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10 September 2025
Kansas City Man Indicted for Drug Trafficking, Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Ks., man was indicted by a federal grand jury for drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
Damian Mays, 35, was charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana. He was also charged with possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes and being a felon in possession of firearms. The indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint filed on Sept. 4, 2025.
On Sept. 2, 2025, Kansas City Missouri Police Department officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a Lexus sedan Mays was driving. Instead of stopping, he fled at high speeds in the Lexus and then ran from officers on foot. Law enforcement apprehended Mays and recovered a backpack he had thrown, which contained distribution amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana. In the Lexus, officers found a firearm on the driver’s seat and a second firearm on the driver’s floorboard. While handcuffed and waiting to be transported to jail, Mays escaped and again fled from law enforcement, first on foot and then in a waiting Buick SUV, causing a crash on Interstate 70 before being taken back into custody.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Siegele. It was investigated by the Kansas City Missouri Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Justice Department Sues Fort Worth-Area Tax Preparation Business and Its OwnersRead the Press Release
Note: View complaint here.
The Justice Department today filed a civil injunction suit in federal court in Fort Worth, Texas. The lawsuit seeks to bar Amberley Ritter, Wesley Franklin, Mark Burkart, Kenneth Garner, and DFW Integrity Taxpros Services LLC, which does business as Integrity Tax Pros, from owning or operating a tax preparation business and preparing tax returns for others. The complaint also requests that the court require the defendants to disgorge the return preparation fees they obtained from preparing allegedly false or fraudulent tax returns.
According to the complaint, Ritter, Franklin, and Burkart own Integrity Tax Pros, which operates as tax preparation stores in the Fort Worth area: North Richland Hills, Azle, Watauga, Haltom City, Hurst, and Saginaw. The complaint alleges that Garner acted as the General Manager overseeing Integrity Tax Pros stores.
In the complaint, the government alleges that the defendants, and those acting at their direction, prepare and file tax returns to falsely increase their customers’ refunds, and they profit through high and often undisclosed preparation fees — at the expense of their customers and the Treasury. Examples of misconduct by defendants, and those acting at their direction, alleged in the complaint include:
- Falsely claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit;
- Fabricating businesses and related business income and expenses;
- Claiming false education credits;
- Claiming fabricated COVID-19-related tax credits;
- Fabricating itemized deductions, including for unreimbursed employee business expenses;
- Failing to conduct the required due diligence when claiming tax credits, including the Earned Income Tax Credit; and
- Failing to identify the actual paid preparer of completed tax returns.
The Tax Division reminds taxpayers that the IRS has information, tips and reminders on its site for choosing a tax preparer carefully (Choosing a Tax Professional and How to Choose a Tax Return Preparer) and has launched a free directory of credentialed federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers taxpayers tips to protect their identities and wallets when filing their taxes.
In addition, IRS Free File, a public-private partnership, offers free online tax preparation and filing options on IRS partner websites for individuals whose adjusted gross income is under $79,000. For individuals whose income is over that threshold, IRS Free File offers electronic federal tax forms that can be filled out and filed online for free. The IRS has tips on how seniors and individuals with low to moderate income can get other help or guidance on tax return preparation, too.
In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained civil injunctions and criminal convictions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Ritter - Taxpros Filed Complaint.pdfJustice Department Announces Ruling to Protect Military Servicemembers’ Civilian Employment Pension BenefitsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced that the U.S. District Court of Guam ruled in favor of the United States in its lawsuit against the Government of Guam and the Guam Retirement Fund (Guam) to protect servicemembers’ civilian employment pension benefits while they serve in the military.
When Guam civilian employees such as teachers and firefighters are called for active military service, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) entitles them to receive certain civilian employment benefits, including pension benefits, during their time of military service. In its complaint, the United States alleges that Guam unlawfully considered military leave a break in service and refused to award servicemembers retirement service credit while they were on military leave. Guam also refused to contribute employer contributions, and to accept employee contributions, while servicemembers were on military leave.
“USERRA provides civilian employees with valuable employment benefits while they serve in the military,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Employers cannot deny our military servicemembers these benefits while they sacrifice their time and careers and serve their country.”
On Sept. 4, the district court ruled in favor of the United States on its motion for summary judgment, holding that treating the leave as a break in service violates the servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. The court also held that the servicemembers were entitled to receive employer contributions, and to make employee contributions, in the same amounts and manner as employees not on military leave.
USERRA protects the rights of uniformed servicemembers to reemployment in their civilian employment following absences due to military service obligations, provides that servicemembers shall not be discriminated against because of their military obligations, and ensures that servicemembers receive certain civilian employment benefits, including pension benefits, during their time of military service. The Justice Department prioritizes the enforcement of servicemembers’ rights under USERRA. Additional information about USERRA can be found on the Justice Department’s website www.justice.gov/servicemembers as well as on the Department of Labor’s website at www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra.
Jefferson County woman sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for defrauding elderly victim out of $1.4 millionRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Port Arthur woman has been sentenced to federal prison and ordered to pay over $1.4 million in restitution in a wire fraud scam in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Joanne Schiwart, 28, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on September 10, 2025. Schiwart was also ordered to pay restitution of $1,464,761.47.
According to information presented in court, as part of the fraud scheme over the course of a year, Schiwart wired over $1.4 million from an elderly victim’s retirement accounts by contacting the investment company by phone and using personally identifying information to impersonate the victim and mislead the investment company into thinking they were speaking with the account holder. Among other things, Schiwart used the stolen money to purchase multiple vehicles for herself and as gifts for others.
This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Jackson.
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Jefferson County Man Convicted on Charges Related to Stolen Check Cashing ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal jury has convicted a Jefferson County man for his role in a conspiracy to obtain and deposit stolen checks, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
The jury returned a guilty verdict against Deizman Deandre Ellis, 24, of McCalla, Alabama, after three days of testimony before U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala. Ellis was convicted of all five charges that he faced, including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, possession of stolen mail, and fraudulent use of unauthorized access devices.
According to evidence presented at trial, Ellis was a lead participant in a large-scale stolen check cashing scheme between August 2023 and February 2024. During the scheme, business and personal checks were stolen from blue postal boxes in the Tuscaloosa, Alabama area, using stolen postal keys that were used to open the boxes. Ellis and other conspirators then deposited the stolen checks into co-conspirators’ bank accounts and withdrew cash from those accounts.
In March, co-conspirator Eric Bernard Carter, Jr., 27, of Birmingham, Alabama, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case, with assistance from the Northport Police Department, Rainbow City Police Department, and Tuscaloosa Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brett A. Janich and William R. McComb are prosecuting the case.
Jasper County man sentenced once again to federal prison for drug trafficking violationsRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Buna man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Billy Ray Robinson, Jr., 42, pleaded guilty to distribution and possession of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on September 10, 2025.
According to information presented in court, in July 2024, law enforcement received information that Robinson was hiding methamphetamine on property near his residence in Jasper County. That information led to the seizure of over 2,000 grams of methamphetamine hidden on the property.
At the time, Robinson was on federal supervised release after having served time in federal prison for a 2015 conviction for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. As a result, Robinson’s supervised release term will be revoked, and he will be sentenced to serve an additional term of imprisonment to run consecutively to today’s sentence.
This case was investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety - Criminal Investigations Division and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Gaston.
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Jamestown woman pleads guilty to narcotics conspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Sandra Pavlock a/k/a Sondra L. Pavlock, 45, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that Pavlock was an associate of Zaid Mendoza, a Jamestown-based drug trafficker, distributing heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine to other individuals on Mendoza’s behalf. she utilized Facebook to conduct her drug trafficking activities, often messaging Mendoza about the conspiracy and drug trafficking activities. On February 9, 2024, law enforcement stopped a vehicle Pavlock was riding in along with other individuals. During the traffic stop, officers searched the vehicle and found methamphetamine, which belonged to Pavlock. She was convicted of criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 7th Degree in Jamestown City Court and sentenced to 90 days in prison. On February 29, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a Charles Street residence where Pavlock was inside with others. During the search, they recovered cocaine and oxycodone tablets, $478 in cash, and drug paraphernalia. Pavlock was convicted of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 5th Degree in Chautaqua County Court and sentenced to one year in prison.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division, and the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 10, 2026, before Judge Sinatra.
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Jamestown man sentenced for selling drugs that caused serious bodily injuryRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Bradley D. Knapp, 46, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, was sentenced to serve 97 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that during the conspiracy, Knapp bought and sold heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine for profit and his own use, utilizing Facebook to conduct his drug trafficking activities. Knapp also used a West 9th Street residence in Jamestown to facilitate the manufacture, packaging, and distribution of the illegal drugs. On August 12, 2020, Knapp sold approximately a gram of heroin/fentanyl to an individual identified as M.H. The next day, on August 13, 2020, M.H. took approximately .5 grams of the heroin/fentanyl, overdosed, and stopped breathing. M.H. received multiple doses of Narcan and was revived.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone.
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Independence Pair Indicted for Drug and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Independence, Mo., individuals have been indicted by a federal grand jury for drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
April Henderson, 46, and Donnell Timley, 51, of Independence, Mo., were indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana, along with possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. Timley was also indicted for being a felon in possession of firearms.
On Aug. 28, 2025, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) executed a search warrant at Henderson and Timley’s residence in Independence, Mo. During the search, agents found 1.1 kilograms of cocaine, 317 grams of powder fentanyl, 100 fentanyl pills, 10 pounds of marijuana, and 8 ounces of suspected liquid PCP. Law enforcement also found five firearms and over $66,000 in cash. Henderson and Timley were arrested and had their initial appearances in federal court on Aug. 29, 2025.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Siegele. It was investigated by the DEA with assistance from other federal, state, and local agencies including Kansas Highway Patrol, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Independence Police Department.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Independence Elementary School Teacher Charged with Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., elementary school teacher has been indicted by a federal grand jury for additional child pornography offenses.
Dennis Adlai Hernandez, 28, was charged in a seven-count federal indictment in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. Hernandez was previously charged in a three-count criminal complaint with transportation of child pornography, production and attempted production of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. Today’s indictment includes those charges and four additional counts of production and attempted production of child pornography. The offenses charged in the indictment are alleged to have occurred between August 2022 and August 2025.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
The FBI is seeking to identify potential victims of Hernandez. If you or your child believes they were a victim of Hernandez, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI. If you are under the age of 18, please have your parent/guardian call on your behalf. Your responses are voluntary. Based on your responses, you may be contacted by the FBI and asked to provide additional information.
The FBI is legally mandated to identify victims of federal crimes it investigates. Victims may be eligible for certain services, restitution, and rights under federal and/or state law.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Dunning. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Imperial Resident Indicted for Illegally Possessing Firearm Equipped with Machinegun Conversion DeviceRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Imperial, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating a federal firearms law, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Ja’Shon Spencer, 21, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, Spencer is alleged to have possessed a Glock semiautomatic pistol that was equipped with an illegal machinegun conversion device (MCD) on June 16, 2025. A MCD is one that converts a semiautomatic firearm into a fully automatic firearm.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
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.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Illinois Man Indicted for Smuggling Methamphetamine on TrainRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Chicago, Ill., man was indicted by a federal grand jury for transporting 3.5 kilograms of methamphetamine through Kansas City on a train travelling from Los Angeles to Chicago.
Josue Sabillon, 40, was charged in a single count indictment with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint filed on Sept. 8, 2025.
On Sept. 5, 2025, Sabillon was a passenger on the train enroute to Chicago. According to the affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, a canine trained to detect illegal narcotics alerted to the duffle bag Sabillon had been carrying. Officers searched the duffle bag and found 3.567 kilograms of methamphetamine as well as identification papers connected to Sabillon.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Siegele. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Kansas City Missouri Police Department, and the Missouri Western Interdiction and Narcotics Task Force.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Honduran National Sentenced to Seven Months in Prison for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Honduran national, unlawfully residing in Lynn, Mass., was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. This is the defendants third conviction for illegal reentry.
Douglas Mejia-Romero, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun to seven months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In May 2025, Mejia-Romero pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
Mejia-Romero was previously deported on May 15, 2020, and sometime after this removal, Mejia-Romero unlawfully reentered the United States. Additionally, between 2008 and 2020, Mejia-Romero was removed from the United States on five separate occasions. After each removal, he unlawfully reentered the United States.
This is Mejia-Romero’s third illegal reentry conviction. In May 2015, he was convicted in the District of New Hampshire and received a nine-month prison sentence followed by two years of supervised release. Thereafter, in April 2020, he was again convicted of illegal reentry, this time in federal court in Texas, and received a six-month prison sentence.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Guatemalan Woman Sentenced After Unlawfully Using Identification DocumentRead the Press Release
A woman who unlawfully used a social security card was sentenced today to 109 days in federal prison. Cindy Fabiola Santos-Perez, age 35, a citizen of Guatemala, received the prison term after a guilty plea to one count of unlawful use of an identification document.
In a plea agreement, Santos-Perez admitted that on December 15, 2020, Santos-Perez used a fraudulent social security card to prove her authorization to work in the United States. On April 13, 2021, she again used a fraudulent social security card to prove her authorization to work in the United States. On May 17, 2022, she falsely represented a social security number to be her account number, and she did so with the intent to deceive.
Santos-Perez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Santos-Perez was sentenced to 109 days’ imprisonment. She must also serve a 3-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 Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations, and the Postville Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-2005.
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Gainesville Man Indicted for Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Daniel Reginald Hanna, II, 38, of Gainesville, FL, has been indicted in federal court for one count of attempted distribution of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges.
Hanna appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry on September 5, 2025, for his initial appearance at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville, Florida. Trial is scheduled for October 29, 2025, at 8:30 am before Chief Judge Allen C. Winsor in Gainesville, Florida.
If convicted, Hanna faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment for each count.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Gainesville Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.
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 was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Fraudster Who Submitted over $340,000 in Fake COVID Unemployment Benefits Applications Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Pitt County woman who submitted false pandemic unemployment benefit applications pleaded guilty to theft of government property charges on Wednesday. Shontavia Riddick, 32, faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison when a federal judge sentences her later this year.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Riddick defrauded the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Division of Employment Security (NCDES) by submitting more than 65 fraudulent unemployment benefits claims, requesting more than $340,000 in unemployment benefits. Riddick made false representations on the applications about the applicant’s employment and submitted fraudulent documents to support the applications.
“When people lie, cheat, and steal taxpayers’ money that should be used to support actual struggling citizens, it undermines the whole system,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “We cannot allow individuals to loot the cellar to get fat while starving people go without. Not in Eastern North Carolina.”
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the plea. United States Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Ontjes is prosecuting 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. 4:25-CR-19-M.
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Former Nurse Practitioner from Virginia Sentenced to 87 Months for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Lucas Allen Fussell, 43, of Onley, Virginia, was sentenced today to 87 months in prison in connection with distribution of child pornography videos depicting the rape and sexual abuse of young boys, videos that he sent to an undercover law enforcement officer in June 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Fussell pleaded guilty Dec. 18, 2024, in U.S. District Court, to two counts of distribution of child pornography. The Honorable Rudolph Contreras also ordered Fussell to serve 10 years of supervised release and pay a $20,000 fine.
According to court documents, Fussell used an encrypted messaging application to send and receive numerous videos and images depicting the rape and sexual exploitation of prepubescent boys with another individual. Fussell, who worked as a nurse practitioner, also discussed several of his male patients, including children, in these communications, and boasted about the sophisticated technological measures he took to evade detection by law enforcement.
The FBI came into possession of the other individual’s cellphone. In June 2024, Fussell sent an undercover officer nine videos depicting the sexual exploitation of prepubescent boys.
Fussell was then arrested in July 2024 and has been detained since.
The FBI Washington Field Office and MPD’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI Norfolk Field Office, the Accomack County Sheriff’s Office, the Onley Police Department, CEOS’s High Technology Investigative Unit, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Courtney, Caroline Burrell and Trial Attorney James E. Burke IV of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
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Former NYPD Officer Turned Forex Investor Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY – Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, former New York City Police Department officer Jason Rodriguez was sentenced by United States District Judge Ramon E. Reyes, Jr. to 36 months in prison for his role in perpetrating a fraudulent investment scheme. Rodriguez, along with his co-conspirator Edwin Carrion, induced over 20 individuals to invest over $4 million with their foreign exchange (forex) trading fund, Technical Trading Team LLC, based on a slew of misrepresentations. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Reyes ordered Rodriguez to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $748,394.00 and to pay restitution of $2,305,256.00. Rodriguez pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy in November 2024.
The sentence was announced by Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI).
“Today, the defendant received just punishment for defrauding over 20 individual investors out of millions of dollars of hard-earned money. The defendant violated the trust his clients placed in him by falsely promising them a safe investment opportunity,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue justice for victims of financial crime who fall prey to individuals like Rodriguez who advance their greedy desires at the expense of others.”
According to court filings and the defendant’s admissions, Rodriguez and Carrion founded Technical Trading Team in the spring of 2020 and Rodriguez served as the company’s Chief Operating Officer. Rodriguez had sole trading authority over the vast majority of the nearly $5 million raised by Technical Trading Team from over 20 individual investors. Rodriguez and Carrion promised investors annual investment returns ranging from 18% to 24% and convinced investors to invest based on a number of material misrepresentations. Rodriguez and Carrion promised investors that they were making a safe investment; in reality, Rodriguez disregarded numerous safeguards that he promised investors were in place to protect their investments. For example, though Rodriguez and Carrion promised investors that Technical Trading Team had a “loss reserve account” comprised of funds that would not be traded and could be used to repay investors in the event of market losses, no such “loss reserve account” ever existed. Rodriguez also promised investors that Technical Trading Team would never expose more than 1% of Technical Trading Team investors’ funds to market risk at any given time, only to ignore that safeguard as well. Further, Rodriguez promised investors that Technical Trading Team would not hold trading positions open overnight, which Rodriguez ignored on multiple occasions, including once holding a trade open from February 2021 until April 2022, resulting in a catastrophic loss of over $150,000, representing approximately 12.61% of Technical Trading Team’s assets. Once it became clear to Rodriguez that Technical Trading Team could not pay its investors their promised returns using trading profits, Rodriguez turned Technical Trading Team into a Ponzi scheme and began using money from new investors to pay older investors their interest payments and principal redemptions.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Weintraub is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Liam McNett.
The Defendant:
JASON RODRIGUEZ
Age: 38
Bellerose, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-79
Florida Man Sentenced to 6.5 Years in Prison for $5 Million Fraud Scheme Involving Western Pennsylvania Rental PropertiesRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A former resident of Hudson, Florida, was sentenced in federal court to 78 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction of wire fraud conspiracy, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on Paul Andrew Gulbronson, 59, on September 9, 2025.
According to information presented to the Court, Gulbronson and his co-defendant/wife, Kelly Bonilla—who remains a fugitive residing in Panama—operated Citrona Homes from Florida and Johnstown, Pennsylvania, between 2017 and June 2019. The defendants used Citrona as a housing scheme in which they induced investors through telemarketing calls and online solicitations to purchase Citrona-owned homes or properties in Johnstown by promising to rent “fully renovated” properties to Section 8 tenants. Citrona bought distressed properties and sold them to mostly out-of-state investors at greatly inflated prices, with the promise that they were renovated, tenant-occupied, and managed by Citrona. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) settlement records revealed that, between June 2017 and June 2019, Citrona purchased over 100 homes for approximately $2 million and resold them for approximately $6 million. Very few of the properties were habitable, and some were vacant lots. Financial and bank records identified over $5.3 million that Citrona received from investors, with the investors having lost approximately $5 million of that amount.
“Over the course of several years, Paul Gulbronson misled investors regarding the condition and status of their Citrona Homes properties in order to swindle millions of dollars from those victims, and then—upon learning that he was under investigation for these crimes—fled the United States, leaving dozens of dilapidated properties in his wake,” said Acting United States Attorney Rivetti. “As a result of the outstanding work of our law enforcement partners, Gulbronson has been brought to justice and held accountable for his egregious criminal activity.”
“Gulbronson used a series of lies and misrepresentations to defraud investors into believing they had purchased fully renovated rental properties that would provide them with passive income,” said Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge of the Pittsburgh Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service. “Instead of fulfilling his promises, he used their money to further the fraud scheme and pay for personal expenses, including restaurants, airline tickets, home furnishings, and lease payments for his residences in Florida. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service constantly strives to protect our customers from losing their hard-earned money through mail fraud schemes and will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring those responsible to justice.”
“Paul Gulbronson willfully engaged in a $5 million fraud scheme to induce individuals to make investments on properties under false pretenses, including false statements that payments would be made with federal taxpayer dollars,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Rice with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General (OIG). “HUD OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement and oversight partners to vigorously pursue those who seek to profit by abusing HUD-funded programs.”
Gulbronson, who did not have an official title within Citrona but operated and controlled Citrona, was directly involved in real estate sales to investors, and oversaw the renovations, or lack of renovations, of the properties associated with Citrona. Gulbronson and Bonilla operated Citrona’s sales office in the Holiday, Florida, area from at least June 2017 through May 2019, which included a call center from which employees placed sales calls to potential investors. Between October 2017 and May 2019, Citrona also had a management office, located at 329 Market Street in Johnstown, which operated the property management side of the business including handling complaints from tenants and investors, collecting and depositing rent payments, coordinating repairs and maintenance, and writing checks to pay employees.
Gulbronson and Bonilla used Citrona as a mechanism for enriching themselves by defrauding investors into purchasing unrenovated properties at prices far above fair market value through a series of false pretenses, representations, and promises. Investigators confirmed, for example, that the photos investors were able to view on the company’s website of “available” properties were actually staged and did not accurately depict the investment properties. Gulbronson falsely represented to some of the investors that the properties would be fully renovated at the time of the sale, or that the properties would be fully renovated within a specified period following the sale, when they were not, while some properties were condemned or vacant land when they were sold to unknowing investors.
Assistant United States Attorneys Maureen Sheehan-Balchon and Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the United States Postal Inspection Service and Department of Housing and Urban Development–Office of Inspector General for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Gulbronson.
Florida Man Sentenced to 24 Months for Laundering Proceeds of Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Florida man was sentenced to prison for laundering the proceeds of a health care fraud and kickback scheme involving durable medical equipment (DME) that caused millions of dollars in losses to Medicare and other insurance providers, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Thomas Farese, 83, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by 6 months of home confinement. Farese previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz to a Superseding Information charging him with money laundering.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Farese invested in a DME supply company that was owned and operated by Aaron Williamsky, Nadia Levit, and others involved in a large-scale health care fraud and kickback scheme that involved billing Medicare and other insurers for DME—including orthotic knee, elbow, and back braces—that the receiving patients did not want or need. In April 2019, Williamsky, Levit, and others were arrested and charged for their roles in the scheme. Farese learned of their arrests and fraudulent conduct shortly thereafter and communicated about it with his business partner, Patsy Truglia, who has been convicted for his role in the scheme. Farese then received into his bank account $495,000 in proceeds of the scheme.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Farbiarz sentenced Farese to three years of supervised release (including the 6 months of home confinement) and to pay $1,314,000 in restitution to the victims. Judge Farbiarz also ordered forfeiture of $495,000, which constituted proceeds of the health care fraud scheme.
Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz; and the Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, under the direction of Christopher Silvestro, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Ecker of the Health Care Fraud & Opioids Abuse Prevention Unit in Newark and Darren C. Halverson, Acting Assistant Chief of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
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Defense counsel: James R. Froccaro, Esq.
farese.information.pdfFive Individuals Charged in $20 Million Theft and Fraud Scheme Targeting Hardware and Home Improvement StoresRead the Press Release
A five-count indictment was unsealed earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn variously charging five defendants with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, access device fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The charges arise from a more than two-year scheme to fraudulently acquire and resell over $20 million in building and construction materials, and appliances from home improvement and hardware stores throughout Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island and elsewhere. The defendants were arrested this morning and will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Seth D. Eichenholtz.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Matt McCool, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service (USSS), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the arrests and charges.
“For these defendants, the tools of their trade were not hammers and nails, but fraud and deception. They enriched themselves by targeting programs designed for hard working consumers and small businesses to buy materials for construction and home improvement,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Today’s arrests serve as a warning to those who try to profit from retail fraud: crime doesn’t pay.”
“The Secret Service is proud to help disrupt an alleged criminal syndicate that carried out an elaborate fraud scheme here in New York City, siphoning millions of dollars into its coffers through bad checks in order to procure construction-related materials for illegitimate resale," stated USSS Special Agent in Charge McCool. “I want to congratulate our agents and our partners at both the Eastern District of New York and the NYPD for their hard work in holding these criminals accountable.”
“These defendants allegedly deceived credit lenders with bogus bank checks to steal more than the $20 million of merchandise from hardware and home improvement businesses,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “Schemes like this don’t just affect retail corporations – they hurt honest consumers who rely on these programs to purchase trade supplies. I am thankful to the NYPD investigators, our federal partners at the United States Secret Service and HSI, and the U.S Attorney’s Office for shutting this scam operation down and holding these fraudsters accountable.”
As set forth in court filings, from approximately July 2023 until September 2025, the defendants and their co-conspirators opened, or caused others acting at their direction to open, hundreds of lines of credit that hardware and home improvement stores made available to customers through the stores’ partner banks. These lines of credit included traditional consumer credit cards, which were designed for individual consumers’ personal use at the stores, and commercial lines of credit, which were aimed primarily for small businesses to purchase goods at the stores. The defendants opened many of these credit lines in the names of other people or on behalf of shell companies that had recently been founded or incorporated, were created in the names of straw owners and/or had no legitimate business operations. To increase the credit limits on their credit lines, the defendants presented paper checks to the stores under the guise of pre-funding the accounts or paying for past purchases. In reality, these checks were linked to bank accounts that had insufficient funds to cover the amounts printed on the checks. Before the checks were rejected, however, the defendants purchased significant amounts of building and construction materials for delivery to their warehouses. In total, the defendants and their co-conspirators stole over $20 million in merchandise, much of which they resold to others. Profits of their scheme were then laundered to offshore bank accounts and used to finance the ongoing operations of their warehouses.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the charges, the defendants each face up to 30 years in prison.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorney James R. Simmons is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Asher Martin-Rosenthal.
The Defendants:
KAI XU
Age: 44
Queens, New YorkZHI BIN AN
Age: 56
Brooklyn, New YorkXIANG CHEN
Age: 39
Queens, New YorkSONGHAK LEE
Age: 35
Queens, New YorkKANG ZHANG
Age: 30
Queens, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-275 (RPK)
25-cr-275_indictment.pdfFederal Charges Filed Against Albuquerque Supplier in Major Drug Trafficking InvestigationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man has been indicted on federal charges following a DEA investigation that uncovered a large-scale narcotics trafficking operation in Albuquerque.
According to court documents, on August 13, 2025, DEA agents conducted an undercover operation in Albuquerque in which Jose Magana Garcia, a Mexican national unlawfully present in the United States, was identified as a fentanyl trafficker and source of supply. During the operation, Garcia delivered approximately 2,000 fentanyl pills to an undercover officer through intermediaries. Agents later tracked him to an apartment in northeast Albuquerque where surveillance showed him conducting suspected drug transactions and using counter-surveillance driving tactics.
On August 27, 2025, agents executed a search warrant at the apartment and found Garcia inside. The search uncovered large quantities of narcotics concealed in a couch, including more than 8 kilograms of fentanyl pills, over 4 kilograms of heroin, and nearly 35 grams of methamphetamine. Agents also recovered packaging materials and prepackaged doses consistent with drug distribution.
Garcia is charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Garcia faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Omar Arellano, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division, made the announcement today.
The Drug Enforcement Administration Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office Special Investigations Bureau and the Laguna Pueblo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Elena Stiteler is prosecuting the case.
View the Indictment (Garcia).pdfAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Eight Members of the House of Prayer Christian Churches Indicted for Fraud Schemes in Operation “False Profit”Read the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A federal grand jury, presiding in the Southern District of Georgia, indicted eight individuals connected to the House of Prayer Christian Churches of America (HOPCC) for various fraud schemes and tax charges.
On September 10, 2025, a federal court unsealed a 26-count indictment. The indictment charges:
- FNU LNU (First Name Unknown, Last Name Unknown) aka RONY DENIS, age unknown, of Hinesville, Georgia, West Palm Beach Florida, and Martinez, Georgia, with Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, and Aiding and Assisting in Filing a False Tax Return.
- ANTHONY OLOANS, 54, of Hinesville, Georgia, with Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and Bank Fraud.
- JOSEPH FRYAR, 51, of Hinesville, Georgia and Martinez, Georgia, with Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and Bank Fraud.
- DENNIS NOSTRANT, 55, of Hinesville, Georgia, with Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and Bank Fraud.
- GERARD ROBERTSON, 57, of Hinesville, Georgia, with Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.
- DAVID REIP, 52, of Hinesville, Georgia, with Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and Bank Fraud.
- MARCUS LABAT, 42, of Hinesville, Georgia, with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud.
- OMAR GARCIA, 40, of Palm Bay, Florida, with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud.
The maximum penalties for Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and Bank Fraud are up to 30 years of imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and not more than 5 years of supervised release.
The maximum penalties for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud are up to 20 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and not more than 3 years of supervised release.
The maximum penalties for Aiding and Assisting in the Filing of a False Tax Return are up to 3 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and not more than 1 year of supervised release.
According to the indictment, the group’s leader posed as “Rony Denis,” an identity he allegedly stole in 1983. Using that identity, he became a U.S. citizen in 2002 and went on to establish HOPCC and its affiliate House of Prayer Bible Seminary (HOPBS).
The indictment alleges that Denis and his close associates — Anthony Oloans, Joseph Fryar, Dennis Nostrant, Gerard Robertson, David Reip, Marcus Labat, and Omar Garcia — used their leadership positions to exert extreme control over congregants. The indictment alleges that members were manipulated into turning over personal information, pressured into marriages and divorces arranged by church leaders, and forced to live in properties tied to the defendants that generated rental income.
The defendants are also accused of exploiting military personnel by recruiting them into the church, directing them to enroll in HOPBS, and then using their Veterans Administration benefits to funnel money into church-controlled accounts. Leaders allegedly disguised payouts to themselves as “expense reimbursements,” “love offerings,” and similar terms, while also using fraudulently gained funds to pay credit card bills for the defendants.
The indictment further describes how leaders maintained a list of “ex-HOPCC traitors,” humiliated members for perceived rule violations, and restricted contact with family members who left the church.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking for additional victims (see more below).
Bank Fraud Scheme
According to the indictment, in 2004 until the present, defendants Rony Denis, Anthony Oloans, Joseph Fryar, Dennis Nostrant, Gerard Robertson, and David Reip, along with others, engaged in a long-running conspiracy to defraud financial institutions.
The defendants allegedly recruited members of their organization to serve as “straw buyers” in real estate transactions, concealing the true buyers’ identities. They falsified loan applications and closing documents, used forged powers of attorney, and created limited liability corporations to acquire and transfer properties. After seizing control of these properties, they converted them into rental homes, collecting more than $5.2 million in rental income between 2018 and 2020.
Funds from the scheme were allegedly used to pay mortgages on the properties, cover personal expenses, and benefit members of the conspiracy, while leaving some of the straw buyers with damaged credit and foreclosures.
The Fraudulent Veterans Affairs Education Benefits Scheme
The indictment alleges that beginning no later than 2011 and continuing through 2022, Rony Denis, Omar Garcia, Marcus Labat, and Gerard Robertson conspired to defraud the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and U.S. military veterans of millions in education benefits.
According to the indictment, the defendants fraudulently obtained a religious exemption from state regulators in Georgia to operate two of the five locations of HOPBS. This exemption required that Georgia seminaries not receive federal funds. Nevertheless, the Georgia HOPS applied for and accepted VA education benefits, making it ineligible to maintain the exemption. HOPBS received more than $3 million in education benefits for its Georgia locations and more than $23.5 million for all five locations.
From 2013 through 2021, HOPBS officers fraudulently submitted false certifications to Georgia regulators that claimed the seminary did not receive federal funds, despite receiving millions in VA payments each year. The scheme funneled funding from VA education benefits to its seminary and related church accounts, enriching the defendants while exhausting some veterans’ benefits, often without students completing their programs.
Filing False Tax Returns
The indictment also charges Rony Denis with aiding in the preparation and filing of false income tax returns for calendar years 2018, 2019, and 2020. According to the indictment, Rony Denis falsely reported a total income of $165,601 in 2018, $155,408 in 2019, and $247,433 in 2020, despite knowing those figures were false.
The FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office are seeking additional victims whose personally identifiable information (PII) may have been misused by HOPCC. If you, your family member, or anyone you know has had contact with HOPCC and would like to report a crime, please complete this online questionnaire: fbi.gov/HOPCCVictims.
“This indictment alleges a scheme in which individuals betrayed the trust of church members for self-enrichment at the members’ expense,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “We commend the work of our law enforcement partners in unraveling this fraudulent operation.”
“The defendants are accused of exploiting trust, faith, and even the service of our nation’s military members to enrich themselves,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This indictment makes clear that using coercion, manipulation, and fraud under the guise of religion will not shield wrongdoers from accountability.”
“Safeguarding Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefit funds reserved for deserving veterans remains a priority and our investigators are working diligently in the field to ensure these programs are not exploited for financial gain and greed,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office. “These indictments are a clear warning that the VA OIG, alongside our partners, will continue to aggressively pursue those who seek to defraud these vital VA benefits.”
“The defendants are accused of fraudulently receiving VA education benefits intended for those who honorably served in our country’s armed forces, along with committing other financial crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents are diligently investigating those who commit financial fraud on the U.S. government and law-abiding taxpayers.”
“Those who abuse the housing finance system for fraud will be held accountable,” said Edwin S. Bonano, Special Agent in Charge at the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG). “FHFA-OIG is proud to stand with our law enforcement partners to protect victims and safeguard the integrity of the housing finance system.”
“Today’s coordinated arrests of individuals connected to the House of Prayer Christian Churches of America and House of Prayer Bible Seminary effectively disrupts a calculated scheme to defraud our military service members and veterans of their hard-earned VA benefits,” said Special Agent in Charge Ryan O’Connor of the Department of Army Criminal Investigative Division’s Southern Field Office. “This investigation underscores CID’s unwavering commitment to protecting those who have served, and we will continue to aggressively pursue those who seek to exploit their trust and sacrifice.”
“USCIS will hold those that perpetrate immigration fraud accountable, and we will support any DOJ efforts to denaturalize this criminal, who used a stolen identity to fraudulently obtain U.S. citizenship,” said Sarah Posvar, Associate Portfolio Director, with USCIS' Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate.”
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Housing Finance Authority, the Department of the Army, CID, and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Patricia G. Rhodes and George J.C. Jacobs, III are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Debtor Who Led Crypto Investment Scheme Denied Bankruptcy DischargeRead the Press Release
The U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) recently obtained a judgment denying a bankruptcy discharge of more than $12.5 million to a Texas man who concealed assets and lied in his bankruptcy case to evade his creditors, including investors in his cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme.
On Aug. 1, the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas entered a default judgment against chapter 7 debtor Nathan Fuller. Fuller owned Privvy Investments LLC, a cryptocurrency investment company that he used to divert investor funds. Fuller spent a portion of the money on luxury goods, gambling trips, and a nearly $1 million home for his ex-wife, who was involved in the business and with whom Fuller still resided.
“Fraudsters seeking to whitewash their schemes will not find sanctuary in bankruptcy,” said U.S. Trustee Kevin Epstein of Region 7, which includes the Southern District of Texas. “The USTP remains vigilant for cases filed by dishonest debtors, who threaten the integrity of the bankruptcy system.”
Fuller filed for bankruptcy in October 2024 after a receiver was appointed to take possession of his assets in a lawsuit brought by investors in Texas state court. Following an investigation, the USTP’s Houston office filed a complaint objecting to Fuller’s discharge alleging that Fuller had concealed extensive assets, failed to keep records, and made multiple false oaths regarding his bankruptcy case and a separate bankruptcy filing for Privvy.
After being held in civil contempt for failing to comply with court orders, Fuller admitted that he had operated Privvy as a Ponzi scheme and fabricated documentation to advance the scheme. Fuller also admitted that he gave false testimony and falsified bankruptcy documents to hinder the chapter 7 trustee appointed to administer his and Privvy’s bankruptcy cases.
Following those admissions, Fuller failed to respond to the USTP’s complaint, leading to a default judgment in the USTP’s favor. As a result, Fuller remains personally liable for his debts – including more than $12.5 million in unsecured debts listed in his bankruptcy schedules – and creditors may continue collections on claims against him.
The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 88 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust.
Cumberland Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland - District Chief Judge George Levi Russell, III, sentenced Christopher Lawrence Stouffer, age 39, of Cumberland, Maryland, to 20 years in prison, today, followed by lifetime supervised release, for sexually exploiting two minors. Additionally, Stouffer must register as a sex offender for life.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; James Elliott, State’s Attorney for Allegany County; and Chief John C. Ralston, Jr., Frostburg State University Police.
According to court documents, over several months, Stouffer used his cellular phone to produce numerous explicit videos of one minor victim beginning when she was 9 years old. Stouffer also installed a covert camera in the bathroom and captured explicit images of another minor victim who was 14. He then downloaded these files onto a hard drive where he kept a collection of at least 800 video files, including depictions of infants and toddlers.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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 Hayes commended the FBI and Frostburg State University Police for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen E. McGuinn and Spencer L. Todd who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Columbia Man Charged with Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging a Columbia, Mo., man with possession of a firearm after a prior felony conviction.
Semaj Reshod Clark, 25, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The indictment alleges that on Aug. 10, 2025, Clark possessed a Taurus G3 9mm handgun in Boone County, Mo. Clark has a prior felony conviction and is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the Columbia, Mo. Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Collinsville man imprisoned 46 months for pipe bombRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A Collinsville man will spend almost four years in federal prison for making pipe bombs.
Jeremy Barr, 49, was indicted in March 2024 by a grand jury sitting in East St. Louis of possessing a destructive device and pled guilty to that offense on May 1, 2025. Barr, who has been detained since his arrest on federal charges, was sentenced in District Court on Sept. 3, 2025.
“Improvised explosive devices are inherently unpredictable, unstable, and indiscriminate,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Jeremy Barr threatened innocent lives near a Southern Illinois school, endangering kids, and our community. We thank the brave law enforcement officers who responded, and we pledge to relentlessly pursue bomb makers to protect the public.”
Analysis by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), determined that the explosive device was packed with fragmentation that could have caused serious injury or death upon detonation.
“The defendant in this case left two pipe bombs in a car parked next to a school for two days, posing a direct threat not only to the school but also the surrounding community,” said ATF Chicago Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon. “I want to commend the swift actions of law enforcement and prosecutors, whose efforts helped avert a potential tragedy. ATF remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to disrupt threats to public safety and hold violent offenders accountable.”
As part of his sentence, Barr will pay $15,000 in restitution to his former landlord for damage to the residence caused by the Illinois State Police during execution of a search warrant to determine if other devices might be in the home. According to court documents, there were no additional devices, but evidence of bomb making was found in the basement.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF, the Wood River Police Department, the Collinsville Police Department, the Illinois State Police, the FBI Springfield Field Office and the Illinois Secretary of State Police Hazardous Device Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Burke prosecuted the case.
Citizen of Mexico Indicted on Illegal Reentry ChargeRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced Renato Jardines-Santiago, age 37, of Mexico, was indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of Illegal Reentry.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on or about August 25, 2025, Jardines-Santiago was found in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, after previously having been removed from the United States. The indictment also alleges that Jardines-Santiago had been removed from the United States through San Ysidro, California, and reentered without first obtaining legal permission to do so. He was previously prosecuted in 2019 for illegally reentering the United States after having been removed.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE). Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Consiglio is prosecuting the case.
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 maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Charlotte Man Convicted at Trial for String of Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Andrew Marquis Jackson, 32, of Charlotte, was found guilty today for a string of armed robberies, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Jackson was convicted of three counts of Hobbs Act robbery; three counts of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; two counts of possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; and one count of possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
James C. Barnacle, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
According to evidence presented at trial, witness testimony, and documents filed in the case, Jackson and his co-conspirators, Joshuan Jon’tavious Blount and Messiah Lynn Blair, robbed at least three businesses in Charlotte at gunpoint.
First, court documents show that on January 24, 2023, the defendants entered a Dunkin Donuts located on Beatties Ford Road. Jackson approached the counter and demanded cash from the register. He then fired a shot into the ceiling. Blair jumped over the counter and searched the back office for money. Jackson held an employee at gunpoint while taking money from the registers. Blount was the getaway driver.
U.S. v. Jackson et al. – Armed Robbery at Dunkin Donuts
Second, on January 27, 2023, Jackson entered a 7-Eleven located on Brookshire Blvd. Upon entering the store, the Jackson fired a shot into the ceiling with a handgun. He then pointed a gun at a store employee ordering him to hand over all the money in the register. Jackson took the money and ran out the store. Blount was inside the store pretending to be a customer during the robbery.
U.S. v. Jackson et al. – Armed Robbery at 7-Eleven
Third, on February 1, 2023, Blount went into the Family Dollar store located on Beatties Ford Road store to survey the number of people present. Jackson and Blair then entered the store, armed with firearms. The men pointed their guns at the employee behind the counter and demanded money from the register and safe. The robbers proceeded to take all the cash from the registers before they fled the scene.
U.S. v. Jackson et al. – Armed Robbery at Family Dollar
Jackson is federal custody. At sentencing he faces up to 20 years in prison for each robbery and conspiracy to commit a robbery charge, and a maximum sentence of life in prison for the remaining charges involving possessing, brandishing, and discharging firearms in furtherance of the robberies. His sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Because of his counts of conviction, Jackson must receive a mandatory minimum sentence of 27 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
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Butler County man sentenced to 29 years in prison for sexually exploiting toddler on SnapchatRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Middletown man was sentenced in federal court in Cincinnati to 348 months in prison for sexually exploiting a toddler in Snapchat videos.
Daveion Wright, 32, was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024. He pleaded guilty in April 2025.
According to court documents, on at least five instances in January 2024, Wright sexually exploited a 2-year-old victim, uploaded videos of the explicit conduct, and shared one video on Snapchat.
For example, one 54-second video depicted Wright and an adult female having vaginal intercourse as the toddler victim pushed on Wright’s hips. The other videos showed Wright exposing the toddler’s anus and vagina while Wright had intercourse with the adult female.
As part of Wright’s sentencing, the United States detailed in its court filings that local law enforcement received at least three other complaints against Wright involving different child victims between 2019 and 2023, including allegations of inappropriately touching victims at a sleepover.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division and Middletown Police Chief Earl Nelson announced the sentence imposed on Sept. 9 by Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case.
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Brooklyn Man Convicted of Possession of a Makeshift Knife at the Metropolitan Detention CenterRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY – Jordan Alston was convicted today in federal court in Brooklyn of possessing an object intended to be used as a weapon while an inmate at the Metropolitan Detention Center (the MDC). The verdict followed a three-day trial before United States Second Circuit Judge Denny Chin, sitting by designation. When sentenced, Alston faces up to five years in prison.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New York Division (ATF) announced the verdict.
“It is clear from the defendant’s conviction for possessing this weapon that he is a danger to the community at large as well as inside a correctional institution,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Today’s verdict holds him accountable for his lack of respect for the law.”
“Today’s conviction highlights our commitment to holding violent offenders accountable — wherever they may be,” stated ATF Special Agent in Charge Miller. “Possessing weapons in custody threatens the safety of staff, inmates, and the justice system. ATF New York will continue working with our partners at EDNY USAO to protect our communities at every level.”
On May 31, 2025, while detained pending trial at the MDC for a separate charge for which he was acquitted, a Bureau of Prisons correctional officer conducted a pat-down search of Alston who appeared to be concealing an object in his waistband. The officer retrieved an 8-inch-long makeshift knife from the waistband of Alston’s pants.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorney Tara B. McGrath is in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Amara Padilla.
The Defendant:
JORDAN ALSTON (also known as “Skiito”)
Age: 28
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-510 (DC)
Brockton Man Pleads Guilty to COVID Unemployment FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to submitting fraudulent information in an effort to obtain unemployment benefits through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program.
Nelson Roche Diaz, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy and one count of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Jan. 13, 2026. In January 2025, Roche Diaz was indicted along with co-conspirator Dominik Manigo.
In May 2020, Roche and Manigo submitted fraudulent claims for PUA on the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance portal. Further, Roche and Manigo submitted fraudulent letters claiming the pandemic had impacted their employment at a restaurant in Boston. Neither Roche nor Manigo ever worked at the restaurant. Roche and Manigo each received over $43,000 in PUA and related funds.
Manigo pleaded guilty in July 2025 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 18, 2025.
The charges of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Labor Racketeering and Fraud, Northeast Region; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Weymouth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Bloods Gang Member Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Possessing MachinegunRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Bloods gang member from Lynn, Mass., was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for possessing a loaded machinegun that was recovered from his backpack in January 2025 during a motor vehicle stop.
Delvyn Liriano, 19, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to four years in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. In May 2025, Liriano pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Liriano was indicted on March 5, 2025.
According to court records, Liriano is a known member of the Bloods gang. In late December 2024, Liriano traveled into rival gang territory in order to confront rival gang members with a firearm. At the time, Liriano was on state probation for a 2023 felony firearm conviction in Lynn, in which he pointed a firearm in the face of a former girlfriend and threatened to kill her based upon his belief that she had associated with a rival gang member.
On Jan. 3, 2025, Liriano was observed entering a motor vehicle at his residence in Everett carrying a black backpack. Following a motor vehicle stop for a revoked registration due to lack of insurance, the black backpack carried by Liriano was found to contain a loaded Glock Model 27 firearm with a selector switch (also known as a machinegun conversion device) attached. Liriano was then placed under arrest. Based upon the presence of the selector switch, the firearm was capable of firing fully automatic and was therefore a machinegun. A subsequent search of Liriano’s cellular phones revealed pictures of him in possession of other firearms.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office; and the Lynn, Malden and Everett Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
Blairsville Man Pleads Guilty to Supplemental Security Income Fraud and TheftRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Blairsville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of fraud and theft of government property, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Tarance Benjamin Foster, 68, pleaded guilty before Senior United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti to one count of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) fraud and one count of theft of government property.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Foster applied for SSI benefits—a monthly, needs-based payment benefit afforded to people with disabilities and the elderly who have little or no income—through the Social Security Administration (SSA). Applicants are required to report their wages, assets, and living arrangements as factors for consideration in determining eligibility for SSI.
In 2025, SSA learned that wages were posted to Foster’s record from nine different employers, with employment records establishing that Foster worked from January 2020 through June 2025. Had Foster informed the SSA of his income during this time, he would not have received any SSI benefits. In total, Foster obtained over $34,000 in SSI benefits for which he was not eligible.
Judge Conti scheduled sentencing for January 21, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 10 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Foster.
Baltimore Recidivist Sentenced for Possession of Firearm and Ammunition by Convicted Felon in School ZoneRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Chief Judge George L. Russell, III, sentenced Gary Hall, 34, of Baltimore, Maryland, to nine years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, along with possession of a firearm in a school zone in Baltimore City.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Police Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
On March 5, 2024, BPD received a report about an armed individual in a convenience store. Authorities later identified the individual as Gary Hall, a previously convicted felon. Upon arrival at the convenience store, the responding officer located Hall walking in the direction of Pimlico Elementary School as students were leaving school for the day. The responding officer pursued Hall and identified the handle of a firearm inside of Hall’s inner jacket pocket.
The officer then attempted to stop Hall, but he resisted and engaged in a physical struggle. During the struggle, the officer recovered the loaded firearm from Hall’s inner jacket pocket, but Hall evaded capture. At the time of its recovery, the firearm was equipped with an extended magazine loaded with 19 rounds of 9mm ammunition.
Then on March 6, officers responded to a report of a burglary at a residence located a few blocks away from the convenience store. There, responding officers located and arrested Hall in the basement of the residence.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Tsuei and James Hammond who are prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Alien from Wuhan, China Sentenced for Smuggling Biological Materials into the U.S. for Her Work at a University of Michigan Laboratory and for Lying About the ShipmentsRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Chengxuan HAN, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), was sentenced today to time served (3 months) after having pleaded guilty to three smuggling charges and to making false statements to U.S. Custom and Border Protection Officers, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Acting Special Agent in Charge Reuben Coleman, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division, Director of Field Operations Marty C. Raybon, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Matthew Stentz, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Detroit field office.
According to court documents, Han is a citizen of the PRC who is currently pursuing a Ph.D. from the College of Life Science and Technology in the Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) in Wuhan, PRC. In 2024 and 2025, Han sent multiple packages to the United States from the PRC containing concealed biological material. These packages were addressed to individuals associated with a laboratory at the University of Michigan. On June 8, 2025, Han arrived at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport on a J1 visa. Customs and Border Protection officers conducted an inspection of Han, during which Han made false statements about the packages and the biological materials she had previously shipped to the United States. CBP officers also found that the content of Han’s electronic device had been deleted three days prior to her arrival in the United States. At the conclusion of the border inspection, Han was interviewed by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and ICE HSI. During this interview, Han admitted to sending the packages, admitted that the packages contained biological material related to round worms, and admitted to making false statements to the CBP officers during her inspection.
United States Attorney Gorgon stated, “It is a privilege to study at one of our elite institutions. Aliens should not be abusing our hospitality by smuggling unknown biomaterials into America and then lying about it. The folks who keep us safe must know what aliens like the defendant are bringing into our country. And these convictions are a small but important step in that direction.”
"Today's sentencing reinforces the FBI's unwavering commitment to protecting Americans from individuals who attempt to illegally import biological materials into our country,” said Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “I would like to thank the dedicated members of the FBI Detroit Field Office, alongside U.S. Customs and Border Protection and ICE HSI, who played a vital role in this investigation. I also send my sincerest appreciation to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan for their partnership in securing this successful prosecution. The FBI will remain steadfast in its mission to safeguard our nation and protect our communities from those who attempt to jeopardize the safety and security or the American people."
“While the criminal outcome could have been far worse for Ms. Han, she will be removed from the U.S. and barred from reentry as the result of her actions,” said Director of Field Operations Marty C. Raybon. “This case serves as another example of the interagency effort put forth each day to protect our homeland from a growing number of threats from beyond our borders.”
“Smuggling biological materials into the United States poses a serious threat, and HSI remains committed to work with our partners to investigate and disrupt such activities,” said ICE HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Stentz. “This case highlights the importance of collaboration among federal agencies to protect our communities and uphold the rule of law.”
The FBI, CBP and ICE HSI investigated this case.
9 September 2025
“LockerGoga,” “MegaCortex,” and “Nefilim” Ransomware Administrator Charged with Ransomware AttacksRead the Press Release
Earlier today, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York unsealed a superseding indictment charging Volodymyr Viktorovich Tymoshchuk — also known as deadforz, Boba, msfv, and farnetwork — a Ukrainian national, with serving as an administrator in the LockerGoga, MegaCortex, and Nefilim ransomware schemes.
“Volodymyr Tymoshchuk is charged for his role in ransomware schemes that extorted more than 250 companies across the United States and hundreds more around the world,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “In some instances, these attacks resulted in the complete disruption of business operations until encrypted data could be recovered or restored. This prosecution and today’s rewards announcement reflects our determination to protect businesses from digital sabotage and extortion and to relentlessly pursue the criminals responsible, no matter where they are located.”
“Tymoshchuk is a serial ransomware criminal who targeted blue-chip American companies, health care institutions, and large foreign industrial firms, and threatened to leak their sensitive data online if they refused to pay,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York. “For a time, the defendant stayed ahead of law enforcement by deploying new strains of malicious software when his old ones were decrypted. Today’s charges reflect international coordination to unmask and charge a dangerous and pervasive ransomware actor who can no longer remain anonymous.”
“Volodymyr Tymoshchuk repeatedly used ransomware attacks to target hundreds of companies in the United States and around the globe in attempts to extort victims,” said Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia of the FBI New York Field Office. “Today’s announcement should serve as warning, cyber criminals may believe they act with impunity while conducting harmful cyber intrusions, but law enforcement is onto you and will hold you accountable. The FBI along with our law enforcement partners will continue to scour the globe to bring to justice any individual attempting to use the anonymity of the internet to commit crime.”
“The criminals behind Nefilim ransomware may believe they can profit from extortion and data leaks, but they are wrong,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. S. Johnson of the FBI’s Springfield Field Office. “The FBI is actively pursuing them to disrupt their operations and bring them to justice. We urge all organizations to report these attacks immediately — because every report helps us dismantle these networks and ensure cybercriminals are held accountable.”
As alleged in the superseding indictment, between December 2018 and October 2021, Tymoshchuk used the LockerGoga, MegaCortex, and Nefilim ransomware variants to encrypt computer networks in countries around the world, including in the Eastern District of New York, elsewhere in the United States, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland. These ransomware attacks caused millions of dollars of losses, including damage to victim computer systems, remediation costs, and ransomware payments to the perpetrators. In these attacks, the perpetrators typically customized the ransomware executable file (the ransomware file responsible for encryption) for each ransomware victim. The customization allowed the ransomware actors to create a decryption key that could only decrypt the network of the specific victim. If a victim paid the ransom demand, the perpetrators would send a decryption tool, which enabled the victim to decrypt the computer files locked by the ransomware program.
Between July 2019 and June 2020, Tymoshchuk and his co‑conspirators are alleged to have compromised the networks of more than 250 victim companies in the United States and hundreds of other companies around the world with LockerGoga and MegaCortex. However, many of these extortion attempts were unsuccessful because law enforcement often notified victims that their networks had been compromised before Tymoshchuk and his co-conspirators were able to deploy the ransomware. Subsequently, from July 2020 through October 2021, Tymoshchuk is alleged to have been one of the administrators of the Nefilim ransomware strain. Tymoshchuk and the other Nefilim administrators provided other Nefilim ransomware affiliates, including co‑defendant Artem Stryzhak, who was extradited from Spain and faces charges in the Eastern District of New York, with access to the Nefilim ransomware in exchange for 20 percent of the ransom proceeds extorted from Nefilim victims.
In September 2022, as part of an international coordinated effort against LockerGoga and MegaCortex ransomware, decryption keys associated with those ransomware variants were made available to the public via the “No More Ransomware Project,” an initiative to empower ransomware victims to decrypt encrypted computers without paying a ransom. These decryption keys enabled compromised victim companies and institutions to recover data previously encrypted with LockerGoga and MegaCortex ransomware.
Tymoshchuk is charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud and related activity in connection with computers, three counts of intentional damage to a protected computer, one count of unauthorized access to a protected computer, and one count of transmitting a threat to disclose confidential information.
The FBI is investigating this case.
Trial Attorney Brian Z. Mund of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander F. Mindlin and Ellen H. Sise for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided critical assistance, as did the FBI’s Legal Attachés, authorities in France, Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and Ukraine, and Europol and Eurojust via ICHIP The Hague.
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.
Concurrent with the unsealing of the superseding indictment, the U.S. Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime (TOC) Rewards Program is offering a rewards totaling up to $11 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction or location of Tymoshchuk or his conspirators.
Anyone with information on these malicious cyber actors, or associated individuals or entities, should contact the FBI via phone at +1-917-242-1407 or by email at [email protected]. If you are in the United States, you can also contact your local FBI field office. If outside the United States, you can visit the nearest U.S. embassy. More information about the TOC reward offer is located on the State Department website.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Worksite Enforcement Operation Leads to Five Criminal Arrests and More than 50 Administratively Detained AliensRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Federal law enforcement officers detained 57 illegally present aliens at their place of illegal employment in Cayuga County, New York, on September 4. Five of them have been charged by criminal complaint with illegally reentering the United States after a prior removal. They are:
- Alex Ben Chipin, a/k/a Alex Ben-Chiping, a/k/a Alex Bing-Chiping, a/k/a Antonio Lopez-Mendez, age 39, of Guatemala;
- Argentina Juarez-Lopez, age 50, of Guatemala;
- Luis Jom-Morales, age 27, of Guatemala;
- Gregorio Baldemar Ramirez-Perez, age 45, of Guatemala; and
- Francisco Salvardo-Mora, age 22, of Mexico.
Each defendant is charged separately. The charges in the complaints are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The remaining 52 aliens were detained administratively pending immigration proceedings.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office; Acting Chief Patrol Agent James P. D’Amato, United States Border Patrol, Buffalo Sector; and Harry Chavis, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), New York Field Division
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III said, “These defendants face charges arising out of one of the largest worksite enforcement actions in recent history. Employers across the Northern District of New York must understand that they risk criminal investigation if they are employing non-citizens who are not authorized to work in the United States. Across Upstate and Central New York, there are hard-working Americans in need of well-paying jobs, especially in Cayuga County where unemployment is relatively high. Our worksite enforcement actions will ensure that those jobs go to people who are authorized to work in the United States, and not to aliens who illegally re-enter our country after prior deportations.”
Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge, HSI Buffalo, stated, “Today’s announcement underscores the continued coordination of law enforcement partners with the goal of uncovering possibly dangerous or abusive business practices and, in turn, protecting the public from labor exploitation. While this continues to be an active and ongoing criminal investigation, HSI remains committed to protecting the rights of workers and upholding U.S. laws, including by identifying and addressing exploitation in the workplace, ensuring compliance with labor and immigration laws, and safeguarding the integrity of our nation's workforce.”
Harry T. Chavis, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-CI New York, stated, “IRS-CI has a long history of collaborating with our law enforcement partners, and worksite enforcement operations are no different. Businesses are expected to apply good employment practices in hiring their workforce in accordance with U.S. laws and reporting payroll and other related financials appropriately. IRS-CI will continue to use their financial expertise in furthering these types of investigations.”
The charges filed against the five defendants listed above carry a maximum term of 2 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 1 year. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
HSI, Border Patrol, and IRS-CI are investigating the cases with investigative and/or operational assistance from various agencies including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the United States Marshals Service, the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office, and the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry is prosecuting the cases.
Woman Who Committed Murder at an Ohio National Park to Spend More Than 22 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – An Alexandria, Virginia woman has been sentenced to prison after admitting that she drove more than 300 miles across state lines to meet with a 31-year-old man whom she shot and killed at a national park in Northern Ohio.
Chelsea Perkins, 35, was sentenced to 270 months (22.5 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. after pleading guilty in May to murder in the second degree and using or carrying and discharging a firearm during, and in relation to, a crime of violence on federal property. She was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment. Restitution is to be determined at a later date.
Court documents show that in March 2021, Perkins drove her husband’s Smart car from Virginia to Ohio to meet with the victim, Matthew Dunmire, whom she knew. After she picked him up, they spent the night at a vacation rental home. On the morning of March 6, Perkins drove Dunmire to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Valley View, Ohio. They hiked past a cemetery, across deep ravines, and off-trail into a wooded area. While on those federal park grounds, Perkins used a loaded firearm she brought with her and shot Dunmire in the back of the head, killing him. She then left the scene and drove to Michigan to get a tattoo of a noose on her forearm before driving back to Virginia.
During the investigation, evidence linked Perkins to the shooting. Federal agents executed a search warrant at her home in Virginia and found three 9mm pistols, including one inside a woman’s purse that also contained Perkins’ photo identification. The firearm later tested positive for Perkins’ DNA. Investigators also found a deleted note on Perkins’ cellphone that appeared to be a fake suicide note purportedly written by Dunmire that Perkins created around the time that Dunmire’s body was found. Dunmire’s body was found by hikers several days after the shooting.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, National Park Service Investigative Branch, Valley View Police Department, and Cuyahoga Valley National Park Police Department.
The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Scott Zarzycki, Margaret A. Kane, and Adam J. Joines for the Northern District of Ohio.
Whitley County Man Sentenced to 420 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Joel J. McClure, 38 years old, of Columbia City, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of children, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
McClure was sentenced to 300 months in prison for the count of sexual exploitation of children, and a consecutive term of 120 months imprisonment for committing that offense while being a registered sex offender, for a total sentence of 420 months, followed by 5 years of supervised release.According to documents in the case, McClure used the internet to solicit a fourteen-year-old girl to produce and send him child sexual abuse material, which he then shared with others on the internet. McClure then lured the child to meet with him in person and provided her vape pens and THC gummies in exchange for sexual contact. McClure was a registered sex offender at the time of this offense, having previously been convicted of an offense against children in Texas.
“Joel McClure is a sexual predator of the worst kind,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Proctor. “He abused a child in Texas, was convicted of that crime, and was required to register as a sex offender. Yet those severe consequences failed to deter him from ensnaring another child in his web of lies and then exploiting that child for his own perverse gratification. In other words, he has shown that only a long prison sentence will keep our families safe from his depredations. Thankfully, the exceptional work of this Office and our Project Safe Childhood partners secured a 35-year sentence that will lock him away in a place where he can do no more harm to our nation’s children.”
“This sentence reflects the seriousness of the crimes committed and the lifelong impact they have on victims,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley. “The FBI will never stop working to protect children and hold predators accountable - we will relentlessly pursue anyone who seeks to harm the most vulnerable among us.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Allen County Sheriff’s Department/FBI Task Force with assistance from the Cook County (Illinois) Sheriff’s Department, the Schaumburg (Illinois) Police Department, the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department, the Indiana State Police, the Whitley County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Cook County (Illinois) Prosecutor’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Valentine’s Day gas station robber who tried to plead insanity found guiltyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 42-year-old Houston man has been convicted on all five counts as charged in relation to several Houston-area robberies, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The jury deliberated for less than two hours before finding Ahmed Oraby Ahmedaly guilty of attempted robbery and two counts each of robbery and discharging a firearm following a five-day trial.
During trial, the jury heard from store clerk victims, a firearm and tool mark examiner and other members of law enforcement. Testimony revealed that on Feb. 9, 2022, Ahmedaly entered a Houston-area gas station pretending to be a customer, brandished a 9mm pistol at a store clerk and demanded cash. Five days later, he robbed two more convenience stores in west Houston on the same night. In each, he again brandished the pistol and demanded money. During the Feb. 14 robberies, he also discharged the firearm inside the stores as he ordered clerks to quickly comply.
The jury saw video surveillance capturing a blue Honda at all three robberies which showed the same man entering the stores.
At the time of his arrest, authorities recovered the loaded 9mm pistol in his vehicle. Forensic analysis confirmed the firearm matched a recovered cartridge casing from the Feb. 14 robbery.
The jury also heard several jail calls in which Ahmedaly discussed the firearm being used and admitted he was the man seen on store video.
The defense claimed Ahmedaly was insane at the time of the offenses and attempted to offer testimony from his friend and sister as part of that argument. However, the court heard evidence that his sister and friend had, in fact, had minimal contact with him for years prior to the offenses.
A forensic psychologist who had examined Ahmedaly found he was faking and exaggerating his psychotic symptoms.
The jury also heard rebuttal information to explain his sane behavior and the same methods of operation he used in all three store robberies. On the stand, Ahmedaly admitted he knew what he did was wrong.
The jury ultimately did not believe defense claims and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett presided over the trial and set sentencing for Dec. 11. At that time, Ahmedaly faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with assistance from the Houston Police Department, Harris County Constables Office - Precinct 5 and Waller County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez and Andrew Sand are prosecuting the case.
United States Files Forfeiture Action Against More Than $12 Million in Funds Involved in Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – The United States Attorney’s Office filed a civil forfeiture complaint on Friday against more than $12 million in Tether cryptocurrency relating to a cryptocurrency investment fraud scheme. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
According to the complaint, the FBI identified 10 female Mandarin-speaking victims of a cryptocurrency investment fraud scheme who lost at total of more than $10.3 million. The unidentified perpetrator(s) courted his victims after striking up unsolicited conversations via text message and then persuaded them to invest large sums of money using a fraudulent website called ShakepayEX, which was made to mimic a popular cryptocurrency exchange based in Canada. When the victims tried to withdraw their funds, they were met with various excuses and fraudulent demands. Law enforcement used blockchain analysis and other investigative techniques to determine that the cryptocurrency sought to be forfeited was tied to the scheme.
Acting United States Attorney Sarcone said: “Cryptocurrency investment scams are the latest vehicle for con artists from all over the world to victimize Americans right here in our backyards. But this civil action is the latest example that law enforcement can and will use all the tools at our disposal to ensure that those who abuse legitimate technology will not profit from their deviant conduct.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Tremaroli said: “Cryptocurrency scams are one of the most prevalent and damaging fraud schemes the FBI investigates. They have a devastating financial impact on victims and cause a tremendous amount of emotional distress. This filing serves as a reminder the FBI will continue to work with our partners to use every resource available to identify these schemes, investigate the criminals perpetrating them, and seek justice and relief for the victims.”
The FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Rosenthal is representing the United States.
Anyone who believes they are a victim of a cybercrime – including cryptocurrency scams, romance scams, and investment scams – should contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov.
U.S. Trustee Program Obtains More Than $1.1M in Monetary Relief Against 12 Defendants in Nationwide Foreclosure Defense SchemeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) recently obtained a judgment imposing more than $1.1 million in civil penalties, fines, damages, and fees against 12 defendants who collaborated in a nationwide scheme to defraud vulnerable homeowners facing foreclosure.
On Aug. 28, following an eight-day trial on the USTP’s complaint, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Louisiana entered judgment against NVA Financial Services LLC; its president and sole member, Steven Nahas; Karen Kisch, the defendants’ managing attorney; and nine associates involved in the business. The court found “overwhelming evidence” that the defendants carried out a scheme in which homeowners were “shunted into frivolous pro se bankruptcy cases” so that the defendants could continue billing the homeowners under the pretense of gaining time to negotiate loan modifications. The USTP introduced evidence at trial showing that the scheme resulted in at least 186 abusive bankruptcy filings.
“This judgment makes clear that those who abuse the bankruptcy system to exploit struggling homeowners will be held accountable,” said Acting Director Ramona D. Elliott of the Executive Office for U.S. Trustees. “The USTP will remain vigilant to root out schemes that threaten the integrity of the bankruptcy system.”
The USTP’s complaint arose out of a chapter 13 bankruptcy case filed by a homeowner from West Monroe, Louisiana, who had sought mortgage assistance to avoid a foreclosure sale. The homeowner paid a $1,100 retainer for what he believed was legal representation, followed by multiple $500 monthly payments debited from his bank account. The defendants’ local counsel in Louisiana, who the homeowner believed was representing him, never communicated with him or provided any assistance. Instead, with the foreclosure sale date approaching, an NVA associate sent the homeowner a bare-bones bankruptcy petition — listing the mortgage lender as the only creditor — and told him how to file it on his own. The bankruptcy court dismissed the petition a month later for failure to provide proof of required pre-bankruptcy credit counseling and failure to pay the filing fee.
The defendants continued to debit the homeowner’s bank account for “loan modification services” while pressuring him to file another bankruptcy case. After the homeowner received notice of a rescheduled foreclosure sale, he hired a local bankruptcy attorney, but the defendants repeatedly urged him to fire the attorney and allow them to continue to “work his file.” The homeowner’s new attorney reopened the bankruptcy case and eventually negotiated a mortgage loan modification for the homeowner.
In an opinion accompanying the judgment, the bankruptcy court concluded that each of the 12 defendants had abused multiple sections of the Bankruptcy Code governing bankruptcy petition preparers, debt relief agencies, and attorneys, resulting in at least 186 abusive bankruptcy filings nationwide. While trying to hide their involvement in the fraudulent scheme, the defendants tried to earn as much money as possible and often abused the bankruptcy process.
Along with imposing $1.1 million in monetary relief, the court temporarily suspended Kisch and the defendants’ local counsel in Louisiana from practicing before the bankruptcy court and referred them to attorney disciplinary authorities for violations of professional conduct rules. Two associates involved in the business were referred to disciplinary authorities as well for their unauthorized practice of law.
The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 88 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust.
U.S. Attorney Remarks – News Conference, September 9, 2025Read the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – We are here to announce that on September 4, federal law enforcement officers conducted a major worksite enforcement operation in Cayuga County, New York, detaining 57 people unlawfully present in this country.
Among those detained, five have been criminally charged for illegally reentering the United States after prior removal — a felony offense that undermines the security of our borders and the safety of our communities. Each defendant is charged separately. The charges in the complaints are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Last week’s operation enforced our immigration laws, but it also struck a blow for fairness and opportunity for hard-working, able-bodied Americans who deserve access to all of the well-paying jobs in their communities, some of which suffer from relatively high unemployment rates. I am not here to comment on the specific employer whose offices were the subject of last week’s operation. What I will say, more broadly, is that employers that knowingly hire unauthorized workers are breaking the law and also contributing to a system that harms our economy, jeopardizes public safety, and devalues the hard work of lawful employees.
To employers across the Northern District of New York: heed this warning. We will aggressively pursue criminal investigations against those who violate our laws by employing non-citizens without authorization. There will be consequences. The bad old days of turning a blind eye are over.
We recognize the contributions that lawful immigrants make to our communities. But illegal reentry after deportation is a flagrant violation of federal law — and it will not be tolerated. Nor will we tolerate the greed of those employers that knowingly hire illegal aliens.
We will continue to work in close coordination with our partners at Homeland Security Investigations, the Border Patrol, the IRS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and other agencies to identify violators and hold them accountable.
You can expect to see federal law enforcement at more worksites, going forward. We owe it to the American people to enforce our immigration laws fairly, firmly, and without exception.
Three Indicted and Arrested for Covid-Related Unemployment Insurance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
In a coordinated arrest by several law enforcement agencies, three defendants were arrested today for their roles in a Covid-fraud scheme targeting the California Employment Development Department (EDD), U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
Yolanda Butler, 49, was arrested in Oklahoma, and her son Legerrius Holt, 28, was arrested in Colorado. Both are formerly of Stockton. The third defendant, Quamaine Massey, 33, formerly of North Carolina, was arrested in Ohio. On Aug. 7, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment charging the defendants with mail fraud; Butler and Holt are additionally charged with aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, between April 2020 and June 2021, the defendants perpetrated a mail fraud and identity theft scheme that targeted the Unemployment Insurance benefit program that California administers through EDD. Under the 2020 CARES Act and the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, EDD was responsible for administering unemployment insurance benefits for qualifying residents who could no longer find employment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The defendants obtained the personally identifiable information (PII) of dozens of individuals and filed at least 69 fraudulent unemployment insurance benefit claims under their identities. EDD approved many of these applications and mailed benefits in the form of prepaid debit cards to addresses under the defendants’ control, including dozens to Butler and Holt’s home address in Stockton and at least three to Massey’s home in North Carolina.
Once received, the defendants activated the cards and spent the benefits on themselves. In total, the defendants’ conduct resulted in EDD and the United States paying out more than $1.1 million, with an intended loss of more than $1.4 million.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Department of Homeland Security-Office of Inspector General, and California EDD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise N. Yasinow is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, all defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison for mail fraud, and Butler and Holt face a mandatory additional sentence of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft. The defendants also face a maximum fine of $250,000 on each count. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This effort is part of a California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force operation, one of five interagency COVID-19 fraud strike force teams established by the U.S. Department of Justice. The California Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources in the Eastern and Central Districts of California and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces use prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
Tangipahoa Parish Man Guilty of Violating Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – RODNEY BERRY (“BERRY”), age 42, plead guilty on August 28, 2025, to violations of the Federal Controlled Substances Act before United States District Judge Barry Ashe, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.
BERRY plead guilty to Counts 1, 6, and 7 of the indictment pending against him. Count 1 charged BERRY with conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, controlled substances, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1); § 841(b)(1)(A); § 841(b)(1)(B); and 846. Count 6 charged BERRY with illegal use of a communications facility, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. §843(b) and Title 18, U.S.C. §2. Count 7 charged BERRY with possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and § 841(b)(1)(B).
On Count 1, BERRY faces a minimum of 5 years and up to 40 years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and at least 4 years of supervised release following imprisonment. On Count 6, BERRY faces up to 4 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 1 year of supervised release following imprisonment. On Count 7, BERRY faces a minimum of 5 years and up to 40 years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and at least 4 years of supervised release following imprisonment. As to each charge, BERRY also faces payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to the indictment, beginning at a time unknown, but continuing until at least September 10, 2024, BERRY and seven other individuals conspired to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, fentanyl and methamphetamine throughout the Tangipahoa Parish region of the Eastern District of Louisiana. The conspiracy was carried out through wire and electronic communications.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at http://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Acting United States Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Hammond Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Sarver of the Narcotics Unit.
Tampa Man Sentenced for Money Laundering Conspiracy and Operating an Unlicensed Money Transmitting BusinessRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Pratikbhai Patel (32, Tampa) to three years and five months in federal prison for conspiring to commit money laundering and for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. As part of his sentence, Patel also agreed to pay more than $650,000 in restitution and forfeiture obligations. Patel previously pled guilty in two different cases. The first was on March 26, 2025, for conspiring to commit money laundering; the second on April 23, 2025, for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.
According to court documents, from July through October 2018, Patel acted as a “runner” for an overseas call center scheme where conspirators falsely identified themselves as law enforcement officers and threatened victims with imminent arrest, lawsuit, or other economic consequences unless the victims made immediate payments to other conspirators. Patel received wired funds from victims in his business account, quickly withdrew the money before the victims disputed the wire transfer, then turned over the fraud proceeds to another conspirator.
In a second case, from about September 2020 to February 2023, Patel used business accounts in the names of “Tampa Smoke Shop LLC” and “Mamba Distro LLC” to make same-day cash deposits that were then transferred to other entities with no known business purpose. In total, he completed 235 wire transfers in this manner to 115 unique counterparties in exchange for a fee between 1% and 1.5% of the wired funds. Patel was never licensed with the State of Florida to operate a money transmitting business.
“The defendant preyed on vulnerable victims to satisfy his greed,” said Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker, IRS Criminal Investigation Tampa Field Office. “This prosecution should serve as a warning to those intent on exploiting others through financial crimes. IRS-CI will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to investigate complex fraud and money laundering schemes to protect our communities.”
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Suzanne Huyler and Dan Baeza.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multiagency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Southwest Harbor Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Southwest Harbor man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to two counts of receiving child pornography and one of count possessing child pornography.
According to court records, in October 2023, Gary Peters, 36, received child pornography he solicited online from two minors using a social media and messaging application. On March 27, 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant at Peters’ home in Southwest Harbor, resulting in the discovery of additional child pornography on electronic devices including his cell phone.
Peters faces from 5 to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
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South Windsor Man Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Immigrant Clients, USCISRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BABAR KHAN, 46, of South Windsor, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 18 months of imprisonment and two years of supervised release for conspiracy and tax offenses related to a scheme through which individuals seeking immigration services were defrauded.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Khan and his wife, Khatija Khan, operated JLLAS CORP. and EIMAAN LLC, which were created to provide services to clients involved in proceedings with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”). From 2015 to 2020, the Khans recruited clients who sought some form of immigration status, relief, or benefit. Many of these clients were aliens residing in the U.S. without legal status and had limited education, a limited ability to understand English, and little to no knowledge of the documents that the Khans were filing with USCIS on their behalf.
Khatija Khan represented herself as an attorney with a background in immigration matters, even though she was not an attorney. The Khans prepared petitions and applications for their clients that contained information that they knew to be false. They also fabricated false documents to support their clients’ applications with USCIS without their clients’ knowledge. They then mailed, or caused to be mailed, these fraudulent applications and documents to USCIS, where they were received and made part of the official Alien file of each respective client.
Many of the Khans’ clients received no relief from USCIS despite paying the Khans significant amounts of money. To generate fees from clients, Khatija Khan filed applications with USCIS even when the submissions lacked merit or a legitimate basis. Victims lost more than $300,000 as a result of this scheme.
In addition, in the 2016 tax year, Babar Khan failed to report to the IRS approximately $27,901 in additional taxable income and failed to pay an additional $7,942 in federal taxes that were owed.
Babar Khan and Khatija Khan were arrested on December 19, 2019. After her arrest, Khatija Khan continued to defraud multiple clients.
On February 28, 2022, Babar Khan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, and one count of making and subscribing a false tax return.
Khatija Khan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and one count of mail fraud. On September 1, 2022, she was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment.
Babar Khan, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on March 18, 2026.
Judge Underhill ordered Babar Khan to pay $371,743 in restitution, $367,743.75 to be paid jointly and severally with Khatija Khan.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, with assistance from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a man from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, convicted of Production of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on September 8, 2025.
Amir Kalomo Mulamba, age 29, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Upon release from federal prison, Mulamba must register as a sex offender.
Mulamba was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2021. He pleaded guilty on June 16, 2025.
The conviction stemmed from incidents between May 30, 2021, and June 25, 2021, when Mulamba used Snapchat to meet and coerce a 14-year-old female living in Utah to engage in sexually explicit conduct, record that conduct, and provide those recordings and images to Mulamba. The coercion included convincing the minor female to record and send to Mulamba a video of her penetrating herself with a foreign object. In exchange for the videos and images, Mulamba promised to buy the victim a cellular phone.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted 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.
Mulamba was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.