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Wednesday 6 August 2025
Guatemalan National Sentenced for Unlawful Reentry by a Removed AlienRead the Press Release
JACKSON, MS – A Guatemalan national was sentenced on August 1, 2025 to 4 months in prison for unlawfully reentering the United States after being removed from the country.
According to court documents, Mario Armando Crisostomo-Crisostomo, 27, was found by law enforcement officials to be unlawfully present in the country on or about April 28, 2025 in Leake County during a traffic stop where he was driving without a license or insurance. Crisostomo-Crisostomo had previously been removed from the United States in 2018 following a conviction in the Southern District of Texas for illegal entry into the United States.
Crisostomo-Crisostomo was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 6, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, Patrick A. Lemon and Eric P. DeLaune, Special Agent-in-Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans, Louisiana; and Brian Acuna, Acting Field Office Director of ICE/ERO in New Orleans, made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Brett Grantham prosecuted the case.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security investigations as part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline). Operation Take Back America is 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).
Guatemalan Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being Deported Three TimesRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to more than three months in federal prison.
Fidel Ramos-Ramos, age 38, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 13, 2025, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.
At the guilty plea, Ramos-Ramos admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Ramos-Ramos was previously deported in 2012, 2014, and 2017. In January 2024, Ramos-Ramos reentered the United States in Texas illegally. On April 18, 2025, immigration officials learned Ramos-Ramos had illegally returned to the United States and found him at the Black Hawk County Jail following his arrest on a state arrest warrant. Ramos-Ramos was previously convicted in the District of Arizona of illegally entering the United States, served 30 days in prison and was deported.
Ramos-Ramos was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. He was sentenced to 98 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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 case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-cr-2023.
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Grand Jury Charges Irishman for Sadistic Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
A grand jury in the Southern District of Texas returned an indictment today charging Matthew Liam Johnstone, 36, of Ireland, with numerous offenses stemming from his sadistic online exploitation of a child.
According to court documents, in September 2022, Johnstone sexually exploited a minor in the Southern District of Texas by coercing her into filming and photographing herself engaging in sexually explicit conduct, including acts of sadism. Johnstone is charged with four counts of sexual exploitation of a child and four counts of coercion and enticement of a minor. If convicted, Johnstone faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. All charges also carry a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas, and Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of FBI Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
The FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit, Criminal Investigative Division, is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Adam Braskich of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Overman for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Goose Creek Man Pleads Guilty in Public Corruption SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. —Hason Tatorian “Tory” Fields, 51, of Goose Creek, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds and honest services wire fraud, bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds, and honest services wire fraud.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Fields conspired with others to pay bribes to Sandino Moses. At the time, Moses was serving as a member of the City of North Charleston’s City Council representing District 7. Fields paid Moses two bribes as part of an effort to secure his support for the rezoning of the Baker Hospital site. The application for rezoning was pending before City Council when Fields first approached Moses.
Fields faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Fields after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Limehouse and Whit Sowards are prosecuting the case.
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Georgia Man Charged with Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A Georgia man has been indicted on child sexual exploitation charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
A three-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Adree Villanueva, 25, of Kennesaw, Georgia, with one count of coercion and enticement, one count of travelling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual activity, and one count of transportation of a minor. These incidents occurred between April 2025 and July 2025 in Madison County.
The FBI investigated the case along with the Huntsville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney John M. Hundscheid is prosecuting the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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 and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Four Indicted in Asheville with Federal Charges Under Operation Take Back AmericaRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson announced today that a number of individuals are facing federal firearms and immigration charges under Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative to protect our communities from perpetrators of violent crime, repel the invasion of illegal immigration and achieve total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs).
Criminal indictments returned by the grand jury in Asheville charged the following defendants, among others:
Justin Allen Owenby, 27, of Asheville, was indicted for the unlawful possession of a firearm. Owenby is alleged to have unlawfully possessed a Glock 48, 9mm pistol, knowing he had prior felony convictions.
Gregory Lee Pettit, 51, of Candler, N.C., is charged with possession of a grenade, which was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Pettit is also charged with possession of a firearm by an unlawful user that is addicted to a controlled substance.
William Stanley Ellwood, 38, of Cherokee, N.C., is charged with possession of a firearm silencer, which was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. He is also charged with one count of receiving and possessing a silencer not identified by a serial number.
Rafael Martinez-Reano, 35, of Rutherfordton, N.C., is charged with illegal reentry into the United States. Martinez-Reano was previously deported from the United States two times: on December 31, 2018, and on April 13, 2018, at or near Hildago, Texas.
The charges in the indictments are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and Emergency Removal Operations, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, the North Carolian Department of Public Safety Alcohol Law Enforcement, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cherokee Indian Police Department for their respective investigations that led to the charges.
The cases are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville.
The indictments 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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
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Four Arizona Residents Plead Guilty to Kingpin Statute or Drug Trafficking Violations in Connection with Transnational Criminal OperationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Four individuals from Arizona have pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal narcotics and money laundering laws in relation to an international drug trafficking organization (DTO), 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).
Pleading guilty before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan were:
Plea Date
Defendant
Age
Residence
August 4
Marcos Monarrez Jr.
26
Phoenix, Ariz.
July 31
Erivan Guerrero
25
Phoenix, Ariz.
Donald Garwood
43
Glendale, Ariz.
July 30
Jesus Aaron Garcia
25
Phoenix, Ariz.
In connection with the guilty pleas, the Court was advised that, at various times from September 2022 to November 2022, Monarrez Jr.—a co-leader, along with his father Marcos Monarrez-Mendoza, of the Phoenix-based Monarrez Drug Trafficking Organization—was intercepted over a federal wiretap obtaining hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine, millions of fentanyl pills, and kilograms of cocaine from a Mexican national drug supplier. Monarrez Jr. provided the drugs to a network of subordinate drug distributors who redistributed them throughout the country, including into western Pennsylvania. Additionally, Monarrez Jr. provided over $10,000 in proceeds from the drug sales to couriers, who smuggled the money into Mexico to promote the drug trafficking operation.
Further, in the Western District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere, the defendants 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. The defendants were intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that they distributed to others. Additionally, from in and around May 2022 to in and around March 2023, Guerrero conspired to commit money laundering by using bulk amounts of currency obtained from drug trafficking to conduct financial transactions to disguise the nature of the money and promote the drug trafficking conspiracy. Similarly, Guerrero provided money to his suppliers knowing it would be transported to Mexico to further promote the drug trafficking conspiracy.
Monarrez Jr. also pleaded guilty at the same proceeding to a charge from the Eastern District of Michigan of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl from in and around February 2019 to on or about December 14, 2021.
Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencings for Garcia, Guerrero, and Garwood for November 6, 2025, and for Monarrez Jr. for December 5, 2025. The law provides for a sentence of mandatory life imprisonment for Monarrez Jr. The other defendants face 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. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense(s) and the prior criminal history, if any, of each defendant.
The guilty pleas follow those of 22 additional co-defendants, with nine of those co-defendants having been sentenced thus far.
Assistant United States Attorneys Arnold P. Bernard Jr. and Tonya S. Goodman are prosecuting 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.
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).
Founders of Samourai Wallet Cryptocurrency Mixing Service Plead GuiltyRead the Press Release
Attorney for the United States, Acting Under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515, Nicolas Roos; Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), Harry T. Chavis, Jr.; and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia, announced today the guilty pleas of KEONNE RODRIGUEZ and WILLIAM LONERGAN HILL, the co-founders of Samourai Wallet (“Samourai”), a cryptocurrency mixer that facilitated more than $200 million in illegal transactions. RODRIGUEZ, the Chief Executive Officer of Samourai, and HILL, the Chief Technology Officer, pled guilty to participating in a conspiracy to operate a money transmitting business that transmitted crime proceeds from, among other things, illegal dark web markets, cyber intrusions, a spear phishing scheme, and schemes to defraud multiple decentralized finance protocols. RODRIGUEZ and HILL pled guilty on July 30, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote.
“The defendants created and operated a cryptocurrency mixing service that they knew enabled criminals to wash millions in dirty money, including proceeds from cryptocurrency thefts, drug trafficking operations, and fraud schemes,” said Attorney for the United States Nicolas Roos. “When criminals exploit cryptocurrency technology for illicit purposes, it undermines the public trust and unfairly burdens legitimate cryptocurrency companies that are committed to operating lawfully. This Office and our partner agencies are committed to holding accountable those who exploit emerging technologies to launder crime proceeds.”
“Rodriguez and Hill admitted to operating a money transmitting business that transmitted crime proceeds, essentially ‘washing’ more than $200 million in ‘dirty’ money for criminals,” said Special Agent in Charge of IRS-CI, Harry T. Chavis, Jr. “They did not just facilitate this illicit movement of money, but also encouraged it. Special Agents with IRS-CI New York and IRS-CI LA’s Cyber units worked with our federal and international law enforcement partners in this investigation that detailed the company’s clear disregard for the rule of law. Even with all the ‘washing’ in this scheme, no one was clean in these transactions.”
“Keonne Rodriguez and William Hill's guilty pleas prove their cryptocurrency mixing service–Samourai Wallet–was designed to conceal criminal financial transactions and launder millions of dollars of dirty money,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “The FBI is committed to bringing to justice anyone who uses technological innovation to facilitate illicit activity.”
According to court documents and admissions:
Beginning around 2015, RODRIGUEZ and HILL began developing Samourai, a mobile application that was designed and operated as a service for transmitting criminal proceeds. The defendants engineered Samourai around two services specifically intended to conceal the nature of illicit transactions. The first, a Bitcoin mixing service known as “Whirlpool,” coordinated batches of Bitcoin exchanges between groups of Samourai users. Through this process, the original source of particular Bitcoin holdings became obscured within the blockchain’s transactional record, effectively preventing law enforcement agencies and cryptocurrency exchanges from tracing funds back to their origins. The second service, called “Ricochet,” enabled users to introduce additional and unnecessary intermediate transactions—known as “hops”—between sending and receiving addresses. This feature served a similar obfuscation purpose, making it substantially more difficult for monitoring entities to establish connections between cryptocurrency transfers and potential illicit activities. The scale of these operations proved considerable: from Ricochet’s launch in 2017 and Whirlpool’s inception in 2019, more than 80,000 Bitcoin—valued at over $2 billion when calculated using contemporaneous exchange rates—passed through these services. Samourai collected a fee for both services, estimated to be over $6 million in revenue based on Bitcoin’s value at the time each fee was earned.
RODRIGUEZ and HILL actively promoted Samourai’s utility for concealing criminal proceeds. Their communications reveal a clear understanding of Samourai’s illegal applications. In a WhatsApp exchange, when asked to explain the concept of “mixing,” RODRIGUEZ described the process as “money laundering for bitcoin.” HILL similarly marketed Samourai as a transmittal service for criminal proceeds on Dread, a darknet forum dedicated to discussing illegal marketplace activities. In one exchange on that platform, a user asked about the most “secure methods to clean dirty BTC” to make it “untraceable, clean” and ensure the user would “never get caught.” HILL responded by writing that “Samourai Whirlpool is a much better option” than a competitor service to “clean dirty BTC.” The defendant’s own marketing materials acknowledged that customers would include “Dark/Grey Market participants” moving proceeds from “illicit activity.”
The defendants’ conduct extended beyond passive facilitation to active encouragement of criminal activity. In June and July 2020, RODRIGUEZ and HILL tracked in real time the flow of crime proceeds from a widely publicized hack of a prominent social media platform. Rather than reporting the criminal activity or attempting to stop it, both defendants publicly and privately expressed their intent and desire that the hackers use Samourai’s Whirlpool service to move the crime proceeds of the hack. That encouragement included a July 16, 2020 Twitter exchange: after a third party encouraged the “lovely hackers” of the social media platform to “use @SamouraiWallet whirlpool to mix out once you are done collecting or decide to take profits” in order to “protect you from being found,” RODRIGUEZ responded by personally encouraging the hackers to “feed” and “send” the crime proceeds into Samourai’s Whirlpool. When the hackers used a different cryptocurrency mixing service to launder the proceeds of the hack, RODRIGUEZ and HILL expressed their disappointment on social media.
* * *
RODRIGUEZ, 36, of Harmony, Pennsylvania, and HILL, 67, a U.S. national who was arrested in Portugal, each pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to operate a money transmitting business knowing the business transmitted crime proceeds, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. As part of their plea agreements with the Government, RODRIGUEZ and HILL agreed to forfeit $237,832,360.55.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Roos praised the investigative work of IRS-CI and the FBI. He also acknowledged the assistance of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, Europol, the Portuguese Judicial Police, the Procuradoria-Geral da República, the Icelandic Police, and the FBI Field Office in Pittsburgh for their assistance in the investigation of this case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance to secure the July 2024 extradition from Portugal of HILL.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit and Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew K. Chan, David R. Felton, and Cecilia Vogel are in charge of the prosecution.
Founder of Tornado Cash Crypto Mixing Service Convicted of Knowingly Transmitting Criminal ProceedsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today the conviction of ROMAN STORM, a co-founder of Tornado Cash, a cryptocurrency mixer that facilitated more than $1 billion in illegal transactions, for willfully conspiring to operate a money transmitting business that moved more than $1 billion in dirty money. The defendant was found guilty following a four-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla.
“Roman Storm and Tornado Cash provided a service for North Korean hackers and other criminals to move and hide more than $1 billion of dirty money,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “The speed, efficiency, and functionality of stablecoins and other digital assets offer great promise, but that promise cannot be an excuse for criminality. Criminals who use new technology to commit age old crimes, including hiding dirty money, undermine the public trust, and unfairly cast a shadow on the many innovators who operate lawfully. This Office and our partner agencies are committed to holding accountable those who exploit emerging technologies to commit crime.”
As reflected in the Indictment, public filings, and the evidence presented at trial:
STORM was one of the three founders of Tornado Cash, a cryptocurrency mixer that allowed its customers to engage in untraceable transfers of cryptocurrency. The defendant and his co-conspirators created the core features of Tornado Cash, paid for critical infrastructure to operate Tornado Cash, promoted Tornado Cash, and made millions of dollars in profits from operating Tornado Cash. Tornado Cash advertised to customers that it provided untraceable and anonymous financial transactions, and STORM continued to provide this service with knowledge that Tornado Cash was transmitting large volumes of criminal proceeds. As proven at trial, STORM was personally aware of numerous instances in which criminals transmitted proceeds of criminal exploits using Tornado Cash, totaling more than $1 billion in criminal proceeds. The transmission of such large sums of criminal proceeds benefitted the operations of Tornado Cash and STORM’s profits from running it. Ultimately, STORM and his co-founders were able to cash out more than $12 million in profits from the illicit money transmitting business.
STORM designed Tornado Cash to generate profits for himself and his co-founders and continued to operate the business with knowledge that he was transmitting criminal proceeds. This included his knowing transmission of hundreds of millions of dollars in criminal proceeds from the Ronin hack, which the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) publicly attributed to the sanctioned North Korean cybercriminal organization, the Lazarus Group. STORM continued to transmit these hacked funds even after the public attribution of the hack to the Lazarus Group.
* * *
STORM, 36, of Auburn, Washington, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the investigative work of the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thane Rehn, Benjamin A. Gianforti, and Ben Arad, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Mosley, are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Olivia Sebade and Dean Iannuzzelli.
Fort Bliss Soldier Arrested, Charged with Espionage and Export ViolationsRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – An active-duty soldier stationed at Fort Bliss was arrested today in El Paso on criminal charges of attempted transmission of national defense information to a foreign adversary and attempted export of controlled technical data without a license.
According to court documents, Taylor Adam Lee, 22, holds a Top Secret (TS) / Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) security clearance. From approximately May 2025 through the present, Lee sought to establish his U.S. Army credentials and send U.S. defense information to Russia’s Ministry of Defense. In June 2025, Lee allegedly transmitted export-controlled technical information on the M1A2 Abrams Tank online and offered assistance to the Russian Federation, stating, “the USA is not happy with me for trying to expose their weaknesses,” and added, “At this point I’d even volunteer to assist the Russian federation when I’m there in any way.”
In July, at an in-person meeting between Lee and who he believed to be a representative of the Russian government, Lee allegedly passed an SD card to the individual. Lee proceeded to provide a detailed overview of the documents and information contained on the SD card, including documents and information on the M1A2 Abrams, another armored fighting vehicle used by the U.S. military, and combat operations. Several of these documents contained controlled technical data that Lee did not have the authorization to provide. Other documents on the SD card were marked as Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and featured banner warnings and dissemination controls. Throughout the meeting, Lee stated that the information on the SD card was sensitive and likely classified.
During and after the July meeting, Lee discussed obtaining and providing to the Russian government a specific piece of hardware inside the M1A2 Abrams tank. On July 31, 2025, Lee delivered what appeared to be the hardware to a storage unit in El Paso. After doing so, Lee sent a message to the individual he believed to be a representative of the Russian government stating, “Mission accomplished.”
Lee was arrested Wednesday morning and made his initial appearance in federal court the same day.
“National security has long been one of the highest priorities of the Justice Department, and here in the Western District of Texas, we remain alert for those who wish to help our adversaries and harm the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Our enemies, both foreign and domestic, should be aware that we diligently investigate and aggressively prosecute these cases. I appreciate the investigative work by our partners in the FBI and the Army Counterintelligence Command, and I look forward to continuing our work with them as we proceed with the prosecution of this important case.”
“Lee allegedly violated his duty to protect the United States in favor of providing national defense information to the Russian government,” said Steven J. Jensen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “The FBI is steadfast in our commitment to protect U.S. national security and bring to justice those who seek to undermine it.”
“The men and women of the United States military work hard to defend American citizens at home and abroad,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Britton Boyd for the FBI El Paso Field Office. “Today the men and women of the FBI were able to help protect our brave soldiers from future threats with the arrest of Taylor Adam Lee. I would like to thank our partners from the Department of Defense and FBI Washington Field Office.”
“This arrest is an alarming reminder of the serious threat facing our U.S. Army,” said Brigadier General Sean F. Stinchon, the commanding general of Army Counterintelligence Command. “Thanks to the hard work of Army Counterintelligence Command Special Agents and our FBI partners, Soldiers who violate their oath and become insider threats will absolutely be caught and brought to justice, and we will continue to protect Army personnel and safeguard equipment. If anyone on our Army Team sees suspicious activity, you must report it as soon as possible.”
The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating the case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command and the FBI El Paso Field Office.
Trial Attorney Menno Goedman of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan Brown and Mallory Rasmussen for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Former U.S. Embassy Employee Extradited to Face Charges for Cocaine Importation ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Special Agent in Charge of the Newark Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Michael McCarthy, announced today that JAIRO ELIEZER ARIAS CACERES, a former employee of the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, was extradited from the Dominican Republic in connection with the unsealing of an Indictment charging ARIAS CACERES with conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States. ARIAS CACERES will make his initial appearance later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods.
“Jairo Eliezer Arias Caceres allegedly orchestrated a cocaine smuggling scheme while employed as a security officer at our U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic and as a former security officer at the airport in Santo Domingo,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “While Arias Caceres was supposed to be protecting our diplomats and embassy staff from danger, he was allegedly busy endangering New Yorkers by pumping illegal drugs into our community. Abuse of a position of national trust to traffic in deadly narcotics shocks the sensibilities of New Yorkers and the women and men of our office are committed to bringing those who abuse that trust to justice.”
“The charges against Jairo Arias Caceres are the result of an extensive investigation into a significant narcotics importation conspiracy, led by our Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST),” said HSI Newark Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy. “In coordination with HSI Santo Domingo and multiple federal partners, this investigation successfully dismantled a sophisticated trafficking network responsible for moving dangerous narcotics from the Dominican Republic into the United States. HSI remains committed to protecting the American public by targeting and disrupting the transnational criminal organizations that seek to bring illicit drugs into our communities.”
As alleged in the Indictment and other court filings:[1]
Since at least in or about April 2023 through at least in or about December 2023, ARIAS CACERES—while employed as a security officer by the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic—operated a transnational conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States. ARIAS CACERES devised a scheme through which couriers smuggled cocaine into various airports in the New York area by disguising the cocaine in the packaging of items purchased from the Santo Domingo Airport Duty Free store. Photographs of some of the several cocaine seizures linked to ARIAS CACERES are below:
Before working for the U.S. Embassy, where he was employed from 2018 through 2025, ARIAS CACERES also worked for at least seven years as security officer at the Santo Domingo Airport. ARIAS CACERES exploited his former positions of authority at the Embassy and the Airport in order to operate this narcotics importation scheme.
The defendant was in charge of several aspects of the scheme. He helped to recruit couriers, paid for and arranged their travel to and from the Dominican Republic, and organized the logistics of the couriers’ receipt of cocaine from other airport employees. For each of the couriers, the defendant was their main point of contact before, during, and after their smuggling trips to and from the Dominican Republic.
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ARIAS CACERES, 35, of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, is charged with one count of conspiracy to import narcotics into the U.S., which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI New York; the New York Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration; HSI Santo Domingo; the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) Strategic Partnership for Enforcement and Analytical Response Port of New York/New Jersey; CBP’s Air & Marine Operations; and the U.S. Marshals Service Office of International Operations, Dominican Republic Foreign Field Office.
The Justice Department's Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition to the United States of CACERES.
This prosecution is part of an OCDETF operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jackie Delligatti and Katherine Cheng are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
u.s._v._caceres_indictment.pdf
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Former Correctional Officer Sentenced to Five Years for Plan to Smuggle Drugs and Contraband into North Carolina PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Kenansville man was sentenced Tuesday to five years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. On May 7, 2025, Dawan Dontra McKinzie pleaded guilty to the charges.
“This case is a reminder that when those entrusted with public safety break the law, the damage runs deep – inside our prisons and throughout our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable anyone who undermines that trust, especially when it involves trafficking dangerous drugs into a correctional facility.”
“Illicit drugs and contraband endanger the health, safety and security of our employees, those in our custody and the public at large,” said Leslie Dismukes, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. “We will not hesitate to investigate and take action against anyone — including a compromised staff member — that brings illicit drugs or contraband into our facilities. I am grateful to our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina for working with us to bring Dawan McKinzie to justice.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, McKinzie, 31, was a Correctional Officer at Neuse Correctional Institution in Goldsboro when he began working with inmates to smuggle contraband into the prison. On November 14, 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration received information that McKinzie was bringing contraband into Neuse Correctional. After receiving this information, law enforcement agents went to McKinzie’s house to confront him. McKinzie told law enforcement that he received a recent package from an inmate’s wife, then showed agents where he was storing the drugs and contraband. Agents located 53 grams of methamphetamine, 30 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, two grams of cocaine, seven pounds of tobacco, suboxone, a cellphone, and nude photographs that McKinzie planned to smuggle inside the prison.
The investigation further revealed that McKinzie began smuggling contraband into Neuse Correctional sometime between July and October of 2023. McKinzie would place the contraband on his person and smuggle it inside Neuse Correctional. Agents located multiple messages on McKinzie’s cellphone that provided further details of the conspiracy.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the NC Department of Adult Correction Internal Investigations and Apprehension Division, and the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Lester and Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Peaden prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:25-CR-5-M-BM
Former Amarillo Employee Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Embezzling HUD Program FundsRead the Press Release
A former Amarillo city employee was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for embezzling more than $121,000 from a federal program that provided housing for homeless individuals, announced Acting United States Attorney Nancy E. Larson.
Vanessa Robinson, 35, was a Grant Manager for the City of Amarillo from 2013 to January 2024 in Amarillo’s Community Development Department. In this role, she was responsible for distributing funds supplied by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to help homeless or near-homeless citizens in Amarillo, Texas with housing costs. This program paid market-rate rents to landlords willing to house those who needed assistance. Robinson communicated with Amarillo property owners who were willing to lease their properties through the program, assisted in completing lease agreements, coordinated physical inspections of their properties, and assembled payment voucher packages.
Court documents reflect that for approximately five years, from July 2019 to September 2024, Robinson embezzled from the program by various means. She posed as a program recipient and took steps to live rent-free for more than two years, including enlisting a co-conspirator—another former employee who participated in a similar scheme—to act as Robinson’s case worker and communicate with Robinson’s landlord. The twenty-five months of Robinson’s rent-free living cost the program $34,673. Robinson admitted that she also created fraudulent lease agreements and a fictitious landlord, using her husband’s identity, to receive funds from HUD’s Emergency Services Grant. Additionally, she filled out fraudulent applications in family members’ names to enable them to receive housing assistance. In total, Robinson caused the program to spend $121,325 on Robinson’s fraudulent applications, leases, and vouchers.
In March 2025, Robinson pled guilty to an information charging her with conspiracy to embezzle from a federally-funded program. On July 22, 2025, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk sentenced Robinson to 18 months in federal prison and ordered her to pay restitution of $121,325.21 to the City of Amarillo.
Separately, former City of Amarillo employee Amy Dixon pled guilty to a similar conspiracy charge in June 2024 for embezzling more than $465,000 from the same HUD-funded program. Dixon was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in October 2024 and ordered to pay restitution of $465,511.65 to the City of Amarillo.
“These defendants abused trusted positions within the City of Amarillo to steal from federal funding intended for residents experiencing significant financial hardship and homelessness,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy Larson. “This breach of the public trust will not be tolerated, and we are proud of our law enforcement partners’ work in seeing justice done in this case.”
“The defendants in this case embezzled funds from a program meant to help disadvantaged residents in their area. They abused their positions as city employees for personal gain at the expense of their community,” said FBI Dallas Specia Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI would like to thank HUD-OIG for partnering with us to hold these individuals accountable for defrauding a federal program funded by taxpayer dollars.”
“This sentencing demonstrates our continued commitment to protecting taxpayer dollars and holding individuals accountable for the misuse of federal funds,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Lawler with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “HUD OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to pursue those who exploit public trust for personal gain.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Amarillo Resident Agency and the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Frausto prosecuted the case.
Federal Prisoner Sentenced to Additional Prison Term for Possession of ContrabandRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – Darell Reed, 35, who is currently incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution in Pekin, Illinois (FCI-Pekin), was sentenced on August 5, 2025, to 15 months’ imprisonment and a special assessment of $100 for possession of a prohibited object in prison. This sentence will be served consecutive to the federal sentence Reed is already serving for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Jonathan E. Hawley, the government presented information that, on March 10, 2024, Reed, an inmate at FCI-Pekin, was visited at the prison, and that an object was transferred between the visitor and Reed. Reed was then monitored and personnel ultimately recovered two small orange balloons that contained 30 orange pieces of film, wrapped in cellophane. The strips were identified as containing Suboxone, and buprenorphine, Schedule III controlled substances, which are prohibited in the prison.
The statutory penalties for possession of contraband by an inmate are not more than five years imprisonment, to be served consecutive to the existing term of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, a mandatory special assessment of $100, and not more than three years supervised release.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Services investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz represented the government in the prosecution.
Federal Grand Jury Returns Indictment Charging Man with Impersonation of a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Jason Beau Dark, 42, of New Orleans, with two counts of false impersonation of a federal officer and one count of possession of counterfeit seal of an agency of the United States.
The indictment alleges that on or about July 7, 2025, on two separate occasions in both West Monroe and Ruston, Louisiana, Dark knowingly and willfully falsely assumed and pretended to be an officer and employee of the United States, that is, a Special Agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
It is alleged in the indictment that Dark first displayed a counterfeit DEA special agent badge to a motorist in an attempt to intimidate the victim. Following the encounter, when officers with the Ruston Police Department confronted Dark, he identified himself as a Special Agent with the DEA, displayed a counterfeit DEA badge to them, and also presented counterfeit DEA credentials in an attempt to the investigation.
If convicted, Dark faces a sentence of 3 years in prison, 1 year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000, for false imprisonment of a federal officer. Dark faces a sentence of up to 5 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 for possession of a counterfeit seal of an agency of the United States.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being investigated by the Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General, and Ruston Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth D. Reeg.
If anyone has information concerning a similar incident involving this defendant, please report to DOJ-OIG by going to: https://oig.justice.gov/hotline.
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Farmington Man Faces Federal Drug and Firearms Charges While on Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Farmington man is facing federal charges following the discovery of methamphetamine, firearms, and ammunition during a search of his residence while he was on supervised release for a prior federal firearms conviction.
According to court documents, on June 13, 2025, Stephen Dye, 43, was arrested after agents from the Region Two Narcotics Task Force executed a search warrant at his residence in Farmington, New Mexico. During the search, agents seized approximately 177 grams of methamphetamine, suspected fentanyl pills, digital scales, packaging materials, $816 in cash, and multiple firearms and ammunition—including a loaded handgun reported stolen and a modified rifle with high-capacity magazines.
Dye has multiple felony convictions in New Mexico and Texas for firearm and drug trafficking offenses. As a result, Dye was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. At the time of his arrest, Dye was on federal supervised release for a 2019 conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On July 22, 2025, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Dye with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of fentanyl, and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Dye will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted, Dye faces 10 years and up to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case as part of Summer Heat, the FBI’s nationwide initiative targeting violent crime during the summer months. As part of this effort, the FBI has launched a multi-pronged offensive to crush violent crime. By surging resources alongside state and local partners, executing federal warrants on violent criminals and fugitives, and dismantling violent gangs nationwide, we are aggressively restoring safety in our communities across the country.
View the Indictment (Dye).pdfAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
EMT from Salem Arrested for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An emergency medical technician (EMT) from Salem was arrested and charged today for allegedly receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Connor McAuliffe, 34, was charged with one count of receipt of child pornography and count of possession of child pornography. The defendant was arrested at his residence this morning and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, was ordered detained pending a hearing scheduled for Aug. 12, 2025.
According to the charging document, in January 2025, as a result of a collateral criminal investigation conducted by the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Pretoria, South Africa in late 2023, McAuliffe was allegedly identified as an active member in a large-scale private encrypted messaging group dedicated to the trading of CSAM and comprised of over 1,000 members from around the world. Further investigation allegedly identified McAuliffe as a member in at least 14 other different large-scale chat groups on that one chat application dedicated to sharing CSAM.
It is alleged that McAuliffe’s cellphone was seized during a March 2025 search of his residence. A forensic review of the device allegedly revealed that McAuliffe was a member of approximately 100 chats on multiple messaging applications dedicated to sharing CSAM. The chats allegedly had titles such as “Boys Planet,” “Boys of Eden,” “boys video,” “10 to 16 years hot boys,” and “Chicos ninos y adolescentes cp” – which translates to “Boys, children and adolescents CP.” A subsequent review of the device’s media files allegedly revealed that McAuliffe had downloaded and stored approximately 1,500 images and 50 videos depicting CSAM. A number of the files allegedly depicted the rape, abuse or exploitation of minor boys who appeared to be approximately nine to 11 years old.
According to the charging document, McAuliffe currently holds an active paramedic certification with the Massachusetts Office of Health & Human Services and is employed by an emergency services company as an EMT.
The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or contact [email protected].
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Salem Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Maynard of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Dallas man convicted in federal drug trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Dallas man has been found guilty of federal drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Deldrick Damond Lewis, 40, was found guilty by a jury of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant III on August 6, 2025.
According to information presented in court, Lewis was identified as a methamphetamine supplier during an investigation of drug trafficking activities in the Grayson County area. Lewis sold approximately 490 grams of methamphetamine during a drug trafficking transaction. Additionally, prosecutors presented evidence at trial that included Lewis’ social media accounts, text messages, and other evidence from his cellular phones.
At sentencing, Lewis faces up to life in federal prison. The statutory maximum sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Texoma Narcotics and Violent Crime Task Force, Grayson County Sheriff’s Office, Sherman Police Department and the Dallas Police Department SWAT Team. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen Smith and Stevan Buys.
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Corrupt Guatemalan Mayor Extradited to United States on Drug Trafficking Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
Yesterday, Romeo Ramos Cruz, of Guatemala, made his initial appearance in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia following his extradition from Guatemala on Aug. 4.
Ramos Cruz, 57, is charged with one count of conspiracy to import more than five kilograms of cocaine into the United States from Guatemala.
According to court documents, from 2022 through 2024, Ramos Cruz served as a key member of a Guatemala-based drug trafficking organization responsible for transporting cocaine intended for U.S. markets. During this time, Ramos Cruz held public office as the mayor of Santa Lucia municipality in Guatemala’s Escuintla Department and is alleged to have exploited his official position to facilitate the organization’s operations. As part of the conspiracy, Ramos Cruz allegedly used his authority and access to coordinate logistics and transportation of cocaine shipments destined for the United States. In one instance, he agreed to help disguise a shipment of cocaine from Venezuela to Guatemala as a delivery of cement. He also prepared a letter on official municipal letterhead intended to help the shipment evade inspection by Guatemalan authorities.
If convicted, Ramos Cruz faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the FBI Washington Field Office (WFO) made the announcement.
The FBI WFO led U.S. investigative efforts with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration Miami Division and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans Field Office. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs working with Guatemalan law enforcement authorities, INTERPOL, and the FBI provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Ramos Cruz to the United States.
Trial Attorneys Kirk Handrich and Roger Polack of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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 Neighborhoods.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Coralville Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison After Pleading Guilty to a Drug Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
A Coralville, Iowa, woman who was found in possession of thousands of fentanyl pills was sentenced on August 5, 2025, to seven years in federal prison.
Ashley Crystal Wachs, age 36, from Coralville, Iowa, received the prison term after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances on February 19, 2025.
In a plea agreement, Wachs admitted that she was responsible for the transportation of thousands of fentanyl pills from Seattle, Washington, into Coralville and the surrounding areas, where she distributed the fentanyl pills. The evidence at the guilty plea established that on September 4, 2024, officers with the Iowa State Patrol and Johnson County Drug Task Force conducted a traffic stop on Ms. Wachs’ vehicle and seized over 250 grams of fentanyl, 109.58 grams of flurofentanyl, and 71.96 grams of ice methamphetamine. During the guilty plea, Ms. Wachs admitted she intended to distribute most of the controlled substances seized from her vehicle.
Wachs was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Wachs was sentenced to 72 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Wachs is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jared Manternach and investigated by the Johnson County Drug Task Force and Iowa State Patrol.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-98.
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Convicted Felon Federally Charged with Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $800,000 in COVID Funds by Hiding Criminal HistoryRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Bernardino County man was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint alleging that he fraudulently obtained more than $800,000 in taxpayer funded COVID-19 relief funds by concealing his recent federal mail fraud conviction.
Justin Konikow, 38, of Ontario, is charged with wire fraud. He is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, in April 2020 Konikow applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), a program which provided low-interest funding to small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The application was submitted on behalf of an entity called “Trendsetters” and listed Konikow as its sole owner.
The April 2020 application contained representations that neither Konikow nor the business had ever been criminally charged or convicted of a crime. In fact, Konikow had been convicted in January 2020 of mail fraud in Los Angeles federal court for scheming to defraud the United States, the State of California and its Employment Development Department out of more than $250,000 by filing false unemployment and disability insurance claims using synthetic identities and fake companies. Konikow was sentenced in January 2021 to 35 months’ imprisonment and began serving his sentence in February 2022.
The affidavit alleges that between 2021 and 2022, three EIDL modifications to increase the total proceeds were submitted, each identifying Konikow as Trendsetter’s sole owner. Each application contained a certification that all representations in the loan application (including in the original application) were true, correct, and complete, under penalty of perjury. None of the modification applications provided any information that Konikow was a convicted criminal.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) approved the EIDL and each modification application and wired the loan proceeds totaling approximately $805,000 into Konikow’s bank account. Konikow then quickly wired substantial amounts of the COVID funds out of his bank account to pay off his credit card debt, car payments, and a transfer of approximately $47,000 to his Robinhood stock trading account.
A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Konikow would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
The SBA Office of Inspector General is investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregg Marmaro of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Contractor Charged and Agrees to Plead Guilty to Multi-Year Half-Million-Dollar Tax FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The owner of a construction company doing business in Berkshire County was charged today with a multi-year income tax fraud scheme.
Dennis Condron, 75, of Cheshire, has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of tax fraud. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.
According to the charging document, over a three-year period, in addition to depositing customer payments to his company, D Condron Construction, Condron hid over half a million dollars in customer checks by cashing them and diverting them to his personal accounts. It is alleged that, when Condron had his taxes prepared, he did not tell his preparer about the checks he was cashing and diverting customer checks – resulting in his tax returns underreporting the gross receipts of the business by hundreds of thousands of dollars. As a result, Condron allegedly kept hundreds of thousands of dollars that he should have paid in federal and state income taxes.
Acting United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Merck of the Springfield Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Cherokee Woman Charged for Inflicting Serious Bodily Injury on A Child in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Shawnenna Caroline Roland, 39, of Cherokee, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, is facing federal charges for child abuse, child neglect, and assault in Indian country, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
James C. Barnacle, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Carla Neadeau of the Cherokee Indian Police Department (CIPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
According to allegations in the three count bill of indictment, Roland intentionally assaulted a minor child resulting in serious bodily injury, including permanent and protracted loss and impairment of the child’s mental and emotional function. The Indictment further alleges that Roland showed reckless disregard for human life through a willful act and grossly negligent omission in the care of the child, resulting in serious bodily injury.
Roland is in tribal custody awaiting transfer to the custody of the United States Marshals Service. The charges against her are merely allegations and she is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI and the Cherokee Indian Police Department for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex M. Scott of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville is prosecuting the case.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Shawnenna Caroline Roland, 39, of Cherokee, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, is facing federal charges for child abuse, child neglect, and assault in Indian country, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
James C. Barnacle, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Carla Neadeau of the Cherokee Indian Police Department (CIPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
According to allegations in the three count bill of indictment, Roland intentionally assaulted a minor child resulting in serious bodily injury, including permanent and protracted loss and impairment of the child’s mental and emotional function. The Indictment further alleges that Roland showed reckless disregard for human life through a willful act and grossly negligent omission in the care of the child, resulting in serious bodily injury.
Roland is in tribal custody awaiting transfer to the custody of the United States Marshals Service. The charges against her are merely allegations and she is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI and the Cherokee Indian Police Department for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex M. Scott of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville is prosecuting the case.
Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Straw Purchasing FirearmsRead the Press Release
A man who bought two firearms, and attempted to buy a third, for other people was sentenced on August 5, 2025, to more than one year in federal prison.
Jason Henry Tetter II, age 25, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 21, 2025 guilty plea to making a false statement during the attempted purchase of a firearm.
Information from sentencing showed that, in 2024, Tetter bought two firearms for Daquavion Williams, who was a marijuana user and who could not buy the firearms himself because he was not 21 years old. Tetter, a marijuana user himself, lied about his drug use and who the real purchaser of the firearms was on the forms accompanying the firearm purchases. One of the firearms was for Williams, and the other was for Williams’s associate. Both firearms were recovered by law enforcement. Williams’s firearm was used to shoot a victim in the knee in Waterloo on August 10, 2024. Five days later, Tetter attempted to buy another firearm for someone else involved in the shooting. Williams was subsequently charged with firearm offenses and is currently pending sentencing.
Tetter was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Tetter was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Tetter 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Marion Police Department, and the Waterloo Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-0103.
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Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Eleven Years in Federal Prison for Being a Prohibited Person in Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
A prohibited person who possessed firearms was sentenced today to eleven years in federal prison.
Kyler Goettsch, age 28, of Cedar Rapids, received the sentence after a May 31, 2024, guilty plea to one count of being a prohibited person in possession of firearms. At the plea hearing, Goettsch admitted that, in November 2023, he possessed two pistols after having been convicted of four felonies and a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that Goettsch was arrested after a brief standoff in which he failed to obey officers’ commands and officers had to draw their weapons.
Goettsch was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Goettsch was sentenced to 132 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is CR 24-16.
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CEO of Hawaii Shipbuilding Company Sentenced to 13 Years for $29M Investment Fraud Scheme, President Received Two Year SentenceRead the Press Release
A formerly married couple was sentenced yesterday for their roles in a more than decade-long scheme to defraud hundreds of investors out of millions of dollars in connection with Semisub Inc. (Semisub), a Hawaii-based company.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Curtiss E. Jackson, 72, of Honolulu, Hawaii, and Jamey Denise Jackson, 62, currently of Cochester, Conneticut, and formerly of Honolulu, who were respectively Semisub’s CEO and President, falsely told investors for years that the prototype vessel, Semisub One, was “weeks” or “months” away from beginning operations. The defendants also solicited funds based on false statements that Semisub had entered into agreements or developed relationships with government agencies and a private investment firm to build and sell a fleet of Semisubs for tens of millions of dollars — among other misrepresentations. As a part of the scheme, the defendants used investor funds to pay for luxury residences in Hawaii and California, a Mercedes-Benz automobile, luxury vacations, psychics, and marijuana.
Curtiss Jackson also sent a death threat to Jamey Denise during the investigation, in the form of a link to an online video entitled “Death of FBI Informants” containing graphic clips from The Sopranos television series depicting the deaths of several characters who had cooperated with the FBI. Curtiss Jackson further obstructed an official proceeding by attempting to flee the United States’ territorial waters aboard the Semisub One, which was subject to criminal forfeiture proceedings, on the day before his bond revocation hearing.
In May 2024, Curtiss Jackson was convicted of securities fraud, conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, witness tampering, and obstructing an official proceeding while on pretrial release. In January 2023 Jamey Denise Jackson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud.
Curtiss Jackson was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Jamey Denise Jackson was sentenced to two years in prison.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson for the District of Hawaii; Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group; and Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Seattle Field Office made the announcement.
The USPIS and IRS-CI investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Matthew Reilly and Jennifer Bilinkas of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Nammar and Aislinn Affinito for the District of Hawaii are prosecuting the case.
CEO and President of Hawaii Shipbuilding Company Sentenced for $29M Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – A formerly married couple was sentenced yesterday for their roles in a more than decade-long scheme to defraud hundreds of investors out of millions of dollars in connection with Semisub Inc. (Semisub), a Hawaii-based company. Curtiss E. Jackson, 72, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was sentenced to thirteen years in prison, and Jamey Denise Jackson, 62, currently of Cochester, Connecticut, and formerly of Honolulu, was sentenced to two years in prison.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Curtiss Jackson and Jamey Denise Jackson, who were respectively Semisub’s CEO and President, falsely told investors for years that the prototype vessel, Semisub One, was “weeks” or “months” away from beginning operations. The defendants also solicited funds based on false statements that Semisub had entered into agreements or developed relationships with government agencies and a private investment firm to build and sell a fleet of “Semisubs” for tens of millions of dollars — among other misrepresentations. As a part of the scheme, the defendants used investor funds to pay for luxury residences in Hawaii and California, a Mercedes-Benz automobile, luxury vacations, psychics, and marijuana.
Curtiss Jackson also sent a death threat to Jamey Denise Jackson during the investigation, in the form of a link to an online video entitled “Death of FBI Informants” containing graphic clips from The Sopranos television series depicting the deaths of several characters who had cooperated with the FBI. Curtiss Jackson further obstructed an official proceeding by attempting to flee the United States’ territorial waters aboard the Semisub One, which was subject to criminal forfeiture proceedings, on the day before his bond revocation hearing.
In May 2024, Curtiss Jackson was convicted by a jury of securities fraud, conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, witness tampering, and obstructing an official proceeding while on pretrial release. In January 2023, Jamey Denise Jackson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson for the District of Hawaii; Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group; and Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Seattle Field Office made the announcement.
The USPIS and IRS-CI investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Matthew Reilly and Jennifer Bilinkas of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Nammar and Aislinn Affinito for the District of Hawaii are prosecuting the case.
Brooklyn Woman Pleads Guilty to Leading a $68 Million Social Adult Day Care and Home Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY – Zakia Khan pleaded guilty in federal court in Brooklyn today to conspiring to defraud Medicaid of approximately $68 million through the payment of kickbacks and bribes at two Brooklyn social adult day care centers that she owned in Coney Island. When sentenced, Khan faces up to 15 years in prison. As part of her plea agreement, Khan agreed to forfeit $5 million, including several properties, and more than $300,000 in cash and gold jewelry seized by law enforcement during a search of her home. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Natasha C. Merle.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Matthew R. Galeotti, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Christian J. Schrank, Deputy Inspector General for Investigations, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York); and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD) announced the guilty plea.
“With today’s guilty plea, Khan stands convicted of acting as the ringleader of a scheme responsible for stealing millions of dollars dedicated to the government’s health care safety net,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office and the Justice Department take seriously our responsibility to protect government funds from the clutches of fraudsters and will vigorously prosecute corrupt health care operators like the defendant.”
“The defendant orchestrated a massive scheme to defraud Medicaid, bribing patients to bill a federal health care program over $68 million,” stated Acting Assistant Attorney Galeotti. “Americans will not stand for these schemes that target government programs intended to help society’s most vulnerable members and steal from the public fisc. As demonstrated by today’s announcement, we will continue to aggressively prosecute those who take part in these crimes.”
“Social adult day care and home health services are intended to support seniors, not serve as vehicles for fraud. The defendant’s actions are an affront to hardworking taxpayers and undermine the integrity of our nation’s health care system,” stated Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Schrank of the HHS-OIG. “HHS-OIG will continue to relentlessly pursue anyone who illicitly exploits Medicaid enrollees and the program itself to ensure they are held fully accountable.”
“Zakia Khan has admitted her involvement in a sweeping scheme that defrauded the U.S. government of $68 million in welfare funds meant for one of our country’s most vulnerable populations,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Patel. “Today’s guilty plea underscores not only the lengths criminal opportunists often take, but also the state-of-the-art skills and procedures utilized by HSI New York to stop them in their tracks.”
“Zakia Khan stole $68 million from the Medicaid program through bribes and kickbacks—money meant to support the most vulnerable,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “This fraudulent cash grab exploited a federal health care system that people depend on, and the NYPD will keep holding accountable anyone who tries to take advantage of it. Today’s guilty plea is another step towards justice, and I am thankful to the NYPD investigators, all our law enforcement partners, and the prosecutors for their meticulous work on this case.”
As set forth in court filings, Khan owned two social adult day care centers, Happy Family Social Adult Day Care Center Inc. (Happy Family) and Family Social Adult Day Care Center Inc. (Family Social), a home health care fiscal intermediary, and Tanwee Services Inc., an entity used to receive and disguise fraud proceeds. Beginning in approximately October 2017 and continuing through approximately July 2024, Khan and marketers she employed referred Medicaid recipients to Happy Family and Family Social. Khan and the marketers in turn paid kickbacks and bribes to Medicaid recipients for social adult day care services that Happy Family and Family Social billed to Medicaid, but were not provided or were induced by kickbacks and bribes. Khan and her co-defendants used multiple business entities to launder the health care fraud proceeds and generate the cash used to pay kickbacks and bribes. Co-defendants Seema Memon and Amran Hashmi, who were employees of Khan, previously pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Eleven additional co-defendants are awaiting trial.
Trial Attorneys Patrick J. Campbell and Leonid Sandlar of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Castiglione of the Eastern District of New York who is handling forfeiture matters.
The Defendant:
ZAKIA KHAN
Age: 54
Brooklyn, New YorkDefendants Who Previously Pleaded Guilty:
SEEMA MEMON
Age: 30
Brooklyn, New YorkAMRAN HASHMI
Age: 54
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 24-CR-409 (NCM)
Brooklyn Park Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting ChildrenRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Charles Anthony Forame, IV, 33, of Brooklyn Park, Maryland, pled guilty today, to federal child sexual exploitation charges.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Jaymi Sterling, State’s Attorney for St. Mary’s County; Anthony Covington, State’s Attorney for Charles County; Robert H. Harvey, State’s Attorney for Calvert County; Anne Colt Leitess, State’s Attorney for Anne Arundel; Sheriff Steven A. Hall, St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office; Sheriff Troy D. Berry, Charles County Sheriff’s Office; Sheriff Ricky Cox, Calvert County Sheriff’s Office; and Chief Amal E. Awad, Anne Arundel County Police.
According to the guilty plea, Forame used his Snapchat account to meet teenage girls online. Forame then coerced the victims to provide him with explicit images, or in some instances, sexual acts in person. Forame, told the girls he was 19 to get them to interact with him. He often promised to provide vapes or marijuana in exchange for explicit images or sex acts. If the victims attempted to end the arrangement, Forame threatened to expose their images. The victims, ages 13-16, were middle-school and high-school students.
Forame faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison, followed by up to a lifetime of supervised release. Sentencing is set for Monday, November 24, at 9:30 a.m.
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 Attorney’s 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 justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes commended the FBI, St. Mary’s County State’s Attorney’s Office, Charles County State’s Attorney’s Office, Calvert County State’s Attorney’s Office, Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office, St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, Charles County Sheriff’s Office, Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, and the Anne Arundel County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Bloomfield Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, announced that BRANDON C. TYSON, 29, of Bloomfield, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to drug and firearm offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Tyson’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for drug and assault offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
An ATF investigation revealed that, in May 2021, Tyson unlawfully possessed a Glock 20, 9mm pistol. Also, between May 2023 and March 2024, Tyson conspired to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. Tyson was arrested on state charges on March 27, 2024, after a search of his residence revealed approximately 1.7 kilograms of cocaine and $16,700 in cash.
Tyson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and a quantity of fentanyl, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, and to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 29.
Tyson has been detained since his federal arrest on September 19, 2024.
This matter has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Connecticut State Police, and the Bloomfield Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Dearington and Sean P. Mahard, and Trial Attorney Brian P. Leaming from the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.
This prosecution is a part of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime Initiative (VCI) in Hartford, and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) programs.
Beaumont man and woman charged with federal carjacking violationRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man and woman have been charged with federal violations related to a June 2025 carjacking in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Jason Lee Smith, 28, and Joanna Kyle Glover, 33, were named in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury this week in the Eastern District of Texas.
The indictment alleges that on June 28, 2025, Smith, armed with a firearm, and Glover forcefully took a vehicle from another person. Smith and Glover were both charged with carjacking and Smith was also charged with brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
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).
If convicted, the defendants face up to 15 years in federal prison for the carjacking violation. Smith also faces up to life in federal prison for the firearms charge.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Beaumont Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reynaldo P. Morin.
A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Beaumont felon charged with federal firearms violationsRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont convicted felon has been charged with federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Charles Terrance Leaven, 39, was named in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury this week in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime.
The indictment alleges that on March 11, 2024, Leaven was found in possession of a firearm in Beaumont. Further investigation revealed Leaven had been previously convicted of a felony and prohibited from owning or possessing firearms.
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).
If convicted, Leaven faces up to life in federal prison.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Beaumont Police Department; and the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross.
A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Bristol Man Indicted for Attempted Murder of Federal AgentsRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – John Caleb Allen, 26, of Bristol, Florida, who was previously arrested on July 24, 2025, has been indicted for two counts of attempted murder of a federal employee, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a federal law enforcement officer, two counts of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, two counts of illegal possession of a machine gun, and one count of false statement to a federal firearm licensee in connection with a firearms purchase. The charges were announced today by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Court documents allege that, on July 24, 2025, agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, with the assistance of the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, were executing a federal search warrant at the subject’s residence when Allen opened fire on law enforcement. After firing multiple rounds at the agents, Allen was arrested without the agents discharging their weapons. Agents suffered minor, non-critical injuries as a result of the assault.
Allen is scheduled for arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick August 8, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. at the Federal Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida.
If convicted, Allen faces a maximum possible penalty of life imprisonment.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement are investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain 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 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.
Armed alien, illegally living in Nacogdoches, indicted on federal firearms violationRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Mexican national, illegally living in Nacogdoches, has been charged with a federal firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Antonio Hernandez-Perez, 47, was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury this week in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm.
The indictment alleges that on January 30, 2025, Hernandez-Perez possessed a firearm while being an alien illegally in the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
If convicted, Hernandez-Perez faces up to 15 years in federal prison and deportation.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Homeland Security Investigations; and the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Carter.
A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Amite Man Guilty of Kidnapping Resulting in Death and Transporting a Minor in Interstate Commerce to Engage in Criminal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that DANIEL WAYNE CALLIHAN (“CALLIHAN”), age 37, a resident of Amite, Louisiana, pled guilty today before United States District Judge Lance M. Africk to a two-count Superseding Indictment charging him with kidnapping resulting in death, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1201(a) (Count One), and transporting a minor in interstate commerce with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(a) (Count Two). CALLIHAN was previously charged for his crimes in a federal complaint on June 14, 2024, and has remained in federal custody since that time.
“Today’s resolution ensures that Daniel Wayne Callihan, will be held accountable for his heinous and atrocious crimes,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson. “This successful prosecution is the result of the significant collaboration by local, state, and federal agencies across Louisiana and Mississippi. Their collective dedication and hard work ensured that Mr. Callihan will now face justice.”
"The FBI is committed to relentlessly pursuing violent predators and our hearts go out to the families of these victims," said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. "Every law enforcement partner who worked on this case was determined to deliver justice for the Brunett family and the people of Tangipahoa Parish. The FBI thanks the U.S. Marshals Service, Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, and the Jackson Police Department for their efforts to make sure Daniel Callihan will never do anything like this again."
According to court documents, on or about June 12, 2024, CALLIHAN was present inside the Loranger, Louisiana residence of Adult Victim 1, who lived with her two daughters, Minor Victim 1 (a four-year-old female) and Minor Victim 2 (a six-year-old female). While present in the residence, CALLIHAN stabbed Adult Victim 1 more than fifty times, resulting in her death. After killing Adult Victim 1, CALLIHAN kidnapped Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 using Adult Victim 1’s 2012 Chrysler 200 automobile, bearing a Louisiana license plate, and drove to McComb, Mississippi.
CALLIHAN, with Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 still in the car, then returned to Amite Louisiana, where he picked up Co-Conspirator 1. CALLIHAN then drove Adult Victim 1’s car to a residence in Jackson, Mississippi located in the 3900 block of Boozier Drive.
On either the evening of June 12, 2024, or early on June 13, 2024, CALLIHAN and Co-Conspirator 1 engaged in sexual battery with Minor Victim 2. CALLIHAN intended that Minor Victim 2 would engage in criminal sexual activity, namely violations of criminal laws of the State of Louisiana, including La. Rev. Stat. 14.81 and La Rev. Stat. 43.1, and the State of Mississippi, including Miss. Code § 97-3-95 and Miss. Code § 97-5-23, at the time he transported Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 from Louisiana to Mississippi.
Thereafter, on June 13, 2024, while at the Boozier Drive property, CALLIHAN purposely suffocated Minor Victim 1 to death by holding Minor Victim 1 closely against his chest.
Later on June 13, 2024, after Adult Victim 1’s body was discovered, federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities began an investigation. The investigation determined the location of both CALLIHAN and Adult Victim 1’s car. A search of the Boozier Drive property led to the discovery of a pit on the property. Law enforcement officers discovered Minor Victim 1’s body and Minor Victim 2 in the pit.
After being taken into custody and waiving his Miranda rights, CALLIHAN admitted to stabbing Adult Victim 1 to death and kidnapping Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 in Adult Victim 1’s vehicle. CALLIHAN further admitted that he and Co-Conspirator 1 transported Minor Victim 1 and Minor Victim 2 to Mississippi, where he and Co-Conspirator 1 committed sexual battery on Minor Victim 2, and he smothered Minor Victim 1 to death. CALLIHAN’s admission that he and Co-Conspirator 1 committed sexual battery on Minor Victim 2 was corroborated in a voluntary, post-Miranda statement Co-Conspirator 1 made to law enforcement authorities.
As part of the resolution of this matter, the Government has agreed that should the Court accept the defendant’s plea of guilty to the Superseding Indictment, the Government will not seek the death penalty with regard to Count One. Consequently, for Count One, CALLIHAN faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. For Count Two, CALLIHAN faces a mandatory minimum of (10) ten years in prison, and up to life in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. For each count, CALLIHAN also faces at least (5) five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and the obligation to register as a sex offender.
Sentencing before Judge Africk has been scheduled for November 19, 2025. Under the terms of the plea agreement, the sentence for Count One may run either concurrent or consecutive to the sentence imposed for Count Two. Further, any sentence or portion thereof may run either concurrent or consecutive to any sentence imposed in any other jurisdiction, including, but not limited to, the 21st Judicial District Court (Louisiana), State of Louisiana v. Callihan, Case No. 2401198, and Hinds County (Mississippi) Circuit Court, State of Mississippi v. Callihan, Case No. 24-466. The terms of CALLIHAN’s plea are not contingent upon the disposition of any case or sentence imposed in any matter pending in any other jurisdiction.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter and expressed appreciation for the great support provided by the United States Marshals Service, the Tangipahoa Sheriff’s Office, the Tangipahoa Parish District Attorney’s Office, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, and the Jackson (Mississippi) Police Department. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson also commended the exceptional work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana Victim/Witness Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, and Sarah Dawkins, of the Violent Crime Unit, are in charge of the prosecution.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to 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.
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Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Exploiting Minors via Social MediaRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man pleaded guilty to federal charges involving the exploitation of minors using social media platforms.
According to court records, between June 2021 and March 2023, Adrian Puentes, 25, used Instagram and Snapchat to coerce and entice two minors under the age of 18 to engage in illegal sexual activity. Puentes admitted that he threatened one victim, demanding sexually explicit photographs and stating he would share them publicly if she did not comply. He used Snapchat to persuade the second victim to meet in person for sexual activity, including sending her money for transportation. Puentes knew both victims were minors at the time of the offenses.
Puentes pleaded guilty to two counts of coercion and enticement of a minor. At sentencing, Puentes faces not less than 10 years and up to life in prison. Upon his release from prison, Puentes will be subject to not less than five years and up to life of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesse Pecoraro is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Aiken Woman Convicted of Collecting Dead Mother’s Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. —A federal jury has convicted Cynthia Delores Holland, 61, of Aiken, formerly the county director of voter registration and elections, of fraudulently obtaining Social Security benefits. A guilty verdict was returned following a day and a half of trial.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Holland improperly obtained her mother’s retirement benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) after her mother’s death in 2013. Those benefits continued to be paid by mistake into a joint account held by Holland and her mother. Rather than notify the SSA of the error, Holland moved the money into her personal account and spent it. Her theft took place until December 2022, when the error was discovered by the SSA, and the benefits were terminated. During that near-decade long span, Holland received over $168,000.
The discrepancy was identified in 2021 by the SSA during its Death Match Project. As part of the project, the SSA requested death verifications from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control going back to 2005, then compared those records with the list of SSA retirement beneficiaries. Holland’s mother’s name was on the list, which initiated the investigation.
“Holland’s actions showed a decade of deception as she continued receiving and spending benefits intended for her deceased mother,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “We are committed to protecting our taxpayer-funded systems from fraud and abuse.”
“Cynthia Holland exploited her own mother’s death to steal from a program meant to support the most vulnerable,” said Michelle L. Anderson, Acting Inspector General for SSA. “As a former public official, her deception is especially troubling. We will continue to pursue those who abuse Social Security for personal gain.”
Holland faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. She also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. presided over the trial and will sentence Holland after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Winston Holliday and Scott Matthews are prosecuting the case.
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Active-Duty Soldier Arrested and Charged with Espionage and Export ViolationsRead the Press Release
Taylor Adam Lee, 22, of El Paso, Texas, was arrested today on charges of attempted transmission of national defense information to a foreign adversary and attempted export of controlled technical data without a license.
“According to the criminal complaint, the defendant sought to transmit sensitive national defense information to Russia regarding the operation of the M1A2 Abrams, our Nation’s main battle tank,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division will continue to work with our law enforcement and military partners to ensure that such serious transgressions are met with serious consequences.”
“National security has long been one of the highest priorities of the Justice Department, and here in the Western District of Texas, we remain alert for those who wish to help our adversaries and harm the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Our enemies, both foreign and domestic, should be aware that we diligently investigate and aggressively prosecute these cases. I appreciate the investigative work by our partners in the FBI and the Army Counterintelligence Command, and I look forward to continuing our work with them as we proceed with the prosecution of this important case.”
“The FBI’s investigation revealed Taylor Lee allegedly attempted to provide classified military information on U.S. tank vulnerabilities to a person he believed to be a Russian intelligence officer in exchange for Russian citizenship,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “Today’s arrest is a message to anyone thinking about betraying the U.S. – especially service members who have sworn to protect our homeland. The FBI and our partners will do everything in our power to protect Americans and safeguard classified information.”
“This arrest is an alarming reminder of the serious threat facing our U.S. Army,” said Brigadier General Sean F. Stinchon, the commanding general of Army Counterintelligence Command. “Thanks to the hard work of Army Counterintelligence Command Special Agents and our FBI partners, Soldiers who violate their oath and become insider threats will absolutely be caught and brought to justice, and we will continue to protect Army personnel and safeguard equipment. If anyone on our Army Team sees suspicious activity, you must report it as soon as possible.”
“Lee allegedly violated his duty to protect the United States in favor of providing national defense information to the Russian government,” said Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “The FBI is steadfast in our commitment to protect U.S. national security and bring to justice those who seek to undermine it.”
According to court documents, Lee is an active-duty service member in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Bliss, and holds a Top Secret (TS) / Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) security clearance. From approximately May 2025 through the present, Lee sought to establish his U.S. Army credentials and send U.S. defense information to Russia’s Ministry of Defense. In June 2025, Lee allegedly transmitted export-controlled technical information on the M1A2 Abrams Tank online and offered assistance to the Russian Federation, stating, “the USA is not happy with me for trying to expose their weaknesses,” and added, “At this point I’d even volunteer to assist the Russian federation when I’m there in any way.”
In July, at an in-person meeting between Lee and who he believed to be a representative of the Russian government, Lee allegedly passed an SD card to the individual. Lee proceeded to provide a detailed overview of the documents and information contained on the SD card, including documents and information on the M1A2 Abrams, another armored fighting vehicle used by the U.S. military, and combat operations. Several of these documents contained controlled technical data that Lee did not have the authorization to provide. Other documents on the SD card were marked as Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and featured banner warnings and dissemination controls. Throughout the meeting, Lee stated that the information on the SD card was sensitive and likely classified.
During and after the July meeting, Lee discussed obtaining and providing to the Russian government a specific piece of hardware inside the M1A2 Abrams tank. On July 31, 2025, Lee delivered what appeared to be the hardware to a storage unit in El Paso, Texas. After doing so, Lee sent a message to the individual he believed to be a representative of the Russian government stating, “Mission accomplished.”
The FBI Washington and El Paso Field Offices are investigating the case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command.
Trial Attorney Menno Goedman of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan Brown and Mallory Rasmussen for the Western District of Texas and are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
APRN and Medical Practice to Pay over $600k and Cease Connecticut Medicaid Participation to Settle False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ARMAND NTCHANA and his various entities have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal and state governments and agreed to pay more than $600,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the federal and state False Claims Acts by causing false claims to be submitted to Medicare and Connecticut Medicaid. Ntchana currently resides in Alexandria, Louisiana.
Ntchana, who is licensed as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in Connecticut, is the principal member and owner of INTEGRATED PROCARE SERVICES, LLC (“IPS”), a psychiatric medication management practice located in Wethersfield. He is also the principal member and owner of BROOKSIDE RESIDENTIAL CARE HOME, LLC (“Brookside”) and 134 FRANKLIN STREET EXTENSION, LLC (“Brookside Property”), which formerly operated a state-funded residential care home in Danbury, and the principal member and owner of RIVERVIEW RESIDENTIAL CARE HOME, LLC (“Riverview”) and 92 LEXINGTON AVENUE, LLC (“Riverview Property”), which formerly operated a state-funded residential care home in New Haven. Ntchana ceased control of the operations of Brookside and Riverview in 2022 and 2023, respectively, and sold the Brookside Property and the Riverview Property in August 2023.
The federal and state governments allege that from January 2016 through October 2020, Ntchana and IPS violated the federal and state False Claims Acts by improperly billing Medicare and Connecticut Medicaid for services not rendered, the services of an unlicensed provider, and for upcoded or duplicative claims.
Ntchana and IPS caused false claims to be submitted that listed Ntchana as the rendering provider when, in fact, those services were not actually provided. This included claims billed by Ntchana for impossible numbers of hours per day; when Ntchana was not physically present, including when he was out of the country, on vacation, or not in the office; for patients who were hospitalized or deceased; and for having a staff member call in a medication refill without Ntchana’s interacting directly with the patient or the patient’s medical record. Ntchana and IPS created false medical records or had no medical records for such visits.
In addition, Ntchana and IPS caused false claims to be submitted that listed Ntchana as the rendering provider when, in fact, the patients were seen by an individual with no qualified health professional license or medical qualifications. Ntchana and IPS also caused false claims to be submitted for both evaluation and management visits and psychotherapy during the same visit when, in fact, Ntchana had only provided evaluation and management services during that visit.
To resolve their liability, Ntchana and his related entities agreed to pay $614,427.51, plus interest, which was based on their ability to pay. Ntchana and IPS have also entered into a Suspension Agreement and Consent Order with the Connecticut Department of Social Services (“DSS”) to be suspended from participating in all programs administered by DSS for two years, and to not reapply for reinstatement in Connecticut Medicaid or any state-funded program thereafter.
This matter was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad, and the Connecticut Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Gruber, and by Assistant Attorney General Rick Porter of the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General.
The allegations resolved by today’s settlement stem from an investigation based on a critical analysis of Medicare claims data. People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
73rd Defendant Charged in Feeding Our Future CaseRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Hussein Mohamed Farah, the executive director of New Vision Foundation, a non-profit located in St. Paul, Minnesota, was charged by information with one count of wire fraud for his role in the $300 million Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
As is detailed in the information, Farah used his New Vision Foundation to participate in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme by operating two purported food distribution sites under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. He submitted phony meal count sheets and attendance rosters to support New Vision’s claims. In all, between February 2021 and January 2022, New Vision Foundation received approximately $2.7 million for meals purportedly served to children.
These cases result from an investigation conducted by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert, Harry M. Jacobs, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.
Tuesday 5 August 2025
Wife of Central Florida Methamphetamine Dealer Pleads Guilty to Laundering Hundreds of Thousands in Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Island Tri Truong (41, Orlando) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering in relation to drug distribution proceeds. Truong faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Truong’s husband, George Pherai Bogeajis, was sentenced on November 13, 2024, to more than 19 years in federal prison for drug distribution.
According to the plea agreement, on April 9, 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant at Truong and Pherai Bogeajis’s home in Orlando. Agents seized more than 51 kilograms of methamphetamine, various amounts of cocaine, MDMA and fentanyl, multiple firearms, and $717,480 in cash proceeds from drug distribution. A financial investigation revealed that Truong had laundered an estimated $766,000 in drug proceeds in the four years leading up to that search. Truong and Pherai Bogeajis deposited hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash into various bank accounts and lived a lifestyle far beyond their reported incomes.
While in Paris in 2023, Truong used another individual to purchase a gold Rolex wristwatch for 40,700 Euros (estimated $44,000 USD) while she reported earning only $21,090 during that year. Truong also avoided depositing cash into her and Pherai Bogeajis’s bank accounts by delivering thousands of dollars in cash to friends and acquaintances who then transferred that money to Truong from their bank accounts. In one transaction, Truong delivered $40,000 to an acquaintance who transferred the same amount to the construction company building her and Pherai Bogeajis’s home on Bearle Road. Truong then advised her friend to deposit the $40,000 into her bank in $9,000 increments over the course of months to avoid triggering bank and law enforcement scrutiny.
As part of her plea agreement, Truong has agreed to forfeit two properties, including one property valued at approximately $838,000, and two luxury watches – all of which were purchased with proceeds of the drug distribution activities and were used to conceal the origin of those funds
This case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation Money Laundering Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Orange County Sheriff's Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dana E. Hill and Jennifer Harrington.
Waterloo Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Second Conviction Involving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who possessed child pornography was sentenced on August 4, 2025, to 12 years in federal prison.
Forrest Rindels, age 69, of Waterloo, Iowa, received the sentence after a March 6, 2025, guilty plea to two counts of possession of child pornography. At the plea hearing, Rindels admitted that, between 2021 and 2022, he knowingly possessed child pornography on a tablet and a micro-SD card. He also admitted that he was previously convicted of receipt of child pornography in the Northern District of Iowa in 2016.
Rindels was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Rindels was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $42,000 in restitution to 14 victims depicted in the child pornography he possessed. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Waterloo Police Department.
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.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is CR 24-2055.
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United States Attorney's Office to Participate in Community Events During National Night OutRead the Press Release
NEWARK – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey will join their law enforcement partners, neighbors, and communities in National Night Out events in Jersey City, Newark, Westfield, Scotch Plains, Teaneck, Summit, Verona, Cedar Grove, Morristown, Mansfield, Mount Olive, Woodbridge, New Egypt, Paterson, Millburn, Trenton, Glen Rock, Summit, Bayonne, Basking Ridge, Bernardsville, Edison, Rockaway Borough, and Cherry Hill across the District of New Jersey.
“National Night Out is a powerful reminder that public safety is a shared responsibility. By coming together with our law enforcement partners and local communities, we strengthen the trust and collaboration that helps keep the great state of New Jersey safe. Standing behind law enforcement is the greatest honor of my career, and this event is a meaningful reminder of the families, officers, and community leaders who work every day to serve and protect this country.”
- Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships and camaraderie between law enforcement and the communities they serve to make our neighborhoods safer places to live. Millions take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities throughout the country on the first Tuesday of August.
National Night Out was established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization.
Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides an opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel and more. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe.
For more information, visit https://natw.org/.
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United States Attorney's Office to Participate in Community Event During National Night OutRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Michigan
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan will join their law enforcement partners, neighbors, and communities in National Night Out events in cities and towns across the Western District of Michigan.
“I am honored to represent the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan during tonight’s National Night Out events in Kalamazoo. I will be present with the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety to greet the community and assure Kalamazoo residents that my office remains committed to working with local police to protect their community and the safety of its residents. This event is an important reminder that our communities are at their best when residents work in tandem with law enforcement for the benefit and good of everyone. I greatly appreciate the efforts of Kalamazoo residents and community leaders in working with Chief Boysen and local law enforcement to make our neighborhoods better and safer.”
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships and camaraderie between law enforcement and the communities they serve to make our neighborhoods safer places to live. Millions take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities throughout the country on the first Tuesday of August in most areas of the country.
National Night Out was established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization.
Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides an opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel and more. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe.
For more information, visit https://natw.org/.
Scheduled Event:
Kalamazoo
Date: August 5, 2025
Time: starts at 5:00p
Address: 612 N Park St, Kalamazoo, MI, United States, Michigan 49007
U.S. Attorney’s Office obtains judgment for fraudulent transfer of fundsRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming operates a Financial Litigation Program (FLP) which enforces fines and restitution resulting from criminal convictions in federal court. Recent developments in a case from 2010 led the U.S. District Court to enter a civil judgment in U.S. v. Metcalf et al. against Dustie R. Metcalf to void fraudulent transfers of money she had been receiving for several years from a federal criminal defendant, David Saunders.
According to court documents, Mr. Saunders was found guilty in 2010 of making a false statement on a bank loan application. In addition to a term of supervised probation, Mr. Saunders was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $185,992.40. Since that conviction, Mr. Saunders has actively avoided paying his financial obligations and has, instead, been transferring his assets to Ms. Metcalf in an attempt to avoid collection. Assistant U.S. Attorney, Jasmine Peters the (FLP) Coordinator for the District of Wyoming, conducted an extensive investigation into Mr. Saunders and Ms. Metcalf. That investigation revealed substantial sums of money fraudulently transferred to Ms. Metcalf, including approximately $3,000 a week under the guise of self‑described “child support,” and multiple other transfer of funds ranging from $5,000 to $75,000 since at least 2019.
“These transfers were done with the clear intent to render Mr. Saunders insolvent and avoid paying his court ordered restitution. As a result of the outstanding work of AUSA Peters securing the civil judgment against Ms. Metcalf, the FLP anticipates collecting the restitution owed by Mr. Saunders, but now from Ms. Metcalf,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie I. Sprecher.
For more information about the FLP, visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wy/civil-division.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for Western District of Kentucky to Participate in Community Events During National Night OutRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky will join their law enforcement partners, neighbors, and communities in National Night Out events in Louisville, Kentucky.
“Our prosecutors and staff come to the office everyday with one goal in mind: to serve the citizens of Louisville and the broader Western District,” said U.S. Attorney Bumgarner. “We look forward to participating in National Night Out to get to know those we serve and have some fun in the process.”
The U.S. Attorney's Office will promote community safety and awareness by engaging with residents at Louisville Metro Police Department events in neighborhoods across the city. The office will also host a resource booth with crime prevention information at LMPD's Eighth Division event at Walker Warren Park in the Douglas Hills neighborhood.
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships and camaraderie between law enforcement and the communities they serve to make our neighborhoods safer places to live. Millions take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities throughout the country on the first Tuesday of August in most areas of the country.
National Night Out was established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization.
Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides an opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel and more. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe.
For more information, visit https://natw.org/.
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Two Defendants Charged in Investment Fraud Scheme with over One Hundred VictimsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton; Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Ricky J. Patel; Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s Office of the Inspector General (“FDIC-OIG”), Patricia Tarasca; and Acting Inspector in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), Edward Gallashaw, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging LOURDES ROSALES BANEGAS and RAMON CONCEPCION with stealing more than one million dollars from over one hundred victims through an investment fraud scheme known as “LNJ Funds.” BANEGAS is also charged with sending proceeds from the scheme to bank accounts in Colombia. The defendants were arrested and will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger.
“As alleged, Lourdes Rosales Banegas and Ramon Concepcion defrauded over one hundred victims through false promises about high and safe returns on their investments,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “But, Banegas and Concepcion selfishly spent their victims’ money on themselves. Our office is committed to bringing those who prey on Main Street investors to justice.”
“As alleged, the defendants fleeced over a hundred innocent victims out of millions of dollars through their sham claims of a ‘risk-free’ money-making opportunity,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “Their alleged Ponzi scheme crumbled today, as did any façade of legitimacy behind their purported investment firm, LNJ Funds. Every day, HSI New York stands alongside our law enforcement partners in utilizing every tool at our disposal to ensure New Yorkers as well as those around the world, and their livelihoods, are protected from criminal opportunists’ intent on filling their pockets by any means necessary."
“The defendants allegedly made false promises as part of an investment scam involving more than 100 victims and enriched themselves while doing so,” said FDIC-OIG Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca. “Despite assurances that their victims could eventually recover their invested money, this did not prove to be the case. We are pleased to join our law enforcement partners in bringing the perpetrators of such deceit to justice.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to investigate investment schemes such as this and hold those who seek to defraud the American public accountable,” said USPIS Acting Inspector in Charge Edward Gallashaw. “Before investing, individuals should research all claims and promises of high returns made by investment companies. Too often, victims are enticed by bold promises and overlook warning signs that something may be off.”
According to allegations in the Indictment:[1]
BANEGAS and CONCEPCION marketed and operated a supposed investment business they called “LNJ Funds.” BANEGAS and CONCEPCION told their victims that investments in LNJ Funds provided a guaranteed 20% rate of return every sixty days and that there was no risk of losing money in the investment. BANEGAS and CONCEPCION claimed that LNJ Funds could offer risk-free investments because it invested money in student loans backed by the federal government. BANEGAS and CONCEPCION also told their investors that they could withdraw their money from LNJ Funds after a waiting period of approximately 60 to 90 days.
Contrary to BANEGAS and CONCEPCION’s promises, LNJ Funds did not invest the money that its prospective investors provided. Instead, BANEGAS and CONCEPCION spent money from their victim-investors on airfare, hotels, retail stores, and personal expenses. BANEGAS also sent money to several bank accounts in Colombia, including an account in her name, as well as other accounts under her control. Additionally, at times money from some LNJ Funds investors was paid to other LNJ Funds investors to perpetuate the myth that LNJ Funds was a legitimate business rather than a scam.
While BANEGAS and CONCEPCION told LNJ Funds investors that they could obtain a return of their invested money after a waiting period, BANEGAS and CONCEPCION did not maintain enough money to repay their investors. Instead, BANEGAS and CONCEPCION stole and misused the investor money. Moreover, instead of repaying their investors as promised, BANEGAS, CONCEPCION, and a co-conspirator insulted, ignored, and lied to victims who attempted to withdraw their money from LNJ Funds.
* * *
BANEGAS, 43, and CONCEPCION, 43, both of Queens, New York, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. BANEGAS is also charged with three counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity, each of which carries a maximum of 10 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of HSI, FDIC-OIG, and USPIS.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Brumwell is in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Angelica Cotto.
u.s._v._banegas_and_concepcion_indictment.pdf
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the texts of the Indictment and the descriptions of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested on Federal Complaint Alleging They Illegally Shipped to China Sensitive Microchips Used in AI ApplicationsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Two Chinese nationals – one of them an illegal alien – have been arrested on a federal criminal complaint alleging they knowingly exported to China tens of millions of dollars’ worth of sensitive microchips used in artificial intelligence (AI) applications, the Justice Department announced today.
Chuan Geng, 28, of Pasadena, and Shiwei Yang, 28, of El Monte, are charged with violating the Export Control Reform Act, a felony that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Geng surrendered to federal authorities on Saturday. Yang was arrested earlier that day.
At their initial appearance late Monday in United States District Court in Los Angeles, a federal magistrate judge ordered Geng released on $250,000 bond and scheduled an August 12 detention hearing for Yang. Arraignment is scheduled for September 11. No pleas were taken Monday.
Geng is a lawful permanent resident. Yang is an illegal alien who overstayed her visa.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, from October 2022 to July 2025, the defendants – through their El Monte-based company, ALX Solutions Inc. – knowingly and willfully exported from the United States to China sensitive technology, including graphic processing units (GPUs) – specialized computer parts used for modern computing – without first obtaining the required license or authorization from the U.S. Department of Commerce. According to the complaint, ALX Solutions Inc. was founded shortly after the Commerce Department began requiring licenses for the advanced microchips that Yang and Geng are alleged to have illegally exported.
A review of export records, business records, and company websites indicates that a December 2024 shipment and at least 20 previous shipments by ALX Solutions involved exports from the U.S. to shipping and freight-forwarding companies in Singapore and Malaysia, which commonly are used as transshipment points to conceal illegal shipments to China.
ALX Solutions has not received payments from the entities to which they purportedly exported goods. Instead, ALX Solutions received numerous payments from companies based in Hong Kong and China, including a $1 million payment from a China-based company in January 2024.
For example, in December 2024, ALX Solutions sent a shipment that falsely labeled that it was sending GPUs subject to federal laws and regulations. In fact, the shipment contained GPUs that required a license for export to China. Neither the defendants nor their company applied for, nor did they obtain a license from the Commerce Department.
According to the complaint and public information, the chip – made by a manufacturer of high-performance AI chips – is the “most powerful GPU chip on the market,” and is “designed specifically for AI applications,” such as “to develop self-driving cars, medical diagnosis systems, and other AI-powered applications.”
Last week, law enforcement searched ALX Solutions’ office and seized the phones belonging to Geng and Yang that revealed incriminating communications between the defendants, including communications about shipping export-controlled chips to China through Malaysia to evade U.S. export laws.
A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
The United States Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security and the FBI are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Colin S. Scott, Joseph Guzman, and Jenna Long of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section are prosecuting this case with assistance from Trial Attorney Chantelle Dial from the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the National Security Division.
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested on Complaint Alleging they Illegally Shipped to China Sensitive Microchips Used in AI ApplicationsRead the Press Release
Two Chinese nationals – one of them an illegal alien – have been arrested on a federal criminal complaint alleging they knowingly exported to China tens of millions of dollars’ worth of sensitive microchips used in artificial intelligence (AI) applications.
Chuan Geng, 28, of Pasadena, and Shiwei Yang, 28, of El Monte, are charged with violating the Export Control Reform Act, a felony that carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Geng surrendered to federal authorities on Saturday. Yang was arrested earlier that day.
At their initial appearance late Monday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, a federal magistrate judge ordered Geng released on $250,000 bond and scheduled an Aug. 12 detention hearing for Yang. Arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 11. No pleas were taken Monday.
Geng is a lawful permanent resident. Yang is an illegal alien who overstayed her visa.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, from October 2022 to July 2025, the defendants – through their El Monte-based company, ALX Solutions Inc. – knowingly and willfully exported from the United States to China sensitive technology, including graphic processing units (GPUs) – specialized computer parts used for modern computing – without first obtaining the required license or authorization from the U.S. Department of Commerce. According to the complaint, ALX Solutions Inc. was founded shortly after the Commerce Department began requiring licenses for the advanced microchips that Yang and Geng are alleged to have illegally exported.
A review of export records, business records, and company websites indicates that a December 2024 shipment and at least 20 previous shipments by ALX Solutions involved exports from the U.S. to shipping and freight-forwarding companies in Singapore and Malaysia, which commonly are used as transshipment points to conceal illegal shipments to China.
ALX Solutions has not received payments from the entities to which they purportedly exported goods. Instead, ALX Solutions received numerous payments from companies based in Hong Kong and China, including a $1 million payment from a China-based company in January 2024.
For example, in December 2024, ALX Solutions sent a shipment that falsely labeled that it was sending GPUs subject to federal laws and regulations. In fact, the shipment contained GPUs that required a license for export to China. Neither the defendants nor their company applied for, nor did they obtain a license from the Commerce Department.
According to the complaint and public information, the chip – made by a manufacturer of high-performance AI chips – is the “most powerful GPU chip on the market,” and is “designed specifically for AI applications,” such as “to develop self-driving cars, medical diagnosis systems, and other AI-powered applications.”
Last week, law enforcement searched ALX Solutions’ office and seized the phones belonging to Geng and Yang that revealed incriminating communications between the defendants, including communications about shipping export-controlled chips to China through Malaysia to evade U.S. export laws.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg, U.S. Attorney Bilal A. Essayli for the Central District of California, and Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI Counterintelligence Division made the announcement.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security and the FBI are investigating this matter.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colin S. Scott, Joseph Guzman, and Jenna Long for the Central District of California are prosecuting this case with assistance from Trial Attorney Chantelle Dial of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Charged with Federal Counts in Georgia Ave. Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Bobby Ransom, 46, of the District of Columbia, and Shawn Seegars, 49, of Forestville, Maryland, were charged by complaint on Aug. 4, 2025, for allegedly robbing the Truist Bank on Georgia Avenue, NW, on July 31, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Ransom, aka “James Ranson,” and Seegars, were charged in U.S. District Court with bank robbery, Hobbs Act robbery (robbery affecting interstate commerce), and D.C. Code robbery.
Joining in the announcement were FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
On Thursday, July 31, 2025, at approximately 2:55 p.m., two men entered the bank branch on the 6400 block of Georgia Avenue, NW. One of the suspects approached the counter and passed a note to the teller stating “Give up the money right now with no problems slide money out.” The teller complied, and both suspects fled the bank with a large sum of money. A weapon was not used during the robbery.
While walking away from the bank, Suspect 1 dropped some of the cash, and Suspect 2 picked it up. The two men then continued walking westbound.
About 5:25 p.m. on July 31, an MPD officer at the Metro Center transit stop at 12th and G Street NW recognized Suspect 1 from a bulletin issued earlier in the day. The officer arrested Ransom and in a search recovered $5,640 in cash. Shawn Seegars was arrested on August 1 by the FBI. Approximately $1,100 was recovered from Seegars at the time of his arrest.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI Washington Field Office's Violent Crimes Task. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared English and John Parron.
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