance, used ACH processing—a type of electronic bank-to-bank transfer—to obtain over $46 million in fraudulent funds from the accounts of identity theft victims. This money mostly went from the accounts of identity theft victims to companies controlled by Cleland and Grijalva, including MexUS Service, Group Mex USA, CCB Group, and GC Accounting. After that, Grijalva and Cleland transferred over $30 million to Jin’s companies, knowing that some of the funds were then going to be transferred to parties located in China.
Grijalva was also ordered to pay certain property forfeitures, including approximately $46.4 million in US currency, as well as the contents of several bank accounts and real properties located in Hawaii and California that were purchased using funds traceable to the charged offenses. One of these properties, located in California, was purchased in the name of one of Grijalva’s family members.
Jin was sentenced on April 30, 2026, to 144 months in prison and was ordered to forfeit over $59 million in US currency, along with other properties. Cleland was sentenced on May 14, 2026, to 120 months in prison and was ordered to forfeit approximately $46.4 million.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ravi Romel Sharma and K. Wesley Mishoe are prosecuting the case.
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Brookhaven Man Sentenced to 40 Months for being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
JACKSON, MS – A Brookhaven man was sentenced on September 3, 2026, to 40 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm in Lincoln County.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Anthony Marquiss Jones, 26, was found possessing a firearm by Brookhaven Police Department on February 3, 2024, in a motel room while being arrested on a warrant from the Mississippi Department of Corrections for absconding supervision.
U.S. Attorney J.E. Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.
The ATF and Brookhaven Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bert Carraway prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
Bridgeville Man Arrested for Producing and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – Federal agents arrested a Bridgeville man on September 9, 2026, on charges of production and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, Thomas Twilley, 30, sexually abused a child, took sexually explicit photos of the child, and shared the photos with an administrator of a CSAM network online. Law enforcement estimates the victim was a young child when the material was produced.
Twilley is charged in a criminal complaint with production of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a), and distribution of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(2) & (b)(1). If convicted, Twilley faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace made the announcement. HSI investigated the case with assistance from Delaware Child Predator Task Force and Delaware State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Claudia L. Pare is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 26-mj-480.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Bremerton, Washington couple sentenced to prison for wide-ranging ID theft and bank fraud crimesRead the Press Release
Seattle – Two Bremerton, Washington, women were sentenced this month for a long-running bank fraud scheme where they stole personal information of more than 250 people, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Emily Vranic, 34, was sentenced to three years in prison; her co-defendant, Heather Marquis, 37, was sentenced to 31 months. Both women were sentenced to three years of supervised release following their release from custody. The two were arrested on a federal complaint in April 2025. At the sentencing hearing for Vranic, U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright noted that the pair engaged in what she described as a “multi-dimensional, deliberate effort to defraud many people in many different ways.”
“These defendants attempted to steal at least $330,000 from their victims over a three-year period – ID theft and bank fraud was their ‘job’ and for at least 15 victims they were all too successful,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “Beyond the financial harm, these defendants stole important records: tax returns; social security cards; retirement account information; divorce filings; immunization paperwork; immigration records; and military records. And each document theft was an invasion of privacy causing harm to the victim.”
“These two defendants made it their life’s work to lie, cheat, and defraud their very own community. Using every tool at their disposal to illicitly open accounts, redirect funds, and even paying their own mortgage while victims footed the bill.” said Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti, “Financial crimes of this nature inflict severe, long-term damage, forcing victims down a protracted road to recovery. Beyond the immediate financial loss, victims face the exhausting burden of closing fraudulent accounts and correcting damaged credit scores. While financial institutions may eventually reimburse stolen funds, they cannot restore the extensive time and energy required to repair the broader collateral damage.”
According to records filed in the case, from approximately 2021 until their arrests in November 2024, Vranic and Marquis defrauded victims and financial institutions in several different ways. Most often, they stole victims’ mail and used personal documents inside to activate credit cards, open new lines of credit, or gain wholesale access to online bank accounts. The pair would have documents related to their activities mailed to a third-party victim’s address, where they would intercept the mail again. Once they had fully taken over a stolen identity, statements and other records were mailed directly to their own Bremerton address.
Armed with their victims’ identities, the pair ran up credit card debt, made transfers from victim accounts to their own, and even used victim accounts to make monthly mortgage payments on the home they shared. One vulnerable victim was targeted with over $110,000 in fraudulent transfers; but for the bank’s intervention, that number would have been in excess of $170,000. Even when banks interceded to protect their customers by freezing targeted accounts, Vranic and Marquis repeatedly posed as account holders to try to get the fraud alerts removed.
In asking for a three-year sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Victoria Cantore noted that though both women suffered from drug addiction, that did not affect the complexity of their frauds. “This scheme nonetheless required an extraordinary amount of organization, planning, and executive functioning skills. Marquis and Vranic kept records of every individual, every account, every piece of personal information that would ensure their scheme’s success. The variety of methods the women employed to steal from their victims was nothing short of labyrinthine to unravel.”
Marquis has agreed to a restitution obligation of $102,784 to the victims. Vranic will have a restitution hearing in October 2026 to determine the amount she owes.
The case was investigated by the Bremerton Police Department, the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Victoria Cantore.
Brandon Pulmonary Practice Agrees to Pay over $400,000 to Resolve False Claims Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Pulmonary Associates of Brandon, P.A. has agreed to pay $419,410 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims to Medicare for certain Evaluation and Management (“E&M”) codes. The government contends that the underlying services were medically unnecessary and the claims in issue should have been properly submitted under a lower E&M code from January 2017 through March 2020.
“The submission of false and medically unnecessary claims to Medicare for office visits compromises the integrity of our nation’s federal health care programs and will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. “This resolution sends a clear message to the provider community and our district that we will actively investigate and prosecute this fraudulent conduct whenever it appears.”
“Medicare enrollees depend on medical providers to bill honestly and provide only medically necessary services,” said Special Agent in Charge Isaac M. Bledsoe of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “When health care providers submit improper or inflated claims, they undermine the integrity of our federal health care programs and erode patient trust. Today’s resolution reflects our continued commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to hold providers accountable for improperly billing federal health care programs and to protect taxpayer funds.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Sheryl Turner, a former employee at Pulmonary Associates of Brandon. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Sheryl Turner v. Pulmonary Associates of Brandon, P.A., Case No. 8:23-cv-382-KKM-NHA (M.D. Fla).
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General. It was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelley Howard-Allen.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination or admission of liability by Pulmonary Associates of Brandon.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Batesville Woman Sentenced for Possessing Homemade Bombs, including One Found on Her Ex's VehicleRead the Press Release
Oxford, MS – A Batesville woman was sentenced today to more than six years in federal prison for possessing one or more homemade bombs on separate occasions.
According to court documents, Christina Willis, 29, previously pled guilty to possession of the bombs, or destructive devices, one of which Willis placed on the vehicle of her ex-boyfriend in June 2025. Senior U.S. District Court Judge Michael P. Mills sentenced Willis to 78 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. Willis was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals following sentencing.
U.S. Attorney Scott Leary made the announcement and stated, “We live in a wonderful country but it’s still a dangerous world, as confirmed by this case. When bombs are being produced an all-hands-on-deck response is required, which is what happened in this case. Federal, state and local law enforcement worked closely together in this coordinated investigation. The ATF and FBI working with the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office, the Panola County Sheriff’s Office, the Yalobusha County Sheriff’s Office, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the Tupelo Police Department-this is what a successful investigation looks like. Well done.”
“ATF is dedicated to preventing and reducing violent crime involving the criminal use of explosives,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “The collaborative effort of federal and local law enforcement, led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, secured a sentence today that sends a message that ATF will continue to investigate and perfect charges against those who use explosives. ATF will continue to work tirelessly to protect our communities and neighborhoods and hold accountable those who threaten our safety.”
Assistant United States Attorney Robert Mims prosecuted this case.
Baltimore Man Indicted in Connection with Armed Robberies of Three Cellphone StoresRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced, today, that a Baltimore man faces indictment stemming from multiple armed robberies.
A federal grand jury charged Carlos Moody, 38, with three counts of interference with commerce by threats or violence in connection with the armed robberies of three Baltimore cellphone stores.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office, and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
According to the indictment, in late December 2025, Moody robbed three different cellphone stores, located in the southern and northern areas of Baltimore, in a four-day period.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
If convicted, Moody faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison on each of the three counts alleged in the indictment. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
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 FBI and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ty Pittinger and John W. Sippel, Jr., who are prosecuting the federal 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.
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Baton Rouge Man Indicted for Possessing with Intent to Distribute Approximately Thirty-Seven Pounds of CocaineRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Worlington West, age 42, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to reports, on or about August 18, 2026, West was stopped for a traffic violation and was found to be in possession of approximately thirty-seven pounds of a substance which appeared to be cocaine. Presumptive testing yielded positive results for cocaine which would have an estimated street value of around $400,000. Additionally, West was also found to be in possession of a Taurus, 9mm pistol.
U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and Baton Rouge Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney April Leon leads the prosecution.
NOTE: An indictment is an accusation by a grand jury. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.
Auburn Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud, Money Laundering, and Unlawful Employment of AliensRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — An Auburn, Alabama man has pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from a scheme to fraudulently obtain federal COVID relief funds and to unlawfully employ aliens who were not authorized to work in the United States.
On September 9, 2026, Cesar Campos-Reyes, 52, pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with wire fraud, money laundering, and unlawful employment of aliens.
United States Attorney Thomas Govan, Special Agent in Charge Christopher R. Flowers with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Mobile Division, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Ellen Johnson for Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama made the announcement.
“Federal COVID relief funds were intended to help legitimate businesses and their employees, not to be diverted for personal gain or used to support an unlawful workforce,” said U.S. Attorney Govan. “This defendant defrauded programs designed to assist American businesses, misused taxpayer-funded assistance, and knowingly employed individuals who were not authorized to work in the United States. We will continue to hold accountable those who abuse federal programs and violate federal law.”
“Campos Reyes’s actions diverted critical pandemic relief funds away from the small businesses they were meant to support,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Flowers. “This guilty plea underscores the FBI’s commitment to protecting taxpayer resources, safeguarding victims, and rebuilding public trust by holding accountable those who exploit federal programs and violate the law.”
“Fraudulently obtaining pandemic relief funds and knowingly employing unauthorized workers undermines both the integrity of federal programs and the rule of law,” said HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Johnson. “HSI will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to investigate individuals who exploit taxpayer-funded programs and violate our nation’s employment laws for personal gain.”
According to court documents and admissions made as part of his guilty plea, in May 2020, Campos-Reyes fraudulently applied for and received approximately $866,500 in funds through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. The PPP and EIDL programs were established under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide financial assistance to eligible small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Campos‑Reyes admitted that he did not use the relief funds for their intended purposes. Instead, in June 2020, he used $262,145.20 to purchase real property located in Opelika, Alabama.
Campos‑Reyes further admitted that, up to July 15, 2025, he knowingly hired and employed unauthorized aliens at multiple restaurants he owned or operated, fully aware that they were not permitted to work in the United States.
A sentencing hearing for Campos-Reyes will be scheduled in the coming months. At that hearing, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud, up to 10 years for money laundering, and up to six months in prison for unlawful employment of aliens. Campos-Reyes also faces substantial fines and the forfeiture of proceeds seized during the investigation. A federal district judge will determine Campos-Reyes’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.
The investigation and resulting charges in this case are the culmination of a coordinated investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA). Additional assistance was provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Alabama Department of Corrections, Auburn Police Department, Opelika Police Department, Prattville Police Department, Wetumpka Police Department, the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Marshals Service.
This operation received significant assistance from the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children.
The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Mobile comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and other federal and local agencies. The prosecution is being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama.
Atoka 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 Vet Sentrel Colbert, age 44, of Atoka, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 3 years’ probation for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police.
On November 5, 2025, Colbert pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on August 3, 2024, law enforcement discovered Colbert in possession of a 9mm Luger caliber, semi-automatic pistol after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lewis M. Reagan and Edith Singer represented the United States.
Anthon, Iowa, Man Sentenced to over 18 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Robert J. Fundermann, age 50, from Anthon, Iowa, was sentenced in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa, on September 10, 2026, to eighteen and a half years’ imprisonment. Fundermann previously pled guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography on February 5, 2026.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from April 2023 through April 2025, Fundermann distributed and attempted to distribute visual depictions of child pornography. Further evidence showed that Fundermann was grooming a 17-year-old to obtain images and videos of the minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. A review of Fundermann’s phone showed he possessed 54 images and 98 videos of child pornography, involving material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct as well as prepubescent children and toddlers. The investigation also revealed that Fundermann was previously convicted for soliciting nude images from a minor in 2019.
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.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Fundermann to 222 months’ imprisonment and a 5-year term of supervised release. Fundermann remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 25-4039.
The case was investigated by the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
10 Des Moines Individuals Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – Ten individuals from Des Moines were sentenced to federal prison following their pleas to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, between March 2025 and September 11, 2025, the charged defendants obtained and distributed methamphetamine within Des Moines and elsewhere. The more than six-month investigation included controlled purchases of methamphetamine and concluded with the execution of more than 50 search warrants on September 11, 2025.
The defendants involved in this conspiracy include:
- Cole Anthony Langford, 42, sentenced to a 30-year prison term, followed by a 10-year term of supervised release;
- Kenneth Donald Stockman, 44, sentenced to a 12-year prison term, followed by a 10-year term of supervised release;
- Joshua Andrew Rankin, 38, sentenced to a 200-month prison term, followed by a 10-year term of supervised release;
- James “Jimmy” Stephen Waters Jr., 61, sentenced to a 78‑month prison term, followed by a four-year term of supervised release;
- Todd Allen Miller Jr., 32, sentenced to a 20-year prison term, followed by a 10-year term of supervised release;
- Samantha Sue Baldridge, 34, sentenced to a six-year prison term, followed by a four-year term of supervised release;
- Simon Anaya Sanchez, 50, sentenced to a 190-month prison term, followed by a six-year term of supervised release;
- Jason Lee Baxter-Blakely, 38, sentenced to a 100-month prison term, followed by a three-year term of supervised release;
- Jessica Renae Gleason, 43, sentenced to a 25-year prison term, followed by a 10-year term of supervised release; and
- Sara Ann Bowers, 40, of Des Moines, sentenced to a 10-year prison term, followed by a 5-year term of supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal system.
At the time they conspired to distribute methamphetamine:
- Langford was on absconder status for state eluding and drug trafficking offenses, following his parole from state custody after serving less than one year of his sentences.
- Rankin was on absconder status for two state drug trafficking offenses.
- Miller was on parole for three state drug trafficking offenses.
- Sanchez had a prior federal drug conviction from the Southern District of Iowa and had been discharged from supervised release in 2021.
- Gleason was on parole for a state drug trafficking offense.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Des Moines Police Department, and Iowa Department of Public Safety, Division of Narcotics Enforcement, with assistance from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center, Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, Marshalltown Police Department, Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, Tri-County Drug Task Force, and dozens of others.
9 September 2026
West Mifflin Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearm ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of drug trafficking and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Tyree Saunders, 21, pleaded guilty to three counts before United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that that an undercover officer made a purchase of various controlled substances, including crack cocaine, directly from the defendant. Based on that and other information, the Federal Bureau of Investigation obtained authority to intercept Saunders’ communications, which revealed that Saunders was regularly selling crack cocaine and used a firearm to threaten a co-conspirator. The investigators obtained a warrant to search the defendant’s home, where authorities found crack cocaine and a firearm.
Judge Hardy scheduled sentencing for January 13, 2027. The law provides for a total maximum sentence of up to life in prison, a fine of up to $2,250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Saunders.
Valparaiso Man Sentenced for Making Online ThreatsRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Alexander Jakeway, 36 years old, of Valparaiso, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to transmitting online threats, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Jakeway was sentenced to 1 year of probation and ordered to complete 50 hours of community service.
“The First Amendment does not give anyone unfettered liberty to threaten harm against other individuals, including agents of the United States government. In November 2025, the Defendant posted threats on social media directed at Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The online posts included the Defendant telling followers to ‘actually kill’ ICE agents and to ‘shoot on sight.’ We will aggressively defend the United States Constitution and those who swear an oath to protect it. Thanks to the partnership of Homeland Security Investigations, the Valparaiso Police Department, and NDIN AUSA Lydia T. Lucius, the Defendant has been held accountable for his actions,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Valparaiso Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lydia T. Lucius.
This case is part of the nationwide National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 initiative, which is a White House directed, interagency effort to integrate federal, state, and local partners in protecting First Amendment rights while targeting individuals and organizations engaged in political violence and is led by the investigative and prosecutorial Joint Task Force Vanguard.
Vallejo gun trafficker sentenced to 7 years in prisonRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Zuryess Roberts, 26, of Vallejo, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to seven years in prison for illegal gun trafficking and possessing a machine gun conversion device, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
A federal jury found Roberts guilty in May 2025 after trial.
According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, Roberts was the leader of a loosely affiliated crew that was illegally selling dangerous, high-powered weapons in Vallejo using a Super 8 motel on Solano Avenue in Vallejo as the hub of their criminal activity. During the investigation, on multiple separate occasions, Roberts sold and oversaw the sale of dangerous weapons, including a machine gun conversion device and facilitated the sale of multiple untraceable ghost guns, on the streets of Vallejo to a person he believed to be a violent criminal. In total, Roberts was responsible for selling 13 firearms, and he received approximately $7,850, from selling firearms during the course of the investigation.
Four co-defendants were convicted of firearms-related crimes and sentenced to federal prison. They include:
Taezon Laurece Sanderson, 23, sentenced to 36 months; Divaya Talley, 18, sentenced to 36 months in prison; Napoleon Washington, 45, sentenced to 15 months in prison; Anderson Thurston, 66, sentenced to 12 months in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Vallejo Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hitt prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
U.S. Virgin Islands Man Sentenced for Making Interstate Threats and StalkingRead the Press Release
RUTLAND – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on September 8, 2026, Todd Hoyte, 55, of Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mary Kay Lanthier to a term of 36 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Judge Lanthier scheduled a hearing on December 3, 2026, to determine any restitution that Hoyte owes as part of his sentence. Previously, Hoyte pleaded guilty to making interstate threats and cyberstalking.
According to court records, between July 29, 2024, and September 25, 2024, in a campaign of harassment, intimidation, and threats, Hoyte, while living in the U.S. Virgin Islands, placed more than 10 cellphone calls to Vermont, during which he left voicemails for Grand Isle County State’s Attorney Douglas DiSabito. These voicemails included a threat on DiSabito’s life as well as insults, slurs, and derogatory language against DiSabito. At the time, DiSabito was prosecuting Hoyte for a criminal offense. In pleading guilty, Hoyte admitted that he made communications to harass and intimidate DiSabito as well as for the purpose of issuing a threat and with knowledge that the communications would be viewed as a threat to DiSabito.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the investigatory efforts of the FBI and thanked the U.S. Marshals Service for their assistance.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Gilman. Hoyte was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Emily Kenyon.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould leads the Northern District of Texas to historic results and takes the stage as a national leader on the eve of his investitureRead the Press Release
DALLAS — Less than one year after appointment as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Ryan Raybould marks a year of institutional transformation, historic prosecutions and measurable results across one of the nation’s largest and most complex federal districts.
Ryan Raybould was sworn in as the U.S. Attorney on Nov. 17, 2025, pursuant to an Attorney General Appointment. He was then appointed by the Northern District of Texas judges before being confirmed by the U.S. Senate in May 2026, following his October 2025 nomination by President Donald J. Trump.
From his first day in office, U.S. Attorney Raybould established three guiding principles for the Northern District of Texas: reduce violent crime, disrupt cartels, and protect North Texans from fraudsters.
Within his first 90 days, U.S. Attorney Raybould reorganized the Criminal Division to sharpen its focus on the threats facing North Texas and the nation. Over the following year, the office hired over 40 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and brought in the best and brightest leaders across the nation to reform its leadership team.
At the same time, the office increased violent crime prosecutions by 26 percent, white collar prosecutions by 50 percent and charged the most immigration offenses in North Texas history. The office also ranked first among the extra-large U.S. Attorney’s Offices in cases charged per federal prosecutor. Empowered by U.S. Attorney Raybould to crush crime, the office has already charged more criminals than in 2025 and will end the fiscal year with more filed cases than at any point this decade.
“In less than a year, we’ve only just begun to transform the Northern District of Texas into the safest community it can be. With families, businesses and entire industries moving here from across the country, North Texas is booming and our office is meeting that growth with unwavering resolve. I’m proud of the extraordinary team we’ve built, men and women who bring unmatched talent and commitment to the mission every single day. As Y’all Street emerges as a powerful economic engine, drawing investment and opportunity from every direction, one thing remains constant: criminals will find no refuge in North Texas. We will continue driving violent crime down, protecting our borders and defending the rule of law with absolute determination.” — U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould
PROJECTS AND PRIORITIES
Project Safe Schools
U.S. Attorney Raybould launched Project Safe Schools, a federal initiative aimed at protecting students, enforcing accountability and restoring transparency in public schools across North Texas. Project Safe Schools directly targets failures in mandatory reporting of educator misconduct and combats the practice known as “passing the trash,” where educators with known misconduct issues move between schools without disclosure of their prior wrongdoing.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Project Safe Neighborhoods is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that unites federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and public safety partners to coordinate efforts to reduce violent crime and strengthen community safety. The Northern District of Texas hosts several PSN operations. Under U.S. Attorney Raybould’s leadership, a second high‑risk area in Dallas – along Harry Hines Boulevard long known for trafficking, violence and public safety challenges – received PSN designation. Through a Homeland Security Task Force investigation, federal, state and local agencies recently shut down a sex trafficking conspiracy operating out of the Paris Adult Bookstore, resulting in the indictment of eight defendants on related federal charges. Additionally, U.S. Attorney Raybould expanded PSN to a second area in Fort Worth and is currently leading an operational surge there of state, local, and federal resources to ensure that violent offenders are brought to justice.
Decentralize the District
U.S. Attorney Raybould has made enormous strides to decentralize the district, including filing more cases in West Texas and ensuring that the branch offices are staffed to meet the population growth. U.S. Attorney Raybould has assigned more Assistant United States Attorneys and Special Assistant United States Attorneys than ever before to the Fort Worth division, Abilene division and Amarillo division. As the chief federal law‑enforcement officer for the entire region, overseeing a vast jurisdiction that spans 100 counties and multiple metropolitan areas, his commitment is to deliver fair, effective and consistent enforcement of federal law to every single one of the almost nine million residents who call North Texas home, ensuring their safety and trust in the justice system. As he often says, “I’m a U.S. Attorney for all 100 counties in North Texas. That is both an honor and an obligation that I aim to meet every single day by leaving it all on the field so that people can go about their lives free from violence, intimidation, and fraudsters.”
RECENT CASES OF HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE
- Antifa Cell Leader Gets 100-Year Sentence for Terrorist Attack: In the Country’s first prosecutorial response to Antifa-designated domestic terrorism, Benjamin Hanil Song, who was convicted of the attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, was sentenced to 100 years in prison. Together, the 16 Prairieland terrorists received a combined sentence of 450 years in prison.
- Federal, State, and Local Law Enforcement Dismantle San Angelo Drug Trafficking Ring – 48 Arrested as Part of “Operation Concho Valley Shakedown.” This investigation and prosecution dismantled a major drug‑trafficking network operating across West Texas, leading to 48 arrests and the disruption of a supply chain responsible for fueling violence and addiction throughout the region.
- 60‑Year Sentence for Child Sexual Abuse Material: Victor Torres pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography leading to one of the lengthiest sentences handed down in the District for such crimes highlighting the District’s commitment to protecting minors and combating sexual exploitation.
- Homeland Security Task Force Investigations lead to indictment of 8 members of designated foreign terrorist organization TdA: Five of the eight indicted illegal aliens from Venezuela were charged in Northern District of Texas with kidnappings that resulted in death, racketeering involving murder and other violent offenses.
- Health Care Fraud Takedown – 13 Charged in NDTX, $360 Million Loss: This strategically coordinated nationwide law enforcement action resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death.
- Civil Fraud Enforcement – Nearly $75 Million in Settlements: The use of civil tools to protect the public fisc and recover taxpayer dollars lost to fraud, waste, or abuse is also a priority for U.S. Attorney Raybould, and so far in 2026 the office has reached civil settlements totaling $74,990,652.66, primarily under the False Claims Act.
These cases reflect U.S. Attorney Raybould’s and the Northern District’s concentrated efforts to disrupt cartels, domestic terrorist actions and cyber enabled crimes; dismantle fraud networks and protect children, reinforcing its strategic priorities in law enforcement.
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U.S. Attorney Moore Capito Commends Law Enforcement Partners After 59 Arrested During “Operation Coal Country”Read the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Moore Capito joined with U.S. Marshal Jack Chambers, West Virginia State Police Colonel James Mitchell, and other law enforcement partners today to announce the success of “Operation Coal Country.” The multi-week enforcement initiative targeted noncompliant sex offenders, individuals wanted for sex crimes, violent fugitives, and other wanted individuals throughout the Southern District of West Virginia.
The 59 individuals arrested during the operation, which began August 13, 2026, and concluded last week, include 16 convicted sex offenders wanted on registration violations and 10 individuals charged with new sex offenses. The West Virginia State Police conducted over 380 compliance checks of registered sex offenders as part of Operation Coal Country.
“Each arrest resulting from these targeted enforcement operations protects our communities and makes them safer,” said United States Attorney Moore Capito. “The success of this operation continues the momentum we’ve created through dedicated, collaborative, and aggressive efforts with our law enforcement partners.”
Those arrested during Operation Coal Country include Clinton G. McNeely, 31, of Lyburn. A federal grand jury indicted McNeely on August 18, 2026, on three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, two counts of receipt or attempted receipt of child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of production of obscene material. McNeely was arrested on August 20, 2026. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two convicted sex offenders were indicted as part of Operation Coal Country after allegedly violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, SORNA provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.
Among the other individuals arrested during Operation Coal Country, five face federal drug charges, three allegedly violated federal supervised release, and two allegedly violated terms of their federal pretrial release.
Operation Coal Country focused heavily on sex offender compliance and fugitive apprehension throughout the West Virginia State Police Troop 5 area of Boone, Cabell, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo, and Wayne counties. Several of those arrested face charges in additional counties within the Southern District of West Virginia. Those arrested also include a fugitive wanted for murder in Florida who was captured in Dunbar, and a suspect in the sexual abuse of a female juvenile family member in Parkersburg who was arrested in Arizona. Participating law enforcement also found a missing child after an alleged parental abduction in Wood County.
The operation brought together federal, state, and local law enforcement resources in a coordinated effort to locate and apprehend fugitives while also conducting enforcement activities involving registered sex offenders. Investigators worked to identify registered sex offenders who were not complying with state and federal registration requirements and to locate individuals wanted for crimes involving sexual offenses.
Officers also seized 75.1 grams of fentanyl, 1.54 kilograms of methamphetamine, 33.3 grams of cocaine, approximately $6,000, one firearm, and assorted ammunition.
“The success of Operation Coal Country demonstrates what can be accomplished when federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies combine their resources toward a common mission,” said U.S. Marshal Jack Chambers. “Fifty-nine arrests over the course of this operation means 59 wanted individuals were located and taken into custody. More importantly, this operation placed a significant emphasis on protecting our communities from individuals who have committed sex offenses or failed to comply with their registration requirements. The U.S. Marshals Service and West Virginia State Police will continue working together to investigate noncompliant sex offenders and apprehend dangerous fugitives throughout southern West Virginia.”
“When law enforcement works together, criminals have fewer places to hide,” said Colonel James Mitchell, superintendent of the West Virginia State Police. “Operation Coal Country shows the power of a coordinated, proactive approach to protecting our communities and holding offenders accountable. The West Virginia State Police is proud to stand with the U.S. Marshals Service and our law enforcement partners in doing everything we can to keep the people of West Virginia safe.”
The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Southern District of West Virginia Cops United Felony Fugitive Enforcement Division (CUFFED) Task Force and the West Virginia State Police (WVSP) led Operation Coal Country in partnership with numerous other law enforcement organizations:
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
- WVSP Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force
- WVSP Sex Offender Registry
- West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Parole Services
- Fayette County Sheriff’s Office
- Jackson County Sheriff’s Office
- Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office
- Logan County Sheriff’s Office
- Mercer County Sheriff’s Office
- Putnam County Sheriff’s Office
- Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office
- Barboursville Police Department
- Beckley Police Department
- Fayetteville Police Department
- Huntington Police Department
- Kenova Police Department
- Lewisburg Police Department
- Parkersburg Police Department
- Princeton Police Department
- St. Albans Police Department
- South Charleston Police Department
- USMS Florida/Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force
- USMS Arizona WANTED Violent Offender Task Force
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
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Two Pittsford men plead guilty for their roles in stolen cooking oil schemeRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Guodeng Chen, and Didi Huang, both of Pittsford, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr to transportation of stolen goods in interstate commerce, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
On April 8, 2022, Chen and Huang caused 45,000 pounds of stolen, used cooking oil to be shipped from the Western District of New York to a refinery located in Erie, Pennsylvania. Chen and Huang received $29,433.60 for this shipment. On April 28, 2022, Chen and Huang caused another 45,000 pounds of stolen used cooking oil to be shipped from the Western District of New York to a refinery located in Erie, Pennsylvania. Chen and Huang received $30,618.00 for this shipment. The defendants knew there was a high probability that the cooking oil was stolen.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Anthony Patrone, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Kevin Sucher, and the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Anthony Licari, Special Agent-In-Charge, Midwestern Region.
Sentencing for defendant Chen is scheduled on December 17, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. and sentencing for defendant Huang is scheduled for December 15, 2026, at 3:00 p.m., both before Judge Geraci.
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Two Men Plead Guilty to Stealing Checks from the Mail in Livingston and CliftonRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Irvington man and a Roselle Park man both admitted to conspiring to steal checks from the mail using stolen or misappropriated arrow keys belonging to the United States Postal Service (“USPS”), U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.
Leslie Blackwood, 25, of Irvington, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to an Information charging him with conspiracy to steal checks from the mail. Verly Antenor, 24, of Roselle Park, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty on July 16, 2026, before Judge Salas to the same charge.
According to documents filed in the cases and statements made in court:
Between September 2021 to March 2022, Blackwood and Antenor agreed with other individuals to steal checks from the mail. They possessed and used stolen or misappropriated arrow keys to access USPS collection boxes in Livingston and Clifton and steal mail containing checks. To profit from the scheme, Blackwood and Antenor sold, deposited, or caused to be deposited the stolen checks to fraudulently obtain funds from financial institutions. Blackwood and Antenor sometimes “washed” the stolen checks by erasing the date, payee, amount, and memo line from the stolen checks and replacing the information, oftentimes for higher amounts than the amounts originally written on the checks. Overall, Blackwood and Antenor agreed that the scheme caused an actual loss of approximately $670,313.46.
The charge of conspiracy to commit mail theft carries a maximum potential penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing for Blackwood is scheduled for February 16, 2027, and sentencing for Antenor is scheduled for December 17, 2026.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited postal inspectors with the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, and special agents with the U.S. Postal Service - Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, Northeast Area Field Office, with the investigation. He also thanked the Livingston Police Department and the Clifton Police Department for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey S. Smith of the Criminal Division in Newark.
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Defense counsel for Blackwood: Claressa Lowe, Esq.
Defense counsel for Antenor: Roberto Espinosa, Esq.
antenor.information.pdf blackwood.information.pdfTwo Individuals Charged in Multimillion-Dollar Mortgage Modification SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced today an Indictment charging ARMANDO SOLIS BARRON, a/k/a “Solomon,” and DOMINIC AHIGA, a/k/a “Michael Grinnell,” a/k/a “Josh Weinstein,” with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their scheme to defraud clients of their mortgage modification business of millions of dollars in fees. BARRON and AHIGA were previously arrested and presented in the Central District of California and are expected to be arraigned on the Indictment this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause.
“This Office is committed to rooting out fraud in all of its forms, and we will work tirelessly to prosecute frauds targeting vulnerable victims,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. “Armando Solis Barron and Dominic Ahiga allegedly preyed upon financially struggling homeowners who got behind on their mortgages by charging them monthly fees and leading them to believe much of their past-due balances would be forgiven, causing a number of those customers’ homes to go into foreclosure.”
“Armando Solis Barron and Dominic Ahiga’s alleged fraud scheme involved taking money from people who sought assistance with their mortgages,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “This scheme hurt hundreds of vulnerable people financially. The FBI will continue to prioritize complex financial fraud investigations to protect the public from anyone who takes advantage of consumers.”
According to the Indictment:(1)
From at least in or about June 2018 through at least in or about September 2022, in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, BARRON and AHIGA, together with others, defrauded clients of their mortgage modification business and the clients’ mortgage lenders. BARRON, AHIGA, and others operated their mortgage modification business under different names, including Green Equitable Solutions, d/b/a Academy Home Services; South West Consulting Enterprises, Inc. d/b/a Home Matters USA; Apex Consulting & Associates Inc., d/b/a Golden Home Services America; and Infocom Entertainment Ltd., d/b/a Atlantic Pacific Service (collectively, the “Company”). BARRON, AHIGA, and others solicited homeowners who were struggling to make monthly payments on their mortgages and promised to have the homeowners’ interest rates and monthly payments reduced in exchange for monthly fees.
BARRON, AHIGA, and others induced the Company’s clients to accept their services and to continue to pay the monthly fees by lying about, among other matters, the amount of time that the mortgage modification process would take and the nature of the fees that the clients were paying for mortgage modification services. The defendants and others also directed clients to stop making monthly mortgage payments to their lenders and to pay the Company monthly fees instead. The conspirators falsely told clients that their lenders would forgive their arrearages and, in many instances, that part of their monthly payments to the Company would go to pay down the balances of their mortgage loans. BARRON, AHIGA, and others also defrauded the clients’ lenders by making material misrepresentations and by engaging in fraudulent practices to cause the lenders to modify the clients’ mortgages, including by creating and submitting fabricated bank statements so that the Company’s clients appeared to meet the lenders’ criteria for a modification. Clients of the mortgage modification business operated by BARRON, AHIGA, and others paid over approximately $15 million for mortgage modification services, and a number of those clients’ homes went into foreclosure.
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SOLIS BARRON, 63, of La Habra Heights, California, and AHIGA, 56, of Los Angeles, California, are both charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. McDonald praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Markewitz and James McMahon are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.
Tonto Basin Resident Charged with Transporting a Minor for Criminal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – A federal grand jury in Phoenix yesterday returned an indictment against Brian Matthew Griffeth, 48, of Tonto Basin, Arizona, for Transporting a Minor with Intent that the Minor Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity.
The indictment alleges that between December 2023 and July 3, 2026, Griffeth transported a minor between Arizona and Florida with the intent that the minor engage in criminal sexual activity, including production of child pornography.
According to the previously filed criminal complaint, the FBI opened an investigation in November 2025 into Griffeth’s purported sexual abuse of the minor. Through the investigation, law enforcement learned that Griffeth had allegedly committed sexual acts with the minor when they were 13 and living in Arizona, and continued that abuse until the minor was 16, sometimes recording the interactions. During that time, Griffeth moved with his family and the minor to Florida.
A conviction for Transportation of a Minor for Criminal Sexual Activity carries a minimum penalty of 10 years, and a maximum penalty of life, a maximum of $250,000 fine, and a maximum term of supervised release of life.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and 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, visit justice.gov/PSC.
The FBI’s Phoenix Division conducted the investigation, with assistance from the FBI’s Jacksonville office and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
Indictments and criminal complaints are formal accusations of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CASE NUMBER: 26-MJ-04268-PCT-CDB; 26-CR-01063-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-154_Griffeth# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Three Defendants Charged with Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Pierre Rasheem Fields, 42, of Minnetonka, Minnesota, Ray Eric Brasson, 36, of Minneapolis, and Jermaine Young, 26, of Chicago, were indicted for conspiring to distribute and distributing fentanyl.
According to a six-count federal indictment that was unsealed on September 9, 2026, Fields, Young, and Brasson conspired with each other and others to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl from April 2026 through August 2026. Each defendant is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Fields is also charged with two counts of distributing fentanyl, Young is also charged with three counts of distributing fentanyl, and Brasson is also charged with two counts of distributing fentanyl.
Fields was arrested this morning in the Houston, Texas, area, and he had his initial appearance in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. He will appear in U.S. District Court in Minnesota at a later date.
Young and Brasson were arrested early this morning at hotels in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, and had their initial appearances this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Shannon G. Elkins. They will appear again in court on September 14, 2026, for detention hearings.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the East Central Drug Task Force, and the West Metro Drug Task Force, with assistance from other law enforcement partners.
Assistant United States Attorney Campbell Warner is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. 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.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
State Inmate with Child Sexual Abuse Material Faces 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A former inmate at Central State Prison in Macon who was serving a sentence for child molestation is facing up to 20 years in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material on an altered J-pay tablet while behind bars.
Timothy Jock Knight, 45, formerly of Central State Prison, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography before U.S. District Judge Mark Treadwell on September 3. Knight faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to a maximum of 20 years in prison to be followed by a maximum lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is set for Dec. 1, 2026. There is no parole in the federal system.
“It is deeply troubling that, even while serving time for child molestation, this individual continued to seek out and view child sexual abuse material and research ways to harm children,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “Thanks to the coordinated efforts of state and federal authorities, the defendant was identified and will be held accountable.”
"There are few crimes more egregious than those perpetrated against children, and in this case the defendant proved he remains a danger to the community, even from a prison cell," said Rob Donovan, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Atlanta Field Office. "We will take every opportunity to leverage our digital forensic technology to thwart the activity of distributors and consumers of child sexual abuse materials, no matter their location."
“Child sexual abuse material is a horrific form of exploitation that continues to victimize children long after the abuse itself occurs. Those responsible must be held accountable,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “The GBI will never back down in the fight against this crime, and remain committed to working with our local, state, and federal partners to protect our children and hold criminals accountable.”
“Any type of criminal activity perpetrated from behind the walls of our facilities will not be tolerated, and we are grateful to our federal and state partners for their assistance in bringing this case to a close,” said Georgia Department of Corrections Commissioner Tyrone Oliver.
According to court documents and statements referenced in court, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation received a Cybertip generated by Instagram in reference to the distribution of child sexual abuse material in 2021. Instagram reported that a subject account named “timknight444,” uploaded two images depicting CSAM. The tip included Knight’s profile picture and his driver’s license. GBI found Knight was serving a state sentence for attempted child molestation out of the Superior Court of Columbia County, Georgia, and was housed at Central State Prison, scheduled for release in January 2027.
The GBI obtained search warrant results for Knight’s Instagram account and collected two J-Pay tablets at Central State Prison. One tablet was found in Knight’s locker and had been altered but did not contain CSAM. Investigators found the second tablet with Knight when they confiscated it. Investigators confirmed that the tablet was altered and that it contained CSAM. Also, the device contained Google search histories for information on abusing, trafficking, and raping children. Investigators found 3,410 unique artifacts of CSAM material that include images of prepubescent children. Most images came from five different video series.
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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The GBI, the Georgia Department of Corrections, and the United States Secret Service are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica Brown and Julius Jefferson are prosecuting the case for the Government.
South Bend Man Found Guilty by Jury for Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Rodoundy Smith, 41 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was found guilty of illegal possession of a firearm after a two-day jury trial presided over by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 20, 2027.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the South Bend Police Department and the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew A. Krumwied, Joseph M. Barrier, and Lydia T. Lucius.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
Sharon Resident Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Sharon, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating narcotics and firearm laws, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Jiemaliahl Cleveland, 27, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Robert J. Colville.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on December 23, 2025, Cleveland possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl and also possessed a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime.
Judge Colville scheduled sentencing for January 6, 2027. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than five years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $1,250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Mercer County Drug Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Cleveland.
Second cocaine trafficker receives prison sentence in Homeland Security Task Force investigationRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 29-year-old woman has been sentenced for possession with intent to deliver cocaine.
Laura Janette Gonzalez pleaded guilty Sept. 21, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now ordered Gonzalez to serve 25 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release.
The investigation began in early 2024 when authorities identified Edgar Alejandro Villarreal, a/k/a Fresa, as a large-scale cocaine trafficker coordinating the smuggling, transportation, and distribution of multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine from Mexico into the United States.
During surveillance operations April 16, 2024, law enforcement observed Gonzalez and others arrive at a Weslaco parking lot in a Chevrolet Equinox to deliver narcotics. After spotting authorities, they fled.
Authorities conducted a traffic stop resulted in the discovery of a gift-wrapped box containing approximately 8.8 kilograms of cocaine.
The investigation revealed Villarreal and Edith Gonzalez, Laura Janette Gonzalez’s sister, coordinated the shipment that Laura Janette Gonzalez was to deliver.
Both Villarreal, 38, Brownsville, and Edith Gonzalez, 45, Donna, pleaded guilty. Edith Gonzalez received a 78-month-term, while Villarreal is scheduled to be sentenced Oct 21.
Laura Gonzalez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
This operation 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 U.S. law enforcement toward 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 South Texas/Houston comprises agents and officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation; IRS Criminal Investigation; Interpol/Department of State; and Naval Criminal Investigative Service with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution.
Brownsville Police Department also assisted in this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Oscar Ponce prosecuted the case.
Scam Center Strike Force Conducts Seizures of Chinese-Run Illicit Scammer Marketplace, and Restrains $52 Million in Laundered Crypto Scammer Funds in One DayRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, together with major federal law enforcement and interagency partners, announced actions taken by the Department of Justice’s Scam Center Strike Force to secure America against Southeast Asian cryptocurrency-related fraud and scams. The Strike Force and the Department of the Treasury took coordinated actions against Xinbi Guarantee (“Xinbi”), an illicit marketplace for scam services, and the Strike Force deployed to Madagascar to assist in the taking down of 13 Chinese-run scam compounds. Approximately $52 million of cryptocurrency involved in scam money laundering was restrained in one day, bringing the total restrained by the Scam Center Strike Force to approximately $938 million.
Joining in the announcement were U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska Michael J. Heyman, FBI Criminal Division Deputy Assistant Director Matthew Floyd, Special Agent in Charge Tara McLeese of the United States Secret Service Washington Field Office, and Lisa Palluconi, Deputy Director of the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.
“If Chinese organized crime can buy a custom website and a money laundering service the way you order takeout, then every American with a retirement account is in the blast radius,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “My Strike Force will continue to dismantle Chinese organized crime, those who facilitate it, and protect Main Street America.”
As alleged in a seizure warrant unsealed today, Xinbi is a Chinese-language illicit marketplace, run on Telegram, where vendors market their services to scam center operators. The Telegram channel operated primarily in Chinese, and the vendors post their available services on the Telegram channel, to include creating custom scam investment websites, laundering or “washing” money that scammers obtain from victims of wire fraud, and soliciting trafficking victims to work in scam compounds in Southeast Asia. Once a scammer “purchases” a service from the vendor, Xinbi as an organization holds money to be paid to the vendor until the vendors services are complete, to assure the scammers that the vendors will perform the services. The seizure warrant alleged numerous instances where U.S. victims funds were traced to specific vendors who advertised their money laundering services on the Telegram channel, and posted cryptocurrency wallets for payment on Telegram. On September 7, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia authorized seizure of the Telegram channels hosting this marketplace.
A vendor advertisement on the Telegram channel for “cleaning” cryptocurrency for Chinese RMB.
A vendor advertisement on Telegram for recruiting scammer (“Level 1”) agents.
Additionally, also pursuant to the same warrant, the Scam Center Strike Force seized two cryptocurrency wallets that Xinbi used to collect payments for vendors, which collectively held approximately $12 million in funds. Law enforcement also sought restraint of 47 additional cryptocurrency wallets that were believed to be associated with money laundering on Xinbi’s network and with vendors who had worked for scammers. Due to all these coordinated efforts, more than $52 million worth of cryptocurrency was restrained from Xinbi and its network of vendors that facilitate the organized crime groups running scam centers around the globe. The Strike Force thanks Tether for its proactive assistance in this investigation.
Today, in further coordinated action, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Xinbi as a significant transnational criminal organization and identified numerous cryptocurrency wallets associated with Xinbi. OFAC also designated two other entities for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Xinbi. As a result of today’s action by OFAC, all property and interests in property of these three sanctioned entities that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. For more information, please see the Department of Treasury’s press release at this link.
“After scamming money from hardworking Americans, criminals operating overseas laundered it through the Xinbi Guarantee network, which operated under the false assumption that they were out of the reach of U.S. law enforcement, said Tara McLeese, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office. “The efforts of our agents and investigative analysts to trace stolen funds and unveil the scope of this criminal network shows that while the methods of fraud may change, our resolve does not.”
“Global crime faces global justice, and the FBI will stop at nothing to protect the finances that hardworking Americans build over their lifetimes,” said FBI Chicago Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan Whalen. “Today’s seizure demonstrates law enforcement and prosecutors’ commitment to identifying, disrupting, and dismantling scam centers, no matter where they are in the world. The FBI is committed to working with domestic and international partners around the globe to stop scammers before they attack and hold these criminals accountable.”
“Scam centers are not just criminal enterprises—they are engines of exploitation that devastate victims, families, and communities," said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. " These schemes target our elderly and most vulnerable, draining their finances, eroding their trust, and in many cases leaving lasting emotional harm. The FBI is committed to dismantling these networks, holding offenders accountable, and restoring a sense of security to the communities they prey upon.”
Also today, U.S. Attorney Pirro announced that the Scam Center Strike Force will expand its scope to attack scam center compounds globally. In furtherance of that expanded focus, U.S. Attorney Pirro, together with U.S. Attorney Heyman and FBI Criminal Division Deputy Assistant Director Matthew Floyd, announced that the Strike Force had deployed a team to Madagascar to assist local law enforcement in cracking down on scam centers in that country. The Strike Force team, which was in country for two weeks, supported the local authorities related to the take down of 13 scam centers that were being operated by Chinese organized crime syndicates. The Strike Force team assisted in the processing of more than 3,200 electronic devices. The Strike Force team has also opened their own investigations on the basis of interviews conducted of the nearly 400 arrestees, at least approximately 30 of whom where Chinese leaders of the scam compounds, who were repatriated to China by the Chinese government.
"Transnational criminal organizations don’t care about borders, and the Department of Justice won’t either,” said Michael J. Heyman, U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska. We are proud to be part of the Scam Center Strike Force and will work to eliminate these international scam networks and bring justice to U.S. fraud victims across the country."
Boxes of phones from Chinese run compounds in Madagascar, reviewed by the Strike Force
Room of scam center evidence seized by the Madagascar authorities, which the Strike Force team assisted in processing.
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About the Scam Center Strike Force
The Scam Center Strike Force was officially launched by U.S. Attorney Pirro in November 2025 to address the growing threat posed by Chinese organized crime syndicates operating scam centers primarily in Southeast Asia. The Strike Force targets cryptocurrency investment fraud, cyber-enabled fraud, human trafficking, and money laundering operations that have cost American victims billions of dollars.
According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), cyber-enabled fraud schemes were responsible for almost 85% of all losses reported to IC3 in 2025. Within that category, CIF schemes have continued to grow, and the IC3 calculated the reported losses from CIF scams rose, from $4.57 billion in 2023, to $8.65 billion in 2025, an increase of 89%.[1] These figures, largely based on losses reported by victims, likely significantly under-represent the true loss amounts incurred by Americans, since most fraud victims do not report to IC3, if at all.
On March 6, 2026, President Trump signed an Executive Order directing the Administration to prioritize cybercrime, fraud, and predatory schemes draining American families of their life savings. Through the Executive Order, President Trump is unleashing every available tool to stop foreign-backed criminal networks that exploit vulnerable Americans through cyber-enabled fraud. The Scam Center Strike Force is a critical node in executing the mission outlined in the President’s Order.
Founded by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, the Strike Force has been joined it its work by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, Justice Department’s Criminal Division, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations-DC, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Alaska, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Western Washington. The Strike Force works in collaboration with other federal agencies, including the Treasury and State Departments. The Strike Force works in strategic partnership with private industry and calls on all U.S. businesses to take more proactive steps to protect users from scam operations.
The Scam Center Strike Force will use every tool available to help secure Main Street Americans from these scams. With its interagency and public partners, it will educate Americans on how to identify these scams, prevent generational wealth from flowing from America into the pockets of Chinese organized crime, and work with unwavering focus to return stolen funds to victims.
Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Karen P. Seifert for the District of Columbia directs the Strike Force. Today’s seizures were handled by AUSA Seifert and AUSA Rick Blaylock, Jr., of the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office as well as AUSA Mac Caille Peturrson, of the U.S. Attonrey’s Office for the District of Alaska, along with the FBI’s Chicago Field Office and U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office, with substantial assistance from Paralegals Peter Bleicken and Jessica In, both of the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office. The Madagascar investigations are being handled by AUSA Peturrson, with AUSAs Seifert and Blaylock, along with FBI’s Honolulu Field Office. The FBI thanks authorities in Madagascar for their assistance.
San Francisco man sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for child exploitationRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Sean Michael Hunt, 51, of San Francisco, was sentenced Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 12 years and seven months in prison for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, on May 17, 2010, Hunt pleaded guilty to receiving CSAM in Fresno. After serving his prison sentence, he relocated to San Francisco and began serving a lifetime term of supervised release. In March 2024, during a search of Hunt’s residence, Hunt’s probation officer found two laptops, three iPhones and one iPad. On the devices were more than 10,000 still images and 75 videos of CSAM. Hunt was charged with violating the conditions of his release and was additionally charged with possession of CSAM.
On Jan. 26, 2026, Hunt pleaded guilty to the violation of supervised release and to possession of CSAM.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa prosecuted the cases.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to over 10 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine in Western South Dakota and on the Pine Ridge ReservationRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that United States District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced an Arizona man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on August 31, 2026.
Gaylen Holy Rock, 40, was sentenced to 10 years and one month in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Holy Rock was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in April 2025. He pleaded guilty on March 2, 2026.
Beginning in 2023, Holy Rock worked with others to distribute methamphetamine within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. He received methamphetamine from co-conspirators in the Rapid City, South Dakota, area and was responsible for distributing over 500 grams of methamphetamine during his involvement in the conspiracy.
“Working together, law enforcement agencies across South Dakota are doing everything we can to eliminate the scourge of methamphetamine and other illicit drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “This defendant chose to victimize the communities of the Pine Ridge Reservation. He will now spend the next decade in federal prison, which should provide plenty of time to contemplate the wisdom of that decision.”
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).
The investigation was conducted by the Badlands Safe Trails Task Force. The Task Force is comprised of agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward C. Tarbay prosecuted the case.
Holy Rock was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving his sentence.