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Wednesday 11 June 2025
St. Louis Man Faces 20+ Years in Prison After Being Convicted of Drug, Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A jury on Tuesday convicted a man from St. Louis, Missouri of drug and gun crimes that will result in decades in prison.
Christopher Glen Rhodes, 47, was found guilty in U.S. District Court of one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, two counts of distribution of a controlled substance, one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence and testimony at trial showed that Rhodes provided the methamphetamine that was sold twice to a confidential source working with the Drug Enforcement Administration. That source told investigators that he’d previously purchased both meth and fentanyl from Demetrius A. Ransom, Rhodes’ co-defendant. On Nov. 10, 2022, Rhodes provided 416.9 grams, or nearly one pound, of meth to Ransom, who sold it for $2,000. On Dec. 7, 2022, the confidential source bought 435 grams of meth from Ransom for $2,000.
On Dec. 19, 2022, investigators were planning on conducting a court-approved search of Rhodes’ home in the 4900 block of West Florissant Avenue when they spotted Rhodes leaving. They made a traffic stop, but when Rhodes was asked to get out of the car, he sped away. In his home, agents found a total of 2.7 kilograms of meth, 3.8 kilos of fentanyl, 981.8 grams of cocaine and 129.7 grams of cocaine base. They also found $21,000 in cash, a loaded 9mm Ruger handgun, and drug paraphernalia including a pill press, empty capsules and a money counter. Rhodes is a felon and is thus barred from possessing a firearm. Among his convictions is a 2002 case in which he pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base and was sentenced to 294 months in prison as a career offender. His sentence was commuted in 2016 to expire in 2018.
Rhodes is scheduled to be sentenced on November 25. He will face at least 20 years in prison due to his prior convictions, the quantity of drugs involved and his use of a firearm during the drug trafficking crime, and could face more than 30 years.
Ransom, 45, of St. Louis County, pleaded guilty in May to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 9 and faces at least 15 years in prison.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Torrie J. Schneider and Don Boyce are prosecuting the case.
Salvadoran National Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Salvadoran national unlawfully residing in Chelsea was indicted yesterday in federal court in Boston for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Juan Carlos Gil-Ochoa, 36, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Gil-Ochoa was arrested by immigration authorities on May 12, 2025.
According to the indictment, Gil-Ochoa was deported from the United States to El Salvador in April 2013. It is alleged that sometime after his April 2013 removal, Gil-Ochoa illegally reentered the United States without permission and was encountered by immigration authorities in October 2023.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien with a prior felony criminal conviction 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 Jennifer Zacks of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Rockford Woman Sentenced to Nearly Three Years in Prison for Straw Purchasing FirearmsRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Rockford woman has been sentenced to thirty-two months in federal prison for straw purchasing five firearms.
JESSICA BARRERA, 56, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a charge of knowingly providing a false and fictitious written statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer. The statement misrepresented that Barrera was the actual buyer of the firearms, when, in fact, she knew she was not the actual buyer.
Barrera admitted that in 2021 and 2022, she purchased five firearms in four separate transactions for her son, ANGEL BARRERA-ESTEVES, who was legally prohibited from owning a firearm and did not have a valid Firearm Owners Identification. Barrera completed firearm-transaction records indicating that she was the actual transferee/buyer of the firearms. She then provided the firearms to her son, knowing that he intended to sell the guns to others without a license. Barrera also purchased firearm ammunition for her son at his direction.
Barrera was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston in federal court in Rockford.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincenza L. Tomlinson.
Angel Barrera-Esteves, 27, of Rockford, pleaded guilty to federal firearm offenses and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 10, 2025.
Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney's Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to tackle a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.
Puerto Rican Man Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl into MaineRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Bayamon, Puerto Rico man was sentenced on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances, including 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Rafael Omar Ojeda Lopez, 44, to a term of imprisonment of 57 months, to be followed by five years of supervised release.
According to court records, in September 2023, at the direction of agents of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a confidential source negotiated the purchase of a kilogram of fentanyl from Lopez for $40,000, following several smaller “test” buys. While Lopez and the source were working to finalize the transaction in Rockland, Maine, HSI agents arrested Lopez and seized the fentanyl, which was later lab confirmed to contain a mixture of fentanyl, caffeine, heroin, and xylazine, a powerful tranquilizer. The mixture of fentanyl and xylazine is particularly dangerous to drug users: because xylazine is not a narcotic, its effects cannot be reversed by naloxone, which serves to heighten the risk of overdose death.
HSI and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) investigated the case.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (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.
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Powhatan man sentenced to 33 years in prison for child exploitation offensesRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Powhatan man was sentenced today to 33 years in prison for transporting a minor across state lines with the intent to sexually abuse her.
According to court documents, Daniel Wayne Kidd, 50, spent thousands of dollars to entice a teenage girl to come to Virginia in 2022 so that he could sexually abuse her over the course of a week. Kidd and his co-defendant, Rosalinda Delgado Rosas, 36, schemed to obtain control and custody of the minor and to ply her with expensive gifts and experiences to coerce her into engaging in sexual acts with Kidd. Prior to the nightly sexual abuse acts, the minor was administered medications, including some that made her drowsy. Kidd and Rosas also recorded Kidd’s sexual abuse of the minor.
Rosas was sentenced on Sept. 4, 2024, to 25 years in prison for her role in the scheme.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck.
The Powhatan Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather H. Mansfield and Trial Attorney Alicia A. Bove of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section prosecuted the case.
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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-93.
Polk County Man Sentenced to 48 Months in Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A Polk County man was sentenced on June 11, 2025, to 48 months in federal prison for the possession of child pornography.
According to public court documents, law enforcement seized electronic devices belonging to Andrew Charles Nygaard, 45, when law enforcement searched his Granger residence in September 2022. A forensic examination of Nygaard’s devices showed that Nygaard knowingly and intentionally downloaded files containing child sexual abuse material from the internet from at least September 2018 through June 2022.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Nygaard will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Nygaard was also ordered to pay $25,000 in restitution.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa Department of Public Safety-Division of Criminal Investigation-Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Child Exploitation Task Force and Granger Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Pittsburgh Felon Convicted at Trial for Possession of Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - After deliberating for 15 minutes, a federal jury on June 10, 2025, found Gerald Underwood guilty of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Underwood, 44, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was tried before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan in Pittsburgh.
The evidence presented at trial established that, on November 9, 2022, Underwood possessed a firearm and ammunition at a gas station in the East Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburgh after police were dispatched to the scene because of a ShotSpotter alert. A spent shell casing matching the firearm taken from Underwood’s pocket was recovered from the scene. Underwood has a number of state felony convictions and two prior federal convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for October 2, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based on the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the Court ordered that Underwood continue to be detained.
Assistant United States Attorneys DeMarr W. Moulton and Shaun E. Sweeney prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Underwood.
Pickleball Company Owner Waives Discharge of over $47M in Unsecured Debt After USTP InvestigationRead the Press Release
A pickleball entrepreneur who was forced into bankruptcy by investors he lured with promises of generous returns recently agreed to waive his bankruptcy discharge after an investigation by the Justice Department’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP), preventing the discharge of more than $47 million in unsecured debt.
On May 14, the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana approved a voluntary waiver of discharge by debtor Rodney Grubbs, owner of All About Pickleball LLC, an apparel and equipment company that did business as Pickleball Rocks. As a result, Grubbs remains personally liable for his debts, and creditors are free to pursue payment from him after the case is closed.
Grubbs solicited investments from pickleball players and fans from across the United States, usually in the form of promissory notes with purportedly guaranteed interest rates of 10 percent or higher. In December 2023, several unpaid investors filed an involuntary bankruptcy petition against Grubbs under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. Grubbs opposed the petition, but after a hearing in which he testified to using new investors’ funds to pay back previous investors, the bankruptcy court granted the involuntary petition and ordered the case to proceed. Grubbs eventually disclosed nearly $1.6 million in assets and more than $47 million in liabilities, the vast majority of them unsecured debts owed to hundreds of individuals.
As part of its extensive investigation, the USTP’s Indianapolis office obtained Grubbs’ personal and business financial records and examined him under oath. Ultimately, Grubbs — who also faced allegations from multiple creditors consistent with a Ponzi scheme — elected to waive his bankruptcy discharge.
“The USTP is committed to addressing fraudulent and abusive conduct that threatens the integrity of the bankruptcy system,” said U.S. Trustee Nancy J. Gargula for Region 10, which includes the Southern District of Indiana. “Our commitment to protecting consumers and those who fall victim to various schemes that come to light in bankruptcy is unwavering.”
The USTP’s mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public. The USTP consists of 21 regions with 89 field offices nationwide and an Executive Office in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the USTP at www.justice.gov/ust.
Philadelphia Men Convicted at Trial of Armed Carjacking of FedEx TruckRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Ronald Byrd, 37, and Saikeen Dixon, 32, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were convicted today at trial of carjacking, and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, in connection with their armed carjacking of a FedEx truck in August of 2022. Byrd was also convicted of attempted possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. After the convictions, during a second phase of the trial, Byrd stipulated that he had previously been convicted of a drug offense and also agreed to plead guilty to an additional firearms charge.
The defendants were charged by superseding indictment in September 2023.
As detailed in court filings and proven at trial, on August 9, 2022, a package weighing approximately 29 pounds was sent from “Karen Boothe” of “Caliber Consulting LLC” in Buena Park, California, to “Universal Medical Inc” at 3401 North Broad Street, Suite 101, in Philadelphia, which is the address for Temple Hospital.
A FedEx Express driver, J.H., was delivering packages to Temple Hospital on the morning of August 10, 2022. J.H. began receiving phone calls and text messages from a former FedEx Express employee, P.A., asking for a package addressed to “Universal Medical Inc” at Temple Hospital.
After J.H. arrived at the Temple Hospital loading dock, P.A. met him there and asked him again for the package addressed to “Universal Medical Inc.” J.H. told P.A. he could not give him the package. P.A. continued asking for it, even offering J.H. $5,000 in exchange. J.H. refused and called his supervisors.
J.H.’s supervisors, R.J. and D.J., arrived at the Temple Hospital loading dock driving a FedEx van. They took the package P.A. was asking for onto their FedEx van, told J.H. to do his next round of deliveries at Shriner’s Children’s Hospital, which is right next to Temple Hospital.
D.J. saw a black Jeep Cherokee come out of the Temple Hospital loading dock and follow the FedEx truck. P.A. then approached D.J. and asked her if he could have the package that he had asked J.H. for; she told him that he could not.
After finishing his deliveries at Shriners, J.H. drove his FedEx truck south on Broad Street towards the FedEx distribution center at 3600 Grays Ferry Avenue, with D.J. and R.J. following behind in their FedEx van. The black Jeep Cherokee that D.J. had seen continued following J.H.’s FedEx delivery truck.
At a red light about a block from the FedEx facility, the black Jeep, driven by defendant Dixon, pulled in front of the FedEx truck. Defendant Byrd got out of the passenger side of the Jeep, pointed a black semi-automatic pistol at J.H., and approached the driver’s side of the FedEx truck. J.H. jumped out of the passenger side door and ran into oncoming traffic, heading toward the FedEx facility.
Byrd climbed into the FedEx truck and drove westbound across the Grays Ferry Bridge before pulling over at 47th and Linmore in Southwest Philadelphia, with Dixon following him in the Jeep. Byrd tried to open the back of the FedEx truck but could not, so he abandoned the FedEx vehicle and got back into the Jeep, which fled the scene.
After the carjacking, a trained narcotics K9 alerted to the package that P.A. had been asking for and investigators obtained a search warrant. Inside were nine individual packages wrapped in plastic and labeled “DSQUARED2,” each of which weighed approximately one kilogram and field-tested positive for cocaine. Lab testing later confirmed that the packages contained a total of approximately 9.005 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $500,000.
The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on September 29.
Byrd faces a mandatory minimum term of 22 years’ imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release, and a maximum possible sentence of life in prison and a $20,500,000 fine.
Dixon faces a mandatory minimum term of seven years’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release, and a maximum possible sentence of life in prison and a $500,000 fine.
“When their original scheme to retrieve the package went awry, Byrd and Dixon turned to Plan B,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “They were so determined to get their hands on that cocaine that they stalked and carjacked a FedEx truck at gunpoint, in broad daylight on a busy Philadelphia street. They’ve endangered our community with both their drugs and their guns, and today’s verdict holds them accountable, ensuring each a lengthy stay in federal prison.”
“The brazen acts at the heart of this case — from violent carjackings to plotting the distribution of dangerous drugs — put our citizens directly in harm’s way,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office. “These convictions underscore the power of collaboration in confronting violent crime and protecting our communities. We’re grateful for the steadfast commitment of our partners in the Violent Crimes Task Force, the Philadelphia Police Department, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Together, we remain resolute in our mission to keep the public safe.”
The case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department, with assistance from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Bowerman and Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Lanni.
Palm Beach County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Tyreek J. Clermont, 24, of Boynton Beach, was sentenced yesterday to 90 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Clermont pled guilty to charge earlier this year.
According to the court record, on October 22, 2023, a Martin County Sheriff’s Office Deputy initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by the defendant on South Kanner Highway. The defendant was smoking a marijuana cigarette when the deputy approached the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun, approximately 31.59 grams of marijuana, a digital scale, and 1.58 grams of dimethylpentylone – a dangerous designer drug.
At the time he possessed the 9mm, Clermont had prior Florida felony convictions for robbery, gun, and drug crimes. 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.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge Gordon Mallory of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division and Sheriff John M. Budensick of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon.
ATF Miami Field Office and MCSO investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter prosecuted it.
This case stems from Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
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-14042.
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Owner of Long Island Ambulette Services Pleads Guilty to Leading Multimillion Dollar Healthcare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Adnan Arshad, also known as “Eddie,” pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with a scheme to steal approximately $20 million from Medicaid. The proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Anne Y. Shields. When sentenced, Arshad faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment, restitution of at least $16 million, and forfeiture of over $19 million, including several real properties and vehicles.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Naomi Gruchacz, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York, (IRS-CI); and Raymond A. Tierney, Suffolk County District Attorney, announced the guilty plea.
“The defendant was the leader of a massive fraud scheme in which he and his co-conspirators bilked Medicaid out of millions of dollars of government and taxpayer funds intended to help the needy and infirm,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “With his guilty plea today, the defendant admitted that he abused our health care system for his own enrichment. Arshad lived large on his illicit profits—buying expensive homes and driving luxury vehicles—but today’s guilty plea demonstrates there is a steep price for his fraudulent scheme.”
Mr. Nocella also thanked the Office of the New York State Comptroller and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the New York State Attorney General's Office for their assistance in the case.
“For self-serving purposes, the defendant in this case egregiously diverted crucial Medicaid funds,” stated HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Gruchacz. “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure the integrity of federally funded health care programs which relies, in part, on providers billing only for services they actually provide.”
“While Mr. Arshad should have been transporting medical patients as designed, the only people he took for a ride were the American taxpayers. Nearly $20 million was misappropriated by Mr. Arshad and his partners, who used his ambulette service as a backdrop for fraud and deceit - exploiting the Medicaid program and pocketing the illicit gains. With today’s plea, Mr. Arshad will need to give up his life of extravagance funded by tax dollars to face prison time, which is far less luxurious,” stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis.”
“Today's conviction represents a significant step forward in our ongoing efforts to protect taxpayer-funded healthcare programs from fraudulent schemes," stated District Attorney Tierney. “Healthcare fraud not only diverts critical resources from those who need them most, but it also undermines public trust in these essential programs. My office will continue to work with our state and federal partners to investigate and prosecute those who would defraud Medicaid and other public healthcare systems.”
As set forth in court filings and facts presented during the plea hearing, Arshad was the owner of MTK Taxi LLC in Montauk, Long Island, and part owner of All-Star Taxi LLC, in Ronkonkoma, Long Island. From approximately December 2020 to his arrest in June 2024, Arshad and his co-conspirators paid illegal health care kickbacks to Medicaid beneficiaries for fraudulent ambulette services. Pursuant to the scheme, the beneficiaries would order medical transportation services specifically from Arshad and his co-conspirators, including for transportation to addiction treatment centers for the beneficiaries’ purportedly necessary methadone treatment. In reality, Arshad’s businesses generally did not provide the medical transportation services ordered by the Medicaid beneficiaries. At least two claims were submitted to Medicaid for individuals who were deceased, and some claims were submitted for individuals who were hospitalized or incarcerated. In total, Arshad and his co-conspirators fraudulently billed Medicaid millions of dollars for these non-existent services throughout the course of the scheme.
Arshad and his co-conspirators also submitted artificially inflated claims to Medicaid. Although there were numerous addiction treatment centers on Long Island the beneficiaries could have utilized, Arshad and his co-conspirators instructed them to order rides to addiction treatment centers in New York City and to list false addresses so they could obtain higher reimbursement rates from Medicaid for longer rides. The transportation companies owned or operated by Arshad and his co-conspirators billed Medicaid over $16 million for trips to three addiction treatment centers in New York City.
Arshad used the illicit proceeds to purchase several additional transport vehicles for use in the scheme and to purchase multimillion-dollar homes and luxury vehicles, including a Ferrari, BMWs, and multiple Mercedes.
Five co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty to their participation in the scheme and are awaiting sentencing.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorney Adam Toporovsky and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Milito of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Janelle Robinson. Assistant United States Attorney Tanisha Payne of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters.
The Defendant:
ADNAN ARSHAD (also known as “Eddie”)
Age: 46
Mount Sinai, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-231 (JMA)
Osceola County Man Sentenced to More Than 16 Years for Producing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Julie S. Sneed has sentenced Alex Ramon (34, Kissimmee) to 16 years and 3 months in federal prison for production of child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Ramon to forfeit the electronic device used in the commission of the offense. Ramon pleaded guilty on March 12, 2025.
According to court documents, a search warrant was executed at Ramon’s residence following cyber tips related to online child sexual abuse activities, which resulted in the recovery of Ramon’s cellphone. The cellphone contained more than 450 videos and 160 images of child sexual abuse material. A further forensic examination of the device revealed that Ramon also shared links and screen-recorded live streams of child sexual abuse, producing his own child sexual abuse material.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Testerman and Kaley Austin-Aronson.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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.
Ohio Resident Indicted on Sexual Exploitation of a Minor ChargesRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Garrettsville, Ohio, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of minors, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The six-count Indictment named Robert Alan Pepus, 26, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, from in and around September 2024 through in and around October 2024, Pepus engaged in interstate travel for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with a minor and, on several occasions, induced that minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of that conduct. Pepus also possessed child sexual abuse material.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to life plus 130 years in prison, a fine of up to $1.5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
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 (CEOS), 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.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Ohio Man Sentenced for Large-Scale Multi-National Business Email Compromise ScamsRead the Press Release
OXFORD, MS – An Ohio man was sentenced yesterday to over four years in prison and ordered to pay more than $547,000.00 in restitution for committing wire fraud and money laundering in connection with scamming companies in Mississippi and throughout the country.
According to court documents, Gabriel Waters, 54, of Chillicothe, Ohio, was involved in a wire fraud and money laundering scheme where fraudsters spoofed email accounts which imitated corporate email accounts of employees who control company finances at victim companies. In this scheme, fraudsters bought domain names that looked very similar to the legitimate domain names owned by the victim businesses. The fraudsters used those imitation email accounts to direct employees, customers, or partners of a victim company to send money to a bank account controlled by the fraudsters. The fraudsters directed an employee to wire funds under the disguise of legitimate business transactions.
Gabriel Waters was crucial to the scheme by setting up bank accounts in the U.S., receiving money directly from the victims, and laundering the money around to different accounts before finally converting it to cryptocurrency to send overseas to the emailing fraudsters.
U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Waters to serve 57 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $547,455.80 in restitution to his victims.
Following the sentencing, federal leaders acknowledged the importance of this investigation and prosecution to the State of Mississippi and condemned the defendant’s fraudulent actions.
“Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to pursue criminal prosecutions against scammers who victimize American businesses and individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “Reach out to law enforcement immediately if you have fallen prey to an online scam so that evidence can be gathered, and money can possibly be recouped.”
“Elaborate fraud schemes against unsuspecting Mississippi companies will not be tolerated,” stated Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jackson Field Office Robert Eikhoff. “Mr. Waters' sentencing exemplifies the FBI's commitment to holding individuals accountable for their criminal actions, motivated by greed. FBI Jackson and the U.S. Attorney's Office will continue protecting Mississippi companies and the public from these damaging schemes.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clyde McGee and John Herzog prosecuted the case.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Swatting ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Brayden Grace, 19, of Columbus, Ohio, pled guilty to conspiracy, cyberstalking, interstate threatening communications, and threats to damage or destroy by means of fire and explosives.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Acting Special Agent in Charge Amanda M. Koldjeski, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.
According to the guilty plea, Grace helped create an online group known as “Purgatory.” The group used multiple online social-media platforms, including Telegram and Instagram, to coordinate and plan swatting and doxxing activities and to announce and brag about swats that they conducted.
“Grace and his co-conspirators threatened and terrorized others throughout the country, and then bragged about it online. Make no mistake: swatting and doxxing are not pranks—they are dangerous and illegal acts that put lives at risk and drain critical law enforcement resources,” Hayes said. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to relentlessly pursuing those who seek to gain notoriety by abusing our emergency services and striking fear in others. Such unlawful actions will not be tolerated.”
“Brayden Grace admitted he engaged in swatting and doxxing to strike out at perceived rivals, gain online notoriety, attempt to make money, and for enjoyment. May his guilty plea make clear that the FBI and our partners take these threats seriously,” Koldjeski said. “Together, we will make sure offenders do not remain anonymous and face justice for their crimes which drain vital public safety resources, cause undue fear, and put innocent lives at risk.”
“Swatting” is a term used to describe or refer to a criminal incident in which an individual contacts emergency services and falsely reports an emergency, often involving an act of violence that reportedly has or will occur at a particular location to elicit an armed law enforcement response to that location. “Doxxing” is a term used to describe the practice of searching for and publishing on the Internet personal, private, or identifying information about an individual with malicious intent, such as providing the information for the purpose of swatting the individual.
From December 10, 2023, through January 18, 2024, Grace and his co-conspirators placed swatting calls to police and other emergency departments. One or more of the conspirators falsely reported an emergency in the form of a violent act at a particular location to cause an armed law enforcement response with the intent to threaten, intimidate, and harass individuals and entities.
Grace and his co-conspirators often used shared scripts to plan and coordinate their conduct and used Voice over Internet Protocol services to obscure their phone numbers and identities.
As part of this scheme, the co-conspirators called the Houston County Sheriff’s Office (Dothan, Alabama). The co-conspirators threatened to burn down part of a residential trailer park and kill any law-enforcement officers who arrived to respond to the threat.
Additionally, as part of the scheme, a Purgatory conspirator called the Newark Delaware Police Department falsely claiming that he heard a man firing shots in a Newark High School hallway. Moments later, a conspirator called the department again, threatening to shoot a specific Newark High School teacher and to kill unnamed students. As a result of this call, which occurred in the middle of the school day, authorities placed the school on lockdown and police officers responded to the scene. Later the same day, Grace agreed to post content from the incident, including images from news coverage of the incident, onto the group’s social media accounts.
Grace also posted the address of the Hollywood Casino in Columbus, Ohio, the non-emergency telephone number for Columbus Police Department, and the name of a specific doxxing victim. Purgatory conspirators called the Columbus Police Department that day and threatened to “start shooting,” “kill everyone here,” and blow up the Hollywood Casino.
Additionally, Purgatory conspirators called the Albany Police Department (Albany, New York), threatening the use of firearms and explosives at the airport. Police units then rushed to respond to the threats. On the same day, Grace bragged on a Purgatory group website about the group threatening the airport.
Grace faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each count of threatening to damage or destroy by fire or explosive and a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy, cyberstalking, and interstate threats.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for Thursday, August 14, at 10 a.m.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Additionally, Ms. Hayes praised the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Columbus; Ohio Police Department; Newark, Delaware Police Department; Lenoir City, Tennessee Police Department; Albany, New York Police Department; Albany County, New York Sheriff’s Office; Fairburn City, Georgia Police Department; Bethel Park, Pennsylvania Police Department; Giles County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office; Blue Springs, Missouri Police Department; Tarboro, North Carolina Police Department; Boston, Massachusetts Police Department; Dodge County, Georgia Sheriff’s Office; Houston County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office; and the FBI’s Mobile, Richmond, Boston, Charlotte, and Cincinnati Field Offices for their valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert I. Goldaris and Patricia C. McLane who are prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Newington Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARTIN DELGADO, 30, of Newington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing narcotics.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 13, 2024, members of the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force conducted a court-authorized search of Delgado’s residence on Main Street in Newington and seized approximately 2,500 wax paper sleeves containing fentanyl, approximately 160 grams of loose fentanyl, approximately 21 grams of cocaine, narcotics packaging materials, and a loaded 9mm gun magazine. Delgado, who fled on foot when officers arrived at his residence, was apprehended a short time later in West Hartford. Investigators also located and seized a loaded 9mm handgun near Delgado’s residence that he discarded as he fled, and additional quantities of fentanyl and cocaine from Delgado’s vehicle.
The firearm had been reported stolen in 2019.
Delgado was charged with state offenses and released on bond.
Delgado has been detained since his federal arrest on August 2, 2024. On February 11, 2025, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, the Connecticut State Police, and the West Hartford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Lembo and Reed Durham through 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.
New York Man Pleads Guilty to $70 Million Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New York-based director of operations and sales for the Northeast region of a mobile medical diagnostics company pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to conspiring to offer and pay kickbacks to doctors in exchange for ordering medically unnecessary brain scans.
James Rausch, 57, of Port Jefferson Station, N.Y., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statute. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for July 10, 2025. Rausch was charged in May 2025.
From approximately March 2015 through approximately September 2020, Rausch conspired with others, including two managers for a mobile medical diagnostics company that performed transcranial doppler (TCD) scans, to enter into kickback agreements with various doctors. TCD scans are brain scans that measure blood flow in parts of the brain. Rausch and his alleged co-conspirators agreed to offer and pay doctors kickbacks, some in cash and others by check, based on the number of TCD ultrasounds the doctors ordered. Rausch and his alleged co-conspirators created purported rental and administrative service agreements, which on paper made it appear as if doctors were compensated for the TCD company’s use of space and administrative resources of the ordering doctor’s practice based on fair market value and not based on the volume or value of referrals. These agreements were shams that hid the true nature of the arrangement of paying per test.
The scheme as a whole resulted in fraudulent bills of approximately $70.6 million to Medicare. Medicare paid approximately $27.2 million to the TCD company for the fraudulent claims.
The charge of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute provides for a sentence of up to five 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; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, Boston Field Office; Kelly M. Lawson, Acting Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Howard Locker and Mackenzie A. Queenin of the Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
New Jersey Man Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Federal Prison for Involvement in Elder Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Pranav Patel (33, New Jersey) to six years and three months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering. The court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $1,791,301, the proceeds of the offense. Patel pleaded guilty on December 23, 2024.
According to court documents, between October and December 2023, Patel was involved in a fraud scheme targeting senior citizens. Conspirators involved in the scheme called from call centers abroad and fraudulently identified themselves as government agents such as officers from the United States Department of the Treasury. In some instances, the conspirators told victims that there were outstanding warrants for their arrest, and they needed to pay to clear the warrants. On other occasions, the conspirators told victims that they needed to provide their money and gold to the officers for safekeeping.
Patel served as a money mule in the fraud scheme. He drove from New Jersey to pick up money and gold from senior citizens in the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere along the east coast of the United States. During the sentencing hearing, one victim from whom Patel picked up fraud proceeds advised the court that because of the scam, he was unable to afford his mortgage payments, had to sell his house, and had to depend on Social Security benefits for all his living expenses.
In December 2023, Patel traveled to a residence in Hillsborough County to retrieve what he believed was a box of gold. Unbeknownst to Patel, he did so while under law enforcement surveillance, and Patel was promptly arrested after picking up the box. In total, Patel laundered $1,791,301 as part of the fraud scheme.
“Preying on vulnerable, unsuspecting elderly victims to rob them of their hard-earned money is despicable. Even worse, the defendant’s co-conspirators posed as government agents to defraud victims of nearly $2 million, threatening them with arrest if they didn’t follow their demands. Thanks to the men and women of the Tampa Field Office, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida for their diligent work,” said U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Robert Engel of the Tampa Field Office.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer L. Peresie and Maria Guzman.
Muskogee Resident Sentenced for Failing to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Andrew Thomas Edwards, age 35, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by ten years of supervised release for one count of Failure to Register as Sex Offender.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Muskogee Police Department and the United States Marshals Service.
On March 10, 2025, Edwards pleaded guilty to one count of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.
Edwards was previously convicted by the State of Oklahoma for Lewd Molestation in September 2001, Indecent Exhibition of Child Pornography in November 2001, and Lewd Molestation in January 2015, each a felony conviction requiring the defendant to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) passed by Congress in 2006.
According to investigators, Edwards initially registered an address upon his release from prison in March 2024, but by June 2024 Edwards was no longer living at that address and had failed to update or register his new address as required by law. U.S. Marshals traced Edwards’ new residence to a Muskogee apartment, and on September 21, 2024, law enforcement arrested Edwards.
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Edwards will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Pippin represented the United States.
Mother Found Guilty of Felony Murder of Her 16-Month-Old DaughterRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Faneisha Scott, 39, of Washington, D.C. was found guilty by a Superior Court jury today of felony murder for the death of her 16-month-old daughter, Rhythm Fields, in March 2017, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Scott was found guilty on charges of first-degree murder and first-degree cruelty to children (willful maltreatment) and second-degree cruelty to children. The Honorable Jason Park scheduled sentencing for August 29, 2025.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 2:45 p.m., on March 21, 2017, Scott’s friend, who is the child’s godmother, went over to the defendant’s home in the 5400 block of C Street, SE. While there, the friend’s eight-year-old child asked to play with Rhythm. The defendant then found Rhythm in her playpen, unresponsive, and cold. The defendant went out and flagged down a mail carrier, who called 911 and followed the defendant back to the apartment and observed Rhythm on the couch, lifeless. The child’s body was cold, her body was stiff, and her eyes were fixed. While on the phone with 911, the mail carrier followed the operator’s instructions when two other individuals entered the residence to administer CPR – one was an experienced former firefighter and knew that the child was dead immediately upon seeing her. First responders were surprised to learn that the defendant claimed to have no contact with the child since 9:00 a.m. that morning. The child was pronounced dead.
On March 22, 2017, the D.C. Medical Examiner’s Office performed an autopsy on Rhythm’s remains and ruled on February 5, 2018 that the manner of death was homicide and the cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries. The blunt force injuries included: (1) contusions and abrasions of the head, neck, torso, and extremities; (2) subdural hemorrhage; (3) cerebral edema, subarachnoid hemorrhage and acute hypoxia-ischemia; (4) retinal and optic nerve sheath hemorrhage; and (5) 23 bilateral rib fractures (there was evidence of both healing and new rib fractures).
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emma McArthur and Andrea Antonelli.
Monticello Man Charged with 2017 MurderRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton; the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia; and the District Attorney for Sullivan County, New York, Brian Conaty, announced the filing of a Superseding Indictment charging DWAYNE JOHNSON with the May 2017 murder of Shaniece Harris (the “Victim”), as well as additional controlled substance and firearms offenses. JOHNSON was previously taken into custody on controlled substance and firearms charges following the recovery of, among other things, marijuana and approximately 30 firearms from his residence in May 2023. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Vincent Briccetti. Earlier today, JOHNSON was arraigned on the charges in the Superseding Indictment.
“As alleged, more than eight years ago, Dwayne Johnson murdered Shaniece Harris in Monticello, New York, in connection with a long-running drug conspiracy,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Thanks to the hard work of the prosecutors in this Office and our law enforcement partners at FBI, New York State Police, NYPD, and the Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office, Johnson will be held to account for this cold-blooded crime. This brutal murder shows the harsh truth that drug trafficking and violence go together, and drug trafficking poses incredible dangers to communities throughout New York. As this Superseding Indictment shows, we work every day to deliver justice for the victims of senseless violence—no matter how many years have passed. We hope this prosecution brings some measure of peace to the victim’s loved ones.”
"Dwayne Johnson allegedly murdered Shaniece Harris as part of his drug trafficking operation," said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. "We are committed to ending the senseless and irreparable damage caused to our communities by violence connected to drug trafficking. The FBI has a long memory. No matter how much time has passed, we will not cease in our efforts to find justice for victims of murder and other violent crimes."
“I am thrilled that this arrest is the first step in bringing closure to the family and loved one’s of Shanice Harris," said District Attorney Brian Conaty. "I applaud the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Southern District of New York. I am proud that members of my office were able to assist these entities in this investigation. I thank all the law enforcement entities involved for their unwavering dedication to investigating and apprehending the individual who was responsible for this heinous crime. It is law enforcement collaborations such as this that send a stark message that the victims of violent crime will never be forgotten.”
As alleged in the Superseding Indictment and other public filings: [1]
On or about May 29, 2017, JOHNSON shot and killed Shaniece Harris in Monticello, New York, in furtherance of his long-running conspiracy to traffic over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere. Following a series of searches in 2023, law enforcement recovered multiple videos made by JOHNSON in which Johnson displayed his cache of firearms and articulated his intent to shoot anyone who attempted the steal his marijuana or marijuana proceeds. On or about May 24, 2023, law enforcement recovered from JOHNSON’s residence body armor, a large quantity of ammunition, and approximately 30 firearms, including multiple short-barreled rifles.
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JOHNSON, 46, of Monticello, New York, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of murder through use of a firearm, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of death or life in prison; one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of possession of a short-barreled rifle in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison to be served consecutively to any other term of prison imposed and a maximum sentence of life in prison; and one count of unlawful possession of firearms, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, the FBI Hudson Valley White Collar Crime Task Force, the New York State Police, the NYPD, the Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office, and the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaiya Arroyo and Jorja Knauer are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Liam Ronan.
The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
u.s._v._johnson_superseding_indictment.pdf
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment and the description of the Superseding Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact descried therein should be treated as an allegation.
Mexican National Who Conspired with Son in Cocaine Dealing and Human Smuggling Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A Mexican national was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio today to 37 months in prison for his role in cocaine trafficking and human smuggling conspiracies. He was also ordered for forfeit over $600,000 in proceeds from his criminal activity.
According to court documents, Jorge Armando Morado, 44, helped his son, Jorge Armando Morado Moreno, 25, complete a sale of cocaine to an undercover Bexar County Sheriff’s Office deputy on July 16, 2023. During that sale, Morado arranged for his son to sell a kilogram of cocaine to that undercover deputy at a future date, and then drove in tandem with his son to make that sale on July 25, 2023. Morado and his son were both encountered by law enforcement while driving to make that sale, and approximately one kilogram of cocaine was found in the son’s vehicle.
The investigation led to search warrants for Morado’s and Moreno’s respective residences. During the search of Morado’s residence, approximately $601,302 in cash was found in a cooler located in his master bedroom closet, along with an additional $3,000, a firearm, and a suspected drug ledger in his dresser drawer. Another bedroom—an empty room with only a mattress on the floor—housed five illegal aliens. A bucket full of urine was found in an adjacent bedroom. Moreno’s cell phone was also searched and contained numerous conversations between Morado and Moreno pertaining to their cocaine trafficking and harboring of illegal aliens at Morado’s house.
Morado pleaded guilty on June 26, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, and one count of conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens. He’s sentenced to 37 months in prison for each count, running concurrent to one another, and in addition to his four months spent in state custody on related charges. Moreno pleaded guilty to the same two conspiracy charges on July 11, 2024, and was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison on Jan. 29.
“This case serves as a stark reminder that alien smuggling is not a victimless crime, but rather a for-profit enterprise,” said U.S. Attorney Justin Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “Alien smugglers only seek to enrich themselves, in this case to the tune of over $600,000 in proceeds from these criminal activities.”
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the San Antonio Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Fedock prosecuted the case.
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Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry for Third TimeRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – A Mexican national pleaded guilty today to illegally reentering the United States following multiple prior deportations and felony convictions.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about March 17, 2025, U.S. Border Patrol Agents were conducting enforcement operations in Rankin County on Interstate 20. Agents conducted a vehicle stop and Luis Simon Acevedo-Rodriguez, 32, freely admitted to being a citizen of Mexico and to being present in the United States without the requisite permission. He was arrested and processed for removal. Acevedo-Rodriguez’s fingerprints were scanned into DHS databases resulting in a computer match to his prior immigration records, including photographs. Acevedo-Rodriguez has been convicted three times in the Western District of Texas – once for improper entry by an alien and twice for illegal reentry by a deported or removed alien. He has been formally removed from the United States three times previously.
Acevedo-Rodriguez pleaded guilty to unlawful return of an alien removed after conviction of a felony. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 8, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi; Eric P. DeLaune, Special Agent-in-Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans, Louisiana; and Adam M. Calderon, Acting Chief Patrol Agent of the Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector, made the announcement.
The United States Border Patrol investigated the case with assistance from the Rankin County Sherriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.
This case was investigated by the Mississippi Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal 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).
Mexican Citizen Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Artemio Santiago-Hernandez, age 43, a Citizen of Mexico, was sentenced yesterday to time served (three months) by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for illegally reentering the United States.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, Santiago-Hernandez was previously removed from the United States on March 19, 2015, through Laredo, Texas and reentered the United States without legal permission to do so. Santiago-Hernandez was also previously removed in 2007. Santiago-Hernandez was convicted at least three times of driving under the influence or similar offenses and still faces DUI charges in Franklin County.
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).
This case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorney Scott Ford prosecuted the case.
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McLaughlin Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Resisting and Impeding a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man convicted of Resisting and Impeding a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on June 9, 2025.
Verl Antonie Janis, age 44, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Janis was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2024. He pleaded guilty on February 20, 2025.
On September 23, 2024, in McLaughlin, South Dakota, within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation, a Bureau of Indian Affairs police officer observed Janis intoxicated by alcohol in violation of a court order. Janis resisted the officer’s attempt to arrest him. As Janis and the officer scuffled, both fell to the ground. Janis’ hands were near the officer’s duty belt. Concerned Janis might disarm him, the officer punched Janis, fracturing a bone in his, the officer’s, hand. Janis was eventually handcuffed and taken into custody. Janis has two prior federal convictions for assaulting law enforcement officers.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Janis was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Man Caught on Missouri Highway with 58 Kilograms of Cocaine Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Phoenix, Arizona on Wednesday admitted being caught with over 58 kilograms of cocaine in a traffic stop on Interstate 44 in Phelps County, Missouri.
Rene Alejandro Valdivia-Gonzalez, 41, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of possession with intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine. On Sept. 21, 2024, Valdivia-Gonzalez was stopped in a Mercedes Sprinter van by the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department for a traffic violation. After receiving consent to search the van, the deputy spotted an after-market compartment that had been installed to create a cavity under the original floorboards. The deputy found rectangular bricks wrapped in plastic and tape that weighed about one kilogram each. Investigators also found bricks hidden behind the dashboard. The 53 bricks contained cocaine weighing a total of 58.85 kilograms.
Valdivia-Gonzalez, who was living in Phoenix, is scheduled to be sentenced October 2. He faces at least 10 years in prison.
The Phelps County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Mahlega Abdsharafat and Creative Hospice Settle Health Care Kickback Claims for $9.2 MillionRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Mahlega Abdsharafat, also known as “Mallie Sharafat,” Creative Hospice Care, Inc., and affiliated companies (collectively, the “Creative Hospice entities”) have paid $9.2 million to settle allegations that Abdsharafat and the Creative Hospice entities entered into kickback arrangements with medical directors in exchange for referrals of hospice patients to Creative Hospice in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statue and the False Claims Act.
“A physician’s health care decision should be based solely on the needs of the patient rather than the physician’s financial interests,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Health care providers who place unlawful personal gain above their duty of care to patients must be held accountable for their dishonesty.”
“Patients should not have to wonder if their doctors’ medical decisions are being driven by unlawful inducements,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “We will continue to hold accountable individuals, as well as companies, who participate in kickback schemes that threaten the integrity of our healthcare system.”
“Health care providers that participate in kickback schemes undermine the integrity of federal health care programs,” said Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge at the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This settlement demonstrates HHS-OIG’s unwavering commitment with our law enforcement partners to hold those accountable who put profit and personal gain ahead of the legitimate medical services.”
“Decisions regarding end-of-life care are incredibly difficult and personal, and families must be able to trust the intentions of their chosen providers,” said Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. “Those who instead take advantage of the system for their own personal gain will be held accountable.”
The government’s investigation began when a former Creative Hospice employee responsible for marketing Creative Hospice’s services to health care providers filed a whistleblower complaint alleging that Creative Hospice paid kickbacks to medical directors to induce them to refer patients to Creative Hospice. These alleged kickbacks included monthly stipends and a signing bonus paid to the medical directors. The compensation allegedly increased when the medical director referred more patients and decreased when the medical director failed to make referrals. Two additional whistleblower complaints were subsequently filed involving similar allegations.
The Government alleges that these arrangements violated the Anti-Kickback Statute, 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b), and caused the submission of false claims in violation of the False Claims Act (FCA), 31 U.S.C. § 3729, et seq.
This settlement resolves three lawsuits brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the FCA in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia: United States of America, ex rel. John Doe, et al. v. Homestead Hospice, et al., No. 1:15-cv-00840-TWT; United States of America and State of Georgia, ex rel. Cletus William Cole v. Homestead Hospice Management, LLC, et al., No. 1:22-cv-04242-MLB; and United States of America, ex rel. Renee Luchtman, et al. v. Homestead Hospice Management, LLC, et al., No. 1:21-cv-04952-TWT.
Under the FCA, whistleblowers, also known as “relators,” may bring suit for false claims on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery obtained by the government. The relators who filed the three lawsuits against the Creative Hospice entities have received over $1.5 million from the settlement.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Medicaid Fraud Division of the Georgia Attorney General’s Office.
The investigation and resolution of this matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeli Ben-David and Georgia Senior Assistant Attorney General Sara Vann. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Akash Desai also worked on the investigation.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Leader in scheme to monopolize transmigrantes market imprisoned for 11 yearsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 39-year-old Mission man has been sentenced for his role in a long-running and violent conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante forwarding agency (TFA) industry in the Los Indios border region, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Carlos Martinez, who pleaded guilty Feb. 6, and his co-conspirators controlled the transmigrate industry through monopolization and extortion of competitors.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. has now ordered Martinez to serve 132 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. He must also pay a $2 million fine.
Martinez and others used fear to control pricing, eliminate competition and keep the transmigrante industry profitable through “pool” allocations and piso payments.
Transmigrantes transport used vehicles and goods from the United States through Mexico for resale in Central America. Only a few U.S. border crossings, including the Los Indios Bridge, allow transmigrantes to enter Mexico.
Transmigrante forwarding agencies are U.S.-based businesses that help clients complete customs paperwork to export vehicles into Mexico. Martinez and his co-conspirators fixed prices for forwarding services and created a centralized entity, known as the “pool,” to collect and divide revenue among conspirators. They used the pool to eliminate competition and raise prices.
“Price fixing is not a victimless crime; it harms customers in the form of artificially high prices. Consumers need to have faith that the prices they pay are fairly determined by the market, rather than the product of illegal collusion,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. “The 11-year sentence Mr. Martinez received reflects the size and scope of his criminal operation, as well as his leadership role in organizing and facilitating the unlawful scheme.”
“The defendants extorted victims trying to make an honest living in the freight forwarding business, and by fixing prices illegally drove up the cost of moving goods,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The lead defendant’s sentence of 11 years in prison reflects the harm caused to the business community along the Southern border. The Department of Justice’s Criminal Division will continue to work to ensure that competition is fairly preserved.”
“Today’s sentence reflects the significant danger and harm the American people face from violent and extortive actions aimed at fixing prices and monopolizing the market for essential services in the Texas border region,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division will continue to aggressively pursue violent criminals who aim to corrupt America’s free markets and advocate for their incarceration.”
“This case underscores the serious threat posed by transnational criminal networks operating at our borders,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) San Antonio. “Carlos Martinez and his co-conspirators orchestrated a violent scheme that extorted small businesses, fixed prices, and laundered millions of dollars — all while threatening the safety and integrity of lawful commerce. HSI will continue to aggressively pursue those who exploit legitimate industries through corruption and intimidation, and we remain steadfast in our mission to protect our communities and our economy.”
“The FBI will remain laser focused on transnational criminal organizations, including organizations that use violence, threats or extortion to fix prices and eliminate competition,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office. “The American people deserve access to fair markets, free from threats of violence or the corrosive impact of illegal market interference, manipulation, or collusion. Together with our partners, we are committed to protecting our borders and dismantling every component of transnational criminal organizations.”
Martinez, the son-in-law of a former Gulf Cartel leader in Mexico, ran a violent criminal syndicate operating at the U.S.-Mexico border. He seized control of the Los Indios bridge near Harlingen and Brownsville and hired workers to monitor transmigrante forwarding agencies and calculate the piso each owned.
Workers collected piso payments in cash and submitted them to Martinez’s organization. He enforced compliance by ordering disciplinary action against agencies that operated without permission, violated pool rules, failed to charge fixed prices or refused to make extortionate payments.
Forwarders not involved in the conspiracy were forced to join and pay into the pool. Martinez and other pool members monitored whether agencies followed pricing rules and made required payments. Martinez and his co-conspirators also demanded additional extortion fees, including a piso for each processed transaction and a fine for operating outside the pool. They used threats, intimidation and violence to enforce compliance and further their antitrust and extortion conspiracies.
Clients who didn’t comply faced consequences ranging from being denied access to the Los Indios Bridge to having their cars stolen. In more severe cases, they were kidnapped, beaten, firebombed, shot or killed.
Martinez personally collected at least $9.5 million in extortion payments. He and his family laundered the money through bank accounts they controlled, disguising the deposits to hide the true source, nature and ownership of the illicit funds.
To date, seven others have been convicted, three of whom have already been sentenced in the case.
ICE-HSI and FBI conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander L. Alum is prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney Christina Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section; Senior Litigation Attorney John Davis and Trial Attorneys Brittany E. McClure, Anne Veldhuis and Michael G. Lepage, all of the of the Antitrust Division.
Lake County Man Facing up to 135 Years in Federal Prison for Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the arrest of Fernando Munguia, Jr. (23, Leesburg) on an indictment charging him with nine counts of knowingly making a materially false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm and nine counts of causing a federal firearm licensee (FFL) to maintain false information in its official records. Each materially false statement charge is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison; each false information count is punishable by up to 5 years’ imprisonment. In total, Munguia faces a maximum penalty of up to 135 years in federal prison.
According to court records, between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023, Munguia illegally straw-purchased multiple firearms in the Middle District of Florida for other individuals. Nine of these firearms—along with other guns—subsequently were intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on May 27, 2023, as another individual attempted to transport them from Eagle Pass, Texas, across the United States’ border into Mexico. Authorities intercepted Munguia’s nine firearms less than a month after he purchased them.
USA v. Munguia - Case 5:24-cr-00082-TPB-PRL Document 1The firearms and ammunition seized at the U.S. border on May 27, 2023.
A record check by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) showed that between January 2023 and November 2023, Munguia had purchased 44 firearms for a total of $23,334.25—an amount representing approximately two-thirds of his reported annual income.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Justice Department and FTC to Host Listening Sessions on Lowering Americans’ Drug Prices Through CompetitionRead the Press Release
As part of implementing President Trump’s Executive Order No. 14273, Lowering Drug Prices by Once Again Putting Americans First, the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission, along with the Department of Commerce and the Department of Health and Human Services, will jointly host listening sessions to discuss ways to make prescription drugs more affordable for Americans by promoting competition. The three listening sessions will occur under the direction of Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater and FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson.
The listening sessions will focus on improving the affordability of pharmaceuticals by increasing generic and biosimilar availability and promoting competition through drug formularies and benefits. The sessions, which will feature remarks by practitioners and scholars, will cover anticompetitive practices as well as eliminating regulatory barriers and rent seeking. The listening sessions will inform the FTC and DOJ’s joint report on combatting anticompetitive practices in pharmaceutical markets, as mandated by President Trump’s Executive Order.
The dates for the sessions are as follows:
Monday, June 30 at 2 p.m. ET – Anticompetitive Conduct by Pharmaceutical Companies Impeding Generic or Biosimilar Competition
Thursday, July 24 at 2 p.m. ET – Formulary and Benefit Practices and Regulatory Abuse Impacting Drug Competition
Monday, August 4 at 2 p.m. ET – Turning Insights into Action to Reduce Drug Prices
The listening sessions will be streamed on the FTC and DOJ websites, with videos and transcripts posted after the events. Additional information will be posted to the event page prior to each session.
Jury Convicts Felon with Gun Who Ran from PoliceRead the Press Release
A felon who possessed a firearm was convicted by a jury today after a three‑day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Marcus Dejohn Wallace, age 29, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. The verdict was returned this afternoon following about three hours of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that on September 5, 2024, Wallace led officers on a high-speed car chase through Cedar Rapids before pulling over in a residential neighborhood and running from officers. He was apprehended by a police K-9 and taken into custody. Law enforcement found a loaded firearm within throwing distance of where Wallace was apprehended. The firearm was missing a magazine. That missing magazine was later located in the path where Wallace had run. Wallace has a prior federal conviction for distribution of heroin resulting in serious bodily injury.
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.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Wallace remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Wallace faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Devra Hake, Shawn Wehde, and Dan Tvedt, and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-90.
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Jacksonville Man Sentenced to More Than 3 Years for Illegally Selling Firearms to A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – Senior U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Ty’shon Damon’n Ramos (26, Jacksonville) to three years and one month in federal prison for selling two firearms to a convicted felon. Ramos pleaded guilty on March 26, 2025.
According to court documents, Ramos came to law enforcement’s attention because he was with the original purchaser of multiple firearms that officers later recovered from individuals who were prohibited from possessing firearms, either because they were convicted felons or adjudicated delinquents. Subsequently, Ramos agreed to sell a confidential informant a firearm that contained a machinegun conversion device, despite the informant’s status as a convicted felon. Ultimately, Ramos sold the informant a rifle and a pistol in exchange for $1,500. Although the rifle did not have a machine conversion device as promised by Ramos, it did have a large-capacity magazine.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelli Swaney.
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.
Jackson Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – A Jackson man was sentenced today to five years in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Felix Peire Brown, 38, was found by United States Probation Officers to be in possession of a firearm while staying in a hotel in Jackson. Brown has prior felony convictions, including a prior federal felony conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He was on supervised release for that prior federal felony conviction at the time of this illegal firearms possession. As a convicted felon he is prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
Brown was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 11, 2023. He pled guilty on September 26, 2024.
In addition to five years in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Brown was also sentenced to an additional 10 months in prison for having violated the terms of his supervised release from his previous federal felony conviction.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives made the announcement.
The ATF investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen prosecuted 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).
Jackson Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a MachinegunRead the Press Release
JACKSON, MS– A Jackson, MS man pleaded guilty on June 4, 2025, to possession of a machinegun.
According to court documents and statements made in open court, Atrell Galloway, Jr., 21, pleaded guilty after being indicted by a federal grand jury for possession of a machinegun. On June 9, 2024, Officers with the Capitol Police Department performed a traffic stop on a vehicle on Lynch Street in Jackson after observing a traffic violation. After approaching the vehicle and seeing narcotics in plain view, a probable cause search of the vehicle was performed. During the search, Officers discovered a Glock Model 45 handgun with an attached machinegun conversion device or “switch.” Capitol Police seized the firearm and then referred the matter to the ATF for further investigation. After obtaining a search warrant, the ATF discovered photographs of the weapon on Galloway’s cell phone with the serial number displayed. Text messages were also discovered on the Defendant’s phone concerning the compatibility of “switches” with certain Glock handguns. During the change of plea hearing, Galloway admitted to purchasing ten machinegun conversion devices online and installing the conversion device on the recovered handgun himself.
Galloway is scheduled to be sentenced on September 4, 2025. Galloway faces a maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and ATF Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson made the announcement.
The United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Capitol Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel Goff is prosecuting the case.
Illegal alien felon sentenced to 57 months in federal prisonRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 34-year-old Mexican national with a felony criminal history has been sentenced for illegally reentering the United States after three previous removals, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jose Manuel Cruz-Diaz, who had illegally resided in Houston, pleaded guilty March 28.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake has now ordered Cruz-Diaz to serve 57 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 Cruz-Diaz had been removed four times previously and was a drug dealer.
He has three prior felony convictions for illegal reentry as well as evading arrest with a motor vehicle. He was also convicted of delivery of black tar heroine and methamphetamines and sentenced to 10 years in state prison. He was first removed from the United States in 2011 and most recently in 2016. However, authorities discovered him in Houston in January 2020 upon his arrest for distribution of controlled substances.
Cruz-Diaz has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations and the Houston Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hileman 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 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.
Illegal alien drug dealer sentenced for unlawfully returning to the country for fifth timeRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 36-year-old citizen of Mexico with a felony record has been sentenced for illegal reentry into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jose De Jesus Soto-Gonzalez pleaded guilty March 5.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Soto-Gonzalez to serve 21 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is again expected to face removal proceedings following his sentence.
In handing down the sentence, the court noted Soto-Gonzalez had a felony conviction for possession with intent to distribute over 100 kilograms of marijuana and served approximately four years in prison before his removal in 2022. He illegally returned and was removed again in 2023. Authorities had also previously removed him in 2008 and 2014.
On Dec. 20, 2024, authorities encountered Soto-Gonzalez at the Border Patrol checkpoint near Falfurrias. They discovered he was a citizen of Mexico without any permission to be back in the United States. The investigation revealed he had illegally reentered the country in July 2024 near Laredo after his 2023 removal.
Soto-Gonzalez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Martin prosecuted the case.
Illegal Alien in Los Angeles Charged with Spitting on ICE OfficerRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An illegal alien from Mexico who is living in Los Angeles was charged today with a felony count for allegedly spitting on a federal agent executing a warrant for his arrest earlier this week.
Omar Pulido Bastida, 41, of the Historic South Central neighborhood of Los Angeles, is charged with one count of assault of a federal employee, a crime that carries a statutory maximum sentence of eight years in federal prison.
Pulido, who earlier this year separately was charged with being an illegal alien found in the United States following removal, was arrested and made his initial appearance on Tuesday in United States District Court in Santa Ana. A federal magistrate judge order him detained and scheduled his arraignment for July 16 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. He is expected to make his initial appearance in this case in the coming days.
“This defendant found out the hard way: When you spit, we hit – with a felony charge,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Law enforcement officers risk their lives and safety to uphold the law. To treat them with the disrespect, like this defendant did, mocks our great nation and such behavior will be punished accordingly.”
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, on Tuesday morning, a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officer arrived at Pulido’s residence to execute the arrest warrant on the illegal re-entry charge. After knocking on the door, the officer identified him as law enforcement with a warrant. Pulido, looking down on the officer from a second-story balcony, responded by insulting the officer.
Several minutes later, the officer saw Pulido open the front door, which had an iron security gate separating the two men. When the officer told Pulido there was an arrest warrant for him, Pulido said, “No, get out of here. I know my rights. I’m calling my lawyer” then spat through the iron security gate onto the officer. At the time, the officer was leaning his head against the grated security gate to be able to see Pulido and felt the spit on his face. After spitting on the officer, Pulido retreated back into the residence.
Shortly after, ICE personnel forced entry into the residence and found Pulido hiding in a second-story storage room. Pulido then said, “OK, you got me,” and was arrested.
A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating this matter.
The Domestic Security and Immigration Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
Harrison County Man Sentenced for Firearms ViolationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jonathon Wade Cochran, 43, of Shinnston, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 63 months in federal prison for the unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, officers attempted a traffic stop on Cochran, who led officers on a chase. Cochran crashed and was injured. Officers found a 9mm pistol in his waistband. Cochran has prior drug and firearms charges, prohibiting him from having firearms.
Cochran will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Rhee prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Guatemalan National Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in Lynn was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Domingo Valentin Solis-De Leon, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to six months in prison and one year of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. On April 8, 2025, Solis-De Leon pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
On Jan. 8, 2014, United States Border Patrol arrested Solis-De Leon near Hidalgo, Texas after entering the United States illegally. Solis De-Leon was ordered removed and was sent back to his home country of Guatemala. On Jan. 6, 2024, immigration authorities learned that Solis-De Leon was present in the United States following his arrest in Lynn, Mass. According to court documents, Solis-De Leon was arrested on state charges for assault and battery on a family or household member and the matter is currently pending in Lynn District Court. He was subsequently released from state custody and Solis-De Leon was arrested by immigration authorities on Jan. 28, 2025 in Lynn.
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 Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Guatemalan Man Sentenced After Being in the United States IllegallyRead the Press Release
A Guatemalan man who was in the United States illegally after being removed twice was sentenced today to 90 days in prison.
Hector Palencia-Morales, age 55, a citizen of Guatemala, received the prison term after an April 7, 2025, guilty plea to being found in the United States after illegal reentry.
On March 1, 2025, Palencia-Morales was found at a residence in Postville, Iowa, while law enforcement officers were executing a search warrant at the residence. Officers confirmed he was in the country illegally. Officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested him on March 14, 2025. Palencia-Morales had previously been removed from the United States in 2013 following a conviction for illegal entry and again in 2022.
Palencia-Morales was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Palencia-Morales was sentenced to 90 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 25-CR-1012.
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Green Township man charged with crimes related to 3 pipe bomb incidentsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury indicted a Green Township man today, charging him with federal crimes related to explosive devices.
Robert Gilb, 50, was arrested yesterday.
“The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested Robert Gilb for possessing an unregistered destructive device and transporting explosive materials,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola. “This alleged activity posed a serious risk to public safety. The FBI worked closely with our law enforcement partners to neutralize this potential danger and protect the community.”
According to charging documents, Gilb allegedly detonated three improvised explosive devices (IED) in Hamilton and Butler counties in March and April.
A complaint affidavit details that on April 12, Hamilton County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to Miami Township for a report of a loud explosion. They discovered what appeared to be a blast crater and components of an improvised explosive device (IED).
Further investigation revealed that there were two prior incidents in Morgan Township
that allegedly had similar characteristics to the incident in Miami Township. Butler County sheriff’s deputies had responded to incidents there on March 23 and March 28.
Witnesses allegedly saw Gilb in his white BMW near the site of at least one of the devices when it exploded.
Gilb is charged with three counts of possessing an unregistered destructive device and three counts of transporting explosive materials.
Possessing an unregistered destructive device and transporting explosive materials are federal crimes punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, as well as the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, Butler County Sheriff's Office, Ohio State Fire Marshalls Office, Greater Cincinnati HAZMAT, Green Township Police Department and Green Township Fire Department, announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy S. Mangan is representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Grand Jury Indicts Two Individuals for Involvement with Online Groups Dedicated to Monkey Torture and MutilationRead the Press Release
A grand jury indictment was unsealed today charging two individuals for their alleged involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.
The indictment alleges that Katrina D. Favret, of Tennessee, and Robert M. Craig, of North Carolina, conspired with previously charged defendant Ronald P. Bedra, of Etna, Ohio, to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos.” Favret is also charged with creating and with distributing animal crush videos.
According to court documents, the defendants conspired with others to create and distribute videos depicting acts of sadistic violence against juvenile and adult monkeys. The conspirators used encrypted chat applications to direct money to individuals in Indonesia willing to commit the requested acts of torture on camera.
The videos alleged to have been created as part of the conspiracy included depictions of monkeys being sodomized with a heated screwdriver and a monkey having its genitals cut with scissors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio, Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola of FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office, and Assistant Director Douglas Ault of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Office of Law Enforcement made the announcement.
The FBI and USFWS investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Mark Romley and Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Pakiz for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
Four Defendants, Including Two Former U.S. Postal Service Employees, Charged in Connection with Scheme to Steal $80 Million in U.S. Treasury ChecksRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Tauheed Tucker, 23, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Cory Scott, 25, of Ardmore, Pa., and Alexander Telewoda, 25, of Clifton Heights, Pa., were arrested and charged by superseding indictment with conspiracy to steal government funds, theft of government funds, and mail theft, arising from a multimillion-dollar scheme to steal U.S. Treasury checks from a local U.S. Postal Service (“USPS”) facility and then resell those checks to purchasers around the country. A fourth defendant, Saahir Irby, 27, of Philadelphia, was also charged with these offenses, in addition to a previously charged count of mail theft.
The superseding indictment alleges that, between June 2023 and September 2024, Irby and Tucker, while working as USPS mail processing clerks, stole thousands of envelopes containing U.S. Treasury checks from mail sorting machines at the USPS Philadelphia Processing and Distribution Center.
According to the indictment, Irby and Tucker removed the checks from the USPS facility and sold them to defendants Scott and Telewoda, who then advertised the stolen checks for resale on the cloud-based instant messaging application Telegram. Upon receiving payment from interested buyers, Scott and Telewoda mailed the stolen Treasury checks to buyers around the country who attempted to cash the checks, without the knowledge or permission of the individuals to whom the checks had originally been issued.
Over the course of the scheme, the indictment alleges, Irby and Tucker sold Scott and Telewoda thousands of stolen Treasury checks whose face value exceeded $80 million. Scott’s and Telewoda’s customers successfully negotiated approximately $11 million worth of these stolen Treasury checks at financial institutions. Irby is also charged with a separate instance of mail theft involving another batch of Treasury checks that he allegedly stole and sold to an unnamed individual in August 2024.
If convicted, Irby faces a maximum possible sentence of 25 years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine, and Tucker, Scott, and Telewoda each face a maximum possible sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $750,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, with substantial assistance from the Montgomery County Detectives Bureau, the Lower Merion Township Police Department, and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Rice.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Former NASCAR Team Owner Pleads guilty to Failure to Pay Payroll TaxesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Former NASCAR team owner Ronald Devine, 68, of Burke, Virginia, appeared in federal court today and pleaded guilty to failure to pay payroll taxes, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina
Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Charlotte Field Office (IRS-CI), James C. Barnacle, Jr., Acting Special Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Rodney Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which oversees Charlotte, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
According to the plea documents and other court records, Devine was the owner and President of BK Racing, LLC (BK Racing), which operated a NASCAR racing team and owned two NASCAR charters. As the owner, Devine exercised control over BK Racing’s financial affairs, including authorizing the filing and payment of its trust fund taxes, commonly referred to as payroll taxes.
Payroll taxes are withheld from employees’ gross pay for income tax and and to fund Social Security and Medicare. Employers are also required to make contributions to trust fund taxes matching the amounts withheld from their employees’ pay, and to file and pay quarterly taxes.
According to court records, beginning in 2012, Devine caused BK Racing to fail to account for and pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in payroll taxes. Court documents show that, between 2012 and 2017, instead of using the funds held in trust to pay for payroll taxes due, Devine transferred more than $2 million to other businesses and entities that he owned and controlled and used some of the funds to pay for BK Racing’s expenses.
Devine was released on bond following his guilty plea. The charge of failure to truthfully account for and pay over trust fund taxes carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date has not been set.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended IRS-CI, the FBI, and USPIS for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caryn Finley and Daniel Ryan of the Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.
Former CIA analyst sentenced to over three years in prison for unlawfully transmitting Top Secret National Defense InformationRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A former CIA analyst was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison for unlawfully retaining and transmitting Top Secret National Defense Information to people who were not entitled to receive it, information which was publicly posted on social media platforms in October 2024.
According to court documents, Asif William Rahman, 34, of Vienna, was an employee of the CIA since 2016 and had a Top Secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) until his employment was terminated after his arrest.
“Asif Rahman violated his position of trust by illegally accessing, removing, and transmitting Top Secret documents vital to the national security of the United States and its allies,” said Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The urgency with which Mr. Rahman was identified, arrested, charged, and prosecuted is a testament to the commitment and professionalism of the investigators and prosecutors who brought him to justice. This case should serve as a stern warning to those who choose to place their own goals over their allegiance to our nation.”
“For months, this defendant betrayed the American people and the oaths he took upon entering his office by leaking some of our Nation’s most closely held secrets,” said John Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “As this case demonstrates, the Department of Justice will continue to protect our Nation by vigorously investigating and prosecuting leakers who compromise our Nation’s security.”
“By stealing and divulging classified information and then attempting to conceal his crimes, Asif Rahman not only violated the law; he also betrayed his oath as a government employee and his responsibility to the American people,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “Now he will pay the price for putting American lives and U.S. national security at risk. Let this be a warning to all clearance holders: The FBI will exhaust all avenues to find and bring to justice anyone — no matter who they are — who endangers our nation by disclosing sensitive information without authorization."
“Today’s sentencing demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to hold all clearance holders accountable for their oath to support and defend the Constitution,” said Steven J. Jensen, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. “The FBI and our Intelligence Community partners are dedicated to protecting our nation’s security and will use every available authority and resource to prevent the disclosure of classified information without authorization.”
On Oct. 17, 2024, Rahman accessed and printed two Top Secret documents containing National Defense Information regarding a U.S. foreign ally and its planned actions against a foreign adversary. Rahman removed the documents, photographed them, and transmitted them to individuals he knew were not entitled to receive them. By Oct. 18, 2024, the documents appeared publicly on multiple social media platforms, complete with the classification markings. After Oct. 17, 2024, Rahman engaged in a deletion campaign of work product on his Top Secret work station.
In 2024, continuing through November, Rahman repeatedly accessed and printed classified National Defense Information, including documents classified up to the Top Secret and further compartmented levels, that he learned in the course of his employment and transmitted to multiple individuals he knew were not entitled to receive it.
Rahman was indicted by a grand jury on Nov. 7, 2024, and was arrested by the FBI as he arrived to work on Nov. 12, 2024. On Jan. 17, Rahman pled guilty to two counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information related to the national defense. He has remained in custody since his arrest.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy A. Edwards Jr. for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Christopher Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. Former Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Rodregous and former National Security Division Trial Attorneys Brett Reynolds and Adam Small helped prosecute the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-CR-249.
Former CIA Analyst Sentenced to over Three Years in Prison for Unlawfully Transmitting Top Secret National Defense InformationRead the Press Release
A former CIA analyst was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for unlawfully retaining and transmitting Top Secret National Defense Information to people who were not entitled to receive it, information which was publicly posted on social media platforms in October 2024.
According to court documents, Asif William Rahman, 34, of Vienna, was an employee of the CIA since 2016 and had a Top Secret security clearance with access to Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) until his employment was terminated after his arrest.
“For months, this defendant betrayed the American people and the oaths he took upon entering his office by leaking some of our Nation’s most closely held secrets,” said John Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “As this case demonstrates, the Department of Justice will continue to protect our nation by vigorously investigating and prosecuting leakers who compromise our nation’s security.”
“Asif Rahman violated his position of trust by illegally accessing, removing, and transmitting Top Secret documents vital to the national security of the United States and its allies,” said Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The urgency with which Mr. Rahman was identified, arrested, charged, and prosecuted is a testament to the commitment and professionalism of the investigators and prosecutors who brought him to justice. This case should serve as a stern warning to those who choose to place their own goals over their allegiance to our nation.”
“By stealing and divulging classified information and then attempting to conceal his crimes, Asif Rahman not only violated the law; he also betrayed his oath as a government employee and his responsibility to the American people,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “Now he will pay the price for putting American lives and U.S. national security at risk. Let this be a warning to all clearance holders: The FBI will exhaust all avenues to find and bring to justice anyone — no matter who they are — who endangers our nation by disclosing sensitive information without authorization."
On Oct. 17, 2024, Rahman accessed and printed two Top Secret documents containing National Defense Information regarding a U.S. foreign ally and its planned actions against a foreign adversary. Rahman removed the documents, photographed them, and transmitted them to individuals he knew were not entitled to receive them. By Oct. 18, 2024, the documents appeared publicly on multiple social media platforms, complete with the classification markings. After Oct. 17, 2024, Rahman engaged in a deletion campaign of work product on his Top Secret work station.
In 2024, continuing through November, Rahman repeatedly accessed and printed classified National Defense Information, including documents classified up to the Top Secret and further compartmented levels, that he learned in the course of his employment and transmitted to multiple individuals he knew were not entitled to receive it.
Rahman was indicted by a grand jury on Nov. 7, 2024, and was arrested by the FBI as he arrived to work on Nov. 12, 2024. On Jan. 17, Rahman pleaded guilty to two counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information related to the national defense. He has remained in custody since his arrest.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy A. Edwards Jr. for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Christopher Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.
Former Business Owner and Town of Cortlandt Employee Sentenced to Prison for $2.4 Million Environmental Crime SchemeRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that GLENN GRIFFIN, the owner and president of Griffin’s Landscaping Corporation, was sentenced to two years in prison for a scheme in which GRIFFIN bribed a Town of Cortlandt employee to gain unauthorized access to a Town facility to dump loads of unauthorized materials. GRIFFIN was also sentenced for a separate bid-rigging scheme. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Vincent L. Briccetti.
On May 20, 2025, ROBERT DYCKMAN, the former Assistant General Foreman for the Town of Cortlandt, was sentenced by Judge Briccetti to a year and a day in prison for his participation in the bribery and dumping scheme. As part of their sentences, GRIFFIN and DYCKMAN were each ordered to pay $2.4 million in restitution to their victims.
“Glenn Griffin and Robert Dyckman’s corruption not only damaged public land and fragile wetlands but also undermined the public’s faith in our government and institutions” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Griffin, a successful business owner and president, bribed Dyckman so that he could save money and, in the process, illegally dump harmful, unauthorized materials on public property generating $2.4 million in damages. Moreover, Griffin then took government money to remove and haul away the very materials that he had illegally dumped. Together with our law enforcement partners, we are committed to rooting out such brazen and wasteful corruption.”
According to statements made in public filings and court proceedings:
Illegal Dumping Scheme
From 2018 until February 2020, GRIFFIN and DYCKMAN engaged in an unauthorized dumping scheme. DYCKMAN gave GRIFFIN and his employees unauthorized access to Arlo Lane, a Cortlandt facility, to dump hundreds of large truckloads of unauthorized materials such as thick concrete, cement with rebar, tiles, bricks, large rocks, and soil. After the illegal dumping, GRIFFIN billed and received payments from the Town of Cortlandt for removing and hauling away the very materials that GRIFFIN had illegally dumped at Arlo Lane with DYCKMAN’s assistance.
DYCKMAN generally allowed GRIFFIN and his employees to access Arlo Lane on Saturdays or after working hours. To carry out the scheme, DYCKMAN would attempt to clear senior Town of Cortlandt management away from Arlo Lane around the time of the unauthorized dumping. When DYCKMAN arranged for a subordinate Town of Cortlandt worker to work overtime when GRIFFIN was dumping unauthorized loads, DYCKMAN would falsely record the worker’s overtime as having occurred during the week in order to conceal the scheme.
In exchange for access to Arlo Lane, GRIFFIN paid DYCKMAN cash bribes.
GRIFFIN and DYCKMAN were ordered to pay the Town of Cortlandt and the Westchester Land Trust, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization which owns damaged wetlands abutting the Town of Cortlandt’s Arlo Lane property, a total of $2.4 million to remediate and restore their property following GRIFFIN’s and DYCKMAN’s criminal conduct.
Bid-Rigging Scheme
Between 2015 and 2018, Griffin also engaged in a bid-rigging scheme. GRIFFIN defrauded the village of Croton-on-Hudson for work on its schools, and the hamlet of Verplanck for work at its fire department. GRIFFIN made sham, non-competitive, and inflated bids on behalf of entities that GRIFFIN did not work for or have authorization to submit bids on behalf of, so that GRIFFIN would be the low bidder in a pool of purportedly competitive bids and receive public money for work on the projects. Based on these sham, non-competitive, and inflated bids, GRIFFIN was awarded contracts with a combined value exceeding $133,000.
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In addition to the prison term, GRIFFIN, 56, of Cortlandt, New York was sentenced to three years of supervised release and a $50,000 fine. He was also ordered to forfeit $220,000 and pay $2.4 million in restitution, with $1.2 million due to the Town of Cortlandt and $1.2 million due to the Westchester Land Trust. On August 26, 2024, GRIFFIN pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victoria Reznik to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
In addition to the prison term, DYCKMAN, 53, of Verplanck, New York, was sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $2.4 million in restitution, with $1.2 million due to the Town of Cortlandt and $1.2 million due to the Westchester Land Trust. On August 26, 2024, DYCKMAN pled guilty before Magistrate Judge Reznik to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Westchester County Police Department in this investigation. Mr. Clayton also thanked the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office and the New York City Department of Investigation for their assistance in the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David R. Felton and James McMahon are in charge of the prosecution.
Florida Fuel Supplier Charged in Multimillion-Dollar Scheme to Defraud U.S. Department of Defense, other Federal AgenciesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Miami returned an indictment today charging a Florida business owner with multiple counts of wire fraud, money laundering, and forgery for orchestrating a scheme to defraud the U.S. Department of Defense and other federal agencies by submitting altered and fake invoices to U.S. Navy ships and other vessels through the SEA Card Program, which allows U.S. vessels to purchase critical fuel from suppliers at ports around the world.
According to court documents filed in the Southern District of Florida, between August 2022 and January 2024, Jasen Butler, 37, of Jupiter, Florida, the owner of Independent Marine Oil Services LLC, submitted dozens of falsified documents to multiple U.S. warships — including the USS Patriot — demanding and receiving over $5 million dollars in payments for phony expenses that Butler had not incurred. These ships were attempting to purchase fuel in international ports such as Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Croatia, among others. Butler also concealed his identity from government officials by using a false name and feigning employment by a fictitious fuel division of a different company. As alleged in the indictment, Butler used the millions in fraud proceeds to personally enrich himself and purchase multiple properties, including in Florida and Colorado.
“This indictment sends a clear, public message: the Antitrust Division and its Procurement Collusion Strike Force under President Trump will not rest until all who defraud the brave men and women of the U.S. military and the American taxpayers receive swift justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail A. Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division.
“Our office is steadfast in its commitment to prosecute individuals that seek to unjustly profit at the expense of the U.S. military,” said U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “Such fraud undermines military readiness and jeopardizes the dedicated service members who selflessly defend our country.”
“Investigating complex fraud schemes which impact U.S. Coast Guard operations is a priority for CGIS,” said Special Agent in Charge Josh Packer of the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) Southeast Field Office. “CGIS remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate any fraud which undermines the integrity of the Coast Guard’s supply chain.”
“Mr. Butler’s alleged involvement in unlawfully submitting fraudulent invoices related to U.S. naval ships receiving fuel during port visits is an affront to the warfighter and taxpayer,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS remains committed to thoroughly investigating those who commit fraud impacting the Department of Navy.”
“Those who exploit the Department of Defense for personal gain — by inflating costs, falsifying bids, or manipulating the contracting process — will be relentlessly pursued and held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Sargenski of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “DCIS and our law enforcement partners remain unwavering in our mission to protect taxpayer dollars and preserve the integrity of DoD contracts that directly support our nation’s warfighters.”
If convicted, Butler faces maximum penalties of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, up to 10 years for each count of forgery, and up to 10 years for each count of money laundering. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
Assistant Chief Sara Clingan and Trial Attorney Jonathan Pomeranz of the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about this investigation or other procurement fraud schemes should notify the PCSF at www.justice.gov/atr/webform/pcsf-citizen-complaint. The Justice Department created the PCSF in November 2019. It is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Federal grand jury indicts Rochester and Jamestown man for role in narcotics conspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Johnny B. Mays aka Blaze, 40, of Rochester and Jamestown, NY, with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, one kilogram or more heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and five kilograms or more of cocaine, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti and Louis A. Testani, who are handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between 2018, and May 26, 2022, Mays conspired with Joseph S. Zaso, co-defendant Quentin L. Yancey, and others, to sell heroin and fentanyl in the Rochester area. Joseph Zaso was previously charged and convicted and is awaiting sentencing. Charges remain pending against Quentin Yancey.
Mays was arraigned before U.S. District Judge Michael J. Roemer and detained.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Federal Complaints Charge SoCal Residents with Assault, Throwing Molotov Cocktails at Officers During Recent Civil UnrestRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Two Los Angeles County men -- one of them an illegal alien -- have been charged via federal criminal complaints with possessing Molotov cocktails during the recent civil unrest in downtown Los Angeles and Paramount stemming from protests against federal immigration enforcement operations, the Justice Department announced today.
The following defendants have been charged with possession of an unregistered destructive device, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison:
- Emiliano Garduno Galvez, 23, of Paramount, who is an illegal immigrant from Mexico; and
- Wrackkie Quiogue, 27, of Long Beach.
Both defendants are in custody. Quiogue was ordered detained at his initial court appearance on Tuesday. Galvez is expected to make their initial appearance in United States District Court in the coming days.
“When protesting crosses the line into violence, the penalties will be severe,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Possessing a Molotov cocktail or another destructive device is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison. The vile attacks such as the ones alleged in these complaints could have resulted in life-altering or life-ending injuries to police officers, sheriff’s deputies, and innocent bystanders. We will not relent in dispensing swift justice to criminals who take advantage of our country’s freedoms to engage in lawlessness.”
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint charging Galvez, on the evening of June 7 in Paramount, Galvez lit and threw a Molotov cocktail over a wall where Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) deputies were engaging in crowd control activities then ran away. A violent crowd had assembled in that location earlier in the day near a staging area for federal agents who were preparing for immigration enforcement operations.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint charging Quiogue, on June 8, Quiogue possessed a Molotov cocktail while holding a lighter during civil unrest near federal buildings in downtown Los Angeles’s Civic Center. Los Angeles Police Department officers saw Quiogue with the device and quickly arrested him. As Quiogue attempted to flee arrest, he threw the Molotov.
Charged separately via criminal complaints are the following defendants, who are charged with assault on a federal officer, a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in federal prison, stemming from violence at recent rallies in Santa Ana:
- Christian Andres Garcia, 32, of Anaheim; and
- Rene Luna, 43, of Orange.
Both defendants are expected to make their initial appearances in United States District Court in Santa Ana in the coming days.
According to court documents, on June 9, Garcia threw objects at law enforcement personnel stationed outside a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) office in Santa Ana. Luna allegedly threw water bottles and beer cans at officers during the same protest. Both defendants were arrested.
A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating Quiogue and Galvez with the assistance of the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. HSI is investigating Garcia and Luna. The FBI is assisting with the Galvez investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney David C. Lachman of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section is prosecuting Quiogue. Assistant United States Attorney Jenna W. Long, also of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section, is prosecuting Galvez. Assistant United States Attorney Brian Yang of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section is prosecuting Garcia and Luna.