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Thursday 26 June 2025
North Stonington Woman Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Crystal MethRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JILL MULLIGAN, 45, of North Stonington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking crystal meth.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in April and May 2023, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force made three controlled purchases of crystal meth from Mulligan. Mulligan was arrested on May 4, 2023. At the time of her arrest, searches of Mulligan’s North Stonington residence and her vehicle revealed approximately 390 grams of crystal meth, and quantities of crack cocaine, LSD, and prescription pills.
On November 1, 2023, Mulligan pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. She has been detained since March 12, 2025, when her bond was revoked.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reed Durham.
Ninth and Tenth FCI Dublin Correctional Officers Charged with Sexual Abuse of Female InmatesRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Two former correctional officers at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, Calif., Jeffrey Wilson and Lawrence Gacad, were charged yesterday by information with sexual abuse of female inmates. Wilson and Gacad are the ninth and tenth correctional officers to be charged in connection with the wide-ranging investigation into sexual abuse of inmates at the federal prison.
Wilson, 34, is charged with five counts of sexual abuse of a ward related to his alleged abuse of an FCI Dublin inmate, C.S. The information alleges that Wilson engaged in sexual abuse of the victim on multiple occasions between March 14, 2022, and Aug. 16, 2022. The acts allegedly occurred in a medical room at FCI Dublin. Wilson is also charged with falsely telling federal agents that he had never had sexual contact with C.S. and that he had never given her contraband while she was an inmate at FCI Dublin.
Gacad, 33, is charged with one count of abusive sexual contact related to his alleged abuse of an FCI Dublin inmate, S.L., between March 1, 2022, and June 14, 2022.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian, Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Hunt, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani made the announcement.
As part of the Department of Justice’s ongoing investigation into FCI Dublin, 10 FCI Dublin correctional officers have been charged with crimes related to the sexual abuse of the female prisoners at the facility. The status of these cases is below:
Defendant
Case NumberStatusWarden Ray J. Garcia4:21-cr-00429-YGRConvicted on all counts by jury on Dec. 8, 2022; sentenced to 70 months in prisonCO John Bellhouse4:22-cr-00066-YGRConvicted on all counts by jury on June 5, 2023; sentenced to 63 months in prisonChaplain James Highhouse4:22-cr-00016-HSGPleaded guilty on Feb. 24, 2022; sentenced to 84 months in prisonCO Enrique Chavez4:22-cr-00104-YGRPleaded guilty on Oct. 27, 2022; sentenced to 20 months in prisonCO Ross Klinger4:22-cr-00031-YGRPleaded guilty on Feb. 10, 2022; sentenced to one year of home confinementCO Andrew Jones4:23-cr-000212-YGRPleaded guilty on Aug.17, 2023; sentenced to 96 months in prisonCO Nakie Nunley4:23-cr-000213-YGRPleaded guilty on Sept. 5, 2023; sentenced to 72 months in prisonCO Darrell Smith (a/k/a “Dirty Dick Smith”)4:23-cr-00110-YGRIndicted on April 13, 2023; trial scheduled for Sept. 2, 2025CO Jeffrey Wilson4:25-cr-00180Information filed on June 25, 2025CO Lawrence Gacad4:25-cr-00181Information filed on June 25, 2025An information merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Wilson faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each count of sexual abuse of a ward in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2243(b) and eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the count of false statements to a government agency in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2). Gacad faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the count of abusive sexual contact in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2244(a)(4). Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Paulson, Alethea Sargent, Sailaja Paidipaty, and Molly Priedeman are prosecuting these cases with the assistance of Veronica Hernandez and Amala James. The prosecutions are the result of an investigation by the DOJ OIG and the FBI.
Nine Members of 36th and Penn “Big Sip” Drug Trafficking Organization Indicted on Fentanyl Conspiracy and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Nine defendants have been indicted on federal fentanyl and firearms charges for their involvement in the “Big Sip Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO)” — a violent drug trafficking organization that that sold out of at least five apartment buildings near the intersection of 36th Avenue North and North Penn Avenue in Minneapolis, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
“Today marks the federal takedown of yet another dangerous criminal organization. And we will not stop,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “The Big Sip drug trafficking organization wreaked havoc at 36th and Penn, bringing guns, violence, and deadly fentanyl to neighborhood apartment buildings. The law abiding people of Minneapolis deserve better. I am proud of the federal, state, and local team that came together to protect the neighborhood from this fentanyl trafficking organization.”
According to court documents,Larry McGee, 42, Danielle Robberstad, 35, Maurice Montgomery, 31, Dameon Collins, 24, Marcus Lucious, 53, Romell Vann, 22, Bobby Nolan, 43, and Jeremy Lucious, 35, all are members of a drug trafficking organization (“DTO”) known as the “Big Sip DTO,” a high-volume fentanyl sales operation that sold out of at least five apartment buildings near the intersection of 36th Avenue North and North Penn Avenue in Minneapolis. The Big Sip DTO’s operation contributed to crime in the area, including shootings, homicides, and drug use, from August 2023 through June 2025. The defendants were indicted for a Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl in violation of Title 21 United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 846. Three defendants, Montgomery, Collins, and Vann, were also indicted for Possessing Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c). Seven defendants made their initial appearnces today and are all detained pending further proceedings. An eighth defendant will make his initial appearance tomorrow. A ninth defendant remains under seal. The defendants all face up to life in prison.
According to court documents, the Big Sip DTO originated in the summer of 2023, led and operated by defendants McGee and Robberstad, who are husband and wife. The Big Sip DTO was an efficient sales operation with defined roles. At the top, McGee led the organization. He obtained and stored the fentanyl product, collected proceeds, and managed other members of the organization. Robberstad was a co-leader of the organization. Robberstad maintained the apartments used for fentanyl storage and sales, interacted with customers, provided vehicles for use by the organization members, and managed other members’ sales.
Defendants Montgomery, Collins, M. Lucious, Vann, Nolan, and J. Lucious were also members of the Big Sip DTO. These defendants all sold fentanyl on behalf of the organization to users at the apartments controlled by the Big Sip DTO. Montgomery was responsible for collecting and transporting the profits of the fentanyl sales to McGee. Montgomery, as well as Collins and Vann, all possessed firearms to protect their product and sale activities.
“Time and again, violent drug trafficking rings try to take root in our communities, bringing with them illegal guns, violence, and fear,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Travis Riddle, of the St. Paul Field Division. “As soon as these organizations surface, ATF, along with our law enforcement partners, will be there to dismantle their operations and hold them accountable. We will not allow armed criminal groups to threaten the safety and future of the Twin Cities.”
“This operation disrupted a violent drug trafficking network that was funneling narcotics, including deadly fentanyl, to the streets,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “These drugs and the criminals who traffic them, bring death, sorrow, and fear to our communities. As this coordinated operation demonstrates, those who poison and terrorize the public will face justice. The FBI and our partners will stop at nothing to pursue and apprehend these dangerous offenders and protect our communities."
“For too long, 36th and Penn has been a hotspot for violent crime,” said Chief O’Hara. “In 2024, there were four times as many shooting victims within a one block radius of 36th and Penn than the previous three-year average. Overall violent crime more than doubled within a one-block radius of 36th and Penn. We’ve seen the spike in violent crime and heard the concerns loud and clear from the community. Inspector Charlie Adams and the officers of the Fourth Precinct have been working closely with residents to address those concerns, while our investigators have pursued long-term strategies to bring relief. I’m incredibly grateful to the dedicated MPD personnel and to our local and federal partners who supported this investigation. I’m hopeful these arrests and charges will deliver an immediate impact and help restore a sense of safety for everyone who lives and works near 36th and Penn.”
“These defendants are suspected of some of the worst crimes wreaking havoc on our community. I want to thank all law enforcement agencies for their work on this case including the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Intelligence Division and Violent Offender Task Force. These units provided intelligence throughout the case, carried out search warrants, targeted traffic stops, K9 operations, and much more to bring down these defendants and damage the criminal organization. We must stop those harming our neighbors, friends, and family and part of that work includes stopping the source,” said Dawanna Witt, Sheriff of Hennepin County.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF, FBI, Minneapolis Police Department, and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William C. Mattessich is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Nigerian national arrested in multimillion-dollar email and money laundering scamRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 33-year-old Houston man has been taken into custody for his role in a large-scale business email compromise and money laundering scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Authorities have arrested Edikan Adiakpan who is expected to make his initial appearance at 2 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray.
A federal grand jury in Houston returned a three-count indictment June 11 charging Adiakpan with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy and illegal money transmission. The indictment alleges that in 2021, Adiakpan and co-conspirators carried out a business email compromise scheme targeting companies in at least eight states, including a California research group focused on developing treatments for U.S. veterans.
Victims received “spoofed” emails that appeared to come from known suppliers and creditors, according to the charges. They were allegedly tricked into sending payments to bank accounts the fraudsters controlled instead of the actual suppliers.
The charges further allege the conspirators laundered the funds by quickly transferring the money between multiple bank accounts they controlled. They then allegedly converted the funds into cashier’s’ checks. Adiakpan allegedly cashed the checks and kept a percentage as a fee.
Another Nigerian citizen, Ayobami Omoniyi, 26, was previously charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud as part of the same scheme and is awaiting sentencing before U.S District Judge Andrew S. Hanen.
If convicted, Adiakpan faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy charges and up to five years for the illegal money transmitting. Each conviction carries a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
FBI – Houston and its Bryan Resident Agency and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and Christine Lu are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Nigerian National Pleads Guilty to Role in Romance Scam and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Nigerian national pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to his involvement in the theft of more than $2.5 million from six romance scam victims by transferring their money to cryptocurrency accounts that he controlled.
Charles Uchenna Nwadavid, 35, of Abuja, Nigeria, pleaded guilty to mail fraud, aiding and abetting money laundering and money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Sept. 23, 2025. Nwadavid was arrested in April 2025 after arriving on a flight from the United Kingdom to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. In January 2024, a federal grand jury in Boston indicted Nwadavid on charges of mail fraud and money laundering.
According to the charging documents, “romance scams” recruit victims through advertisements for online relationships on dating or social media websites. Individuals perpetuating romance scams create fictitious profiles and then use them to gain victims’ trust through a purported romantic relationship. Perpetrators then direct their victims to send money or to conduct financial transactions involving other victims’ money under false pretenses, such as an urgent need for money to secure a multi-million dollar inheritance or to pay for an unexpected hospitalization.
Between in or about 2016 and September 2019, Nwadavid participated in romance scams that tricked victims into sending money abroad. In an effort to conceal the ultimate recipient of the victims’ funds, a victim from Massachusetts was tricked into receiving funds from five other victims around the United States. The victim then passed the funds to Nwadavid through a series of cryptocurrency transactions. Nwadavid repeatedly accessed accounts in the victim’s name from overseas, to transfer the victims’ funds to accounts he controlled at LocalBitcoins, an online cryptocurrency platform.
The mail fraud charge provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the loss to the victim, restitution and forfeiture. The money laundering charges provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the laundering transactions, restitution and forfeiture. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. 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 and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth B. Kosto and Mackenzie A. Queenin of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
New York Man Sentenced in Rhode Island for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE A Bronx, NY, man who participated in a conspiracy that intended to defraud banks in at least ten states of approximately $143,000 was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Paul Keenan, 54, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 24 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release. Keenan, charged and arrested in this matter in August 2024, pleaded guilty in February to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
According to court documents, Keenan, working alongside other members of a conspiracy, to facilitate their scheme, recruited and organized individuals and obtained their photographs and personal identifying information (PII). Keenan and his co-conspirators used the information to create fraudulent IDs that contained their own photographs and the PII of some of the recruits.
Keenan and others then obtained the PII of at least 28 victim individuals, including their names, dates of birth, addresses, Social Security numbers, and bank account information. They also obtained information of at least 20 business entities, including business names and banking information. The information collected was used to create fraudulent IDs and checks. Members of the conspiracy then traveled with recruits to banks in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and at least eight other states to cash bogus checks.
Through the scheme, Keenan and others attempted to defraud banks of a total of approximately $143,000, successfully defrauding twenty-two banks of a total of approximately $93,200.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christine Lowell with the assistance of Assistant United States Attorney Sandra Hebert.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the East Providence Police Department, with the assistance of the Portsmouth Police Department.
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New Orleans Man Sentenced for Federal Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that CARDELL GLOVER, (“GLOVER”), age 24, was sentenced on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, by United States District Judge Darrel J. Papillion, after previously pleading guilty to a three-count indictment. Count One charged GLOVER with being a felon in possession a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). Count Two charged GLOVER with possession of a stolen firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(j) and (a)(2). Count Three charged GLOVER with possession of a machine gun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(o) and 924(a)(2).
GLOVER was sentenced to 96 months imprisonment as to each of the three counts of the indictment, to be served concurrently. Judge Papillion also ordered that GLOVER be placed on supervised release for three years as to each of the three counts, to be served concurrently, and pay a $300 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, on July 9, 2024, a rideshare driver reported to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office (JPSO) that her weapon had been stolen. She also works as a security guard and had placed her work firearm, a Glock Model 19 Gen 5, nine-millimeter pistol, in her trunk earlier that afternoon prior to starting her rideshare work. She reported to law enforcement that she had picked up a fare, a male and a female passenger, at the Dollar General and allowed them to place their groceries in the trunk of her car. When they arrived at the passengers’ destination, an apartment complex in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, the passengers retrieved the groceries from the trunk and went to an unknown second floor apartment. The rideshare driver then looked in the trunk of her vehicle to discover her firearm missing. She had said that the first name of the passenger who ordered the ride was “Dell.”
GLOVER pled guilty to the entire indictment and admitted that he stole the Glock pistol. GLOVER also admitted that, at the time of its recovery, the Glock pistol, was equipped with machinegun conversion device, making it a machinegun as defined by the National Firearms Act (26 U.S.C. § 5845(b)).
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.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit.
NUWAY Alliance Agrees to Pay $18,500,000 Settlement in Medicaid Kickbacks Scheme, False Claims Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS –Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson announced today that NUWAY Alliance, Inc. has agreed to pay the United States $18,500,000 for submitting fraudulent claims to Medicaid in violation of the False Claim Act.
NUWAY Alliance provided intensive outpatient (IOP) treatment, among other services, for substance use disorder to thousands of clients suffering from addiction each year in Minnesota. Between January 2019 through February 2025, NUWAY compensated Medicaid patients for seeking IOP treatment—which is reimbursable by Medicaid—in violation of federal anti-kickback statute and resulting in false claims. NUWAY also submitted false claims to Medicaid for IOP services they had not provided as they involved double-billing the same period of time as distinct billable units. In total, since at least 2018, NUWAY defrauded the federal government and state of Minnesota of millions of dollars.
“The submission of false claims for federally funded government contracts will not be tolerated. Protecting taxpayer dollars from fraud and abuse is one of our top priorities at the U.S. Attorney’s Office.” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Joseph H. Thompson. “This settlement should serve as further proof that we will aggressively investigate Medicaid fraud whenever it occurs and will hold all companies to account.”
“Our enforcement agency is dedicated to protecting the integrity of federal health care programs including Medicaid and to ensure taxpayer money is used as intended to serve vulnerable populations,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who manipulate taxpayer-funded health programs to boost their profits.” As part of the settlement, NUWAY Alliance entered into a 5-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with HHS-OIG. The Corporate Integrity Agreement requires that NUWAY maintain a compliance program designed to foster adherence to federal health care program requirements and thereby protect the programs. The CIA also requires NUWAY to engage an independent organization to review claims they submit to Medicaid to ensure they comply with applicable requirements.
The matter was handled by the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, the Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of the Inspector General, the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Division, and the Office of the Inspector General at the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
The claims resolved by these settlements are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability or wrongdoing.
Mohave Valley Arizona Woman Sentenced to 118 Months in Prison for Assaulting a ChildRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Starla Shaffer, 36, of Mohave Valley, Arizona, was sentenced on June 25, 2025, by United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 118 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Shaffer previously pleaded guilty to Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.
Between January 1, 2022, and September 21, 2022, Shaffer assaulted a three-year-old minor victim by shaking and striking her on the face, buttocks, chest, and back, while the victim was in her care. Shaffer’s assault caused permanent and life-threatening injuries to the minor victim. Both Shaffer and the minor victim are enrolled members of the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe.
The FBI Phoenix Division’s Lake Havasu office and the Fort Mojave Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina J. Reid-Moore, District of Arizona, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-08052-PCT-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-102_Shaffer# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Minneapolis Man Pleads Guilty; Forty-Seventh Conviction in the Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering for his role in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson
According to court documents, from September 2020 through January 2022, Ahmed Abdullahi Ghedi, 35, claimed to be operating a child nutrition site in St. Paul, Minnesota. As part of the scheme, on or about September 4, 2020, Ghedi’s co-conspirator registered ASA Limited LLC with the Minnesota Secretary of State. Four days later, Ghedi’s co-conspirator applied for ASA Limited to operate a purported food site in the Federal Children Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future at the Gurey Deli, a small market located in a St. Paul strip mall
Within just three weeks of creating the ASA Limited site, Ghedi and his co-conspirators falsely claimed to be serving meals to 2,000 or 3,000 children each day, seven days a week. During the one-year period from September 2020 to September 2021, Ghedi and his co-conspirators fraudulently claimed to have served more than 1.6 million meals at the ASA Limited site. To accomplish his scheme, the defendant and his co-conspirators prepared and submitted inflated meal counts, fabricated invoices, and fake attendance rosters of purported children.
According to court documents, rather than use fraudulently obtained money to serve meals or feed children, Ghedi and his co-conspirators fraudulently misappropriated much of it. Ghedi used a shell entity he created, AG Limited LLC, to hide and disguise the source and ownership of his portion of the fraud proceeds. Between December 2020 and November 2021, Ghedi deposited more than $2 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds into AG Limited LLC bank accounts. Ghedi used this money to purchase more than $245,000 in motor vehicles and to fund more than $200,000 in credit card spending. Ghedi also transferred approximately $560,000 in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds to Cosmopolitan Business Properties LLC—another shell he co-owned with other co-conspirators—toward the purchase of a mansion and adjoining property located at 2722 and 2742 Park Avenue South in Minneapolis, which will be now forfeited to the United States along with a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
According to court documents, Ghedi paid $5,000 in kickbacks to Abdikerm Eidleh, a Feeding Our Future employee, in exchange for sponsoring and facilitating ASA Limited’s fraudulent participation in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. ASA Limited, of which the defendant was a co-owner, paid Eidleh an additional $49,000 in kickbacks. Feeding Our Future received nearly $400,000 in administrative fees for sponsoring ASA Limited’s participation in the program.
In total, Ghedi and his co-conspirators caused a loss of $7.2 million to Federal Child Nutrition Programs based on fraudulent claims submitted through Feeding Our Future.
Ghedi pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert, Harry M. Jacobs, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets
Milton Man Indicted on Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Justo Melendez-Morales, age 44, of Milton, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 22, 2025, for charges related to drug trafficking.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on or about February 26, 2025, through May 9, 2025, Melendez-Morales sold and possessed approximately 38 grams of cocaine in his Milton apartment, which he maintained as a premises for drug trafficking.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Zenzinger 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 the offense is 30 years and a fine. A sentence for this offense may also include a period of supervised release following imprisonment. 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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Michigan Doctor Sentenced to Four Years for $6.3M Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Michigan doctor was sentenced today to four years in prison for a $6.3 million Medicare fraud scheme in which elderly and disabled patients were sent thousands of orthotic braces that they did not need.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Sophie Toya, M.D., 56, of Bloomfield Hills, prescribed over 7,900 orthotic braces to more than 2,600 Medicare patients during a six-month period. The patients were solicited through deceptive television commercials offering free back braces. When they called the advertised telephone number, they were persuaded to accept braces for other parts of their bodies, with the promise that Medicare would pay. Toya spoke to some of these patients briefly over the phone, and she had no contact at all with the others. Toya nonetheless signed orders prescribing more than 7,900 braces, including prescribing four or more braces to nearly 1,000 patients.
Toya prescribed as many as 136 braces in a day, 12 braces for a single patient, and numerous braces for undercover agents posing as Medicare beneficiaries after speaking with them by telephone for less than a minute. The prescriptions and accompanying medical records signed by Toya falsely represented that the braces were medically necessary and that she diagnosed the beneficiaries, had a plan of care for them, and recommended that they receive certain additional treatment. In the case of one patient, to whom Toya prescribed five braces for which Medicare was billed $3,883, she falsely attested that she evaluated the patient and that the patient was mobile when, in fact, the patient had long been confined to a wheelchair, could not walk or stand, and was suffering from a dangerous spinal infection that could not be treated by braces but instead required spinal surgery.
Toya’s false prescriptions were used by brace supply companies to bill Medicare more than $6.3 million. Toya was paid approximately $120,000 by purported telemedicine companies in exchange for signing the fraudulent prescriptions.
On May 10, 2024, Toya was convicted following an eight-day trial on one count of health care fraud and five counts of false statements relating to health care matters. Toya was also ordered to pay $3,606,935 in restitution and $120,475 in forfeiture.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Director in Charge Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Division; and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case. The case was charged as part of Operation Rubber Stamp, a coordinated nationwide law enforcement operation that targeted medical professionals who participated in fraudulent telemedicine schemes.
Assistant Chief Rebecca Yuan and Trial Attorney Chris Wenger of the National Rapid Response Strike Force of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Mexican National Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Prison for Laundering $5.5MRead the Press Release
A Mexican national was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison and three years of supervised release for his role in the collection of drug proceeds in the United States and the repatriation of those proceeds or their equivalent value to Mexico as part of a money laundering conspiracy.
According to court documents, Jose Manuel Martinez Gomez, also known as Meno, 52, of Guadalajara, Mexico, served as a “money broker” in an organization that conspired with drug traffickers to launder money for them in Mexico. Martinez personally brokered contracts to launder approximately $5.5 million and used a network of co-conspirators to pick up the drug proceeds all over the United States. Martinez then directed the transfer of the funds to Mexico via cryptocurrency and kept a percentage for himself as a fee.
As a direct result of the money laundering contracts brokered by Martinez, The Drug Enforcement Administration Lexington Field Office and its partners seized approximately 3 kilograms of fentanyl, 52.77 kilograms of cocaine, 7,078.63 kilograms of unconverted methamphetamine in the form of charcoal lumps, 170 gallons of unconverted methamphetamine in the form of coconut oil, 140 kilograms of methamphetamine and 15 gallons of liquid methamphetamine. The DEA also seized $1,352,160 in bulk U.S. currency.
The DEA Lexington Resident Office investigated the case, working closely with the Detroit Field Division and Rocky Mountain Field Division and assisted by DEA offices in Mexico, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Birmingham, Chicago, Cincinnati, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Louisville, Baltimore, Des Moines, Milwaukee, Portland, Columbia, and Rapid City, with the IRS Criminal Investigation Division.
Trial Attorney Elizabeth R. Rabe of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Deputy Criminal Chief Gary Todd Bradbury of the Eastern District of Kentucky prosecuted this case.
Mexican National Sentenced to 100 Months in Prison for Laundering $5.4 millionRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Today, a Mexican national was sentenced to 100 months in prison for his role in arranging for the collection of drug proceeds in the United States and the repatriation of the proceeds, or their equivalent value, to Mexico as part of a money laundering conspiracy.
According to court documents, Jose Manuel Martinez Gomez, a/k/a Meño, served as a “money broker” in an organization that aided the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) by collecting, laundering, and repatriating drug proceeds generated in the United States to the cartel in Mexico. Martinez personally arranged for the laundering of $5,462,289 that was proceeds of drug trafficking crimes. Martinez used a network of co-conspirators to pick up those drug proceeds all over the United States. After money was delivered in the United States, Mr. Martinez provided instructions for the transfer of those funds via cryptocurrency, including providing a cryptocurrency wallet address, or a bank account. Martinez worked for “commissions,” or a percentage of the money laundered successfully.
As a direct result of the money laundering contracts brokered by Martinez, DEA Lexington and its domestic partners seized a staggering quantity of drugs, including approximately 3 kilograms of fentanyl, 52.77 kilograms of cocaine, 7,078.63 kilograms of unconverted methamphetamine in the form of charcoal lumps, 170 gallons of unconverted methamphetamine in the form of coconut oil, 140 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 15 gallons of liquid methamphetamine. DEA also seized $1,352,160 in bulk U.S. currency.
“The successful prosecution of Martinez disrupted the flow of vital drug proceeds back to CJNG, and removed substantial quantities of dangerous drugs from American communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Paul McCaffrey. “While the fight against cartel-sourced drug trafficking is far from over, today’s result is a step in the right direction, and is a testament to our law enforcement partners’ collaboration and constant commitment to justice.”
“Jose Manuel Martinez Gomez helped Mexican drug traffickers to wash their ill-gotten gains from the sale of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl in U.S. neighborhoods and communities,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
“This prosecution should serve as a warning of the Department of Justice’s focus on holding to account anyone who seeks to help launder cartel’s money and underpins a system that delivers dangerous drugs that destroy our neighborhoods and communities.”
“The Drug Enforcement Administration will continue to use every tool at our disposal to disrupt the flow of drugs across our borders and the flow of money back to Mexico by cartel operatives and bring these individuals to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott, head of DEA’s Louisville Division. “I want to thank all of our law enforcement partners in this case and commend them for their dedication to public safety.”
On March 7, Martinez pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and concealment money laundering.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Lexington Resident Office investigated the case, working closely with the Detroit Field Division and Rocky Mountain Field Division, and assisted by DEA offices in Mexico, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Birmingham, Chicago, Cincinnati, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Louisville, Baltimore, Des Moines, Milwaukee, Portland, Columbia, and Rapid City, as well as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation Division.
Deputy Criminal Chief Todd Bradbury of the Eastern District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Elizabeth R. Rabe of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and other transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
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Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Mexican national unlawfully residing in New Bedford has pleaded guilty to one count of illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Bernardo Lorenzo-Guatemala, 38, pleaded guilty on June 24, 2025 to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. He was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in May 2025.
Lorenzo-Guatemala was deported from the United States on June 4, 2019. Sometime after his removal, Lorenzo-Guatemala unlawfully reentered the United States. immigration officials became aware of Lorenzo-Guatemala’s unlawful presence in the United States following his arrest on July 2, 2024 for operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. 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 and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sullivan of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering the US After a Prior RemovalRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Mexican national pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to illegally reentering the U.S. after a prior removal.
According to court records, on May 10, 2025, Miguel Gomez-Sanchez, 45, was arrested by the Maine State Police for operating under the influence on I-95. Agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) determined Gomez-Sanchez had previously been removed from the U.S. several times. He was most recently removed in 2022 after being convicted for illegally reentering the U.S. after a prior removal.
Gomez-Sanchez faces a maximum prison term of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000. 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.
ICE-ERO investigated the case.
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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
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Members of Violent ‘21st and Vietnam’ Crew Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking, ShootingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jamiek Bassil, 32, and Charles Manson, 34, of the District of Columbia, were sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 135 months in prison and 175 months, respectively, for their roles in the violent 21st and Vietnam drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl, crack cocaine, and other drugs in Northeast Washington, D.C., and elsewhere, and, in Manson’s case, for a March 2024 shooting near 19th and I Streets NE. The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Bassil, aka “Onion,” pleaded guilty on March 21, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. In addition to the 135-month prison term, Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Bassil to serve five years of supervised release.
Manson, aka “Cheese,” pleaded guilty on March 21, 2025, to multiple counts: conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and assault with a dangerous weapon. In addition to the 170-month prison term, Judge Howell ordered Manson to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Bassil and Manson were members of the “21st and Vietnam” crew, which controlled an open-air drug market and distributed narcotics in the area of the 2100 block of Maryland Avenue, NE.
Bassil repeatedly sold significant quantities of fentanyl – as much as roughly 80 grams at a time -- to undercover law enforcement between January and March 2024.
Manson sold narcotics directly to customers and was captured on surveillance video engaging in hand-to-hand drug transactions. During the conspiracy, Manson also participated in multiple controlled drug sales to law enforcement.
In a March 7, 2024, Manson was the gunman in a shooting. Manson was with several co-conspirators adjacent to an apartment building on the 1900 block of I Street that was the base of the conspiracy’s operations. A person walked by with their dog. Members of the crew had a verbal altercation with the dogwalker. Manson then went into the crew’s stash house in the apartment building. A crew member handed Manson a ski mask. Manson exited the apartment building wearing the mask and armed with a gun. Manson fired several rounds in the direction of the dogwalker. Neither the dogwalker nor the dog were hit.
On May 15, 2024, investigators arrested Manson at his residence on the 1900 block of I Street, NE. Law enforcement recovered a Glock 17 pistol loaded with 22 rounds of 9mm ammunition. They also recovered a handgun magazine, a box of ammunition, about 50 grams of fentanyl analogue, about 13.88 grams of cocaine, and assorted drug paraphernalia.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This investigation was a multi-agency effort between the Violent Crime Investigations Team of the Violent Crime Suppression Division of the Metropolitan Police Department, the FBI Washington Field Office’s Cross-Border Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division, the District of Columbia National Guard Counter Drug Program, and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Duvall and Solomon Eppel of the Violent Crime Reduction and Narcotics Trafficking Section.
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Massachusetts Man to Serve 18 Months for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Massachusetts man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for trafficking fentanyl into Maine.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Alvin Dorsey, 39, to 18 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty on January 24, 2025.
According to court records, in June 2023, a confidential source of information working at the direction of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arranged the purchase of two “sticks” (i.e., 20 grams) of fentanyl from a drug dealer who was the target of a federal investigation. Ultimately, it was Dorsey who showed up in Biddeford bearing the drug order, and who consummated the transaction with the informant. Dorsey was later charged by a grand jury with distributing fentanyl, leading to his arrest and prosecution.
DEA investigated the case, with support provided by the DEA Airport Group, the Massachusetts State Police Airport Group, and the Biddeford Police Department.
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Marrero Woman Guilty of Cares Act FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, LINDA TRIGGS (“TRIGGS”), age 73, a resident of Marrero, pleaded guilty to making a false statement related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(2).
On March 27, 2020, the President of the United States signed into law the CARES Act, which provided emergency assistance, administered by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), to small business owners affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. One of the primary sources of funding for small businesses was the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
According to the charging documents, on or about April 18, 2021, TRIGGS, on behalf of a non-profit corporation that she owned, made false statements to an approved lender to obtain approximately $59,065 for PPP loans.
TRIGGS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five (5) years, a fine of up to $250,000, a period of supervised release of up to three years, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. United States District Judge Brandon S. Long will sentence TRIGGS on September 30, 2025.
For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. 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 at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Reed of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Local Union President Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A former president of a local union chapter representing employees of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court in Portland to wire fraud and making false written statements.
According to court records, Kyle Chasse, 38, embezzled over $10,000 in union funds between 2020 and 2022, while serving as the union’s president. As part of the scheme, Chasse withdrew cash and made debit purchases using the union’s bank account, all without authorization by the union. The debit transactions included purchases from bars, restaurants, vending machines, and other businesses. Chasse made false statements to cover up his fraudulent use of the funds. These false statements included a union financial disclosure form filed with the federal government, in which Chasse misrepresented the amount of money he had received from the union.
Chasse faces up to 20 years of imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000, and three years 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 Office of Labor-Management Standards of the U.S. Department of Labor investigated the case.
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Lawyers, Law Firm, and Claims Adjuster Pay $75,000 to Resolve Allegation They Unlawfully Avoided Obligation Owed to U.S. Department of Veterans AffairsRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced today that federal authorities had reached a $75,000 settlement with two Milwaukee-area attorneys, Alex Eichhorn and Scott Wade, the law firm Tabak Law LLC, and workers’ compensation insurance claims adjuster Gallagher Bassett Services, Inc., all of whom were alleged to have unlawfully sought to avoid paying over money owed to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The settlement resolves the government’s claims in United States v. Eichhorn et al., Case Number 25-cv-584, which the United States Attorney’s Office filed in the Eastern District of Wisconsin this past April.
Court records reveal the following. The VA had provided substantial medical care to one of our Nation’s military veterans, treating (free of charge to the veteran) a condition the veteran sustained while employed in the private sector. According to the government’s complaint, Attorney Eichhorn represented the veteran in his workers’ compensation proceedings against the private-sector employer and its insurers. As part of that representation, Attorney Eichhorn requested medical records from the VA. Upon learning of the workers’ compensation claim, the VA promptly asserted its right to recover its medical expenses under the Federal Medical Care Recovery Act, 42 U.S.C. § 2651(a) and 38 U.S.C. § 1729(a) (“FMCRA”).
Attorney Eichhorn later negotiated a settlement of the workers’ compensation claim with counsel for Gallagher Bassett, Attorney Wade. Despite having received written notice of the VA’s claim, the two sides ultimately reached a deal whereby the veteran would accept the “risk” that the VA would enforce its FMCRA claim, in exchange for $90,000, of which $75,000 was earmarked for medical expenses.
The government’s complaint alleges that although Attorney Eichhorn assured an administrative law judge with the state workers’ compensation board that the settlement proceeds would be used to satisfy the VA’s claim, his law firm, Tabak Law LLC, immediately disbursed the settlement funds from its client trust account to itself (as an unearned attorney’s fee) and its client. After the VA learned about the settlement months later, the defendants failed to make good-faith efforts to resolve the claim and instead took further steps to avoid their obligations under the FMCRA. As a result, the United States filed suit in April, alleging a variety of causes of action under the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3729(a), as well as common law theories of recovery.
The United States refers members of the public, particularly members of the workers’ compensation bar, to its regulations and guidance concerning attorneys’ and veterans’ responsibilities under the FMCRA. See 28 C.F.R. § 43.2; see also Dep’t of Veterans Affairs, Notification, Cooperation and Affirmative Verification, or E-Verification, in Claims Arising Tort Liability and Third-Party Liability, 88 Fed. Reg. 8344 (Feb. 8, 2023). Individuals who are aware of evidence of persons avoiding FMCRA obligations owed to the government are encouraged to voluntarily disclose such evidence to their district’s U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Aaron R. Wegrzyn represented the government in connection with this matter, with assistance from D’Anthony Graham and the Revenue Law Group in the VA’s Office of General Counsel.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
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Keene Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for His Role in the Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Keene man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for his role in sexually exploiting a minor female victim under the age of 12-years-old to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM), Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Paul Baird, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Steven J. McAuliffe to 300 months in federal prison and 20 years of supervised release. In March 2025, Baird pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the production of child sexual abuse material.
“The defendant committed an appalling betrayal of trust by abusing a child in his care to produce sexually exploitative material,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack. “Yesterday’s lengthy sentence reflects the gravity of his crimes and ensures that he will not be able to harm other children. This office has zero tolerance for crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children.”
"Yesterday’s sentencing of Paul Baird underscores our staunch commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society. The heinous acts committed by Baird are a stark reminder of the critical importance of our work in combating child exploitation,” said Special agent in charge of HSI New England Michael J. Krol. “HSI New England, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, will continue to pursue justice for victims and ensure that perpetrators of such abhorrent crimes are held accountable.”
According to the court documents and statements made in court, on or about January 29, 2024, Paul Baird illegally engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a minor female victim he was babysitting for the purpose of producing a CSAM. He took at least one sexually explicit photograph of the minor victim’s genitalia and shared three sexually explicit images of the minor victim on a dark website dedicated to CSAM.
At the time of his arrest, Paul Baird was employed as a bus driver by the Student Transportation of America, which is a school transportation company that services the Contoocook Valley (ConVal) School District.
The Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. The Keene Police Department provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski prosecuted the case.
The case is 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 better 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/.
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KC Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Trafficking Methamphetamine, and Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and for knowingly being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Travis N. Black, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Stephen R. Bough to 96 months for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and for knowingly being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced to an additional 24 months for violating his conditions of federal supervision for a prior federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The Court ordered the sentences to run consecutively for a total sentence of 120 months in federal prison without parole. The Court also sentenced Black to three years of supervised release following his incarceration.
On Feb. 13, 2025, Black waived indictment and pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and one count of knowingly being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On Nov. 7, 2023, Kansas City, Missouri Police Department officers observed a Ford Expedition that had been previously reported as stolen on Oct. 13, 2023. Black was in the driver’s seat with a female passenger. While officers were trying to confirm that the vehicle was stolen, in an apparent effort to evade the officers, Black crashed the Ford Expedition into some trees near 5519 North Cypress Avenue, Kansas City, Clay County, Missouri.
When officers arrived at the scene of the crash, Black and the female were no longer present. A citizen contacted law enforcement officials and reported that two unknown individuals were in his yard and he provided the address. Officers went to the reported location and observed a male, later identified as Black, and a female run to a vehicle that was later identified as an Uber ride. Officers arrested Black and the female. While conducting an inventory search of the wrecked Ford Expedition, officers discovered a storage box on the front driver’s seat that contained approximately 70 grams of methamphetamine and a Taurus, Model 85, .38 Special caliber, revolver that was loaded with two rounds of ammunition. The Kansas City, Missouri Police Department Crime Laboratory later analyzed genetic material taken from a swab of the trigger of the firearm and compared it to a known DNA sample taken from Black. The comparative analysis tended to show that Black’s DNA was on the recovered firearm.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Missouri 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).
KC Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
Jose Amparan, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
On Nov. 20, 2024, Amparan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Amparan was a source of supply of fentanyl pills for co-defendant Tiger Draggoo. Based upon text messages from seized cell phones and Cash App records, it was determined that Tiger Draggoo purchased at least 22,364 pills from co-defendants, including Amparan. Tiger Draggoo paid $34,363 through Cash App and an unknown amount via cash. Of this amount, Amparan sold at least 3,000 pills to Tiger Draggoo over 15 separate transactions, between approximately Dec. 10, 2022, through approximately Jan. 14, 2023. Amparan was paid approximately $4,835 through Cash App and an additional amount via cash for these transactions. Amparan and Tiger Draggoo conspired to conceal and disguise the nature of the transfer of funds through Cash App by referring to the payments being for items such as “groceries,” “reimbursement,” and “car work.”
On Jan. 10, 2023, a confidential informant purchased 500 counterfeit M30 pills containing fentanyl for $1,750 from Amparan and another.
Amparan and his co-defendants have all pleaded guilty in this case, with only, Tiger Draggoo, left to be sentenced at a later date.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Belton, Mo., Police Department, the Raymore, Mo., Police Department, the Cass County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the FBI.
Justice Department Opens Investigation into the University of California System for Race- and Sex-Based Employment PracticesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation into the University of California (UC) system, including its individual campuses, concerning potential race- and sex-based discrimination in university employment practices.
The University of California’s “UC 2030 Capacity Plan” directs its campuses to hire “diverse” faculty members to meet race- and sex-based employment quotas. These initiatives openly measure new hires by their race and sex, which potentially runs afoul of federal law. The Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section will investigate whether the University of California is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race, sex, and other protected characteristics, pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“Public employers are bound by federal laws that prohibit racial and other employment discrimination,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Institutional directives that use race- and sex-based hiring practices expose employers to legal risk under federal law.”
The notice letter is available here.
Jury Convicts Little Rock Man for Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A federal jury convicted a Little Rock man who illegally possessed with intent to distribute approximately a quarter pound of fentanyl and five guns. Following a two-day trial and after just over an hour of deliberation, the jury convicted Montrell Austin, 41, of multiple federal drug and firearm crimes.
On November 6, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment against Austin that charged him with the three counts he took to trial.
The jury returned the verdict Tuesday evening to Chief United States District Court Judge Kristine G. Baker, who will sentence Austin at a later date. Austin was taken into federal custody at the conclusion of the trial. The statutory penalty for possession with intent to deliver over 40 grams but less than 400 grams of fentanyl is not less than 5 years but not more than 40 years’ imprisonment. Since Austin was also convicted of committing the fentanyl offense after a previous conviction for a serious drug offense, he is subject to an enhanced penalty of not less than 10 years, but not more than life imprisonment. Austin faces not more than 10 years’ imprisonment for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and not less than five years’ imprisonment for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which must be served consecutive to any other sentence.
The evidence presented at trial showed that in October of 2021, Little Rock Police Department (LRPD) narcotics detectives began investigating information about narcotics sales from a shop on Geyer Springs Road in Southwest Little Rock. Detectives identified Austin as one of the individuals who frequented, and possibly ran, the location. The investigation led to the execution of a search warrant on November 9, 2021, during which detectives located six guns—three of which were AR-style pistols, nearly a quarter pound of fentanyl, a brick press, scales, mixing equipment, and over $10,000 in U.S. currency. Austin, who was at the building during the search, was arrested at the scene and later questioned. In a written statement, Austin claimed that everything in the shop was his, including the guns and drugs.
Previously, a co-defendant, Tarik Slater, 26, who is also a felon, claimed ownership of one of the guns and pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm before Chief Judge Baker. On January 11, 2025, Chief Judge Baker sentenced Slater to 30 months in federal prison.
The drug offense carries additional penalties of up to a $5,000,000 fine and at least four years of supervised release. The firearm offenses include penalties of up to a $250,000 fine and up to five years of supervised release.
The investigation was conducted by LRPD, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Eldridge and Julie Peters prosecuted the case.
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Iranian Man Arrested in Austin for Immigration ViolationsRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – An Iranian national was arrested Wednesday in Austin on criminal charges related to his alleged failure to deport.
According to court documents, Jamil Bahlouli, 32, was issued a final order of removal in 2020 for being illegally present in the U.S. He self-deported to Canada in October 2021. Bahlouli was again found to be in the U.S. illegally in December 2023. He was convicted in Montana for illegal entry in January 2024 and sentenced to time served. His final order of removal from 2020 was reinstated and he was released into the U.S., scheduled to report in person to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office in San Antonio on or about Jan. 23, 2024. The criminal complaint filed on June 25, 2025, alleges that Bahlouli did not report as scheduled.
A deportation officer located Bahlouli in Austin on Wednesday and identified him as a previously removed alien. The criminal complaint alleges that deportation officers went to Bahlouli’s residence, encountered him in the doorway of his residence, and attempted to arrest him. The complaint alleges Bahlouli refused to be arrested and slammed the door on the deportation officers, remaining inside his residence and refusing to exit. His alleged actions were designed to prevent or hamper his deportation and departure pursuant to the outstanding final order of removal.
Bahlouli is charged with one count of failure to deport. If convicted, he faces up to four years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
ICE is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Henneke is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Iowa City Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Federal Prison for Firearm and Ammunition ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – An Iowa City man was sentenced on June 26, 2025, to 120 in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, O’Sean Dentale Horton, 29, possessed two loaded pistols, a distribution quantity of marijuana, and drug paraphernalia in December 2020, within two backpacks found at Horton’s sister’s residence. In May 2023, Horton was witnessed on surveillance video shooting at another person multiple times in an apartment complex parking lot in Coralville and left behind .40 caliber shell casings. Horton was on probation in the Iowa District Court for Johnson County for failure to affix a drug tax stamp at the time he committed these offenses.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Horton will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa City Police Department, University of Iowa Police Department, Johnson County Drug Task Force, Johnson County Special Emergency Response Team, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
International Arms Dealer Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Export Firearms to RussiaRead the Press Release
Yesterday in federal court in Brooklyn, Sergei Zharnovnikov, 46, of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit export violations. The defendant exported firearms and ammunition worth over $1.5 million from the United States to Russia, in violation of U.S. law. When sentenced, Zharnovnikov faces up to 20 years in prison.
“By his own admission, Zharnovnikov willfully violated U.S. export controls to smuggle American-made firearms into Russia,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to disrupt illicit arms networks and prosecute those who illegally transfer U.S. weaponry abroad.”
“The defendant admitted that he purchased American-made, military-grade firearms and re-exported them to Russia,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella for the Eastern District of New York. “Today’s guilty plea is the culmination of extensive investigative work, showing that this office will not allow merchants of lethal weapons and Russia to flout U.S. sanctions.”
According to court filings and statements made during the plea proceeding, the defendant is the owner of an arms dealer located in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyzstan Company-1). Since at least March 2020, the defendant, together with others, has conspired to export firearms controlled by the U.S. Department of Commerce from the United States to Russia. The defendant exported $1,582,836.52 worth of U.S.-manufactured firearms and ammunition from the United States to Russia without the required licenses from the Department of Commerce. In one transaction, he entered into a five‑year, $900,000 contract with a company in the United States (U.S. Company‑1) to purchase and export U.S. Company-1 firearms to Kyrgyzstan. The Department of Commerce issued a license for U.S. Company-1 to export firearms to Kyrgyzstan Company-1. The license, however, explicitly prohibited the export or re-export of the firearms to Russia. Nevertheless, the defendant exported and re-exported U.S. Company‑1 firearms, including semi‑automatic hybrid rifle-pistols, to Russia via Kyrgyzstan without the necessary approvals.
According to an export filing, in connection with the defendant’s contract with U.S. Company-1, U.S. Company-1 exported semi-automatic rifles from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Kyrgyzstan Company-1 on or about July 10, 2022. On or about Nov. 14, 2022, the General Director of a Russian company — a client of the defendant — executed a tax form listing the same semi‑automatic rifle‑pistols that U.S. Company‑1 had exported to Kyrgyzstan Company‑1, the defendant’s company. The defendant did not apply for, obtain, or possess a license to export or re-export the semi‑automatic pistol-rifles to Russia.
Zharnovnikov traveled from Kyrgyzstan to the United States on or about Jan. 18, 2025. The defendant traveled to Las Vegas, where he attended the Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show to meet with U.S. arms dealers.
The FBI New York Field Office and Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security Office of Export Enforcement are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen H. Sise for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Litigation Analyst Rebecca Roth of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
Indictment Charges Danbury Man with Meth Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Wallingford Police Chief John Ventura today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging BRANDT MENDELSON, 30, of Danbury, with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.
The indictment was returned on June 17, 2025, and Mendelson was arrested yesterday. He was released on a $100,000 bond.
As alleged in the indictment and statements made in court, on January 18, 2025, Wallingford Police stopped a vehicle Mendelson was driving and arrested him for driving under the influence. At the time of his arrest, Mendelson possessed numerous counterfeit Adderall pills that contained methamphetamine and were packaged to be shipped through the U.S. Mail.
If convicted of the charge, Mendelson faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Wallingford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile.
Illegal alien sentenced to 60 months for illegally reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 33-year-old Honduran national who resided in Houston has been sentenced for illegally entering the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Denis Hernandez-Cruz pleaded guilty April 11.
U.S. District Judge Charles R. Eskridge has now ordered Hernandez-Cruz to serve 60 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Hernandez-Cruz needed a substantial sentence to deter him from illegally reentering again.
Hernandez-Cruz has felony convictions for illegal reentry as well as two convictions for burglary of a habitation. He has three prior removals from the United States, most recently in April 2020.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Franklyn prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Houston personal injury lawyer pleads guilty to defrauding clientsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A former attorney has entered a guilty plea for conspiring to commit mail fraud and filing a false tax return, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei.
Clyde J. Moore admitted to defrauding clients out of millions of dollars in personal injury settlement funds. Between 2012 and 2021, Moore and others at his firm, including Mark Broussard misled clients about medical expenses and diverted money for personal use. Moore ran the scheme through his firm, Clyde J. Moore Attorney at Law P.C.
To carry out the fraud, Moore and others inflated medical costs and falsely told injured clients the firm had paid certain providers more than it actually had. As a result, clients received a reduced share of their settlements.
Moore funneled the skimmed funds from the firm’s trust account into personal expenses. He used the money to buy two Ferrari sports cars, pay private school tuition for his children and fund an investment account. Moore also shared stolen funds with Broussard and other members of the firm who helped carry out the scheme.
Losses from the fraud totaled approximately $2.4 million.
As part of his plea, Moore will pay restitution to the IRS of over $500,000, representing taxes owed from years of false tax returns that intentionally understated his income. In addition, he has agreed to compensate his clients for the fraud in an amount the court will determine at a later date.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks will impose sentencing Sept. 8. At that time, Moore faces a maximum five-year possible prison term for the conspiracy and up to three years for tax fraud. Both convictions also carry a potential $250,000 fine.
Broussard had previously pleaded guilty to the same charges and is also pending sentencing.
IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Johnson is prosecuting this case.
Honduran National Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Reentry and Controlled Substance OffensesRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Erlan Eduardo Cruz-Acosta was sentenced today to 36 months in federal prison for illegal reentry following removal, distribution of methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Senior U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick handed down the sentence.
Cruz-Acosta, 41, a national of Honduras, was indicted by federal grand juries on March 30, 2022, and Feb. 8, 2024. On Nov. 7, 2024, Cruz-Acosta pleaded guilty to one count each of illegal reentry following removal, distribution of methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to the plea agreement, Cruz-Acosta was convicted in 2006 of taking indecent liberties with a child in Fairfax County, Virginia, for which he was sentenced to two years in prison and then later sentenced to three months for violating his probation by absconding. In 2008, Cruz-Acosta was deported from the United States. He returned to the United States that same year. In 2009, Cruz-Acosta was convicted in San Francisco Superior Court of selling a controlled substance and sentenced to 42 days in custody. He was convicted in federal district court of illegal reentry following deportation in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326, and was sentenced in April 2009 to 18 months in federal prison. Thereafter, he was again deported from the United States in June 2010. Cruz-Acosta again illegally entered the United States in March 2014. Two months later, in May 2014, he was convicted in federal district court in Arizona of illegal reentry of a removed alien, sentenced, and deported a third time.
Sometime after his removal in July 2016, Cruz-Acosta reentered the United States and was found in the United States on or about June 22, 2021.
Cruz-Acosta also admitted that in November 2023, he knowingly distributed 7.8 gross grams of methamphetamine in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco. He further admitted to possessing approximately 29.7 grams gross weight of a substance containing fentanyl, 26.4 grams gross weight of cocaine base, 8.9 grams gross weight of cocaine salt, and 4.9 grams gross weight of heroin, along with various denominations of U.S. currency, a digital scale, and a machete.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian, DEA Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris, and ICE Field Office Director Sergio Albarran made the announcement.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Orrick also sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release and ordered him to forfeit $358 in U.S. currency, a digital scale, a machete, and a machete sheath. The defendant was immediately remanded into custody.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Chen and Eli J. Cohen and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alethea Sargent prosecuted the case with the assistance of Alycee Lane. The prosecution is the result of investigations by the DEA and ICE.
Headed to Prison: Disbarred South Florida Lawyer Who Stole Client FundsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal district judge in Ft. Lauderdale sentenced disbarred lawyer John Spencer Jenkins yesterday to 33 months’ imprisonment for misusing more than three quarters of a million dollars of his clients’ money.
According to plea documents and information provided during the sentencing hearing, Jenkins’ clients wired funds into his law firm’s Interest on Trust Account (“IOTA”) business account and general business account for the purpose of receiving legal services from Jenkins. In relation to his representation of one client’s estate, Jenkins admitted that the executor of the estate wired funds into his business accounts so that Jenkins would manage the distribution of the assets among his client’s designees. However, Jenkins wired those funds into separate accounts for his own personal use.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge David S. Leibowitz emphasized the importance of holding accountable people with Bar cards because they are uniquely situated with holding the public’s trust as licensed attorneys.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI Miami made the announcement.
FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Altanese Phenelus prosecuted it.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-CR-60172-DSL.
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Hartford Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal Prison for Firearm Offense Stemming from Gang ShootoutRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHEVON GRANT, 28, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 37 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for a firearm offense stemming from a gang-related shootout.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 18, 2022, after an unidentified shooter who is suspected of being a member of a rival gang opened fire at individuals who were standing in a parking lot outside of a memorial gathering at a party venue on Main Street in Hartford, surveillance cameras at the location recorded at least nine individuals drawing firearms, some of whom returned fire. Shot Spotter technology recorded nearly 50 shots fired within approximately 90 seconds in and around the location, and law enforcement recovered at least 31 shell casings from the scene. Grant was present at the memorial gathering and was recorded on surveillance videos brandishing a handgun.
Following the shooting, Hartford Police obtained a warrant for Grant’s arrest in relation to the April 18 shootout. At the time, Grant was also subject to two additional state arrest warrants for other alleged offenses. On May 7, 2022, officers encountered Grant in the driver’s seat of a parked vehicle, retrieved a loaded Ruger P90 .45 firearm from beneath the driver’s seat, and took Grant into custody.
Grant’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for robbery and larceny offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
On October 11, 2024, Grant pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Grant is detained in state custody, and state charges against him are pending.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Hartford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Dearington and John T. Pierpont, Jr.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the Hartford State Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this matter.
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 gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.
Hayward Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Bankruptcy Fraud and Contempt of CourtRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Bernard Seidling, 74, Hayward, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to seven years in federal prison for bankruptcy fraud and criminal contempt of court. He was also ordered to pay a $500,000 fine. A jury convicted Seidling of these crimes after a four-day trial in federal court in Madison.
“Seidling was a recurring and shameless financial predator,” said U.S. Attorney O’Shea. “I am grateful to our tireless prosecutors and the many partners who worked to hold him accountable: the U.S. Trustee’s Office, the FBI, the Wisconsin Department of Justice – Division of Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspectors.”
“Mr. Seidling's sentence reflects the FBI's commitment to ensuring public trust by pursuing individuals who defraud others for personal gain,” said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle. “The FBI will continue to work diligently with our partners to pursue justice and combat any fraud which negatively impacts financial institutions and the American people.”
Seidling filed for bankruptcy in 2022. On the schedules he filed at the beginning of the case, Seidling falsely stated he had no real estate, retirement accounts, trusts, partnerships, or business-related property, and that he had only one bank account with a balance of $195. In reality, Seidling had approximately $20 million in assets hidden behind dozens of sham trusts and partnerships. Seidling’s schedules also stated he had not sold real estate in the past two years, when in fact he sold a waterfront home in Key West, Florida, for more than $3 million in 2021.
Over Seidling’s objection, the bankruptcy court converted the case from a reorganization to a liquidation. At that point, Seidling began falsely representing that he could not meaningfully participate in the bankruptcy due to his physical and mental health, and Seidling argued the bankruptcy court should indefinitely pause the proceeding. During the period of Seidling’s alleged incapacitation, he continued to manage his businesses, conduct banking activity, and play tennis at a club in Key West, where he lived during the winter months. Seidling also represented himself and participated in state court litigation during this time.
Regarding the contempt conviction, Seidling violated an order issued by the bankruptcy court. That order prohibited Seidling from transferring assets held by 37 of Seidling’s businesses, plus any other business entity Seidling was associated with, while the bankruptcy proceeded. The order further prohibited Seidling from directing or instructing anyone else to transfer assets. Seidling violated the order by transferring real estate and draining bank accounts. He hid more than $1,000,000 in cash in a crawl space under his house. Seidling also used an unwitting individual to transfer a parcel of real estate.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson explained that a number of reasons warranted the above-guideline sentence, including the length and scope of Seidling’s criminal conduct. In addition to the charged conduct, Judge Peterson found that Seidling committed perjury during his testimony at the criminal trial. Judge Peterson commented that he had never seen a more “systematically dishonest defendant” who “resolutely resisted taking responsibility” for his actions.
Seidling’s criminal history also played a role in the sentence. Seidling had two prior federal convictions: a 1991 conviction for interference with commerce by threats or violence and a 2009 conviction for 50 counts of mail fraud. The 2009 conviction involved Seidling using small claims court to obtain judgments against victims without serving the victims with process. Drawing a connection between that case and the present one, Judge Peterson noted Seidling was skilled at using courts to extort people. Given this history, Judge Peterson found Seidling was a danger to reoffend.
Throughout the criminal case, Seidling was represented by a court-appointed attorney. In order to obtain representation at public expense, a defendant must represent that he cannot afford representation. Judge Peterson found Seidling’s claim of indigency was false, and the court ordered Seidling to reimburse the U.S. Treasury for the cost of his defense.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The United States also received assistance from the Office of the United States Trustee. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith P. Duchemin and Megan R. Stelljes handled the prosecution.
Guatemalan Man Pleads Guilty to Immigration Violations in WacoRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – A Guatemalan national pleaded guilty in a federal court in Waco to one count of failure to notify of an address change and one count of failure to carry his alien registration on his person.
According to court documents, Pablo David Cajti-Tzoy, was arrested in Temple on June 21 after being encountered by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Waco Fugitive Operations Team. Immigration records indicated Cajti-Tzoy entered the U.S. through Houston in October 2019 as a Temporary Agricultural Worker (non-immigrant H-2A) and was issued a Form I-94 with authorization to remain in the U.S. until Jan. 3, 2020. The last address he provided to the Department of Homeland Security was a location in Immokalee, Florida, where he claimed to reside. Since Dec. 30, 2021, however, Cajti-Tzoy has lived at an address in Harker Heights, Texas.
Cajti-Tzoy was not in possession of his I-94 when he was encountered by ICE officers. He also failed to notify the Attorney General in writing of his new address and address change within 10 days.
As misdemeanors, both charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 days in federal prison. U.S. Magistrate Judge Derek T. Gilliland sentenced Cajti-Tzoy to time-served.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
ICE investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Frazier prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (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).
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Gettysburg Man Pleads Guilty to Mail Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Harry Hartman, age 54, a resident of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on June 24, 2025, before United States District Judge Keli M. Neary to mail theft.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, in February 2023, the mail delivery room at Gettysburg College began receiving complaints that packages marked as “delivered” or “out for delivery” were not received. Later that year, the delivery room reported the issues to the United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General (USPIS OIG). The issues quieted down during the summer months; however, they ramped back up in or around mid-October.
At his guilty plea hearing, Hartman admitted to the following: In early 2024, the United States Postal Service and United States Postal Inspection Service reviewed approximately 50–75 tracking numbers for packages that were scanned as “delivered” at the Gettysburg Post Office but did not arrive at Gettysburg College for delivery. Subsequently, in August, surveillance was conducted at the Gettysburg Post Office, which resulted in Hartman being identified and observed taking packages from a bin destined for Gettysburg College. Upon being identified as a suspect for stealing mail from the Gettysburg Post Office, agents from the OIG and USPIS interviewed Hartman. During the interview, Hartman admitted that, since approximately March 2024, he stole approximately 1-2 mail packages “on occasion” and resold the contents on eBay. Hartman also consented to a search of his car and residence. At his residence, Hartman surrendered a large carboard box full of items that he had stolen from the Gettysburg Post Office but not yet sold.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney K. Wesley (“Wes”) Mishoe is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is five years imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine, and the imposition of a special assessment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by a court after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Fraudster Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Stealing Homeless Victims’ Identities and Using Them to Apply for Unemployment BenefitsRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Marc Lazarre was sentenced by United States District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto to a prison term of 30 months for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft as part of a scheme to steal the personal identifying information of homeless individuals and to use that stolen information to fraudulently apply for unemployment insurance benefits.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI), announced the sentence.
“The defendant exploited his relationship with a corrupt city employee to access vulnerable homeless victims’ personal identifying information in an attempt to defraud a state agency,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Exploiting positions of power for personal financial gain—or conspiring with public employees who abuse their positions of public trust—will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted.”
“With the assistance of a corrupt city employee, Marc Lazarre misused restricted information to fraudulently obtain unemployment benefits using stolen identities of homeless individuals. This conspiracy not only violated and exploited a vulnerable population’s privacy, but also deprived these victims of vital financial benefits. The FBI is committed to disrupting all corrupt schemes that target our city’s financial assistance programs and profit at the expense of defenseless victims,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.
DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber stated: “This defendant participated in a fraudulent scheme to unlawfully obtain the personal information of homeless New Yorkers and steal public benefits to which he was not entitled and today he faces the consequences of his conduct. I thank the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the FBI for their continued partnership in protecting public funds and holding accountable those who drain critical resources intended for New York’s most vulnerable.”
In the fall of 2020, Lazarre conspired with co-defendant Olabanji Otufale, a fraud investigator with the New York City Department of Homeless Services, to steal the personal identifying information of homeless individuals and to use that stolen information to fraudulently apply for unemployment insurance benefits in the names of those homeless individuals without their knowledge or consent.
Otufale used his access to a Department of Homeless Services database to commit fraud. He stole the personal identifying information—names, social security numbers, and dates of birth—of vulnerable victims who had given that personal information to the Department of Homeless Services when they applied for social services. Otufale then texted this information to Lazarre, who applied online for unemployment benefits in the names of the homeless victims. Otufale was previously sentenced by Judge Matsumoto to 27 months’ imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Sara K. Winik, Laura Zuckerwise, and Katherine P. Onyshko are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
Marc Lazarre
Age: 40
Secaucus, New JerseyDefendant Previously Sentenced:
Olabanji Otufale
Age: 42
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-170 (KAM)
Franklin Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening a United States SenatorRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Franklin man pleaded guilty today in federal court for making a threat in violation of federal law, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Brian Landry, age 69, pleaded guilty in federal court in Concord to one count of transmitting a threat in interstate communication. U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott scheduled Landry’s sentencing for October 2, 2025.
According to the charging documents and statements made in court, on May 17, 2023, Landry left a voicemail at U.S. Senator #1’s district office stating: “Hey stupid I’m a veteran sniper. And unless you change your ways, I got my scope pointed in your direction and I’m coming to get you. You’re a dead man walking you piece of f***ing sh*t.” Investigators identified the phone call as coming from a number associated with Landry. When they interviewed Landry, he admitted to having called the Senator’s office but did not initially recall exactly what he said in the voicemail.
The charge of conviction provides for a sentence of up to 5 years in prison, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a fine 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.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Capitol Police led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the New Hampshire State Police, the Franklin Police Department, and the Manchester Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau is prosecuting the case.
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Founder and Former CEO of Artificial Intelligence Start-Up SKAEL Pleads Guilty to Securities Fraud and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Baba Nadimpalli, the founder and former Chief Executive Officer of SKAEL, Inc. (SKAEL), pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to one count of securities fraud and one count of wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud investors by misleading them about the company’s revenue, annual recurring revenue (ARR), and other financial and sales information.
Nadimpalli, 42, a citizen of Australia who previously resided in San Francisco, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Jan. 17, 2024. According to his plea agreement, Nadimpalli founded SKAEL in 2016 and served as its Chief Executive Officer from 2016 until July 2022. SKAEL was a San Francisco-based, software-as-a-service company that provided corporate clients with artificial intelligence and automation software to assist with mundane, time-intensive tasks by building “Digital Employees.” SKAEL earned revenue by charging implementation fees for the building of Digital Employees and subscription fees for their use once built.
From January 2020 until about February 2022, SKAEL raised over $40 million in three rounds of financing. In order to induce prospective and existing investors to invest, Nadimpalli provided false information regarding SKAEL’s customer and sales information, revenue, and ARR. Nadimpalli knew that ARR, which reflected the company’s monthly subscription revenue times 12, was an important metric for investors in considering their investments in SKAEL. In or around 2021, Nadimpalli provided materially false information to investors in advance of their investments in SKAEL, including representing that SKAEL was receiving ARR from certain companies that did not subscribe to its software and services; overstating ARR from certain customers who were SKAEL customers; and representing that customers who had terminated their subscriptions were current customers with ARR.
In or around February 2022, SKAEL raised approximately $30 million in a Series A preferred stock offering that valued SKAEL at approximately $230 million after closing. In connection with the stock offering, Nadimpalli directed the creation of an electronic data room for potential investors that contained (1) a spreadsheet that Nadimpalli maintained that contained materially false information about the company’s ARR and customers; (2) materially false financial statements; and (3) an investor presentation that contained materially false information about the company’s ARR, revenue, and customer adoption.
Nadimpalli further admitted to providing an investor and a financial employee with false bank account information that included purported customer payments that had not actually been deposited.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani made the announcement.
Nadimpalli is scheduled to be sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer on Sept. 17, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $5 million fine for the count of securities fraud in violation of 15 U.S.C. §§ 78j(b) & 78ff and 17 C.F.R. § 240.10b-5, and 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the count of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Noah Stern and Ilham Hosseini are prosecuting this case with the assistance of Mark DiCenzo and Lynette Dixon. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI thank the San Francisco Regional Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission, which also filed a civil enforcement action against Nadimpalli in the Northern District of California.
Fort Worth man who attempted to apply for two passports with stolen identities sentenced to over eight years in federal prisonRead the Press Release
A Fort Worth man who attempted to apply for two passports with stolen identities was sentenced Wednesday to over eight years in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.
Phillip Sean Anthony, 42, was indicted in February 2024 and pled guilty in November to the federal offenses of making a false statement in an application for a passport and aggravated identity theft. He was sentenced Wednesday to 100 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Ada Brown.
According to court documents, Anthony first applied for a United States Passport on August 16, 2023, using a birth certificate and a debit card in an identity that he had stolen. When he failed to receive that passport, Anthony applied for a second passport on January 2, 2024. This time he used a driver’s license, a birth certificate, and a debit card in a second identity that he had stolen. When investigators later searched Anthony’s residence, they discovered birth certificates, driver’s licenses, and credit and debit cards in several names, including the names that Anthony used in support of his false passport applications.
At Wednesday’s sentencing, the prosecutor introduced evidence showing that Anthony had previously been sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. During that previous prosecution, Anthony fled to California for three years using a passport in another identity. Additionally, the prosecutor explained that, at the time Anthony falsely applied for passports in 2023 and 2024, he was under indictment in Dallas County, Texas, for sexual assault of a child. In handing down the sentence, U.S. District Judge Ada Brown described Anthony as a “prolific criminal mastermind” who has led a “life of con.”
The U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan P. Niedermair prosecuted the case.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 197 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Derek L. Taylor, 47 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Taylor was sentenced to 197 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.According to documents in the case, in August and September 2023, Taylor distributed cocaine. Search warrants resulted in the recovery of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and M30 pills containing fentanyl, along with three handguns, a stolen semi-automatic rifle, multiple digital scales, baggies, and a substantial amount of powder used in the distribution of narcotics. Taylor was previously convicted twice of distributing drugs and was also previously convicted of felony battery, making him a career offender for purposes of federal sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which includes the FBI, the Indiana State Police, the Allen County Police Department, and the Fort Wayne Police Department. Also assisting this investigation was the Drug Enforcement Administration’s North Central Laboratory and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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.
Former Somerset County Man Charged with Making Violent Threats, including Threats to Kill a Federal JudgeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – Abhinaba Barthakur, a dual citizen of the United States and India, was charged in a six-count Indictment today for making violent threats to a United States District Court Judge in the District of New Jersey, two New Jersey Superior Court Judges, an elected official, and a Somerset County resident, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Barthakur, 58, formerly of Hillsborough Township, New Jersey, is charged in the Indictment with five counts of transmitting a threat in interstate or foreign commerce and one count of retaliating against a federal judge by threat.
“Let today’s Indictment serve as both a warning and a wake-up call. My office will act quickly and decisively against anyone who threatens a public official,” said U.S. Attorney Habba. “The conduct alleged in the Indictment is as heinous as it is troubling: threats to a federal judge, two state superior court judges, an elected official, and a private New Jersey resident. The conduct is not just reckless — it is a direct attack on our justice system. Targeting those who uphold the rule of law is an attack on every community they serve. This egregious behavior is unacceptable. And, as the charges make clear, no matter where you are, we will find you and hold you responsible.”
According to the allegations in the indictment:
In December 2018, Barthakur left the United States, and he has not returned.
On or about July 14, 2020, Barthakur called the office of a government official in the executive branch of the State of New Jersey (“Elected Official 1”), whose office was in Somerville, New Jersey. Barthakur left a voicemail message threatening to assault Elected Official 1, including removing Elected Official 1’s fingers.
On or about September 13, 2020 and September 22, 2020, Barthakur called the chambers of a New Jersey Superior Court Judge in the Somerset Vicinage Civil Division (“Judge 1”). Barthakur left voicemail messages threatening to assault Judge 1, including removing Judge 1’s fingers. During the September 13, 2020 call to Judge 1, Barthakur also threated to injure a New Jersey Superior Court Judge in the Somerset Vicinage Family Division (“Judge 2”), specifically threatening to injure Judge 2’s fingers.
On or about October 16, 2023, Barthakur called a resident of Somerset County (“Victim 1”). Barthakur left voicemail messages threatening to assault and murder Victim 1, including using a .22 caliber handgun to injure and kill Victim 1.
On November 26, 2024, Barthakur called the chambers of a United States District Court Judge, in the District of New Jersey (“Judge 3”), and threatened to assault and murder Judge 3, including using a .22 caliber handgun to injure and kill Judge 3. Barthakur threatened to assault and murder Judge 3 with intent to impede, intimidate, and interfere with Judge 3 while he or she was engaged in the performance of his or her official duties, and to retaliate against Judge 3 on account of the performance of his or her official duties.
Each charge of transmitting a threat in interstate or foreign commerce carries a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of five years. The charge of retaliating against a federal judge by threat carries a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of ten years. The charges each carry a maximum fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Alina Habba credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; deputy marshals of the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of Marshal Juan Mattos, Jr.; special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel; detectives and Assistant Prosecutors of the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor John McDonald; members of the Hillsborough Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mike McMahon; and members of the Branchburg Police Department, under the direction of Chief Richard Buck, with the investigation that lead to the charges
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Agnew of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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barthakur.indictment.pdfFormer Police Officer Sentenced to Prison and 20 Years of Supervised Release for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Samuel Joseph Weimer, 46, of Show Low, Arizona, was sentenced on June 24, 2025, by United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa, to 42 months in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release. Weimer previously pleaded guilty to Possessing Child Pornography.
Between August and November of 2022, Weimer used a social media chat room to contact an individual he believed to be a father living in Pennsylvania who was willing to provide his 11-year-old daughter for sex. Weimer sent two images and one video of child pornography to this individual. In an interview with law enforcement, Weimer admitted to possessing and sending the pornographic files. At the time of the offense, Weimer was employed as a police officer with the Show Low Police Department.
“Police officers swear an oath to uphold the law and protect our citizens” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “This makes Mr. Weimer’s possession of child pornography even more appalling. Child pornography humiliates and degrades our most vulnerable members of society and will never be tolerated.”
"The conduct of this former police officer was beyond shocking and a gross betrayal of public trust,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke. “When someone in a position of authority commits such a revolting crime, the damage extends beyond the youthful victims— it shakes the very foundation of our communities’ trust. No matter their badge or title, the FBI will always aggressively pursue cases like this one.”
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.justice.gov/psc.
The FBI’s Phoenix Field Office conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-08089-PCT-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-100_Weimer# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Former Medical Doctor Charged with Naturalization FraudRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging a former medical doctor with naturalization fraud, for providing false answers on a U.S. citizenship application and during an in-person interview.
According to the factual allegations in the indictment, Yousif Abdulraouf Alhallaq, 46, of Canton, was born in Kuwait but was a Jordanian citizen at the time he entered the United States on an H1B visa in 2006. In 2011, Alhallaq filed an application to become a permanent resident of the United States, which was approved and granted him lawful status. Since approximately 2012, Alhallaq worked as a medical doctor in Northeast Ohio. Then, in December 2014, the defendant poisoned a victim who was pregnant with his child, in an attempt to terminate the pregnancy without her knowledge. On March 18, 2021, Alhallaq was indicted in the Stark County Court of Common Pleas and charged with one count of attempted murder and two counts of felonious assault for trying to purposely cause the termination of the victim’s pregnancy and knowingly causing serious physical harm to the victim and her unborn child. In September 2021, Alhallaq pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to four years in prison.
Before Alhallaq was indicted and sentenced in 2021, Alhallaq mailed a federal application in late 2017, Form N-400, to become a naturalized U.S. citizen. In the application he submitted “no” answers to the following questions:
- 14C - Were you ever involved in any way with killing or trying to kill someone?
- 14D - Were you ever involved in any way with badly hurting, or trying to hurt a person on purpose?
- 22 - Have you ever committed, assisted in committing, or attempted to commit a crime or offense for which you were not arrested?
In March 2018, Alhallaq continued with the process of applying for U.S. citizenship and was interviewed by an immigration officer to review the previously submitted naturalization application. Under oath, the defendant verbally confirmed answers to questions 14C, 14D, and 22 as “no” which matched those initially submitted by mail. On May 4, 2018, the defendant became a naturalized U.S. citizen during a ceremony in Stark County, Ohio.
The grand jury charges that although Alhallaq knowingly committed acts of attempted murder and felonious assault against his unborn child in 2014, he nonetheless proceeded to sign his naturalization application in 2017 and then provided verbal confirmation to an immigration official during an interview in 2018 and in both instances attested to the truthfulness of the information he provided, which resulted in being granted U.S. citizenship.
Alhallaq faces a maximum of up to 10 years in prison for naturalization fraud.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, his role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). This case is being prosecuted by Matthew W. Shepherd for the Northern District of Ohio.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Massachusetts Resident Living in California Pleads Guilty to PPP FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Los Angeles man who formerly resided in Randolph, Mass. has pleaded guilty to submitting fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications on behalf of multiple companies he owns and controls.
Rindal Pierre-Canel, 30, pleaded guilty on June 24, 2025 to three counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Oct. 1, 2025. The defendant was arrested and charged in January 2025.
Between March 2021 and May 2021, Pierre-Canel submitted three fraudulent applications seeking and receiving over $50,000 in PPP funds. Two of the applications were submitted in Pierre-Canel’s own name and the third application was submitted using the stolen personal identifying information of a victim. The submissions included false representations about the existence and income of businesses and included false tax documents in support of these false representations. Pierre-Canel used the funds he received from the fraudulent PPP loan applications on personal expenses, including flights to California and purchases of designer clothing.
The charges of wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Cambridge and Hermosa Beach (Calif.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sullivan of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division's prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at: Justice.gov/OPA/pr/justice-department-takes-action-against-covid-19-fraud.
Former High-Ranking New York State Government Employee and her Husband Charged with Accepting Kickbacks in PPE Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY – A federal grand jury in Brooklyn yesterday returned a second superseding indictment that added charges against Linda Sun and her husband and co-defendant Chris Hu related to a fraudulent scheme involving procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) by the New York State (NYS) government at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the scheme, Sun steered contracts to vendors with whom she had undisclosed personal connections, and she and Hu received millions of dollars from the vendors, including some in the form of kickbacks, which Sun did not disclose to the NYS government. The new charges against Sun and Hu include honest services wire fraud, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, bribery, and conspiracy to defraud the United States. Additionally, Hu is charged with tax evasion. The defendants will be arraigned on Monday, June 30, 2025.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI New York), announced the new charges.
“As alleged, Linda Sun not only acted as unregistered agent of the government of the People’s Republic of China, but also enriched herself to the tune of millions of dollars when New York State was at its most vulnerable at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “When masks, gloves, and other protective supplies were hard to find, Sun abused her position of trust to steer contracts to her associates so that she and her husband could share in the profits. We demand better from our public servants, and this Office will continue to hold accountable public officials who enrich themselves at the expense of the New York taxpayers.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, the New York State Office of the Inspector General, the New York State Police, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) for their work on the case. He also thanked the New York State Executive Chamber for its cooperation with the investigation.
“During a global pandemic, Linda Sun allegedly leveraged her authority within the New York State government to secretly steer contracts to selective PPE vendors in exchange for millions of dollars in kickbacks to her and her husband,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “This alleged scheme not only created an unearned and undisclosed benefit for the defendants and their relatives, but it also exploited the state's critical need for resources in a health crisis. The FBI will never tolerate any public official who abuses their position to profit at the expense of others, especially when their objectives align with foreign agendas.”
“Not only did Sun allegedly use Chinese money and her influence in New York State to benefit the Chinese government, it is further alleged that she used her position to steer multi-million-dollar contracts to companies controlled by family members and friends. With this investigation, this husband-and-wife team with supposed ties to corruption has been rooted out, and they will soon understand that in legitimate government spending, there is no friends and family discount,” stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis.
As alleged in the superseding indictment, at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic and while working with the team of NYS government employees responsible for obtaining PPE, Sun used her position of influence with the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to coordinate the NYS government’s purchase of PPE from vendors located in the PRC. In addition to certain vendors referred by the PRC government, Sun referred two vendors (the Cousin Company and the Associate Company) that were not recommended by the PRC government but rather had ties to Sun and Hu, while claiming falsely that these, too, were referrals from components of the PRC government. In reality, the Cousin Company was operated by one of Sun’s second cousins, and the Associate Company was operated by Hu and one of Hu’s business associates. With Sun’s assistance, the Cousin Company and the Associate Company each entered into multiple contracts with the NYS government worth millions of dollars apiece.
Sun, the Associate Company, and the Cousin Company did not disclose to the NYS government (1) the fact that Sun and Hu had relationships with the Associate Company and the Cousin Company, or (2) that Sun and Hu received a portion of the profits that the Associate Company and the Cousin Company made as a result of their contracts with the NYS government for PPE, including through kickback payments from the Cousin Company.
To conceal her relationship with the Cousin Company from procurement authorities at the NYS government, Sun falsified a document to suggest that the Jiangsu Department of Commerce had recommended the Cousin Company. On or about March 20, 2020, Sun and other NYS government officials received an email from the U.S. representative to the Jiangsu Trade & Business Representative Office in Albany, New York suggesting four PRC-based vendors who were able to provide PPE for the NYS government. On or about March 21, 2020, Sun forwarded herself an altered version of the email in which she replaced the first suggested vendor—a vendor that produced ventilators—with the Cousin Company and wrote that the Cousin Company was recommended by the Jiangsu Department of Commerce.
On or about March 24, 2020, in an email with the subject line “Already VERIFIED by Linda Sun,” Sun wrote to NYS procurement officials that the Cousin Company “came recommended by Jiangsu Chamber of Commerce,” that the representative had helped “screen potential vendors,” and that the Cousin Company’s surgical mask was the “gold standard.” Below Sun’s message was what purported to be quoted text from the Jiangsu Chamber of Commerce’s email recommending vendors. However, the email in the quoted text was the altered email.
In connection with the Cousin Company contracts with the NYS government, a spreadsheet maintained on Sun and Hu’s personal computer indicated that the Cousin provided payments to Hu (and Sun) totaling approximately $2.3 million during 2020 and 2021. These kickbacks from the Cousin Company represented taxable income. Hu did not report these payments as income to the U.S. government, as required, or pay taxes on this income in Forms 1040 for 2020 and 2021 that he filed on behalf of himself and Sun.
In part, Hu laundered the income from the Cousin Company by having the Cousin make $1.5 million in payments in three $500,000 increments from another entity that the Cousin owned (the Cousin Entity) to U.S. accounts at a financial institution. Hu created these accounts in a close relative’s name instead of his own on April 29, 2020, two days before the final $6 million payment from NYS government to the Cousin Company.
Sun also arranged for the Associate Company to be a vendor for NYS government contracts. On March 14, 2020, Sun wrote an email with the subject “Mask suppliers” to other members of the NYS government PPE task force with procurement authority and listed the Associate Company as a potential supplier. Sun subsequently communicated with the Associate Company by email to obtain a price quote for the contract and provided a status update to the NYS government about the contracts with the Associate Company.
A computer owned by the defendants contained a NYS internal document tracking various state PPE contracts, broken out by vendor. One of the fields in the document contained, for each company, an answer to the question “why did we do business with this vendor?” For the Associate Company, the answer to the question was listed as: “referred by Chinese chamber of commerce.” However, there was no such referral for the Associate Company.
According to a spreadsheet found in one of Hu’s electronic accounts, the total profits Hu expected to reap from the contracts that the Associate Company and the Cousin Company had with the NYS Department of Health totaled $8,029,741. Hu marked the column for these expected profits with the word “me.”
The new charges are in addition to the existing charges against Sun, which include violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, alien smuggling, and money laundering, and the existing charges against Hu, which include money laundering conspiracy, money laundering, as well as conspiracy to commit bank fraud and misuse of means of identification. The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon, Robert M. Pollack, and Amanda Shami are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Trial Attorney Eli Ross from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Litigation Analyst Emma Tavangari. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Mantell of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters.
The Defendants:
LINDA SUN, also known as “Wen Sun,” “Ling Da Sun,” and “Linda Hu”
Age: 41
Manhasset, New YorkCHRIS HU
Age: 40
Manhasset, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-346 (S-2) (BMC)
linda_sun_chris_hu_s-2_indictment.pdfFormer HUD Employee, Who Moonlighted for Two Other Federal Agencies, Admits Making False ClaimsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Crissy Monique Baker, 45, a federal employee from Fairfax, Virginia, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to making false, fictitious, or fraudulent claims in connection with claiming to work more hours for the government than she actually did.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Acting Inspector General Stephen Ravas of AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General, FBI Assistant Director in Chief Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Smith with the Department of U.S. Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General.
Between October 2021 and May 2025, Baker worked as a management and program analyst for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. According to court documents, from October 2021 through July 2024, Baker held multiple full-time government contractor positions to perform human resources services for other federal agencies but did not seek approval from HUD to engage in this outside employment. Through this years-long scheme, Baker billed the government more than 24 hours in a single day between her employment with the federal government and contractors. The estimated loss to the government was $225,866.
Between September 2021 through April 2023, Contractor-A employed Baker to perform full-time work as a human resources assistant for AmeriCorps. From May 16, 2022, until Dec. 2, 2022, Contractor-B employed Baker to work full-time as a human resources specialist for the National Institutes of Health.
Because of her scheme, Baker willfully caused the contractors to submit false claims to the U.S. Government for hours that she did not actually work. In addition, Baker submitted timesheets to HUD certifying that she worked hours for the government agency that she never actually did. For example, in June 2022, Baker certified through timesheets to HUD, Contractor-A, and Contractor-B, that she worked 26 hours per day on 13 workdays out of a total of 21 workdays that month.
Since Baker teleworked in all three positions, she was able to conceal her employment with HUD and the two contractors from each other.
U.S. District Court Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan scheduled sentencing for Sept. 30, 2025.
This case was investigated by the Offices of the Inspector General for the following agencies: AmeriCorps; Housing and Urban Development; the Department of Energy; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; the Department of Homeland Security; the General Services Administration; the Department of Health and Human Services; and the Department of Treasury (Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration), the Department of Defense (Defense Criminal Investigate Service), and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, along with the FBI Washington Field Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Will Hart and Kondi Kleinman.
25cr172
Former Bullard High School Teacher Charged with Federal Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Ray Anthony Waller, 37, of Fresno, charging him with sexual exploitation of a child, receipt of child sexual abuse images, and sending obscene material to a minor, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, between mid-November 2024 and mid-February 2025, Waller communicated with a minor by sending text, voice, and iMessages designed to have the minor create and transmit to Waller images of the victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Waller sent obscene images of himself to the victim and convinced the victim to reciprocate with images of the victim engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Waller is currently detained pending trial. A detention hearing to determine his federal custody status has been scheduled for June 30, 2025. Waller has also been charged in Fresno County Superior Court with crimes relating to this conduct.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, specifically the Fresno Police Department, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Gappa is prosecuting the case.
If convicted of the sexual exploitation of a minor offense, Waller faces a prison term of between 15 and 30 years and a fine up to $250,000. If convicted for receipt of child sexual abuse images, he faces a prison term of between 5 and 20 years and fine up to $250,000. If convicted for transmitting obscene material to a minor, he faces a prison term of up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000. 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 defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.