Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
25 September 2025
Former Ohio Deputy Sentenced to More Than Nine Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing an InmateRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A former Ohio deputy employed at a detention facility has been sentenced to prison for sexually abusing a female inmate in his custody.
Damon K. Perry, 53, of Youngstown, was sentenced to 112 months (approximately 9.3 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after he pleaded guilty in May to two counts of sexual abuse of a detainee and two counts of sexual abuse.
“Mr. Perry’s abusive and appalling actions against a detainee were a violation of her basic human rights. Using his power of authority to deliberately take advantage of a woman, who he was charged with supervising, is dishonorable and despicable,” said U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “We thank the DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General for investigating this matter.”
According to the plea agreement, Perry admitted to engaging in a sexual act with a female inmate under federal detention at the Mahoning County Jail on two dates in November 2023. The correctional facility, located in Youngstown, Ohio, serves under contract with a federal law enforcement agency to house detainees at their direction as needed.
The first sexual act committed without the victim’s consent occurred Nov. 9, 2023, when the inmate was under Perry’s supervision while she was being held in custody. A second incident occurred Nov. 30, 2023, when Perry again engaged in a non-consensual sexual act with the same federal detainee placed under his authority.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yasmine Makridis for the Northern District of Ohio.
###
Former CEO of Public Telecommunications Company Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Accounting FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that MICHAEL PALLESCHI, the former chairman and Chief Executive Officer of FTE Networks, Inc. (“FTE”), was sentenced today to 12 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon for leading a years-long scheme to inflate FTE’s revenue, conceal liabilities and expenses, and embezzle company funds. PALLESCHI previously pled guilty in August 2023 to conspiring to commit securities and wire fraud, making false statements in SEC filings and improperly influencing the conduct of audits, securities fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
“FTE’s financial statements were fraudulent, harming FTE’s investors and undermining confidence in our markets,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Our Office is committed to personal accountability in white-collar crime and Michael Palleschi’s sentence reflects that commitment.”
As alleged in the Superseding Indictment and statements made in public filings and public court proceedings:
FTE was a telecommunications company based in Naples, Florida, and Manhattan. As of December 2017, its stock traded on the New York Stock Exchange. From 2014 to 2019, PALLESCHI was the chairman of FTE’s Board of Directors and its Chief Executive Officer.
From 2016 to early 2019, PALLESCHI and others at FTE caused FTE to issue approximately 70 convertible notes with a total principal balance of more than $22 million to private lenders. The lenders could convert the notes to FTE’s common stock, either upon demand or upon default. Issuers of such convertible notes must recognize on their financial statements liabilities and expenses that arise from the notes’ conversion features. PALLESCHI and others caused FTE to recognize only the principal amounts and resulting interest expense on the company’s books, but not the substantial liabilities and expenses arising from the notes’ conversion features. He and others also took steps to conceal the notes’ conversion features, including by providing FTE’s accountants with fake notes, creating fake board resolutions with forged directors’ signatures that purportedly authorized the issuance of the convertible notes, forging the signature of FTE’s transfer agent on letters provided to lenders and repeatedly lying to FTE’s auditors by falsely denying that the company had issued convertible debt. As a result of this fraud with respect to convertible notes, PALLESCHI and others caused FTE to understate its debt derivative liabilities and warrant derivative liabilities and to fail to recognize losses on conversion derivative liabilities and losses on issuance of notes in 2017 and 2018.
As part of a second fraudulent scheme, PALLESCHI and others caused FTE to recognize more than $13 million in fraudulent revenue. This fraudulent revenue included more than $10 million in “unbilled” revenue that the conspirators represented FTE had earned from services it had supposedly provided to a large customer that had not yet accepted bills for those services. FTE never provided any such services. In addition, PALLESCHI and others caused FTE to recognize approximately $2.6 million as an account receivable for which there was no support. When FTE’s auditors said that the account receivable should be written off, PALLESCHI and others created a fake email from a representative of the customer saying that the customer would “expedite payments” for more than $1.5 million for projects completed by FTE in 2016 and 2017. The conspirators caused this fake email to be sent to FTE’s auditors so that FTE could continue to recognize the receivable. As a result of this fraudulent recognition of revenue, FTE’s financial statements overstated the company’s accounts receivable by between 18% and 120% for each of the quarters in 2017 and 2018 and by approximately 477% for 2016.
PALLESCHI also embezzled corporate funds by taking personal trips on the company’s private jet and unauthorized stock issuances.
At the sentencing, Judge McMahon said “this was a fraudulently run operation from the beginning.”
* * *
In addition to the prison term, PALLESCHI, 50, of Naples, Florida, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $13,541,707 in restitution and $546,846.75 in forfeiture.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Clayton also thanked the Securities & Exchange Commission for their assistance with the case.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Davis and James McMahon are in charge of the prosecution.
Forfeiture Actions Result in Remission of More Than $2.8 Million to Okaloosa Victim CharitiesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced today that more than $2.8 million in unlawfully retained bingo profits forfeited through criminal asset forfeiture actions have been sent to ten Okaloosa County charities as part of the Department of Justice’s remission process.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Victims of crime too often suffer losses at the hands of criminals that cannot ever be restored, but my office is committed to taking action to ensure those offenders cannot reap or retain the benefits of their wrongdoing, and we will remit the proceeds of those forfeitures whenever possible to compensate victims to the greatest extent. This case required substantial effort from our state and federal law enforcement partners to investigate and bring the defendants to justice, and this multi-million dollar recovery by my office and remission to victim charities will have a meaningful impact on our community.”
Larry and Dixie Masino were federally prosecuted and sentenced for illegal gambling and money laundering charges stemming from their ownership and operation of Racetrack Bingo in Fort Walton Beach, which purported to conduct bingo games and provide the proceeds to a group of local non-profit organizations. The Masinos made it appear that Racetrack Bingo was running charitable bingo when they were actually illegally conducting bingo and pocketing a substantial amount of the proceeds for themselves. Between 2006 and 2015, the Masino family personally retained and laundered over $5.8 million in illegal gambling profit that should have either gone to charities running the bingo games or returned to the players in the form of prizes.
As part of their sentences, the Masinos were ordered to forfeit substantial sums of money seized from bank accounts and three real properties. Funds forfeited and deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund may be used to compensate victims and restore losses caused by criminal conduct. The United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida requested and received permission from the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) to remit the forfeited funds back to the victim charities. MLARS administers the Department’s Asset Forfeiture Program victim compensation process to ensure forfeited funds are returned to victims when possible.
The forfeited assets in this case were converted to over $2.8 million, which will be shared among the following member non-profit organizations making up Fort Walton Beach Charities LLC:
- The ARC of the Emerald Coast, formerly Horizons of Okaloosa County, Inc.;
- Boys and Girls Club of the Emerald Coast;
- Emerald Coast Science Center;
- Habitat for Humanity in Okaloosa County;
- Horizons Foundation of Okaloosa County;
- Mental Health Association of Okaloosa and Walton Counties;
- Northwest Florida Ballet;
- Northwest Florida Fair Association;
- Okaloosa County Festival Association; and
- Order Sons of Italy in America, Joseph B. Franzalia Lodge 2422.
“After all these years of investigation and legal battles, I am thrilled to see these forfeited funds returned to the deserving charities of Okaloosa County,” said Sheriff Eric Aden. “This long-awaited justice not only holds the perpetrators accountable but also restores vital resources to organizations that uplift our community.”
“Through financial fraud, Larry and Dixie Masino betrayed charities providing important services to their communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker, IRS Criminal Investigation Tampa Field Office. “I am proud of the work IRS Criminal Investigation special agents, our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, along with the U.S. Attorney’s Office did to ensure these charities were made whole again.”
The forfeiture actions were the result of a joint investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Federal grand jury indicts former FBI director for false statements and obstruction in congressional testimonyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging former FBI Director James Comey with making a false statement and obstruction relating to his oral testimony before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Sept. 30, 2020.
“The charges as alleged in this case represent a breach of the public trust at an extraordinary level,” said U.S. Attorney Halligan. “The balance of power is a bedrock principle of our democracy, and it relies upon accountability and a forthright presentation of facts from executive leadership to congressional oversight. Any intent to avoid, evade, prevent, or obstruct compliance is a violation of professional responsibility and, most importantly, the law.”
If convicted, Comey faces up to five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-272.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Federal Indictment Charges Man with Forging Signatures of United States District Court JudgesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted a man for allegedly forging the signatures of two United States District Court judges in court filings.
WALTER BRZOWSKI, 67, of Chicago, is charged with eleven counts of forgery in an indictment returned Tuesday in the Northern District of Illinois. Each count is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. Arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.
According to the indictment and a criminal complaint previously filed in the case, Brzowski represented himself in numerous civil lawsuits that he initiated in federal court in Chicago. The U.S. District Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit dismissed the lawsuits and found that many of Brzowski’s filings were frivolous. In 2021, the Executive Committee of the U.S. District Court in Chicago issued an order placing restrictions on Brzowski’s ability to file new civil cases and warned that violating the order may lead to monetary sanctions or a contempt of court finding.
In 2023, Brzowski filed a “notice” in the District Court stating that he was relieved of any previously imposed prohibitions and instructing the District Court Clerk’s Office to “rescind any filing restrictions,” the charges allege. The notice included an attached Executive Committee Order that was purportedly signed by U.S. District Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer. The District Court determined that Brzowski had forged Judge Pallmeyer’s signature and sanctioned him $25,000, the charges allege. Brzowski allegedly continued to file materials with the Court, including multiple filings in 2025 that contained forged signatures of Judge Pallmeyer and U.S. District Chief Judge Virginia M. Kendall.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Ruth Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and LaDon A. Reynolds, United States Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Stern.
“The forgery of a judge’s signature is a serious matter and an attack on the rule of law,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “We will hold accountable those who use forgeries and frauds to undermine the important judicial work of the Honorable Judges of the Northern District of Illinois.”
“The defendant allegedly sent fraudulent court orders through the U.S. mail bearing forged signatures of multiple United States District Court judges in an effort to circumvent standing orders and unlawfully twist the legal system to his favor,” said Inspector-in-Charge Mendonça. “Thankfully, Chicago Postal Inspectors uncovered his scheme to delegitimize the rule of law, and brought him to justice."
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
brzowski_complaint.pdf brzowski_indictment_stamped.pdfFormer Tallahassee Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Gabriel Michael Stoelzel, 26, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, formerly of Tallahassee, pleaded guilty in federal court to attempting to entice or persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity, distribution of child pornography, and receipt of child pornography. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “It is one of our highest duties to protect our children from the predations of sex offenders like this defendant, so I applaud the outstanding investigative work by our state and federal law enforcement partners to identify and catch this offender. My office will continue to prosecute these sick individuals with the full force of the law to keep our children safe both online and in our communities.”
Court documents reflect that in 2024, the Tallahassee Police Department received CyberTips that were generated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children based on information provided by online social media platforms. Records show that the defendant uploaded child pornography to social media servers while he sent the files to other users. An investigation revealed that the defendant had been communicating with other users, some of whom said that they were as young as 14 years of age, to convince them to meet for sex. Additionally, the investigation revealed that the defendant sent and received child pornography through an online application.
The defendant faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, up to a maximum of life imprisonment, followed by five years to life of supervision upon release.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 5, 2026, at 10:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Federal Jury Convicts Baton Rouge Man of Wire Fraud and Engaging in Unlawful Monetary TransactionsRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Ellison C. Travis announced the conviction of Oscar Hills, IV, age 53, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After a three-day trial before U.S. District Court Judge Brian A. Jackson, the jury unanimously convicted Hills of two counts of wire fraud and two counts of engaging in unlawful monetary transactions. Hills has been living in Honolulu, Hawaii since 2021.
As the evidence at trial demonstrated, between March 2020 and May 2020, Hills submitted several fraudulent loan applications. One of these loan applications was submitted in the name of a supposed business called Bootstate Financial Group under the Payment Protection Plan (“PPP”) program, created by Congress under the CARES Act. Another loan application was submitted in the name of a supposed non-profit called Baton Rouge Teen Summit under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program, expanded by Congress under the CARES Act.
In the PPP loan application submitted in the name of Bootstate Financial Group, Hills represented that Bootstate had 40 employees and over $270,000 in average monthly payroll, both of which were material fraudulent representations. The lender relied on these representations by Hills, approving the loan application and depositing PPP loan proceeds of $675,272 into a bank account owned and controlled by Hills. Days later, Hills used $75,500 of these PPP funds to purchase a Dodge Viper.
In the EIDL application submitted in the name of Baton Rouge Teen Summit, Hills represented that this supposed non-profit had 25 employees and over $184,000 in annual operating expenses, both of which were false. The SBA relied on these numbers to approve the loan application and deposited $159,900 in total funds to a bank account owned and controlled by Hills. Hills subsequently used $23,272 of these EIDL funds to pay eleven years-worth of unpaid property taxes on his residence.
The evidence also demonstrated that this is the second time Hills has been convicted of wire fraud in the Middle District of Louisiana. On April 26, 2010, Hills pled guilty to four counts of wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud State Farm, Ascension Credit Union and Eagle Louisiana Federal Credit Union. On March 12, 2011, the late U.S. Chief District Court Judge Ralph E. Tyson sentenced Hills to 33 months imprisonment and ordered him to pay over $89,000 in restitution to his victims.
As a result of this most recent conviction, Hills now faces a maximum term of imprisonment of thirty years, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and supervised release per wire fraud count, and a maximum term of imprisonment of up to ten years, a fine of $250,000, and supervised release per money laundering count.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristen L. Craig and John B. Casey.
Anyone with information about allegations of pandemic fraud can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Eleven Accused of Large-Scale Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A California man, three St. Louis area residents and seven others have been indicted and accused of involvement in a large-scale cocaine conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus announced Thursday.
Jimmy Abraham Majeau, 43, of Chino Hills, made his first appearance in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Thursday and pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Majeau and ten others were originally indicted on May 28, 2025. The indictment was unsealed on July 9, when the initial arrests began.
Three of the defendants are from the St. Louis area: Michael Hunter, 63, Sonja Anne Orlando, 48, and Aaron Lamont Russell, 42.
A motion seeking to have Majeau held in jail until trial said he traveled frequently to Mexico to obtain cocaine, which he then transported throughout the U.S. using a commercial shipping company.
Also indicted were Earl Banks, 33, of Detroit, Eric James Hernandez, 42, Marvell Brian Lloyd, 43, Juan Jose Mendoza, 55, Alexxis Marie Ramirez, 36, Jonathon Javon Ward, 44, and Andrew Watson, 65.
The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of assets alleged to be linked to the crimes, including Majeau’s home, a 2021 Lamborghini Urus, $235,000 cash and 18 pieces of diamond and gold jewelry, including watches, rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigation and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Dayton Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Defrauding Veterans OrganizationRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— A Dayton, Oregon, woman was sentenced today for defrauding the Department of Oregon Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).
Cheryl Elizabeth Campos, 62, was sentenced to 25 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release.
According to court documents, between January 2022 and June 2024, Campos misused her position as Quartermaster of the VFW to access the VFW’s bank accounts and embezzled large sums of money to her personal accounts. To conceal the embezzlement, Campos falsified financial documents, bank statements, and accounting records.
In total, Campos embezzled more than $1.7 million from the VFW’s accounts to her personal accounts. Campos used the funds to buy hundreds of crystals, semi-precious rocks, marbles, stones, and statues. She also used the funds for personal expenses, including making credit card payments and purchasing a vehicle for a family member.
On March 24, 2025, Campos was charged by criminal information with wire fraud.
On April 15, 2025, Campos pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Robert S. Trisotto, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
D.C. Man Arrested for Felony MurderRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Richard Holmes, 35, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged with a homicide that occurred in the early morning hours of August 26, 2025, in Southeast D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Holmes made his initial appearance on September 24, 2025, before Superior Court Magistrate Judge Heide Herrmann who found probable cause that Holmes committed the offense of first-degree murder while armed (felony murder) and ordered that he be held without bond pending a detention hearing scheduled for October 8, 2025.
According to court documents, Holmes, shot and killed the victim, 31-year-old Franck Foute Mohdjiom, during an attempted robbery before fleeing the scene. Members of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Fugitive Unit assumed custody of Holmes while he was held at the D.C. Jail on an unrelated matter on September 23, 2025.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Carson.
These charges are merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
D.C. Inmate Gets an Additional 36 Months for Smuggling Contraband into JailRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Stefon Freshley, 29, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 36 months in prison for his participation in a conspiracy to smuggle a knife, dangerous drugs including fentanyl, and cell phones into the Central Detention Facility (CDF) of the Department of Corrections while he was awaiting trial for his role in the shooting of a 14-year-old boy and his father, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Freshley pleaded guilty June 27, 2025, to conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. In addition to the 36-month prison sentence, Judge Timothy J. Kelly ordered Freshley to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, in March 2019, Freshley was awaiting trial in two separate assault with intent to kill cases. He was being held in the maximum security units of the CDF where he was housed with other detainees from the Clay Terrace neighborhood that included co-defendants Marcel Vines and Darius Robertson.
The Clay Terrace detainees recruited a correctional officer to smuggle contraband into the jail. One of the smuggled containers was intercepted by DOC investigators and included a switchblade, an iPhone, an iPhone charger, eyeglasses, bundles of marijuana and tobacco, rolling papers, gambling dice, three sheets of paper that had been impregnated with a synthetic cannabinoid, and cigarettes. The correctional officer was put on administrative leave.
Freshley and the other Clay Terrace inmates recruited a new officer to smuggle goods into the CDF. Prior to a July 2024 smuggling incident, Freshley coordinated the delivery of two unlocked phones into the CDF. One of the phones was used in an apparent attempt to intimidate witnesses in Vines’ murder trial. The post sparked increased courthouse security measures for Vines’ trial.
On July 25, 2024, the Department of Corrections conducted two searches of the Clay Terrace inmate units for contraband. DOC staff found, among other things, 269 blue pills which tested positive for fentanyl; 60 cigarettes soaked in an unknown liquid, 255 suboxone strips, seven pieces of paper soaked in an unknown liquid substance, three cellphones; and cigarettes.
On Aug. 30, 2024, Freshley was sentenced to 90 months in prison for his role in the drive-by shooting of a 14-year-old boy and his father. Freshley was a passenger in a vehicle with two associates on Dec. 28, 2018, when one of the associates fired about 30 rounds into a moving SUV. The boy was shot nine times, including in the head, abdomen, chest, and back. The father sustained gunshot wounds to his leg and hand. Freshley and his associates fled the scene.
The sentence handed down today by Judge Kelly will be served consecutive with the previous 90-month sentence.
This case was investigated by the DOC Office of Investigative Services, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the FBI Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold and Sarah Santiago.
24cr520
Colombian National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Nationwide Jewelry Theft RingRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that YESENIA MELENDEZ RINCON, 41, a citizen of Colombia last residing in Kissimmee, Florida, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 24 months of imprisonment for her involvement in an organized jewelry theft ring that targeted mall-based stores and kiosks across the country.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from May 2023 through April 2024, Melendez Rincon and several other Colombian nationals burglarized jewelry stores and kiosks in malls and then transported the stolen property or the proceeds from it across state lines. Melendez Rincon and her co-conspirators burglarized jewelry establishments at the Connecticut Post Mall in Milford, Connecticut, on October 5, 2023; in Lombard, Illinois on October 17, 2023; in Hamilton Township, New Jersey, on October 27, 2023; and in Henrico, Virginia on November 4, 2023. The total losses from these burglaries exceed $1.33 million.
Melendez Rincon typically cased the targeted business, served as a “lookout” during the burglaries, and she was involved in the sale of the stolen jewelry to others.
A photo taken in January 2024 and retrieved from Melendez Rincon’s iCloud account shows Melendez Rincon wearing a distinctive heart-shaped ring that was stolen during the Milford, Connecticut, burglary in October 2023.
The investigation revealed that Melendez Rincon’s co-conspirators also were involved in the theft of an additional $3.1 million in jewelry from establishments in Paterson, New Jersey, on May 17, 2023; in Mentor, Ohio, on July 21, 2023; in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on August 13, 2023; in Greece, New York, on September 20, 2023; and in Horseheads, New York, on April 18, 2024. Members of the conspiracy also cased additional jewelry stores and kiosks in Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Delaware.
To date, none of the stolen jewelry has been recovered by law enforcement.
Melendez Rincon was arrested on July 18, 2024. On July 1, 2025, she pleaded guilty to conspiracy.
Melendez Rincon, who had been released pending sentencing, was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service at the conclusion of the sentencing. She faces immigration proceedings when she completes her prison term.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI New Haven’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force with the assistance of the Milford (Conn.) Police Department, the Hamilton Township (N.J.) Police Division, the Delaware State Police, the Henrico County (Va.) Police Division, the New York State Police, the New York Police Department, the Pensacola (Fla.) Police Department, the Paterson (N.J.) Police Department, the Mentor (Ohio) Police Department, the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Police Department, the Greece (N.Y.) Police Department, and the Lombard (Ill.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Huang and Conor M. Reardon.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and the FBI Field Offices in New York, Dallas, Miami, and Tampa for their assistance.
Christopher Reese Sentenced to 16.5 Years for Unlicensed Legal Services SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that CHRISTOPHER REESE, a/k/a “Christopher Eugene Thomas,” was sentenced today to 16.5 years in prison for crimes related to running a bogus legal services business, which defrauded numerous inmates and their family members. REESE, a nine-time convicted felon who is not a lawyer, deceived his victims into paying him to perform unlicensed legal services for them, including drafting and filing motions in federal courts. Despite REESE’s repeated promises to get inmates out of prison in exchange for money, courts overwhelmingly denied his motions, while REESE kept the money. REESE was sentenced to 15 years in prison in connection with his criminal convictions at trial in March of this year, and an additional 18 months for violating the terms of his supervised release in connection with a prior case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni.
“Christopher Reese conned vulnerable people by promising them outcomes in legal cases that he could not deliver and tried to manipulate the federal courts to further his scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Today’s substantial sentence is a clear reminder: the fraudulent and unauthorized practice of law is a crime. The public should be on guard against so-called ‘independent paralegals’ or ‘legal assistants’ selling services that only licensed lawyers can provide, without supervision by a licensed lawyer. Unlicensed practitioners may seem like a bargain, but often leave their clients in far worse circumstances.”
According to the Indictment and the evidence at trial:
For years, REESE ran a scam targeting federal inmates, their family members, and friends. To carry out his fraud scheme, REESE promised favorable results in criminal cases that he could not actually obtain, rendering legal services he was not authorized to provide in exchange for hefty fees. REESE styled himself as a “legal assistant” or “paralegal,” but worked without the supervision of a licensed lawyer and offered services that only a lawyer is authorized to provide, including drafting and submitting legal filings in federal courts. REESE induced prisoners and their family members to pay him by promising beneficial outcomes that he could not guarantee, while knowing—but failing to disclose—that his unlicensed legal practice was illegal.
REESE promised, for example, that defendants would be “immediately released” based on motions he would file in exchange for fees in the thousands of dollars. Sometimes REESE also offered to provide a refund if his motions were unsuccessful; but when they failed, REESE kept the money. When his fraud succeeded, and inmates or their family members paid REESE his fees, REESE engaged in the unauthorized practice of law, by making a business of drafting and filing legal motions and briefs in federal cases, including cases heard by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit at 40 Foley Square in Manhattan, a federal enclave where New York State’s prohibition on the unauthorized practice of law applies via the Assimilative Crimes Act. To hide his involvement from the courts, REESE wrote the inmate’s name in the signature block of each filing and falsely labeled it as “pro se,” i.e., written by the inmate.
REESE earned over a million dollars from this scheme, and REESE committed additional crimes in connection with these fraud proceeds. First, REESE was on supervised release in connection with a separate federal criminal case in this District during most of the scheme. In connection with his supervision, and in order to avoid paying criminal restitution that he owed, REESE made false statements to the U.S. Probation Office. Second, REESE laundered the proceeds of his scheme by using a co-conspirator to engage in financial transactions designed to conceal the source and movement of the fees REESE collected from his victims.
* * *
In addition to the prison term, REESE, 57, of East Meadow, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. The district court also imposed a forfeiture judgment of $1 million.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The case was prosecuted through the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Josiah Pertz, Kingdar Prussien, and James McMahon are in charge of the prosecution.
Central Oregon Man Charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.— Theodore Ernest Jokinen, 48, of Madras, made his first appearance in federal court yesterday after being charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, on September 19, 2025, detectives from the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team (CODE) observed Jokinen driving westbound on Interstate 84 near The Dalles, Oregon. Investigators previously received information that Jokinen traveled to Yakima, Washington, and was returning to Oregon in possession of methamphetamine intended for distribution in the Central Oregon area. Jokinen was initially stopped by The Dalles Police Department for a traffic infraction. A certified narcotics detection K9 alerted on Jokinen’s vehicle. Investigators obtained a search warrant for Jokinen’s vehicle. This search revealed roughly ten pounds of prepackaged suspected methamphetamine inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
Jokinen is currently on pretrial release in a Jefferson County felon in possession of a firearm case and has multiple prior convictions for delivery of a controlled substance.
The case is being investigated by the CODE and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from The Dalles Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, and the Mid Columbia Interagency Narcotics Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Andrew R. Doyle, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Central Georgia Woman Found Guilty of Pandemic Loan Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Milledgeville, Georgia, resident was found guilty of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 relief funds guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), with most of the funds received used for luxury cars and personal expenses.
Rosalend Way, 40, of Milledgeville, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of money laundering on Sept. 24, following a three-day trial that began on Sept. 22. Way is facing a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 2.
Codefendant, James Frank Austin, 51, of Americus, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of bank fraud and two counts of money laundering on Aug. 27. Austin is facing a maximum of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. Austin is scheduled for sentencing on Nov. 19.
U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell is presiding over the case. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Our office will pursue justice against those who exploited a taxpayer funded program created to sustain citizens during a national emergency,” stated U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “Our federal investigative and prosecutorial team is committed to holding these offenders accountable.”
“Way and Austin chose to commit fraud, further depleting funds designed to help people who struggled to survive during the pandemic,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue criminals who cheat federal health programs and profit at the expense of American taxpayers.”
“Defrauding the U.S. government is a serious offense which can bring lifelong consequences to individuals who commit the crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “Taxpayers expect their hard-earned dollars to fund the programs and policies enacted by the government. IRS Criminal Investigation special agents and our law enforcement partners will hold those accountable who exploit and defraud government programs for their own benefit.”
According to court documents and evidence submitted at trial, on June 21, 2020, Way and Austin applied for a PPP loan on behalf of Propel Opportunity Fund, a business established to raise capital through investors and use the funds to conduct pre-development work in underserved neighborhoods, preparing them for future development. The PPP loan application indicated that Propel had 18 employees with an average monthly payroll of $420,558, and they needed the funds to make payroll, as well as to pay their mortgage interest and utilities. They also submitted a fraudulent W-3 that indicated Propel paid $4,999,789 in wages in 2019. Way claimed 100% ownership of Propel on the PPP loan application.
IRS records from Propel’s 2019 corporate tax return showed that the company did not pay any salaries or wages, nor did Propel’s bank statements reflect payroll as suggested in the PPP application. The loan was approved and Propel received $1,051,395. Approximately $500,000 ended up in bank account’s belonging to Way and was spent on personal items including dining, retail, gas, groceries and cash withdrawals. Additionally, Austin used approximately $30,000 in funds from another fraudulently obtained PPP loan to pay off Way’s Mercedez-Benz.
Austin submitted a fraudulent PPP loan application on May 9, 2020, on behalf of the Austin Smith Center for Community Development (ASCCD). As a result of this fraudulent application, ASCCD was awarded a $654,315.00 PPP loan. Austin also obtained another fraudulent PPP loan for Propel and received $372,500 on March 15, 2021. Instead of these funds being spent for authorized expenditures under the PPP program, Austin used the money for personal expenses, including $119,840 on a Bentley. Austin obtained a total of $2,078,210 in fraudulent PPP loans.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The FBI and the IRS investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Howard and Hannah Couch are prosecuting the case for the Government.
Cayuga County Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Brien Fredendall, age 46, of Port Byron, New York, was sentenced Monday to 10 years in federal prison for his convictions on two counts of possession of child pornography. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
As part of his prior guilty plea, Fredendall, who has a previous New York State conviction for possession of child pornography, admitted that he possessed videos and images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) he received from a minor on his Snapchat account. He also admitted to possessing additional CSAM on his cellular phone.
Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also imposed a 15-year term of supervised release to begin after Fredendall’s release from imprisonment. Fredendall will also be required to continue to register as a sex offender upon his release.
Acting United States Attorney Sarcone stated: “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will relentlessly pursue and prosecute anyone who seeks to exploit and harm children. There is no room in our society for predators like Fredendall, other than in prison. His decade-long federal prison term is a clear message: those who prey on our most vulnerable will face the full force of the law. We are unwavering in our mission to protect children and hold offenders accountable.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Tremaroli said, “Mr. Fredendall, who was already a convicted predator, continued to prey on our most vulnerable. Now, he’s headed to federal prison for a decade. The FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force will continue to leverage our partnerships at every level of law enforcement to stop children from being exploited and bring to justice those responsible for these despicable acts.”
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force with the assistance of the Cayuga County Sherriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Canadian Man Sentenced Following Trial Convictions for Pandemic FraudRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Joseph Osei, a/k/a/ “Kyngjo,” age 30, a Canadian citizen formerly of Albany, was sentenced on Tuesday to 54 months in prison for engaging in a fraudulent scheme to obtain COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits using stolen identities.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Boston Division; Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, Northeast Region, United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG), made the announcement.
The trial evidence showed that from August 2020 through November 2020, Osei fraudulently obtained unemployment insurance benefits from the New York State Department of Labor worth more than $200,000. Additional evidence also included Osei’s schemes to defraud the state workforce agencies of California, Rhode Island, and Arizona using stolen identities to apply for and obtain pandemic unemployment insurance benefits. In May, jurors deliberated for less than two hours before returning a guilty verdict on all counts, including four counts of mail fraud, one count of access device fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also ordered a 3-year term of supervised release to follow Osei’s release from prison, as well as restitution to the State of New York and State of Arizona in the total amount of $211,360, and forfeiture of a money judgment.
Acting U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Joseph Osei’s brazen exploitation of critical relief programs during a national crisis was an affront to every individual who genuinely relied on these resources to survive. By stealing the identities of other people, Osei not only violated the law but also undermined the very purpose of programs designed to help those in need. His actions were callous and calculated, and justice was served when he was found guilty on all counts and then sentenced yesterday to 54 months in prison. I thank each law enforcement agency involved in this task force for their hard work in prosecuting this case.”
USPIS Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward stated: “The relief programs that Osei stole from were created as lifelines during the COVID pandemic and Osei took funds away from those in need and victimized unsuspecting people by stealing their personal identifying information. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will relentlessly pursue those who misuse the mail for fraud and bring them to justice.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan said: “HSI Albany is proud to have played a role in ensuring Joseph Osei faced the consequences of his fraud and identity theft. The prosecution of Osei will serve as a deterrent to anyone else who thinks about trying to steal from New Yorkers and government programs.”
Jonathan R. Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, Northeast Region, USDOL-OIG stated, “Joseph Osei used stolen identities to fraudulently obtain critical taxpayer funds intended for American workers in need of unemployment insurance benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Safeguarding the integrity of the unemployment insurance program remains a top priority for the Office of Inspector General. We will continue to work closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to ensure the protection of U.S. Department of Labor programs and operations.”
This case was investigated by USDOL-OIG, USPIS, and HSI, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s New York Field Office and the New York State Department of Labor’s Office of Special Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander P. Wentworth-Ping and Joshua R. Rosenthal prosecuted the case.
Convicted Felon Charged with Possession of a MacHine Gun and Other Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – James Wiley Kelley, Jr., 50, of Altha, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act weapon, possession of a machinegun, and possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.
Kelley, Jr. appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick on September 24, 2025, in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for November 27, 2025, before District Court Judge Mark E. Walker.
If convicted, Kelley, Jr. faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment for possession of an unregistered NFA weapon, an identical penalty for possession of a machinegun, and up to fifteen years’ imprisonment for possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case, with the assistance of the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jason R. Coody is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Brothers Charged in $8 Million Armed Crypto-Kidnapping HeistRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Raymond Christian Garcia, 23, and Isiah Angelo Garcia, 24, were charged federally by complaint with Kidnapping for engaging in a kidnapping and cryptocurrency heist where they held a family at gunpoint for nine hours and stole $8 million in crypto currency, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. The crime forced Mahtomedi Public Schools to cancel its homecoming football game for the safety of its community.
“A violent kidnapping that stole $8 million and silenced a homecoming game is not just a crime. It is a blow to the sense of safety of everyone in Minnesota,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “This is not normal. Minnesotans should not accept wild violence and thievery as normal. Every Minnesotan deserves to live in peace and a life unaffected by rampant crime.”
On September 19, 2025, at 4:45 pm, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center received a 911 call from an adult male who reported that he and his family had been victims of an armed robbery and kidnapping by two adult male suspects and had been held hostage at gunpoint within their residence in Grant, Minnesota. The two kidnappers were the Garcia brothers. The 911 caller reported that he, his father (Victim 1), and his mother had been held hostage.
At 7:45 am that morning, Victim 1 was taking out a garbage can to the street when the Garcia brothers suddenly appeared and pointed an AR-15-style rifle and a shotgun at Victim 1. The Garcia brothers took Victim 1 into the garage where they bound his hands with zip ties. They then brought Victim 1 into the house. The Garcia brothers woke up Victim 1’s wife and adult son at gunpoint. They also zip tied their hands and forced them to lie on the floor.
Defendant Raymond Garcia held the wife and son in their home for nine hours. Raymond Garcia was armed with the AR-15-style rifle for the duration of the kidnapping. About 15 minutes before the son called 911, Raymond Garcia left the home out the back door with the AR-15-style rifle, heading towards the tree line. Raymond Garcia returned to the home shortly thereafter, without the rifle.
Meanwhile, while Raymond Garcia held the wife and son hostage, defendant Isiah Garcia forced Victim 1 at gunpoint to log into his cryptocurrency accounts. Isiah Garcia demanded that Victim 1 transfer large amounts of cryptocurrency into a cryptocurrency wallet that Isiah Garcia provided. During the robbery, Victim 1 saw both Garcia brothers frequently making phone calls to an unknown third party, who appeared to be providing the information related to the cryptocurrency accounts and transfers.
Through this third party, the Garcia brothers became aware that Victim 1 had additional cryptocurrency funds. They demanded the money. Victim 1 explained that the remaining funds were on a hard drive-style cryptocurrency wallet that was stored at a family cabin approximately three hours away.
Isiah Garcia, armed with the shotgun, then forced Victim 1 into Victim 1’s truck. Isiah Garcia drove the truck and Victim 1 to the family’s cabin to retrieve the hard drive. All the while, Raymond Garcia held Victim 1’s wife and son hostage with the AR-15-style rifle. At the cabin, Victim 1 transferred the remaining funds to the cryptocurrency wallet provided by Isiah Garcia. Isiah Garcia then drove Victim 1 back towards Victim 1’s home.
In total, the Garcia brothers forced Victim 1 to transfer $8 million worth of cryptocurrency to their wallets.
As Isiah Garcia and Victim 1 were returning to the home, Victim 1’s son used the moments that Raymond Garcia left the home to call 911. Washington County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the scene following the 911 call and found the wife and son zip tied in the house. As they arrived, Washington County Sheriff’s Deputies saw a man, later identified as Raymond Garcia, running out the back door. When law enforcement searched the area around the home, they located a suitcase in the tree line. In the suitcase, they found a disassembled AR-15-style rifle, AR-15 ammunition, as well as clothing items and beverages.
Multiple squads responded to the 911 call, some of whom unknowingly passed Isiah Garcia and Victim 1 as they pulled over to allow the emergency vehicles to pass. Isiah Garcia turned the truck around, parked it nearby, and walked towards a nearby middle school parking lot. Isiah Garcia ditched the shotgun in a nearby field. To protect the safety of the community, Mahtomedi Public Schools was forced to cancel its homecoming football game in response to the ongoing law enforcement activity near the campus.
Using a Wendy’s receipt located in the suitcase recovered behind Victim 1’s house, law enforcement was able to determine that Isiah Garcia had rented a white Chevrolet three days prior to the kidnapping, near Houston, Texas. Law enforcement also located video surveillance showing that Raymond Garcia rented a Motel 6 room in Roseville, Minnesota, shortly before the kidnapping. Law enforcement saw that, shortly after law enforcement responded to the scene of the kidnapping, the white Malibu returned to the Motel 6. The next day, law enforcement spotted the car on cameras in Oklahoma. On September 21, 2025, law enforcement tracked the car back to the home of the Garcia brothers in Waller, Texas. After returning to Texas, Raymond Garcia reported that his AR-15-style firearm that he used in the kidnapping and robbery had been stolen.
On September 22, 2025, law enforcement arrested the Garcia brothers in Texas. Once in custody, Isiah Garcia confessed. He admitted that he and his brother Raymond Garcia had driven to Minnesota, held Victim 1 and his family at gunpoint, tied them up using zip ties, and driven Victim 1 to the family cabin. On September 23, 2025, the Garcia brothers were charged by complaint in Washington County, Minnesota with three counts of kidnapping with a firearm, one count of first-degree aggravated robbery, and three counts of first-degree burglary.
On September 24, 2025, the Garcia brothers were both charged in a federal complaint with kidnapping. Both defendants will make their initial appearances in federal court today and the government will request their detention pending trial.
“As alleged in the complaint, the Garcia brothers terrorized a Minnesota family in their own home, kidnapping one family member while holding the rest of the family hostage in order to conduct a brazen cryptocurrency theft,” said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr. “This office, together with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners in Minnesota and in Texas, will work tirelessly to hold accountable those responsible for this horrific crime.”
These cases result from an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office extends its profound sympathies to the victims and lauds them for their bravery and quick action in calling 911. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is grateful for its partnership with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington County Attorney’s Office. The quick and excellent federal-state cooperation in this case was essential to the filing of federal charges.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca E. Kline is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bellevue Woman Sentenced to Nine Months for EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Joya M. Kinney, 45, of Bellevue, Nebraska, was sentenced on September 24, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for one count of embezzlement from an organization that received federal benefits. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Kinney to 9 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Kinney’s release from prison, she will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. Kinney was additionally ordered to pay $495,652.13 in restitution.
From 2014 until her termination in May 2023, Kinney was the bookkeeper for an incorporated private school located in Nebraska. This school received a Paycheck Protection Program loan in the amount of approximately $302,500 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. As the bookkeeper for the school, Kinney was responsible for handling funds and making financial entries into the school’s accounting system.
In May of 2023, an outside auditor reported inconsistencies in the school’s accounting records. When confronted, Kinney admitted to school staff that she had conducted four $10,000 cash withdrawals the auditor identified, which were not authorized by the school. Kinney was then terminated from her position.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted an investigation and found additional financial losses at the school. Specifically, records and other evidence gathered by the FBI showed that between March 2016 to May 2023, Kinney embezzled approximately $452,176 from school funds, which included taking cash, using school funds to pay her personal credit card, making unauthorized purchases charged to the school, and receiving unauthorized checks.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bellevue Police Department.
Baltimore Felon Convicted of Illegally Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury convicted Jermaine Porter, 34, of Baltimore, Maryland, for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Porter is currently on federal supervised release for a 2018 conviction for possessing a firearm as a prohibited person.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the conviction with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
On March 3, 2023, BPD’s Northeast District Action Team conducted a traffic stop in the 3900 block of Loch Raven Blvd. Prior to the traffic stop, officers observed Porter moving in his seat, which led them to believe he was hiding something. Officers stopped Porter and removed him from the vehicle. In the vehicle, they found a light blue SCCY CPX-1 9mm handgun loaded with eight 9mm rounds of ammunition on the seat directly underneath Porter’s legs.
This is Porter’s second federal felony conviction. Due to his prior felony conviction, Porter is prohibited from possessing a firearm and/or ammunition. Porter is facing a maximum of 15 years in federal prison.
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. District Judge Adam B. Abelson scheduled sentencing for Tuesday, December 16.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney LaRai Everett and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Keelan Diana who are prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
# # #
Augusta “Ghost” Tax Return Preparer Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: On September 25, 2025, a Richmond County man who operated a “ghost” tax preparation business in Augusta, Georgia, has been sentenced to federal prison and ordered to pay restitution for defrauding the IRS.
Allen Brown, 41, of Augusta, Georgia, was sentenced to 46 months in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud conspiracy, said Margaret E. Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Brown to pay $1,003,631 in restitution and to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
As described in court documents and at sentencing, in 2022 and 2023, Brown and several individuals operated a “ghost” tax preparation business at 1850 Gordon Highway, Suite C, Augusta, Georgia, and at two other Augusta locations including a church and Brown’s residence. Brown operated as a “ghost” preparer because, contrary to IRS requirements he failed to identify himself as a paid preparer on the federal income tax returns that he prepared and filed for his clients. As a “ghost” preparer, Brown fabricated income to qualify his clients for tax credits, claimed fake deductions to boost the size of the refund, and charged clients a fee based on a percentage of the tax refund. Brown did not provide his clients with a copy of the tax returns he prepared, nor did he review the returns with clients before electronically filing them with the IRS. Brown and other “ghost” preparers who worked with him falsified 63 federal income tax returns for clients, causing the U.S. Department of Treasury to issue $1,003,631 in false tax refunds. The tax fraud scheme Brown executed entailed offering clients two filing options, the “Standard” option or the “I’m Not Scared” option. The “Standard” option generally resulted in a fraudulent tax refund of $2,000 - $9,000. The “I’m Not Scared” option resulted in a fraudulent tax refund of $14,000 - $30,000. For the “I’m Not Scared” option, Brown instructed his “ghost” preparers to falsely claim Fuel Tax Credits and falsely report gross income and other expenses on Schedule C and medical and dental expenses on Schedule A with the tax returns. For the “Standard” option, Brown instructed “ghost” preparers to falsely claim Sick and Family Leave Credits and other false items. Brown required his clients to pay him a ten-percent fee of each refund obtained.
“Tax preparers have a responsibility to accurately prepare tax returns on behalf of their clients. Brown undermined the American tax system and the trust of taxpayers relying on his expertise,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “The sentence imposed by the Court reflects the serious nature of Brown’s conduct. The criminal tax laws are designed to protect the integrity of the nation’s tax system and to obtain and preserve funds needed for public services. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia works closely with our partners at IRS Criminal Investigation to protect the law-abiding American public and the treasury by stopping this fraud.”
“Every year around tax season, ghost tax preparers like Allen Brown and other unscrupulous preparers open up shop to take advantage of unsuspecting taxpayers by convincing them into taking credits and benefits for which they don’t qualify,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents are working to protect taxpayers from these unethical tax preparers by investigating and holding them accountable.”
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney George J.C. Jacobs, III.
For any questions, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (912) 652-4422.
Attorney General Bondi, Director Patel Statements Regarding Indictment of Former FBI Director James ComeyRead the Press Release
Today, a federal grand jury has charged former FBI Director James Comey with serious crimes related to the disclosure of sensitive information.
The indictment alleges that Comey obstructed a congressional investigation into the disclosure of sensitive information in violation of 18 USC 1505.
The indictment also alleges that Comey made a false statement in violation of 18 USC 1001. Comey stated that he did not authorize someone at the FBI to be an anonymous source. According to the indictment that statement was false.
“No one is above the law,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s indictment reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case.”
“Today, your FBI took another step in its promise of full accountability,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “For far too long, previous corrupt leadership and their enablers weaponized federal law enforcement, damaging once proud institutions and severely eroding public trust. Every day, we continue the fight to earn that trust back, and under my leadership, this FBI will confront the problem head-on. Nowhere was this politicization of law enforcement more blatant than during the Russiagate hoax, a disgraceful chapter in history we continue to investigate and expose. Everyone, especially those in positions of power, will be held to account - no matter their perch. No one is above the law.”
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona man admitted to engaging in sexual acts with a victim using threats and intimidation.
According to court documents, in August of 2021, Fernando Yatsatie, Jr., 47, a member of the Zuni Pueblo, unlawfully engaged in in a sexual act with a victim, placing them in fear.
Yatsatie pleaded guilty to sexual abuse. At sentencing, Yatsatie is subject to a sentence of up to life in prison. Upon his release from prison, Yatsatie will be subject to no less than five years and up to life of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
Administrator of Online Group Dedicated to Exploiting Minor Girls Sentenced to 22 YearsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Thomas Ray Hudson, 34, most recently of Grenada, Mississippi, was sentenced last week by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 22 years in federal prison for producing child pornography. The prison term will be followed by a lifetime period of supervised release. Hudson pleaded guilty to this charge on June 10, 2025.
In August of 2024, Hudson flew to Minnesota to meet a 13-year-old girl in Burnett County, Wisconsin, whom he was speaking with online. That attempt was thwarted when he could not find her home and got stranded in Minneapolis. Through a law enforcement tip, he was later identified, charged, and arrested. His electronics were searched, and multiple additional victims were identified. Law enforcement ultimately discovered that Hudson was an online administrator of a group with hundreds of members, dedicated to child exploitation. He was also involved in online groups where adult members threatened violence against minor girls who did not create sexually explicit material for the members of the group.
At the sentencing hearing, a relative of one of the child victims, who described Hudson as a “monster,” talked about the devastating emotional impact the crime had on the child and her family. She relayed that the child was now afraid to even go outside out of fear that Hudson was coming to get her. Judge Peterson called Hudson’s conduct cruel and manipulative and noted that this was among the worst case of this type that the Court had ever seen.
“Today’s sentencing reaffirms my office’s steadfast commitment to protecting our children, the most vulnerable among us, from predators who exploit and harm them online,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Elgersma. Elgersma also praised the extraordinary effort of the law enforcement agents around the country who worked tirelessly to bring Hudson and his cohorts to justice.
“Mr. Hudson’s inexcusable actions of exploiting minors online as a group administrator with hundreds of members will not be tolerated,” said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle. “The men and women of the FBI are committed to identifying and investigating those who victimize children. We will continue to leverage resources while working with our local, state, and federal partners to safeguard our communities.”
The charge against Hudson was the result of an investigation conducted by the Burnett County Sheriff’s Office; the Kentucky State Police; the Bothell, Washington, Police Department; and FBI field offices across the country, including offices in Wisconsin, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, Washington, Oregon, Tennessee, and Mississippi. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman prosecuted this case.
This investigation was a part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. 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.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office encourages parents, educators, and community members to talk to children about the dangers of online predators and to review helpful safety resources available to the public, including those found at NCMEC’s NetSmartz website: missingkids.org/NetSmartz/home.
43 Members of the Criminal Organization known as a Los Vira’o Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearms Violations in Cayey, Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On September 22, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 43 gang members from the municipality of Cayey with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, and firearms violations, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. This investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB) Guayama Strike Force, with the collaboration of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) and Air and Marine Operations (AMO), the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Today during the arrests, the following agencies provided support: Puerto Rico National Guard, Ponce Municipal Police, Guaynabo Municipal Police, Bayamón Municipal Police, and San Juan Municipal Police.
“Thanks to the great investigative work of our law enforcement partners, the important leaders, enforcers and other members of the violent gang known as Los Vira’o are being taken off our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “These arrests reflect our steadfast determination to remove violent gangs from our communities.”
“We will not tolerate criminal organizations that continue to threaten the safety and well-being of our communities while profiting from the distribution of deadly narcotics on our streets. These groups show nothing but disrespect for our neighborhoods, our children, and the elderly —taking lives at every turn. Let me be clear: the arrests do not end here. Our commitment and resources are fully dedicated to one mission—eliminating transnational criminal organizations. Not disrupting. Not dismantling. Eliminating,” said Rebecca González-Ramos, Special Agent in Charge, HSI San Juan (Puerto Rico & U.S. Virgin Islands).
The indictment alleges that from 2021, the drug trafficking organization distributed heroin, cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”), cocaine, marijuana, and fentanyl, Oxycodone (commonly known as Percocet), and Alprazolam (commonly known as Xanax) within 1,000 feet of the Luis Muñoz Morales and Jardines de Montellano (a/k/a “Greyskull”) Public Housing Projects (PHPs), the Polvorín Ward in Cayey, and other areas throughout Puerto Rico, all for significant financial gain and profit.
The object of the conspiracy was to distribute wholesale quantities and street amount quantities of controlled substances at the Luis Muñoz Morales and Jardines de Montellano PHPs, the Polvorín Ward in Cayey, as well as other areas throughout Puerto Rico and the continental United States. The organization referred to itself as Los Vira’o and used other insignia to identify its membership and loyalty, including jewelry, stickers, or tattoos of the letters “LFNM,” which stands for “La Familia Nunca Muere,” (The Family Never Dies). The top leader of the gang, Efraín A. Planell-Pérez, although incarcerated, used contraband cellular devices to communicate with gang members, hold conference calls and video calls, make electronic fund transfers, and coordinate gang activity. Additionally, Planell-Pérez purchased drugs and guns, gave orders regarding the function of the drug points, ordered murders, resolved disputes, and taught new members how to prepare drugs for sale, among other criminal actions.
According to court documents, members of Los Vira’o posted criminal activities to social media both to raise their own status and intimidate rivals. On occasion, some members of the drug trafficking organization purchased commercially available security cameras, installed them in the PHPs, and downloaded corresponding applications to their cellular devices to monitor activity within those PHPs, looking out for police activity and attacks by rival gangs.
A group of the founding members of Los Vira’o previously belonged to another drug trafficking organization based in Caguas, Puerto Rico. Those members of Los Vira’o turned against the other Caguas-based gang, and since the inception of Los Vira’o in 2021 have been in a turf war with that other organization, to include coordinated shootings in rival gang territory using automatic weapons and squad-like tactics, killing both intended and unintended victims.
It is alleged that members of Los Vira’o carried out violent carjackings using firearms to acquire vehicles to use in murders and other criminal acts. They would refer to those stolen cars as units, and those cars were generally forbidden from being stored inside the PHPs. After use in a murder or other criminal act, gang members would burn the cars or sell them.
The investigation revealed that during the conspiracy the defendants and their co-conspirators created a music label and produced music and music videos with lyrics describing specific gang activity, real coconspirators, and real criminal events. Music videos of Los Vira’o feature real firearms brandished in the videos.
The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, including as leaders, enforcers, runners, sellers, facilitators, and lookouts. Twenty-seven (27) defendants are facing one charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and fifteen (15) of those defendants are facing one count of possession of a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The defendants charged in the indictment are:
[1] Efraín A. Planell-Pérez, a.k.a. “Gordo Billar/Billar/Simba/Simbad/el Ocho”
[2] David González-Olmo, a.k.a. “Cagüita”
[3] Eliezer Rivera-Otero, a.k.a. “Tiki/Tiky”
[4] Luis D. Maldonado-Berríos, a.k.a. “Guinea/La G”
[5] Miguel Y. Fuentes-Oquendo, a.k.a. “Barba”
[6] José M. Rivera-Fuentes, a.k.a. “Che/Cheque”
[7] Edgar Antonio Santiago-Vázquez, a.k.a. “Mili/Militar”
[8] Julio A. Torres-Roche, a.k.a. “Doctor”
[9] José David Serrano-Santiago, a.k.a. “Hacha Vieja”
[10] Kris L. Vega-González, a.k.a. “Yandel/Kris Llandel”
[11] Miguel A. Olmo-Garcia, a.k.a. “Mine/Bolillo”
[12] Yandel O. Bermejo-Rodríguez
[13] Jouseph De Jesús-Reyes, a.k.a. “Boti”
[14] Juan A. Flores-Lebrón, a.k.a. “Juanki”
[15] Noel Nieves-Lora, a.k.a. “Bulin”
[16] Cristopher Colón-Viera, a.k.a. “Topher”
[17] Joseph A. Torres-Quesada, a.k.a. “Mueca”
[18] Zael Y. Lao-Ortiz, a.k.a. “Vieques”
[19] Jay L. Diaz-Del Valle, a.k.a. “Jay Livan/El Cantante”
[20] Héctor M. Cruz-Ayala, a.k.a. “Gordo Gordo/Gordo Chiquito”
[21] Jeremy Ortiz-Díaz, a.k.a. “Millo”
[22] Victor M. Cruz-Ortiz, a.k.a. “Papa/El Father”
[23] Carlos A. Arroyo-Santel, a.k.a. “Rata/R”
[24] Adrián J. Miranda-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Pilo/Pilotito”
[25] Rubén M. Torres-Reyes
[26] Luis Y. León-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Ika”
[27] Kevin M. Torres-Rivera, a.k.a. “Kevo”
[28] Edgardo Ortiz-Figueroa, a.k.a. “Pucho”
[29] Michael A. Santiago-Cruz, a.k.a. “Colo/Colorao”
[30] Christopher J. Nieves-Pérez, a.k.a. “Chucho”
[31] José G. Jiménez-Robles, a.k.a. “Joy”
[32] Christopher J. Fontanez-Vega, a.k.a. “Lagarto”
[33] Endel Gabriel Vidal-Malavé
[34] Bryan L. Montalvo-Colón, a.k.a. “Yambra”
[35] Luis A. Trinidad-González, a.k.a. “Chivito”
[36] Mariela E. Santiago-Cuevas
[37] José Orlando Ortiz-Martínez, a.k.a. “Champu de Coco/Vizco”
[38] Kenneth O. Claudio-Vega, a.k.a. “Kenny”
[39] Jonathan A. Ortiz-Martínez, a.k.a. “Cocodrilo/Orejas”
[40] Joseph Vicente-Vázquez, a.k.a. “Joe Cantera”
[41] Alejandro M. Tarafa-Fortuño, a.k.a. “Zombie”
[42] Rosemary Santiago-Serrano
[43] Paola M. Rodríguez-Morales
Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort, Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares, AUSA R. Vance Eaton, and AUSA Andrés Orr are in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted on the drug charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. If convicted of both the drug and firearms charges in Count Seven, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life in prison. The defendants charged with possession of machineguns in furtherance of drug trafficking in Count Eight face a mandatory sentence of thirty years in prison to be served consecutive to any sentence imposed on the drug trafficking charges. All defendants are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $9,362,160.
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).
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
24 September 2025
Woman arrested for transporting an illegal alienRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Yuizanet Elias, 46, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with transportation within the United States of an illegal alien, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith and Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen M. McCarthy, who are handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on May 18, 2025, agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO) performed surveillance at 317 Schenck Street in North Tonawanda, NY, which is the residence of Elias and her boyfriend, Jose Antonio Arzate-Negron, a known illegal alien. Arzate-Negron was seen by agents but as they approached, he ran back into the residence. Elias then exited the residence and was confronted by agents, who requested that she bring Arzate-Negron to the door, but she refused. Agents explained that Arzate-Negron was illegally present in the United States. However, Elias still refused to go get Arzate-Negron. Agents then left the residence.
On multiple days in July 2025, agents surveilled the residence and observed Arzate-Negron exiting the residence and getting into a vehicle registered to and driven by Elias. On these days, it also appeared that Elias was conducting counter-surveillance before Arzate-Negron would leave the residence, attempting to spot law enforcement vehicles. On July 25, 2025, Arzate-Negron exited the residence and got into Elias’s vehicle. Agents attempted to conduct a vehicle stop but Elias fled the area. Agents followed the vehicle which, after a short distance, stopped, and Arzate-Negron got out and fled on foot. After a brief foot pursuit, Arzate-Negron was apprehended and taken into custody.
Elias made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was released on conditions.
The complaint is a result of an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations, under the direction of Acting Field Office Director Steven Kurzdorfer.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
# # # #
Wolf Point man sentenced to 4 years in prison for multiple assaults on the Fort Peck Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Wolf Point man who assaulted two individuals on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 48 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Philip Ray Azure, 22, pleaded guilty in May 2025 to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The first incident occurred on March 16, 2023, when Azure went to John Doe’s residence in Wolf Point, on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Azure and John Doe were friends and were drinking alcohol together. Azure became intoxicated and was asked to leave for being too loud. A family member of Doe’s, who also lives in the home, started to walk Azure out. As he was leaving, Azure struck the family member. John Doe confronted Azure about hitting his family member. Azure pulled out a knife and stabbed Doe in the chest and then turned and walked away without saying anything.
Doe was rushed to the hospital for treatment of his serious injuries and later airlifted to Billings for surgery. After surgery to repair his lung, Doe spent a week in the hospital.
The second incident happened on January 27, 2024. Azure and several friends, including two co-defendants, and the victim, John Doe 2, were in a yard in Wolf Point, on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, playing a game of “slap-boxing.” The fighting escalated and eventually the group separated. Azure and his co-defendants returned home, and John Doe 2 arrived a short time later asking for his phone. Azure and his co-defendants exited the home and confronted Doe 2 in the driveway.
Several people witnessed the assault. One witness described seeing Azure and his co-defendants hitting John Doe 2 and saw someone using a bat and someone else using a hammer. A second witness saw Azure and his two co-defendants approach Doe 2 while he backed away and said all three “jumped” Doe 2. That witness saw Azure use a bat during the assault.
Doe 2 died at the scene before law enforcement arrived. According to an autopsy, he died from blunt and sharp force injuries to the head and chest, including a stab wound to the chest that perforated Doe 2’s sternum, heart, and esophagus.
Azure was arrested the day after the second assault. He initially claimed he wasn’t there when Doe 2 was assaulted. He later admitted he was involved but didn’t remember the details because he was intoxicated. He claimed Doe 2 had a big knife and he ultimately hit Doe 2 with a bat to stop him from using the knife. None of the other witnesses reported seeing Doe 2 with a knife.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI, Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice, and Wolf Point Police Department conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
XXX
West Tennessee Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Garrett Baughman, 19, of Wildersville, Tennessee, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for soliciting sexually explicit images and videos from a thirteen-year-old child. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Interim U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
Baughman was charged with one count of production of child pornography; one count of use of a facility and means of interstate commerce to persuade, induce, entice a minor to engage in sexual criminal acts; and one count of receipt of child pornography. Following his guilty plea to the enticement of a minor charge, United States Senior District Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Baughman to 20 years in prison and five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Additionally, Baughman must comply with the conditions of the Sexual Offender Registry upon his release.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Nashville-Jackson Resident Agency Child Exploitation Task Force and the Henry County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Caroline Parish prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
###
For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Waterloo Woman Going to Federal Prison for Defrauding Social Security Administration for More Than Twenty YearsRead the Press Release
A woman who concealed her ineligibility for Social Security benefits for twenty-two years was sentenced on September 23, 2025, to more than one year in federal prison.
Penny Linn Teel, age 60, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 23, 2025 guilty plea to one count of theft of government property.
In a plea agreement, Teel admitted that she began receiving insurance benefits from the Social Security Administration in 1992 after her husband passed away. In 2002, Teel married again. She did not report or disclose her marriage to the Social Security Administration. In 2022 and 2023, Teel filled out applications for Social Security benefits for her husband. She falsely indicated in those applications that he was not married. Information from sentencing showed that, when Teel was subsequently confronted by law enforcement agents, she made additional false statements about her marriage and whether she told the Social Security Administration that she was married.
Teel was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Teel was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment. She was ordered to make $297,281 in restitution to the Social Security Administration. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Teel was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-2042.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Virginia Beach mail carrier pleads guilty to dumping mailRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A U.S. Postal Service mail carrier pled guilty yesterday to delay or destruction of mail.
On May 2, a witness observed Jerold Brent Mayers, 34, remove mail from his truck and discard it into a dumpster at an apartment complex in Virginia Beach. The witness reported the incident to the post office. Later that day, investigators recovered the discarded mail, which included checks, billing and bank statements, Department of Motor Vehicles correspondence, and medical mailings among other items. The mail was returned to the post office and placed back into the mail stream.
Mayers is scheduled to be sentenced on March 6, 2026, and faces up to five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Marek is prosecuting the case.
Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Kathleen Woodson, Special Agent in Charge of the Mid Atlantic Area Field Office for the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask accepted the plea.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-82.
Two Zuni Men Sentenced for Armed AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Two Zuni men were sentenced to 33 months in prison each for a violent armed assault involving four victims.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on April 8, 2023, Kamron Kallestewa, 25, and Kaden Panteah, 20, both enrolled members of the Zuni Pueblo, assaulted four individuals at a residence on the Pueblo using firearms. Kallestewa hit two victims in the head and face with his weapon and pointed it at two of the victims. Panteah, meanwhile, aimed and fired his weapon toward the victims.
Upon their release from prison, Kallestewa will be subject to two years of supervised release and Panteah will be subject to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jesse Pecoraro is prosecuting the case.
Two Foreign Nationals Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the United States After DeportationRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that two foreign nationals convicted separately of illegally reentering the United States after prior deportations were sentenced this week.
Dagoberto Herrera-Abreu, aka Roberto Rovira, 52, a Dominican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mia Roberts Perez on Monday to 12 months and one day in prison for illegal reentry. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
Herrera-Abreu had previously been removed from the U.S. in September 2010, after serving a state prison sentence for possession with intent to deliver controlled substances in Philadelphia, plus additional prison time imposed after he absconded from a drug treatment facility.
In July 2024, a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) task force executing a narcotics search warrant in Northeast Philadelphia encountered the defendant, who was subsequently charged in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas with a drug offense, to which he pleaded guilty. In February of this year, following Herrera-Abreu’s completion of his prison sentence, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers took him into federal custody. He was charged by indictment with illegal reentry the same month and pleaded guilty in April.
Claudio Reyes-Morales, 36, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Paul S. Diamond yesterday to time served, over two months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
Reyes-Morales had previously been removed from the U.S. in October 2011 and June 2012, following encounters with the U.S. Border Patrol in Arizona.
In February of this year, ICE learned that Reyes-Morales had been arrested by the Norristown (Pa.) Police Department. In July, while executing an unrelated search warrant, HSI and ICE officers encountered the defendant and took him into custody. Reyes-Morales was charged by information with illegal reentry in August and pleaded guilty this week, waiving prosecution by indictment.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
The cases were investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and HSI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Schopf and Michael Miller.
Tulsa Man Arrested and Charged with Attempting to Provide Al-Qa’ida with WeaponsRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A complaint was unsealed today after a Tulsa man appeared before a federal judge for attempting to provide 3-D printed weapons to an individual he believed was receiving them on behalf of al-Qa’ida.
Andrew Scott Hastings, 25, is charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support or Resources to Designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Illegal Possession or Transfer of a Machinegun.
In June 2024, the FBI learned that Hastings was on a social media application discussing committing acts of violence against United States civilians, in furtherance of global jihad. Court records indicate that Hastings was enlisted in the United States Army National Guard (Guard) and worked as an aircraft powertrain repairer and held a national security clearance. While serving with the Guard, Hastings traveled outside of the United States and failed to report his travel, as required.
Allegedly, Hastings told others within the social media group that they needed to develop cyberspace skills and to start physical training. During months of discussions, Hastings offered to provide anyone interested with numerous pages of notes, as well as Army manuals related to tactics and the manufacture of weapons. Hastings further alleged that he could 3-D print firearms, was interested in creating a nuclear weapon, and discussed the advantages of using tunnels to protect armed militants, consistent with news reports about Hamas’s use of tunnels in Gaza.
Hastings began communicating with an undercover agent who claimed to have contacts with al-Qa’ida. They discussed 3-D printed firearms, machinegun conversion devices known as “switches,” and drones. Hastings eventually agreed to sell 3-D printed switches to the undercover agent, and believed the switches would be provided to al-Qa’ida members to use during terrorist attacks. Court documents show that Hastings was seen on surveillance footage twice arriving at a postal facility to ship boxes that contained 3-D printed switches and various handgun parts to be supplied to al-Qa’ida for use in terrorist attacks.
During the pendency of this investigation, on June 6, 2025, Hastings agreed to voluntarily discharge from the Guard.
The FBI Oklahoma City – Tulsa Resident Agency Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Army Counterintelligence Command, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Tulsa Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan E. Michel, Matthew P. Cyran, and Christopher J. Nassar for the Northern District of Oklahoma are prosecuting the case with support from Trial Attorney Elisa Poteat from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tri-Cities Urgent Care Clinic Agrees to Pay $2.8 Million to Resolve Claims of Overbilling for Diagnostic TestsRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that Health First Urgent Care, an urgent care clinic with locations in Richland and Pasco, Washington, has agreed to pay $2,807,729 to resolve claims that it fraudulently overbilled Medicare and Medicaid for diagnostic tests.
According to the settlement agreement, a False Claims Act (FCA) claim arose from allegations that Health First Urgent Care fraudulently billed for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) respiratory and urinary tract infection panel testing. These panel tests were a predetermined group of medical tests used to test for multiple pathogens from a single sample obtained from a patient.
The United States and State of Washington alleged that instead of billing for a single panel test, Health First Urgent Care improperly “unbundled” the panel test and billed for each individual test comprising the panel. This resulted in overbilling to Medicare and Medicaid programs. In addition, the State of Washington alleged that Health First Urgent Care improperly billed for panel tests that were more expensive and not medically necessary for individual patients, such as patients presenting with symptoms of Covid-19.
“Ensuring that healthcare providers comply with the requirements of Medicare and Medicaid not only maintains the integrity of these programs, but it also safeguards patients and results in better healthcare outcomes,” said Mr. Serrano. “I would like to express our appreciation for our collaboration with the Washington Medicaid Fraud Control Division and the exception investigative work performed by HHS-OIG. We will continue to ensure that fraud, waste, and abuse does not permeate federal healthcare programs.”
The settlement was the result of an investigation jointly conducted by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Washington State Attorney General’s Office and the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
“Medicare and Medicaid exist to make sure families’ critical medical needs are met. It is vital that we protect the integrity of these programs,” Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown said. “This settlement will help ensure these funds are put to use as intended for Washingtonians.”
“It is critical for providers to bill Medicare, Medicaid, and other taxpayer-funded health care programs lawfully and accurately. The submission of false laboratory testing claims diverts key resources away from those who rely on them, including the elderly and low-income families,” said Jeffrey C. McIntosh, Acting Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to safeguard federal health care programs for the benefit of the American people.”
The United States Attorney’s Office’s investigation and prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jacob E. Brooks, and the Washington State Attorney General’s Office’s investigation and prosecution was handled by Assistant Attorney General Rachel Sterett.
Toombs County Man Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Filing a False Tax-Related DocumentRead the Press Release
Business Owner Failed to Report $266,048 in Income
STATESBORO, GA: Jonathan Mann (39) of Vidalia, Georgia, pled guilty in April 2025 to filing a false tax-related document for the 2018 tax year. On September 18, 2025, the Honorable J. Randal Hall, United States District Court Judge for the Southern District of Georgia, sentenced Mann to 12 months of imprisonment, followed by 1 year of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Mann was also ordered to pay $84,638 in restitution representing the amount of tax he owed on the unreported income.
As described in court documents and at sentencing, Mann failed to inform his tax preparer of $266,048 in income received by his construction business between 2017 and 2019. Instead, Mann deposited these checks in his bank account or cashed them at the bank upon which the check was drawn. Mann’s conduct resulted in him paying $84,638 less in federal income tax over that 3-year period.
“My office is committed to pursuing individuals that knowingly seek to avoid contributing their share of federal taxes and instead shifting to their fellow citizens the burden of keeping our government functioning,” said Margaret E. Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations Division and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant United States Attorney John P. Harper III.
Three Convicted for Roles in Nationwide Drug Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Three individuals—two from Arizona and one from Seattle, Washington—were convicted in federal court for violations of federal narcotics laws in relation to a transnational criminal organization (TCO), Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The defendants were among 35 individuals charged through a Second Superseding Indictment unsealed in January 2024 for their participation in a domestic and international narcotics and money laundering conspiracy involving substantial quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine (read the Second Superseding Indictment news release here).
Carlos Zamora, 29, of Phoenix, Arizona, and Bryce Hill, 28, of Seattle, Washington, were convicted by a jury following a two-and-a-half-week trial before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan. A third defendant, Jesus Ramirez, 28, of Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty mid-trial.
“These convictions are a testament to the collaborative efforts of law enforcement officers from multiple agencies throughout the country,” said Acting United States Attorney Rivetti. “Refusing to be bound by borders, law enforcement disrupted the deadly flow of fentanyl into western Pennsylvania by aggressively targeting conspirators in Phoenix, Seattle, Mexico, and elsewhere. This multi-year investigation enabled the seizure of millions of fentanyl tablets, the largest quantities ever obtained through an investigation based in western Pennsylvania.”
“These convictions send a clear message: those who think they can profit from the deadly flow of drugs and endanger lives in our community will be held accountable,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek. “The dangerous reality of large-scale drug trafficking organizations isn’t just about peddling huge quantities of poison – it’s also the violence they bring. The FBI and our partners stand fully committed to fighting for the protection of our neighborhoods.”
“Today’s verdict affirms what our investigators have worked so hard to prove: those who smuggle poison like fentanyl into the United States, endanger our families, and bankroll violence will face swift and severe consequences,” said Deputy Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia Nathan Abel. “While no verdict can replace the lives already lost to this crisis, it brings a measure of justice to the victims and a measure of safety to the public. HSI Philadelphia remains steadfast in pursuing every lead, freezing every illicit dollar, and bringing every offender to court until the flow of these deadly drugs is stopped.”
Evidence presented during the trial established that Hill and Zamora were both members of the Phoenix-based Monarrez Drug Trafficking Organization—a transnational criminal organization responsible for the distribution of millions of fentanyl pills, hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine, and dozens of kilograms of cocaine, from August 2021 to June 2023. The Monarrez TCO provided the drugs to a network of subordinate drug distributors, who redistributed the narcotics throughout the country, including into western Pennsylvania. Hill and Zamora were both intercepted over a federal wiretap obtaining hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills and kilograms of methamphetamine for redistribution. Additional evidence presented at trial included testimony regarding the execution of a search warrant on January 11, 2023, during which law enforcement seized 27 kilograms of fentanyl pills, multiple firearms, and $387,000 cash from Hill’s apartment; an intercepted call from January 9, 2023, in which Zamora discussed a drive-by shooting with one of the organization’s leaders; and the seizure of 28 kilograms of fentanyl pills, 7.5 kilograms of fentanyl powder, three kilograms of cocaine, 48 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 20 firearms from a short-term rental property (pictured below) in Scottsdale, Arizona, on December 25, 2022.
The jury found that, in the Western District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere, Hill and Zamora conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Ramirez pleaded guilty on September 17, 2025, to conspiring with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Sentencing hearings for Hill and Zamora have not yet been scheduled. Judge Ranjan scheduled the sentencing hearing for Ramirez for January 20, 2026. As to Hill and Zamora, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both. Ramirez faces a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of each defendant.
The three convictions follow those of 29 additional co-defendants.
Assistant United States Attorneys Arnold P. Bernard Jr., Tonya S. Goodman, and Katherine C. Jordan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of the defendants. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, and other local law enforcement agencies, including the Scottsdale, Arizona, Police Department.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, combat illegal immigration, 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).
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Ron Ramirez, Jr. (24, Texas) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy, distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine, and use of a communication facility in the commission of drug trafficking crimes. Ramirez faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5, up to 84 years, in federal prison.
According to the court documents, Ramirez handled logistics and communications for a drug trafficking organization. On behalf of his co-defendant, Esequiel Maldonado, Ramirez recruited and paid a courier, co-defendant Schuyler Jordan Thompson. Ramirez arranged for Thompson to fly to Polk County, Florida and get cocaine that was supplied by Los Chapitos, known to law enforcement as a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, and to deliver the cocaine to Martin DeJesus Maldonado, Jr. in Lee County. Martin DeJesus Maldonado, Jr. then distributed cocaine in the Middle District of Florida and arranged for drug proceeds to be paid back to Esequiel Maldonado.
The cases against Martin DeJesus Maldonado, Jr. and Esequiel Maldonado are pending trial.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Virginia State Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.
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).
Texas Man Guilty of Defrauding Georgia Church Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – A Texas man acting as an insurance adjuster who cheated an Albany church out of millions of dollars paid out by its insurance company to repair its facilities heavily damaged by Hurricane Michael in 2018 was sentenced to serve more than 19 years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $4 million in restitution to victims in several states.
Andrew Mitchell, formerly Andrew Aga, 46, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced to serve 235 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $2,895,903.01 in restitution to the Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company. In addition, Mitchell was ordered to pay $1,082,993.41 to other victims after he admitted in open court to similar crimes in Texas and Louisiana. Mitchell’s sentence will run concurrently to a prison sentence imposed in the 29th Judicial District Court of St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, in Case Number 2023-CR-26, at the conclusion of which he will continue to serve the remaining balance of 18 months imprisonment in this case. Mitchell previously pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud on March 27. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Andrew Mitchell will spend nearly two decades in prison for concocting a devious scheme to swindle insurance money from a historic downtown Albany church, a crime he’s committed in other communities after natural disasters,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “Our office and law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue and prosecute these types of fraudsters who prey on people at their most vulnerable.”
“At a time when victims were still reeling from the devastation of Hurricane Michael, Andrew Mitchell took advantage of that vulnerability for his own personal gain,” said Georgia Insurance Commissioner John F. King. “I am proud of our investigators and their work in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to protect hardworking Georgia families and hold the defendant responsible for his actions.”
According to court documents and statements referenced in court, Friendship Missionary Baptist Church on Pine Avenue in Albany was damaged by Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 hurricane that made landfall near Mexico Beach, Florida, on Oct. 10, 2018. The storm’s eyewall struck the Albany community as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of up to 115 miles per hour and significant rainfall. Friendship Baptist Church sustained damage; an initial inspection revealed at least $216,000 in damages. The facility was insured by Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Brotherhood Mutual issued a check for $183,207.89 on Nov. 15, 2018, to Friendship Baptist to cover partial repairs, which was sent via the United States Postal Service (USPS) and was deposited.
In November 2018, a man identifying as Eric Goldberg and who claimed to be associated with Blue Key Construction, met with the church’s pastor, Carl White, to discuss serving as the contractor. A second meeting was held on Nov. 20, 2018, between Goldberg and White, along with Friendship Missionary Baptist Church’s Board of Directors Co-Chairperson Willie Thomas. Goldberg provided a contract authorizing Mitchell, aka “Aga,” to act as a public adjuster.
In December 2018, Mitchell began emailing Brotherhood Mutual representing himself as a Georgia public adjuster employed by International Consulting Group. He was reportedly associated with several corporate entities including but not limited to International Consulting Group; Texas Wind Consultants, LLC; and Loss Consultants of Texas, LLC d/b/a Texas Claim Consultants. In January 2019, Mitchell emailed Brotherhood Mutual an itemized estimate for repairs at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church totaling roughly $2.1 million on the letterhead of "Georgia Claim Consultants." In February 2019, Mitchell provided Brotherhood Mutual with a second repair estimate for approximately $5 million. On March 4, 2019, Mitchell emailed an adjustor with Syndicate Claims a proof of loss indicating that the damages to Friendship Missionary Baptist Church would cost $7.1 million to repair. On March 13, 2019, Mitchell emailed a follow-up proof of loss indicating the total repair cost was $6.1 million.
On July 10, 2019, the insurance company issued a check to the church and Mitchell for $3,376,102.18, mailed to Albany. Mitchell emailed asking the check be reissued and made jointly payable to Friendship Missionary Baptist Church and Loss Consultants of Texas, LLC, d/b/a Texas Claim Consultants. On July 19, 2019, Brotherhood Mutual issued the check payable to the church and Mitchell, which was mailed to the church. On July 24, 2019, Mitchell emailed Brotherhood Mutual requesting that the payees be changed to Friendship Missionary Baptist Church and Loss Consultants of Texas, LLC d/b/a Texas Claim Consultants. He also asked that the reissued check be mailed to an address in Lake Shores, Texas. On July 24, 2019, Brotherhood Mutual issued the check and mailed it as requested. An endorsement on behalf of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church was forged.
On July 30, 2019, C.W. received and negotiated a check for $50,000 from Texas Wind Consultants, LLC, which Mitchell hand-delivered to C.W. in Albany. On July 31, 2019, Blue Key Construction submitted an invoice totaling $2.4 million for works allegedly performed for Friendship Missionary Baptist Church. On Nov. 26, 2019, Mitchell submitted a proof of loss totaling $7.495 million.
On Dec. 11, 2019, the insurance company issued a check jointly payable to Friendship Missionary Baptist Church of Broad Avenue, Inc. and Loss Consultants of Texas, LLC d/b/a Texas Claim Consultants for $2,762,783.93. This check was mailed to Mitchell in Kemah, Texas. An endorsement on behalf of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church was forged.
On March 4, 2020, C.W. received and negotiated a check for $50,000 from Texas Wind Consultants, LLC, which Mitchell hand-delivered to C.W. in Albany. On June 19, 2020, Friendship Missionary Baptist Church of Broad Avenue, Inc. allegedly signed a contract with Blue Key Construction for $18.6 million. Pastor White denied knowledge of this contract or signing it on behalf of the Church. Representatives of Blue Key Construction denied ever having prepared, signed or entered into this contract.
On Nov. 20, 2020, Mitchell submitted an invoice from a heating and air company for $950,000. A heating and air company representative stated that they did not prepare the invoice. An inspection at the church revealed that the work represented in the invoice was not performed. Mitchell also submitted a certification of completion from Blue Key Construction stating that substantial completion would be reached on March 31, 2021, per a Dec. 19, 2019, contract for over $18 million in repairs.
On Jan. 6, 2021, Brotherhood Mutual issued a check jointly payable to Friendship Missionary Baptist Church and Loss Consultants of Texas, LLC d/b/a Texas Claim Consultants for $544,512.80. This check was mailed to Mitchell in Kemah, Texas. An endorsement on behalf of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church was forged.
On Sept. 30, 2021, Mitchell emailed Brotherhood Mutual the fraudulent $18.6 million contract between Blue Key Construction and Friendship Missionary Baptist Church; the church received less than one-third of the proceeds paid out by Brotherhood Mutual for damages. Blue Key Construction did not fully repair the church facilities, and the company halted construction in Feb. 2021 after receiving approximately $150,000 from Friendship Missionary Baptist Church and approximately $2.3 million from Mitchell. Mitchell lied to Blue Key Construction representatives that the insurance company refused payment beyond approximately $2.5 million.
In June 2022, Mitchell met with Friendship Missionary Baptist Church representatives to voice their concerns about incomplete repairs; the defendant lied that Brotherhood Mutual was withholding further payments. In total, Brotherhood Mutual Insurance issued $6,866,606.80 in payments intended exclusively for the church’s hurricane repairs.
The case was investigated by the Georgia Office of Commissioner of Insurance and Fire Safety.
Criminal Chief Leah McEwen prosecuted the case for the Government.
Tangipahoa Parish Man Guilty of Violating Federal Controlled Substances and Federal Gun Control ActsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – RASHUN HUTCHINSON (“HUTCHINSON”), age 25 of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, plead guilty on September 11, 2025, to violations of the Federal Controlled Substances and Federal Gun Control Acts before United States District Judge Barry Ashe, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.
Specifically, HUTCHINSON plead guilty to Counts 1, 16, and 17 of the indictment against him. Count 1 charged HUTCHINSON with conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, controlled substances, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1); § 841(b)(1)(A); § 841(b)(1)(B); and 846. Count 16 charged HUTCHINSON with possession with intent to distribute four hundred grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and § 841(b)(1)(A). Count 17 charged HUTCHINSON with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c).
On Counts 1 and 16, HUTCHINSON faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000 fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release following imprisonment. On Count 17, HUTCHINSON faces a consecutive mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years, up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to 5 years of supervised release. He also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee for each count.
According to the indictment, beginning on a time unknown, but continuing until at least September 10, 2024, HUTCHINSON, and seven other individuals, conspired to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine throughout the Tangipahoa Parish region of the Eastern District of Louisiana. The conspiracy was carried out through wire and electronic communications.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at http://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Acting United States Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Hammond Police Department, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Sarver of the Narcotics Unit.
St. Louis Man Admits a Series of FraudsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis man who was caught with the information of at least 10 different identity theft victims pleaded guilty Wednesday and admitted committing identity theft, check fraud and pandemic fraud.
Darryon M. Sutherlin, 29, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two counts of identity theft. Sutherlin admitted using the stolen identity of a New Jersey resident to finance a $25,850 loan for a 2016 BMW 328i on May 26, 2022. Sutherlin used the New Jersey man’s name, Social Security number and a fake ID to obtain a personal loan of $8,500, which he spent. Sutherlin also obtained two credit cards in the victim’s name.
On Dec. 7, 2022, Sutherlin deposited two stolen U.S. Treasury checks, for $5,031 and $5,405, into his personal bank account. The checks had been altered to be made payable to Sutherlin. Sutherlin transferred $6,000 to another personal bank account and spent the check funds.
On Jan. 31, 2023, Sutherlin’s property manager conducted a welfare check at his St. Louis apartment because he was five months behind on rent and had disconnected his phone numbers. The property manager contacted police after seeing pounds of marijuana and driver’s licenses in different names but with Sutherlin’s photo. St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers obtained a court-approved search warrant and arrested Sutherlin the next day. At the time of his arrest, Sutherlin was in possession of stolen personal and U.S. Treasury checks (one of which was partially washed), additional unauthorized bank cards and additional false driver’s licenses, including the false New Jersey victim’s license. In Sutherlin’s apartment, police found additional unauthorized bank cards, additional false driver’s licenses, a large amount of bank paperwork and a large trash bag containing stolen, opened U.S. mail. The opened envelopes contained a large number of remittance slips that would be mailed with a personal check when paying a utility or cable bill. In total, police recovered about 23 unauthorized debit and credit cards, about 13 false driver’s licenses and 2 false Social Security cards, all of which bore the information of more than 10 different identity theft victims.
In addition to the identity theft crimes, Sutherlin admitted seeking a Paycheck Protection Program loan on March 23, 2021, by falsely claiming that he ran a construction business and by submitting a false Form 1040 Schedule C showing bogus gross earnings. After receiving a $20,833 PPP loan, Sutherlin immediately withdrew a large portion of the loan funds in cash and spent the remainder on personal expenses.
After he was indicted on May 15, 2024, Sutherlin obtained a loan of $8,500 from a credit union branch in Collinsville, Ill. by using the stolen identity of a Massachusetts man. Sutherlin immediately withdrew the money in two transactions after the loan was removed. Sutherlin has been in jail since the new offense was discovered.
Sutherlin is scheduled to be sentenced on January 26. Identity theft carries a potential prison sentence of up to 15 years, a fine of up to $250,000 or both prison and a fine. He will be ordered to repay his victims.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
Springfield Man Sentenced to 50 Years for Sexual Exploitation of Two Child VictimsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man who sexually exploited two child victims was sentenced in federal court yesterday.
Yevgeniy Dudko, 53, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 50 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Dudko to a lifetime of supervised release following incarceration. Dudko will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.
On March 20, 2025, Dudko was found guilty of two counts of using minors, identified in court documents as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, to produce child pornography from Nov. 20, 2021, to March 14, 2023, and one count of receiving and distributing child pornography after a bench trial.
Investigators found approximately 1,000 images and videos of child pornography produced by the defendant involving Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, and the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Project Safe Childhood
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."
Southfield Doctor Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Illegally Prescribing More Than 200,000 Opioid pills worth more than $5.2 millionRead the Press Release
DETROIT –Dr. Charise Valentine, 69, of Southfield, was sentenced today to six years in prison based on her conviction following a jury trial on charges of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute prescription opioids, including Oxycodone and Oxymorphone, and 10 counts of illegal distribution of Oxycodone and Oxymorphone, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Acting Special Agent in Charge Reuben Coleman, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division, and Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office.
Valentine was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Terrence G. Berg, who presided over the trial. The charges on which she was convicted and sentenced stemmed from her role as one of two doctors at Orthopedic Medical Building who issued illegal opioid prescriptions. From November 2016 to July 2018, Valentine issued more than 3,000 prescriptions for more than 200,000 pills to supposed “patients” who did not have a legitimate medical need for the drugs. Her co-defendant, Dr. Michele Ritter, also illegally issued thousands of opioid prescriptions.
Most “patients” were brought to the clinic by “patient recruiters/marketers.” Orthopedic Medical Building, a sham clinic that operated out of a warehouse in Oak Park, Michigan, was a cash-only “clinic,” and charged patients $200-500 per prescription, but did not charge anything if the patient didn’t receive an opioid prescription. As is common in illegal cash-only clinics, the prices were not based on the supposed service provided, but instead based on the quantity, type, and dosage of prescription opioids that the “patient” received, usually Oxycodone 30mg or Oxymorphone 40mg, two of the most addictive prescription opioids. These prescription drugs are also among the most highly diverted prescription opioids due to their high street value. The clinic also charged cash for the creation of fraudulent medical records for the supposed “patients.”
Dr. Valentine was paid about 50% of the clinic’s proceeds – more than $500,000 in cash over about 19 months – and she was paid only if she wrote an opioid prescription to a patient, not based on any supposed “medical care.” She received an envelope of thousands in cash each day she worked.
The other defendants charged in the case, including clinic operator Iris Winchester, Dr. Michele Ritter, and recruiter Joyce Robinson previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced to prison.
“Doctors take an oath to heal, not poison. As a doctor, this defendant knew better than anyone the devastating harm that opioid addiction causes to people. There is no place in our community for corrupt doctors,” said Gorgon.
“Dr. Valentine’s sentencing sends a clear message that the FBI will not tolerate any medical professional who stands to gain personally from abusing their position and endangering the public by illegally prescribing opioids,” said Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “We are grateful for our strong partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General throughout the entire investigation, and we remain in lockstep with our partners on pursuing these fraudulent medical schemes to save countless lives.”
“As today’s sentencing demonstrates, physicians who endanger patients and engage in the unlawful distribution of prescription opioids will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Our agency will continue to work in concert with our law enforcement partners to protect patients and the integrity of our federal health care programs.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew J. Lievense and Wayne F. Pratt. The Eastern District of Michigan is one of the twelve districts included in the Opioid Fraud Abuse and Detection Unit, a Department of Justice initiative that uses data to target and prosecute individuals that are contributing to the nation’s opioid crisis.
The case was investigated by special agents and task force officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General.
Six Non-Profits Agree to Pay over $3 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Involving Paycheck Protection Program LoansRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The United States Attorney for the District of Columbia announced on September 23, 2025, that it has reached civil settlement agreements with six different non-profit organizations to resolve allegations that the organizations violated the False Claims Act when they applied for and received loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES Act”) was created to provide emergency financial support to Americans suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized billions of dollars in potentially forgivable loans to small businesses and other entities struggling to pay employees and other business expenses during the pandemic, but the Act also contained important limitations on loan eligibility. For example, the CARES Act permitted certain nonprofit organizations to obtain PPP loans, but organizations organized under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code were never eligible for such loans. Similarly, Congress prohibited from “second draw” PPP loans those entities primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities, including those entities organized for research or for engaging in public policy advocacy or political strategy or publicly referring to themselves as “think tanks.” The non-profit organizations that entered settled agreements with our Office were alleged to have falsely certified their eligibility for the PPP loans.
“You don’t steal money from the federal government, especially when that money should be going to more deserving individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“The favorable settlements are the product of enhanced efforts by the Small Business Administration’s Office of General Counsel, working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other Federal law enforcement agencies to investigate and recover monies improperly obtained from the Paycheck Protection Program, as well as penalties,” said SBA General Counsel Wendell Davis.
Our Office has entered into settlement agreements with the following organizations.
Armenian National Committee of America Inc. (the “Committee”) is a Section 501(c)(4) non-profit organization that represents the views of Armenian-Americans on various public policy matters. In April 2020, the Committee applied for and received a PPP loan in the amount of $92,340.91, and the Committee later sought and received forgiveness of that loan. The Committee has agreed to pay $184,681.82 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by obtaining a PPP loan for which it was not eligible.
Center for Immigration Studies (the “Center”) is a Section 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that describes itself as a think tank devoted to the research of U.S. immigration policy. In April 2021, the Center applied for a “second draw” PPP loan in the amount of $366,160 and subsequently received forgiveness of that loan. The Center has agreed to pay $401,299.15 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by obtaining a PPP loan for which it was not eligible.
Diplomatic and Consular Officers Retired, Inc. (“DACOR”) is a Section 501(c)(4) non-profit organization of foreign affairs professionals that describes itself as fostering a public understanding of international affairs and diplomacy. In April 2020, DACOR applied for and received a PPP loan in the amount of $203,032, and the organization later sought and received forgiveness of that loan. DACOR has agreed to pay $355,306. to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by obtaining this loan for which it was not eligible.
National Organization for Women (“NOW”) is a Section 501(c)(4) non-profit organization that calls itself the largest organization of feminist grassroots activists in the United States. In April 2020, NOW applied for and received a PPP loan in the amount of $90,339, and the organization later sought and received forgiveness of that loan. NOW has agreed to pay $180,678 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by obtaining this loan for which it was not eligible.
National Women’s Political Caucus Inc. (“NWPC”) is a Section 501(c)(4) non-profit organization that represents itself as dedicated to recruiting and supporting women candidates for elected and appointed office. NWPC applied for two PPP loans, one for $9,582 in April 2020, and one for $7,895 around January 2021. NWPC subsequently applied for and received forgiveness of those loans. NWPC has agreed to pay $34,954 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by obtaining loans for which it was not eligible.
Third Way is a Section 501(c)(4) non-profit organization that calls itself a national think tank and advocacy organization for certain public policies. In April 2020, Third Way applied for and received a PPP loan in the amount of $974,771, and the organization later sought and received forgiveness of that loan. Third Way has agreed to pay $1,949,542 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by obtaining this loan for which it was not eligible.
The civil settlements resulted from investigations by Assistant United States Attorney Sean M. Tepe and Auditor Timothy C. Hurley. The United States Attorney further wishes to commend Attorney Caitlin J. Kelly of the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of the General Counsel for her assistance in the investigations.
Tips and complaint regarding potential fraud affecting COVID-19 government relief programs can be reported by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or by submitting a NCDF Web Complaint form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The claims resolved by the civil settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Sioux City Man Tied to Mexican Drug Cartel Sentenced to More Than 28 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Sioux City man was sentenced today to more than 28 years in federal prison.
Freddie Summerville, age 56, from Sioux City, received the prison term after a March 11, 2025, guilty plea to two counts of a six-count Indictment.
Count 1 charged conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and Count 6 charged possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of drug trafficking.
One of Summerville’s known co-conspirators, Ramon Serrano, 31, of San Bernardino, California, was sentenced on December 12, 2024, to 151 months’ imprisonment. Another co-conspirator, Adrian Ibarra-Manzo, 29, of San Diego, California was sentenced on November 14, 2024, to 132 months’ imprisonment.
Evidence in the case revealed Summerville was part of a conspiracy based in Mexico and California that was responsible for distributing approximately 100 pounds of methamphetamine and at least a pound of fentanyl in the Sioux City area. On January 3, 2024, Summerville was the subject of a traffic stop, where officers located methamphetamine, approximately 70 pills containing fentanyl, as well as drug paraphernalia, drug ledgers, cash and a loaded firearm. Summerville admitted to law enforcement that he had received 100 pounds of methamphetamine and an unknown quantity of fentanyl from his source of supply in Mexico.
Summerville was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 340 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Summerville is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
These cases were investigated by the DEA Tri-State Drug Task Force and the Sioux City Police Department and were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file numbers are 24-4028 and 24-4022.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Santa Clara Woman Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $2.8 Million in Pandemic Relief FundsRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Cassie Will-Darnall was sentenced today to 18 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $2.8 million in pandemic relief funds. U.S. District Judge P. Casey Pitts handed down the sentence.
Will-Darnall, 53, of Santa Clara, pleaded guilty on Jan. 15, 2025, to one count of bank fraud and one count of wire fraud arising out of two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans she obtained. The PPP was administered by the SBA as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, a federal law enacted in March 2020 to provide billions of dollars in emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The PPP provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other qualified business expenses. PPP funds were disbursed by SBA-approved third-party lenders.
In connection with pleading guilty, Will-Darnall admitted that in May 2020, she fraudulently submitted a PPP application to Lender 1 as the sole partner of Alternative Health Services Inc., falsely stating that the company had 10 employees and an average monthly payroll of $387,595.67, when it had no employees and no payroll. Based on the false information, Lender 1 approved and funded the PPP loan in the amount of $968,989.
In July 2020, Will-Darnall submitted a PPP application to Lender 2 as the CEO of Rosswood Properties LLC, falsely stating that the company had 35 employees and an average monthly payroll of $816,551, when it had no employees and no payroll. Based on the false information, Lender 2 approved and funded the PPP loan in the amount of $1,864,565.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo, and SBA Office of Inspector General (OIG) Western Region Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Huang made the announcement.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Pitts also sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release. Judge Pitts set a hearing on forfeiture on Oct. 14, 2025, and a hearing on restitution on Dec. 3, 2025. The defendant will begin serving the sentence on Jan. 7, 2026.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Griswold and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Johnny E. James Jr. prosecuted the case with the assistance of Veronica Hernandez, Lynette Dixon, and Elise Etter. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and SBA-OIG.
Sanostee Man Sentenced for Violent AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Sanostee man was sentenced to 72 months in prison for a violent assault that left a woman seriously injured.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, between December 2 and December 3, 2023, Nathan Mescale, 36, assaulted Jane Doe and the assault resulted in serious bodily injury.
Upon his release from prison, Mescale will be subject to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mia Ulibarri-Rubin prosecuted the case.
Sacramento Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearm Possession and Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
Gabriel Erasmo Cabrera, 22, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty Tuesday to being a felon in possession of a firearm and to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, on March 28, 2025, during a parole search of Cabrera’s home, agents discovered a firearm and fentanyl that Cabrera had hidden in another resident’s bedroom. Agents also discovered drug paraphernalia and a drug sales ledger in Cabrera’s room. On Cabrera’s cellphone, officers discovered a video of Cabrera holding the same firearm and many messages between Cabrera and other individuals discussing Cabrera’s fentanyl sales. Cabrera is prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions for offenses including sale of a controlled substance, infliction of corporal injury on a spouse, and willfully discharging a firearm with gross negligence.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Harman is prosecuting the case.
Cabrera is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on March 24, 2026. Cabrera faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Cabrera faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine for possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
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 U.S. Department of Justice 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.
Roofing Contractor Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced ANGELO DELMARO, 48, of Farmington, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to tax evasion.
According to court documents and statements made in court, since at least 2012, Delmaro has owned and operated commercial roofing businesses in Connecticut, initially doing business as “Value Roofing,” then “Roofing Services of New England,” and most recently as “Roofing Services.” The businesses also provided paving services. None of Delmaro’s companies registered with the Connecticut Secretary of State or had a federal Taxpayer Identification Number. From 2012 to 2022, Delmaro’s companies earned approximately $12.7 million in customer receipts, but Delmaro paid his workers in cash, never filed income or payroll tax returns for himself or the business, and took several steps to conceal income and operating expenses from the IRS.
As part of his tax evasion scheme, Delmaro and others associated with his business cashed checks from customers at various check cashing businesses instead of depositing them into bank accounts. Delmaro provided the check cashers with addresses associated with UPS mailboxes rather than his home address. When the check cashers filed Currency Transaction Reports (“CTRs”), the IRS only had a UPS mailbox location to try to identify source of income.
Delmaro also had customers file false Forms 1099 made out to a family member, rather than his business, or made out to Delmaro himself, making income attribution more difficult. At times, when a customer requested that Delmaro provide a completed Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification, Form W-9, Delmaro worked with his father to prepare a false W-9 that included the name and social security number of his father and a UPS mailbox address. Delmaro sometimes provided customers with W-9 forms using false identities, such as “Harvey Rubino” or “Tony Stano,” which the customers used on the 1099. Delmaro’s father used an alias, which differed from the name and information Delmaro provided to the customer.
Delmaro has agreed to pay restitution of $630,869 to the IRS.
Judge Nagala scheduled sentencing for January 21.
Delmaro is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division and the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Reno Doctor Arrested and Indicted for Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
RENO – An OB-GYN in Reno made his initial court appearance today for allegedly defrauding health care benefit programs by submitting false claims for unnecessary gynecologic tests and surgical procedures, some resulting in serious medical complications.
According to court documents, Dr. Samuel R. Chacon was the owner of Women’s Health Center of Reno and previously held surgical privileges at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center and Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno. As alleged in the indictment, from January 1, 2017 to November 22, 2022, Dr. Chacon submitted false claims to Medicaid, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Healthcare Solutions, Health Plan of Nevada, Molina Healthcare of Nevada, Silversummit Healthplan, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nevada, Cigna Healthcare, and other health care benefit programs for procedures and tests that were not medically necessary, including hysterectomies, anterior and/or posterior repairs, enterocele repairs, vaginal vault suspensions, bladder sling procedures, urodynamic studies, physical therapy, and ultrasounds.
In furtherance of the alleged scheme, Dr. Chacon routinely falsified patients’ medical records to include symptoms and complaints that patients did not report, and he made false representations to patients about their diagnoses and need for gynecologic procedures and tests. Some of the unnecessary procedures are alleged to have resulted in serious bodily injury to his patients.
“FBI Las Vegas is determined to hold bad actors in healthcare accountable for exploiting our healthcare programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Division. “Those who commit illegal acts such as false claims and fraudulent services, prioritizing greed over the well-being of others, will face the full force of the law. The overwhelming fraud uncovered in this investigation reveals a blatant disregard for America's critical healthcare program, Medicaid. The FBI is committed to pursuing justice relentlessly on behalf of the victim patients and taxpayers, ensuring that anyone who abuses the healthcare system for personal gain will be held accountable.”
A grand jury returned an indictment charging Dr. Chacon with one-count of health care fraud and eight-counts of false statements related to health care matters. He was arrested today. A jury trial has been scheduled for November 18, 2025, before United States District Judge Anne R. Traum.
If convicted, Dr. Chacon faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Division made the announcement.
The FBI and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Andolyn Johnson is prosecuting the case.
If you believe that you were victimized by Dr. Samuel Chacon or that you have information pertinent to this investigation, please fill out this short form.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
###