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2 July 2025
Grand Jury Returns Indictment Charging Former Evangeline Parish Law Enforcement Officer with Production and Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a former Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy has been indicted on child pornography charges. A grand jury in the Western District of Louisiana has returned an indictment charging Joshua Uhlman, 36, of Pine Prairie, Louisiana, with two counts of production of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography.
The indictment alleges that between on or about September 2024 and February 2, 2025, Uhlman did attempt to employ, use, persuade, induce, entice and coerce two minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct and attempted to do so for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of said conduct, knowing that the visual depiction would be transmitted using interstate commerce.
It is further alleged in the indictment that between on or about September 2024 and February 2, 2025, Uhlman did knowingly receive child pornography, using any means and facility of interstate and foreign commerce and in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce, including by computer.
If convicted, Uhlman faces a sentence of at least 15 years and no more than 30 years on each production of child pornography count; a minimum of 5 years and no more than 20 years on the receipt of child pornography count; 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000, or both.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig R. Bordelon, II.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678.
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Georgia Man Sentenced for Exploiting North Mississippi BoyRead the Press Release
Greenville, MS – A Georgia man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for attempting to coerce a Mississippi minor to send sexually explicit images through an online platform.
According to court documents, Davin Buckner, 24 years old, of Resaca, Georgia, engaged in an online conversation over a gaming platform with a ten-year old child in Lafayette County. Buckner invited and allowed the minor to access and use credits on Buckner’s account to play games. Once the minor used some credits, Buckner advised the minor that he would have to repay the money by sending explicit images of himself. Buckner thought the child was 9 years old. Using emojis, Buckner requested the minor send pictures of his penis “stimulated.” The minor complied and took a picture using his cell phone which he then sent to Buckner.
The minor’s parents discovered the messages and turned the cell phone over to the FBI. Buckner committed this online crime while out on bond awaiting trial for hands on sexual exploitation offenses out of Georgia that occurred in 2020.
District Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced Buckner to serve 240 months in federal prison followed by lifetime supervised release for the online offense.
“I can think of no more egregious crime than an adult who sexually exploits a child, and this office will continue to exercise zero tolerance for sexual predators, period,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “AUSA Parker King and our invaluable partners at the FBI have yet again run an extremely dangerous individual to ground and provided protection and justice to the most vulnerable among us.”
"Protecting children from exploitation is one of the FBI’s highest priorities,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jackson Field Office Robert Eikhoff. “Mr. Buckner, who was awaiting trial for sexual exploitation of another child, continued to violate the innocence of a minor. Buckner is a dangerous sexual predator who preyed on our most vulnerable victims, our children. The FBI maintains a steadfast commitment to protect minors and their innocence by aggressively investigating and holding accountable predators, like Buckner."
This case was investigated by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker S. King prosecuted the case as part of the Project Safe Childhood nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 200 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Lajuane Broadus, 48 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Broadus was sentenced to 200 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.According to documents in the case, Broadus distributed controlled substances in June and September 2024. A search warrant executed at his residence resulted in the recovery of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, three firearms, ammunition, body armor, and a large amount of U.S. currency. As a convicted felon, Broadus was prohibited from possessing the firearms, and he illegally possessed the firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking offense.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin C. Sheridan.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Former Federal Employee Charged with Wire Fraud, Theft, and Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland announced the arrest of Evester Edd, 64, of Silver Spring, Maryland. Edd, a former senior human resources employee for the Peace Corps, is charged with wire fraud, theft of government funds, and making false statements to federal agents.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the criminal complaint with Inspector General Joaquin E. Ferrao, Peace Corps Office of Inspector General (Peace Corps OIG), and Acting Inspector General Joe Allen, Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of the Inspector General (FHFA-OIG).
According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Edd allegedly engaged in a scheme to defraud the U.S. government by simultaneously working as a federal employee and federal contractor. Edd is accused of falsifying his timecards submitted to multiple federal agencies and misrepresenting the amount of work he performed for the government. This scheme involved the use of wire communications to submit false time and attendance reports resulting in double billing for tens of thousands of dollars.
Additionally, Edd is accused of making false statements. When completing documentation for a security clearance, Edd allegedly misrepresented the nature of his ties to individuals overseas. Also, during an interview with federal agents investigating the case, Edd was allegedly dishonest about electronic accounts he created, actions he took, and money he sent to foreign nationals in exchange for explicit content. According to the affidavit, Edd also allegedly abused his government access to computers and systems on more than 1,000 occasions to access, save, and transmit Privacy Act information and agency sensitive information. He sent protected government information via commercial email accounts to commercial email servers and his mobile devices.
This arrest is the result of a yearlong investigation led by the Peace Corps OIG in partnership with FHFA-OIG and other law enforcement partners. In November 2024, federal agents executed a search warrant for Edd’s home to recover his electronic devices. Then in December 2024, Edd retired from federal service during the pending criminal investigation.
“Public service is a public trust, and that trust is broken when government employees falsify records or otherwise engagement in fraudulent behavior,” Hayes said. “These charges reflect the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s commitment — along with our law enforcement partners — to holding individuals accountable when they undermine the integrity of federal agencies and violate the law. We will continue to pursue justice wherever misconduct threatens the fairness and security of our institutions.”
“The investigation and today’s arrest underscore our commitment to pursue allegations against those who would defraud U.S. taxpayers and undermine the public trust in the integrity of the federal workforce,” Ferrao said.
“Identifying, investigating, and preventing schemes that defraud American taxpayers is a core mission of the Federal Housing Finance Agency OIG. As today’s arrest reflects, FHFA OIG works closely with our partner OIGs and the Department of Justice to ensure that allegations of fraud involving those in a position of public trust are thoroughly investigated and appropriate charges are filed,” Allen said.
Edd is facing a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud, 10 years for theft of government property, five years for false statements to federal agents, and significant fines and restitution.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the Peace Corps OIG and FHFA-OIG for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Baldwin who is prosecuting this case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Former FBI Procurement Official Agrees to Plead Guilty to Bid-Rigging Scheme to Obtain Electronics ContractsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former electronics technician at the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office and his sister were charged today with conspiring to defraud the United States to obtain at least $350,000 in low-bid electronics equipment contracts from the FBI.
Jeffrey Spencer, 51, of Canyon Country, and Christy Evereklian, 43, of Temecula, were charged via a single-count information filed today with conspiracy to defraud the United States. In plea agreements also filed today, Spencer and Evereklian both agreed to plead guilty to the felony offense, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
Spencer and Evereklian are expected to enter their guilty pleas in the coming weeks in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to their plea agreements, from August 2015 through August 2020, Spencer and Evereklian conspired to defraud the United States by impeding the solicitation of competitive bids for electronic equipment by deceitful and dishonest means. Spencer, who was an FBI procurement official and solicited bids for electronic equipment, conspired with Evereklian to submit purportedly independent and competitive bids from Evereklian’s several companies for FBI contracts.
In fact, Spencer and Evereklian already had decided which company would submit the lowest – and presumably winning – bid for a contract. Evereklian submitted bids from her own companies to the FBI using the names of her relatives to conceal her control over bidding companies, and she used a random number generator to create the fraudulent bids.
Evereklian further admitted in her plea agreement that during the conspiracy, her companies won at least $350,000 in contracts from the FBI.
The United States Department of Justice Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation in this matter as part of the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF).
Assistant United States Attorney Jason Pang of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
Final Defendant in Large-Scale Firearms Trafficking Ring in Brooklyn Sentenced to 63 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Calvin Tabron was sentenced by United States District Judge William F. Kuntz II to 63 months in prison for conspiring to traffic firearms. Tabron acted as a straw purchaser for a gun trafficking ring that operated around the Breukelen Houses, a New York City Housing Authority development in Canarsie, Brooklyn. Tabron pleaded guilty to the charge in March 2024.
Judge Kuntz previously sentenced Tabron’s three co-defendants who pleaded guilty to gun and narcotics trafficking charges: David Mccann was sentenced to 108 months’ imprisonment for conspiring to traffic firearms and fentanyl; Tajhai Jones was sentenced to 97 months’ imprisonment for conspiring to traffic firearms; and Raymond Minaya was sentenced to 135 months’ imprisonment for conspiring to traffic firearms and cocaine base. The defendants were charged in January 2023 in the first case in New York to publicly charge the gun trafficking provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Frank A. Tarentino, III, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA); and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentences.
“The defendants’ convictions and sentences demonstrate our resolve to hold accountable those who flood the streets of Brooklyn with deadly weapons and drugs, feeding the cycles of gun violence and substance abuse,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “My Office will continue to vigorously enforce our laws by using the tools provided by Congress, such as the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, to prosecute gun traffickers.”
“Today’s sentencing of Calvin Tabron is a direct result of the collaboration we have with our law enforcement partners in targeting those individuals who compromise the safety and security of our communities,” stated DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Tarentino. “Mr. Tabron not only pushed fentanyl onto our streets, but chose to push and sell weapons as well, both which could have resulted in senseless and deadly consequences. Removing these individuals from our streets, saves lives.”
“Today’s sentencing is the culmination of government at every level—local, state, and federal—working together to hold dangerous criminals accountable,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “Calvin Tabron pumped illegal weapons, including untraceable ghost guns, and drugs into a Brooklyn community, putting countless lives at risk. I thank all the NYPD investigators, the DEA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their tireless efforts in this historic case.”
According to court filings, the defendants’ gun-trafficking operation involved the sale of at least 50 illegal firearms over multiple transactions in Brooklyn between January 2022 and August 2022. The defendants conducted these firearms sales in broad daylight in a public park, in shopping center parking lots, in vehicles in and around the Breukelen Houses, across from a church, and blocks away from a preschool and grade school. Tabron and Jones obtained firearms in Virginia and then transported them to New York to be sold on the streets of Brooklyn. Some of the firearms sold by the defendants had defaced serial numbers or were made from ghost gun kits, making them harder for law enforcement to trace. Mccann and Minaya also engaged in significant narcotics trafficking conspiracies, including a fentanyl distribution conspiracy that introduced thousands of lethal doses of fentanyl into the community.
Firearms sold in the conspiracy have also been linked to shootings in Brooklyn. For example, on June 22, 2022, Minaya sold an undercover officer a Glock 30, .45 caliber handgun. The investigation revealed that this gun was used in an August 21, 2021 shooting in Bedford-Stuyvesant during which armed perpetrators shot into a large crowd gathered for a family day celebration. In total, eight individuals were struck by gunfire. Another gun trafficked by Minaya—a Glock 43, 9-millimeter caliber handgun—is linked to a December 18, 2021 shooting of an individual in Canarsie, in the blocks surrounding the Breukelen Houses complex. That individual sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his body.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Division and supervised by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Amir, Irisa Chen, and James R. Simmons are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant Sentenced Today:
CALVIN TABRON
Age: 27
Virginia Beach, VirginiaDefendants Previously Sentenced:
DAVID MCCANN
Age: 30
Brooklyn, New YorkTAJHAI JONES
Age: 31
Portsmouth, VirginiaRAYMOND MINAYA
Age: 29
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-8 (WFK)
Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to Five Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who sold fentanyl in Dubuque was sentenced on July 1, 2025, to 60 months in federal prison. Shon Dwayne Perkins, age 37, received the prison sentence after a December 19, 2024, guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance near a protected location.
Evidence at the hearing established that in addition to selling a fentanyl-xylazine mixture near a protected location, Perkins on multiple occasions sold fentanyl that contained xylazine. Due to his distribution of the fentanyl xylazine mixture, a drug user buying and using the controlled substances distributed by Perkins developed necrosis of the arms that resulted in permanent scarring.
Perkins was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. He was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 6-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Perkins is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin and was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-01034.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Federal Jury Finds Sioux Falls Man Guilty of Two Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Boru Guye Wako, Jr., age 39, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Illegal Receipt of a Firearm by a Person Under Indictment following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Sioux Falls. The verdict was returned on July 1, 2025.
The Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person charge carries a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. The Illegal Receipt of a Firearm by a Person Under Indictment charge carries a maximum penalty of up to 5 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, 2 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Wako was originally indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2023.
The charges stemmed from an incident on March 8, 2023, when Sioux Falls Police Department detectives attempted to stop a vehicle that had been reported stolen. Rather than comply, the driver of the stolen vehicle eluded law enforcement. Soon thereafter, detectives re-located the vehicle, just as the driver fled the scene on foot. Detectives pursued the fleeing driver, but the individual managed to get away by stealing a second vehicle. Based on prior encounters, detectives were able to identify the fleeing driver as Boru Guye Wako, Jr., and he was later apprehended. Upon searching the first stolen vehicle from which Wako had fled, detectives discovered a Ruger LCP .380 handgun in the driver-side door, which had been reported stolen just days earlier. Forensic analysis later revealed the presence of Wako’s DNA on the barrel of the firearm, thereby establishing Wako had possessed the firearm. As a prior convicted felon, Wako is prohibited from possessing firearms. At the time Wako possessed the firearm, he was also under indictment for two other separate felonies, further prohibiting his possession of firearms.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen and U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has been set for September 22, 2025. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Federal Charges Filed for Destruction of Government Property, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (Vehicle), and Reckless Driving on the National MallRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced that Curtis Lear, 30, of the District of Columbia, appeared at a hearing today in U.S. District Court after being federally charged last week with allegedly driving an SUV recklessly at a high speed on the National Mall as hundreds of visitors were present. The joy ride caused over $9,000 in damage to the lawn, as hundreds of visitors were present.
Lear was charged by complaint on June 25, 2025, with Destruction Of Government Property, Assault With A Dangerous Weapon (Vehicle), and Reckless Driving.
Chief Jessica Taylor of the U.S. Park Police joined in the announcement.
According to the charging documents, on June 21 at 8:45 p.m., a black Jeep Patriot with D.C. license plates drove onto the National Mall near 7th Street, SW, between Jefferson and Madison Drives. The Jeep raced at high speeds on the National Mall, making sharp turns on the grass and accelerating uncontrollably, according to witnesses. At the time, hundreds of pedestrians occupied the National Mall and surrounding areas.
During the incident, a U.S. Capitol Police officer approached the vehicle on foot. The driver rolled down a window and stated, “It's just a joke.” Officers attempted a traffic stop but the suspect vehicle fled. Investigators ran the Jeep’s license plate number through a law enforcement database and learned the SUV was registered to Lear.
At approximately 3 a.m. the following morning, officers located the Jeep and conducted a traffic stop. Lear was behind the wheel.
This case is being investigated by U.S. Park Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob Green and Michael Lee.
Former Contractors for the Florida Prepaid College Program Plead Guilty to Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, FLORIDA – Julie Michelle Shuler, 32, and Taylor Skiey Bradham, 26, both of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. Shuler also pleaded guilty to four counts of mail fraud. The pleas were announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “These defendants sought to exploit Florida parents’ investments in their children’s futures for their own personal gain, but thanks to the diligent collaboration between my office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, their profiteering scheme has been dismantled and a prison cell awaits them.”
Court documents reflect that Shuler and Bradham worked for the company contracted to provide customer service and records administration service for the Florida Prepaid College Program. According to court records, Shuler and Bradham used their positions to fraudulently access and view the personal identifying information (PII) of Florida Prepaid College Program account owners and beneficiaries. Records show that the women used and conspired to use such PII to fraudulently change ownership of existing Florida Prepaid College Program contracts and plans without the authorization or knowledge of the account owners or beneficiaries. Shuler and Bradham then fraudulently took over control, and conspired to take over control, of such accounts to request termination of those contracts. By canceling the contracts, Shuler and Bradham caused refund checks to be mailed by the Florida Prepaid College Program to addresses that they designated. Once the checks were delivered, Shuler and Bradham, and others working at their direction, cashed or deposited the checks into bank accounts. In doing so, Shuler and Bradham stole or attempted to steal approximately $86,000 in Florida Prepaid College Program funds.
Shuler and Bradham face up to twenty years’ imprisonment, and three years of supervision upon release, for conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Shuler faces up to twenty years’ imprisonment, and three years of supervision upon release, for each of the mail fraud counts. And both defendants face a mandatory term of two years’ imprisonment consecutive to any other sentence of incarceration, and up to one year of supervised release upon release, for aggravated identity theft.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.
Shuler’s sentencing is scheduled for August 6, 2025, at 10:00 am, and Bradham’s sentencing is scheduled for September 15, 2025, at 9:00 am, at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Ecuadorian man charged with illegal re-entryRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today Segundo Juan Maynato-Guaman, a/k/a Segundo Juan Mainato-Guaman, 46, a citizen of Ecuador, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with re-entry of a removed alien, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Testani, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on June 25, 2025, Rochester Border Patrol Agents conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle that Maynato-Guaman was driving at the intersection of Brockport-Spencerport Road and Washington Street. When asked for citizenship, he responded, “Ecuador.” Maynato-Guaman voluntarily presented the agent with a New York State identification card which displayed the name Segundo Mainato-Guaman. When asked if he was present in the United States illegally, Maynato-Guaman replied, “yes, I do not have any documents.” A subsequent records check determined that in December 2009, Maynato-Guaman was physically removed from the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Maynato-Guaman made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Colleen D. Holland and was detained.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge Juan Ramirez, Jr.
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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DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working GroupRead the Press Release
Healthcare fraud and abuse depletes taxpayer funds, corrodes public health and safety, and undermines the integrity of the federal healthcare system. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) have a long history of partnering to use one of the government’s most effective and successful tools — the False Claims Act (FCA) — to combat healthcare fraud. This Administration is fully committed to supporting such work. HHS and DOJ’s Civil Division are strengthening their ongoing collaboration to advance priority enforcement areas through the DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group.
Membership in the DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group will include leadership from the HHS Office of General Counsel, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Center for Program Integrity, the Office of Counsel to the HHS Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and DOJ’s Civil Division, with designees representing U.S. Attorneys’ Offices. The group will be jointly led by the HHS General Counsel, Chief Counsel to HHS-OIG, and the Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Commercial Litigation Branch.
As part of the Working Group’s coordination work:
- HHS shall make referrals to DOJ of potential violations of the FCA that reflect Working Group priorities. In addition to priority FCA matters previously announced by the Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Division,[1] the Working Group is announcing the following priority enforcement areas:
- Medicare Advantage
- Drug, device or biologics pricing, including arrangements for discounts, rebates, service fees, and formulary placement and price reporting
- Barriers to patient access to care, including violations of network adequacy requirements
- Kickbacks related to drugs, medical devices, durable medical equipment, and other products paid for by federal healthcare programs
- Materially defective medical devices that impact patient safety
- Manipulation of Electronic Health Records systems to drive inappropriate utilization of Medicare covered products and services
- The Working Group shall maximize cross-agency collaboration to expedite ongoing investigations in these priority areas and identify new leads, including by leveraging HHS resources through enhanced data mining and assessment of HHS and HHS-OIG report findings.
- The Working Group shall discuss considerations bearing on whether HHS should implement a payment suspension pursuant to 42 C.F.R. § 405.370 et seq. or whether DOJ shall move to dismiss a qui tam complaint under 31 U.S.C. § 3730(c)(2)(A), consistent with Justice Manual Section 4-4.111.
The DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group encourages whistleblowers to identify and report violations of the federal False Claims Act involving priority enforcement areas. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). Similarly, the Working Group encourages healthcare companies to identify and report such violations consistent with Justice Manual Section 4-4.112.
Note: Read a PDF version of the release here
[1] Brett A. Shumate, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division Enforcement Priorities (June 11, 2025), available at www.justice.gov/civil/media/1404046/dl?inline.
- HHS shall make referrals to DOJ of potential violations of the FCA that reflect Working Group priorities. In addition to priority FCA matters previously announced by the Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Division,[1] the Working Group is announcing the following priority enforcement areas:
Convicted felon sentenced to 51 months for illegal reentry to the United StatesRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 54-year-old man from Matamoros, Mexico, has been ordered to federal prison for illegally reentering the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Luis Ernesto Hernandez-Doria pleaded guilty April 9.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now ordered him to serve 51 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard about Hernandez-Doria’s lengthy criminal record, including four prior felony and six misdemeanor convictions. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Hernandez-Doria needed a substantial sentence to deter him from illegally reentering again.
Hernandez-Doria had three previous felony convictions for illegal reentry as well as for taking a weapon from an officer.
He was first removed in November 2016 and illegally returned three times. Authorities discovered him again Oct. 12, 2024, in Brownsville.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis Salazar 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.
Convicted Sex Trafficker Sentenced to 30 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announces that James E. Coleman, 29, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for trafficking a 14-year-old victim from Virginia in 2020 for commercial sex with strangers, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Coleman pleaded guilty on May 17, 2022, to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a child, to production of child pornography, and to first-degree child sexual abuse. In addition to the 360-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss ordered Coleman to serve 15 years of supervised release, to register as a sex offender and to pay $25,000 in restitution to the victim.
According to court documents, Coleman worked with a co-conspirator with the goal of trafficking the victim for commercial sex and knew that the victim was a minor. Beginning on June 30, 2020, Coleman took sexually explicit photographs and videos of the victim to market her on websites advertising commercial sex services.
Coleman gave the victim directions regarding how much to charge for sexual services, with specific monetary amounts for increments of time she spent with the commercial sex customers. Coleman then pocketed the payments for sexual services the victim provided. He told the victim to tell commercial sex clients she was 21 years old, if she was asked.
Coleman also used his cell phone to record a video of himself engaging in sex acts with the victim.
In July of 2020 Coleman ordered the victim to give him money. When she refused, he beat her with a broomstick, assaulted her with a knife, cut off her clothing, and left her nude in the hallway of his building.
Coleman was arrested by U.S. Marshals on Oct. 22, 2020, and has been held without bond since.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Burrell, Meredith Mayer-Dempsey, and Angela Buckner.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than 12 Years for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Cocaine and Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Yaphet Martin (38, New Port Richey) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Martin pleaded guilty in August 2024.
According to court documents, on July 7, 2023, officers with the Clearwater Police Department pulled over a vehicle being driven by Martin. When the officers approached the vehicle, they smelled marijuana emanating from the vehicle. Officers searched the vehicle and located a small green camouflage bag behind the center console containing what laboratory testing would later confirm to be 3 grams of fentanyl, 7.66 grams of MDMA, and 3.48 grams of cocaine. The bag also contained a digital scale, glass pipe, and $3,182 in cash. Officers also recovered a firearm loaded with four rounds of ammunition from the vehicle.
At the time, Martin had four prior felony convictions including forgery, robbery in the first degree, delivering an imitation controlled substance, and felonious possession of a firearm. He is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. In addition, his prior drug and crime of violence convictions subjected him to an enhanced penalty.
This case was investigated by the Clearwater Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky.
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.
Citizen of Mexico Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Edelicio Castillo-Ramos, age 33, a citizen of Mexico, residing in Mill Hall, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury yesterday for illegal reentry.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that Castillo-Ramos was previously removed from the United States on July 12, 2012, through Calexico, California, and reentered without first obtaining legal permission to do so. The indictment also alleges that on June 20, 2025, Castillo-Ramos was encountered in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, without having first obtained legal permission to reenter the country.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Zenzinger is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The maximum penalty under federal law for the offense is 2 years, a fine, and supervised release following imprisonment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged by indictment are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Checotah Resident Sentenced for Illegally Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Douglas Ray Lollis, Jr., age 33, of Checotah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 40 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On March 4, 2025, Lollis was found guilty by a federal jury at trial for one count of illegally possessing a firearm.
According to investigators, on December 22, 2022, Lollis pawned a 9x19mm pistol which he possessed illegally. At the time of that transaction, Lollis was prohibited from owning firearms after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
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.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Lollis will self-report on August 4, 2025, to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan E. Soverly, Patrick M. Flanigan, and Edith Singer represented the United States.
Cape Girardeau Man Admits Stealing from Gun StoreRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – A Cape Girardeau man on Tuesday admitted helping to steal a pistol from a Cape Girardeau County gun store.
Danaje Raymond Webster, 24, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count of stealing a firearm from a licensed dealer. His co-defendant, Dayvion Jyraud Parker, 21, pleaded guilty in October of 2024 to five felonies: stealing a firearm from a licensed dealer, two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of possession of a machine gun.
Both admitted that on June 17, 2024, they stole a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol from a federally licensed firearm dealer in Cape Girardeau County. Webster removed the pistol from a display and handed it to Parker, who initially hid the pistol under his jacket. Parker later handed the pistol to Webster, who hid it between Parker’s back and the back of Parker’s wheelchair. Parker then bought a different pistol and ammunition and both men left the store. After store employees noticed the missing pistol, they reviewed surveillance video that showed the theft. On June 25, law enforcement officers performing a court-approved search of a home in Cape Girardeau found Parker, who is a felon and is thus barred from possessing firearms, lying on a bed with two pistols between the bed frame and the wall. Both pistols were equipped with auto sears, or “switches,” that rendered them fully automatic.
Webster is scheduled to be sentenced on September 30. The theft charge carries a potential penalty of up to 5 years in prison. Parker was sentenced in March to 70 months in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Willis is prosecuting the case.
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.
Brothers Sentenced for Violent Assault and Firearm Confrontation on Navajo NationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Two brothers from Fruitland, New Mexico were sentenced for their roles in a violent assault and subsequent confrontation with law enforcement on the Navajo Nation.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, on March 23, 2024, Justin Tso, 38, and his brother Walliford Tso, 37, enrolled members of the Navajo Nation, went to the residence of John Doe, where Doe lived with his girlfriend and her son. As the brothers were departing the home, Justin took a machete without permission and walked away. John Doe armed himself with an axe and demanded the return of the machete. In response, Justin and Walliford charged at John Doe, leading to a violent altercation.
The brothers pursued John Doe back into the residence, where they assaulted him in front of his family, punching him and throwing objects, including a tire rim, pipe, and large rock. John Doe was able to escape and call police. During the incident, the brothers caused significant property damage, including smashing car windows and damaging vehicles.
Navajo Nation Police responded to the scene. During the attempt to apprehend the suspects, Walliford pointed a rifle at officers before surrendering. Walliford and Justin were both found to be intoxicated at the time of the incident.
Walliford and Justin each pled guilty to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon and were sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.
Brooksville Man Sentenced for Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington today sentenced Darrence White (29, Brooksville) to 20 years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. White pleaded guilty on April 7, 2025.
According to court documents, on March 11, 2023, a deputy with the Pasco Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which White was a passenger. The deputy detected a strong odor of narcotics emitting from the vehicle and removed the occupants, including White. An officer located a bag in the glove compartment that contained methamphetamine, fentanyl, and a blue latex glove. During a subsequent search of White, officers recovered additional controlled substances and a blue latex glove like the one from the glovebox.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Guzman.
Bristol Woman Pleads Guilty to PerjuryRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A Bristol, Virginia woman, who lied under oath during her boyfriend’s supervised release revocation hearing, pled guilty today in federal court in Abingdon.
Blaklee Buchanan, 27, pled guilty today to one count of making false material declarations under oath before a court of the United States. At sentencing, Buchanan faces up to five years in prison. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for October 28, 2025.
According to court documents, on June 13, 2023, Buchanan was placed under oath as a witness in a supervised release revocation hearing in the case of United States v. Bradford Loudy. At the time, Loudy and Buchanan were in a romantic relationship.
While testifying under oath, Buchanan was asked about events that occurred on March 23, 2023.
Specifically, Buchanan was asked if Loudy physically assaulted her on that day. Buchanan said, “He never touched me.” Buchanan was also asked if Loudy hit her with a sandal. Buchan answered, “No.”
To questions if Loudy bashed her head against a retaining wall, push her down, kicked her, and hit her, Buchanan answered, “No.”
Loudy’s assault of Buchanan was witnessed by at least two other people, who also testified about it. When asked, “…you’re saying these ladies just made up this story about your boyfriend beating you” Buchanan said, “Yes. I have no clue who they are. He doesn’t beat me. He did not beat me. He did not hit me.”
“No, he did not assault me on May or March 23.”
This testimony was false because Loudy did physically assault Buchanan on March 23, as witnessed by two other people.
Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee made the announcement today.
Assistant United States Attorney Danielle Stone is prosecuting the case for the United States.
Brazilian National Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brazilian national unlawfully residing in Milford has been indicted by a federal grand jury for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Wadriam Jose Ferreira Do Carmo, 23, is charged with unlawful reentry of deported alien. The defendant was previously charged by criminal complaint on May 19, 2025.
On June 2, 2023, United States Border Patrol arrested Ferreira Do Carmo after determining he illegally entered the United States. He was subsequently deported from the United States on July 20, 2023. Thereafter, on an unknown date and at an unknown location, Ferreira Do Carmo allegedly reentered the United States without being inspected.
On May 6, 2024, immigration authorities became aware that Ferreira Do Carmo was unlawfully present in the United States after he was arrested by local law enforcement in Sherborn on an outstanding warrant.
On May 19, 2025, immigration authorities conducted surveillance of Ferreira Do Carmo at his last known residence in Milford. There, it is alleged that Ferreira was observed arriving to the residence in a white van, exiting the van and fleeing towards the residence. Once Ferreira Do Carmo was inside the residence, law enforcement allegedly heard the sound of a window slamming inside the apartment which caused items to fall onto the porch. When law enforcement approached and knocked on the door, Ferreira Do Carmo allegedly refused to answer the door or leave the residence.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year 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; Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston; and John E. King, Chief of the Milton Police Department made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted 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.Bonita Man Pleads Guilty in $5.8 Million Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Jacobo Melcer, a Bonita resident and businessowner, pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he conspired with others to defraud Medicare of millions of dollars and to pay unlawful kickbacks for patient referrals.
According to his plea agreement, Melcer submitted more than $5.88 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare through his ownership and operation of two durable medical equipment (DME) companies, which sold orthotics – including back, wrist, and knee braces – to Medicare beneficiaries.
Melcer admitted that in operating the DME companies, he paid unlawful kickback payments to multiple companies for the referral of Medicare beneficiaries and prescriptions for DME, knowing that the prescriptions were signed by physicians who had no legitimate doctor-patient relationship with the beneficiary and had not conducted a legitimate medical evaluation of the beneficiary.
In total, Melcer admitted that he paid more than $227,000 in kickbacks, and fraudulently billed Medicare $5,885,382 and was paid $3,479,303. As part of his guilty plea, Melcer agreed to forfeit and pay restitution in the amount of $3,479,303.
Melcer further admitted that he created and sold two DME companies to a co-conspirator for the sole purpose of putting the ownership under a nominee owner to conceal the true ownership from Medicare due to Medicare suspending the co-conspirator as a Medicare provider and the co-conspirator’s inability to continue to submit claims to Medicare.
Melcer’s sentencing is scheduled for October 10, 2025. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blanca Quintero of the Southern District of California.
DEFENDANT Case Number 25cr2568-DMS
Jacobo Melcer Age: 85 Bonita, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud and Pay Illegal Remunerations – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and $500,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG)
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Belmont County man sentenced to 60 years in prison for sexually exploiting multiple childrenRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Dennis Stopar, 65, of Flushing, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 720 months in prison for sexually exploiting minors and possessing child pornography.
According to court documents, between 2022 and 2023, Stopar sexually assaulted at least nine minor victims, both male and female, and created hundreds of videos and images of the horrific abuse. At the time of the sexual assaults, most of the minor victims were in foster care of a family member of Stopar.
In December 2023, while investigating a CyberTip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding child pornography being uploaded to a Dropbox account at an address in Belmont County, law enforcement encountered Stopar. Further investigation revealed Stopar, a convicted sex offender, possessed child pornography he had created of one of the minor victims on his phone. Stopar was arrested and his electronic devices were subsequently processed via a federal search warrant, and he was charged federally in April 2024.
Forensic examinations on his devices revealed Stopar had filmed the sexual assaults of at least seven of the minor victims he had access to. Approximately 160 images and 12 videos of the identified victims being sexually assaulted by Stopar were recovered.
Stopar’s prior sex offense is a rape conviction for sexually abusing a victim beginning when the victim was approximately 6 years old until the victim was 16 years old.
The defendant pleaded guilty in this case in December 2024.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Belmont County Sheriff James G. Zusack announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Jennifer M. Rausch are representing the United States in this case.
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Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Jermaine Antoine Johnson, 35, of Beckley, was sentenced today to eight years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Johnson admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl as well as cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in Beckley and elsewhere within the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Johnson participated in the DTO conspiracy in April and May 2024. Johnson admitted to supplying others with controlled substances that they distributed. As part of his guilty plea, Johnson also admitted that he and a co-conspirator traveled to Baltimore, Maryland, on May 20, 2024, where they purchased approximately $6,000 worth of fentanyl. Johnson and his co-conspirator returned to West Virginia the next day and discussed increasing the volume of the purchased fentanyl by adding such cutting agents as sugar and brown sugar.
Johnson has a long criminal history that includes prior convictions for malicious assault, battery on a correctional officer, first degree robbery, possession with intent to deliver narcotics, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Johnson is among 12 individuals indicted on charges alleging the defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine base within the Southern District of West Virginia from in or about June 2023 to in or about May 2024. All 12 pleaded guilty, including two defendants who pleaded guilty to separate charges in lieu of the offenses alleged in the indictment.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons and former Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-90.
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Bail bondsmen and former federal officer indicted in immigration-related bribery caseRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Four people are now in custody on allegations they exchanged money to lift immigration detainers on individuals held in custody, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Houston residents Leopoldo Perrault Benitez, 53, Anthony Benitez, 32, Isaac Sierra, 51, and Jose Angel Muniz, 51, La Porte, made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray, at which time the indictment was unsealed. They were ordered into custody pending further criminal proceedings.
A federal grand jury returned the indictment June 24. It alleges Leopoldo Benitez was the owner of A Way Out Bail Bonds in Houston. His son - Anthony Benitez - was an employee, while Sierra worked at International Bonding Company, according to the charges. Muniz was allegedly a deportation officer with Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO).
Between April 2023 and March 2024, the charges allege the three bail bondsmen paid Muniz to lift immigration detainers on illegal aliens in ICE custody awaiting removal.
“The Southern District of Texas takes allegations of corruption by federal officers extremely seriously, particularly those entrusted with keeping our border secure and nation safe,” said Ganjei. “There is no room whatsoever for bribery or side deals when it comes to immigration enforcement.”
If convicted, all four face up to 15 years in prison and a fine equal to the equivalent value of the bribes offered and received or $250,000, whichever is greater.
ICE - Office of Professional Responsibility, FBI and Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard D. Hanes is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Associates of Bounty Hunter Bloods Gang Indicted for Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Five New Jersey men, including associates of a New Jersey gang associated with the Bounty Hunter Bloods criminal street gang were charged by a superseding indictment with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy, drug trafficking, and firearms offenses, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
The Indictment charges Carl Napier, a/k/a “Smash” (“Napier”), Hamir Wright, a/k/a “Lil Smash” (“Wright”), Alexis Tejada (“Tejada”), Jihad Bibbs, Sr. (“Bibbs”), and Jamie Archer-Monroe, a/k/a “Raziq” (“Archer-Monroe”), all of Somerset County and Middlesex County, New Jersey, with a racketeering conspiracy that included multiple murders, fraud schemes, and narcotics distribution. Napier and Bibbs are in federal custody on previously filed related federal charges. Tejada and Archer-Monroe were arrested and appeared in federal court in Newark before the Hon. Stacy Adams, U.SM.J. for initial appearances. Wright is in state custody on previously filed unrelated charges and will appear in federal court at a later date.
The charges are the result of a long-running investigation, coordinated between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, the New Brunswick Police Department, and the Franklin Township Police Department.
“There will be zero tolerance for violent crime and gang activity in the state of New Jersey. My office will continue to use all resources to find and prosecute those who instill fear in our citizens and undermine the safety of our communities. These criminals do not run our streets — the law does, and my office will enforce it without hesitation.”
- U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
“The apprehension of these individuals is a momentous step towards making New Jersey safer, one day at a time. By freeing these communities from those who allegedly distribute drugs, firearms, and use violence as a means of coercion, the FBI continues its mission to combat violent crime,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Napier and Wright, each were allegedly associates of the Bounty Hunter Bloods, who operated under the umbrella of the neighborhood street gangs known as “Parkside” in Somerset and “The Ville” in New Brunswick. Some of the charged defendants are alleged to have also engaged in numerous violent acts on behalf of and for the benefit of the gang, including assaults, shootings, and murders, some of which targeted rival gang members. For example, on or about March 12, 2024, Napier and Wright, while with other gang members in New Brunswick, got into a confrontation regarding narcotics distribution with purported rival gang members and shot at them, killing Victim 1 and resulting in injury to Victim 2.
In addition to this violent act, the defendants, are alleged to have routinely distributed narcotics and trafficked firearms in and around the gang’s territory in both New Brunswick and Somerset.
This investigation 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).
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Stefanie Roddy, investigators of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone, investigators of the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor John McDonald, the New Brunswick Police Department, under the direction of Chief Vincent Sabo and the Franklin Township Police Department, under the direction of Director of Public Safety Quovella Mayweather, for the investigation leading to the charges. U.S. Attorney Habba and SAC Roddy would also like to thank the Central New Jersey Safe Streets Task Force, Woodbridge Police Department, Raritan Township Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendall Randolph, Deputy Chief of the District of New Jersey’s Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Nadel of the Office’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel:
Carl Napier- Steve Altman
Jihad Bibb, Sr.- Michael Policastro
Alexis Tejada- Joseph R. Rubino
Jamie Archer-Monroe- Stephen Dratch
napier.indictment.pdfAlien Smuggler Sentenced for Role in Fatal Crash Following High-Speed PursuitRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Sergio Josue Palomera of Chula Vista was sentenced in federal court today to 71 months in prison for smuggling undocumented immigrants in a manner that resulted in the deaths of the two people he was smuggling.
On October 22, 2024, Palomera picked up two undocumented immigrants —a man and a woman—in his car near the U.S.–Mexico border in Otay Mesa. Border Patrol agents saw this load-up using remote video surveillance, and an agent responded to the location. The agent saw Palomera’s car traveling west on State Route 905 and activated his lights and sirens to pull the car over.
According to his plea agreement, Palomera initially slowed down and began to move over onto a highway offramp, as if yielding to the Border Patrol agent’s attempt to pull him over. Palomera then quickly accelerated, drove through a red traffic light, and re-entered the highway in an attempt to flee. By the time the agent could safely proceed through the traffic light and onto the highway, Palomera had gained considerable distance. As he lost sight of the car, the agent decided to terminate the pursuit. Soon after, he saw a cloud of dust in the direction Palomera had been fleeing.
Palomera was traveling over 110 miles per hour in a 65-mph zone. In less than minute, Palomera lost control of the car and it rolled over. The smuggled woman was ejected from the car and died instantly. The smuggled man suffered a traumatic head injury and died from his injuries later that evening in the hospital.
At today’s hearing, U.S. District Judge Todd W. Robinson emphasized the “very aggravated” nature of the offense, noting that the crime “has deprived a little girl of her mother, has deprived that little girl’s father of his wife, and has deprived another family of their son.”
U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said: “This defendant treated human lives as disposable cargo - and two people paid the ultimate price. This sentence reflects the grave consequences of putting profit over people. We will continue to hold smugglers accountable for the death and suffering their crimes inflict.”
“We are glad Mr. Palomera will be held accountable for his irresponsible and senseless actions,” said Acting Chief Patrol Agent Jeffrey Stalnaker. “This case emphasizes the dangers and possible consequences of entrusting your life to a human smuggler.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Fawcett.
DEFENDANT Case Number: 24cr2466
Sergio Josue Palomera Age: 23 Chula Vista, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Transportation of Certain Aliens Resulting in Death – Title 8, U.S.C., Section 1324(a)(1)(A)(ii) and (B)(iv)
Maximum penalty: Death or life in prison; $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
United States Border Patrol
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the California 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).
Alabama Man with Gun who Fled and Crashed into Police Car Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a firearm as a felon was sentenced today to two years in federal prison.
Chrishawn Lloyd Stuckey, age 43, from Birmingham, Alabama, received the prison term after a February 7, 2025 guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that Stuckey was intoxicated while at a Wal-Mart in Waterloo, Iowa. He left the store and drove erratically. When a law enforcement officer attempted to stop his car, Stuckey refused to pull over. Stuckey instead got onto an on-ramp to the highway. Officers used a car maneuver to force Stuckey to stop. Stuckey then put his car in reverse and backed up into a squad car, damaging it. Officers found a loaded stolen firearm in Stuckey’s car. Stuckey has felony convictions for trafficking in stolen weapons and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Stuckey was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Stuckey was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of 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.
Stuckey is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Waterloo Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-2017.
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1 July 2025
Wyoming man sentenced to 3 years in prison for attempted robbery on Fort Peck Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Wyoming man who attempted a robbery on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation was sentenced yesterday to 36 months in prison to be followed by 3 years supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Jesse Alex Sutherland, 37, pleaded guilty in December 2024 to one count of attempted robbery.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on the evening of November 21, 2023, the defendant, Jesse Alex Sutherland, went with a co-defendant to a remote residence on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. The co-defendant was armed with an AR-15 style rifle. The two men met with a third person outside the home. While still outside the residence the co-defendant fired one round into the ground and six into the air. He and the defendant then broke into the residence. The two men assaulted the two occupants of the home, and the co-defendant struck them with the rifle while demanding access to a safe.
Sutherland was seen on surveillance video before and after the attempted robbery. He was arrested shortly thereafter wearing the same hoodie he wore during the attempted robbery.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, BIA and Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law & Justice.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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West Tennessee Gang Member Sentenced for Possession of a MachinegunRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – A federal judge has sentenced Mekevin Woods, 23, of Bolivar, Tennessee, to 38 months in federal prison for possessing a machinegun conversion device, also known as a “switch.” Interim U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy, Jr. announced the sentence today.
According to evidence presented in court, on December 23, 2023, an officer with the Bolivar Police Department (BPD) attempted a traffic stop of a gray 2022 Infiniti Q60. When the driver refused to stop, he led the BPD officer on a high-speed pursuit reaching speeds of 80 miles per hour in a 25 mile per hour zone. Finally, Woods, the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, traveled into oncoming traffic, jumped from the vehicle, and fled on foot. While fleeing, the officer observed Woods with a firearm in his right hand.
Officers with the Bolivar Police Department ultimately arrested Woods with the assistance of a K-9 unit and located a Glock handgun loaded with 32 rounds in an extended magazine with a machinegun conversion device attached to the firearm. Officers also determined the vehicle was stolen out of Memphis. Woods was identified as a member of the TMO 45 gang, a hybrid street gang comprised of both adult and juvenile members, that is involved in firearms and narcotics trafficking and is responsible for several shooting incidents in the Fayette and Hardeman County area.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Jackson Resident Agency; and the Bolivar Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Christie Hopper prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Weiser Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BOISE – Cody Michael Howells, 35, of Weiser, was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today.
According to court records, the investigation began when the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (“ICAC”) received CyberTip reports from an online social media platform. A CyberTip is a report submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). NCMEC gathers leads and tips regarding suspected online crimes against children and forwards them to the appropriate law enforcement agencies. ICAC determined that numerous files of child sexual abuse material had been uploaded to an account, later identified as belonging to Howells. ICAC subsequently executed a federal search warrant at Howell’s residence in Weiser. During an interview, Howells admitted to viewing child sexual abuse material. ICAC located additional files of child sexual abuse material on Howell’s cellphone. At the time, Howells was on parole for Lewd Conduct with a Minor Under 16.
Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also sentenced Howells to lifetime supervised release following his prison sentence and ordered him to pay $30,000 in restitution to victims in the images he possessed. Howells will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction.
Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the work of the Idaho ICAC Task Force, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Rupert Police Department, and the Weiser Police Department, which led to the charge. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Robins prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal 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.
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Virginia Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Insurance Benefits SchemeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby sentenced Alonzo Brown, 27, of Richmond, Virginia, to 45 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, in connection with a conspiracy and scheme to defraud the Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL) and California Employment Development Department (CA-EDD). Judge Griggsby also ordered Brown to pay $310,428.08 of restitution to the victims and forfeit all money, property, and/or assets derived from the scheme, including a money judgment of $310,428.08.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) – Washington Field Office.
According to the guilty plea, from at least June 2020 through March 2021, Brown conspired with Michael Cooley, 26, of Prince George’s County, Maryland, and Isiah Lewis, 35, of Prince George’s County, to devise and execute a scheme to defraud individuals and multiple state workforce agencies, including in Maryland and California, of more than $800,000 in unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, successfully obtaining more than $300,000. The scheme was sophisticated and used personal identifiable information — such as name, date of birth, and social security number — from more than 60 individuals to file online UI applications in Maryland and California, using anonymous email addresses to obscure their identities and avoid detection.
Griggsby sentenced Cooley to 87 months in federal prison for his role in the scheme back in April.
This case is part of the District of Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force, a Strike Force that is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
For more information about the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DOL-OIG and IRS-CI for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bijon A. Mostoufi and Jared M. Beim, who are prosecuting this federal case, and Joanna B.N. Huber, who is supporting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office to participate in Collinsville naturalization ceremonyRead the Press Release
COLLINSVILLE, Ill. – The U.S. District Court and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, both of the Southern District of Illinois, will take part in a naturalization ceremony to welcome new citizens in Collinsville on Wednesday.
“As we prepare to celebrate our nation’s independence on Friday, we’re reminded of our country’s long-standing tradition of accepting immigrants from all over the world through the naturalization process,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “It’s with great enthusiasm that we acknowledge the efforts by our friends and neighbors who have prioritized entering the U.S. legally. Together, we are bound by our shared values of liberty and freedom.”
The event is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 2, at the Gateway Convention Center in Collinsville. Sixty-one candidates from 27 countries are slated to take the Oath of Allegiance during the ceremony.
Naturalization resources are available on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Participates in National Health Care Fraud Takedown Resulting in $2 Million Civil SettlementRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced a $2 million civil settlement to resolve alleged violations of the False Claims Act. The settlement is a joint agreement between the United States, Riverpark Operations, LLC (Riverpark), Avamere Group, LLC (Avamere), and the Oregon Department of Justice Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (Oregon DOJ MFCU) on behalf of the state of Oregon. The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) administers Oregon's Medicaid program using a combination of state and federal funding. This civil settlement is part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
Riverpark and its parent company Avamere have agreed to pay the United States $2 million and perform corrective actions to resolve allegations that Riverpark fraudulently billed Medicare and Oregon Medicaid for grossly substandard nursing home services. Riverpark operates a 119-bed skilled nursing home facility in Eugene, Oregon, under the name Avamere Riverpark of Eugene. During November and December 2017, and between September 2018 and July 2019, Riverpark is alleged to have provided grossly substandard services to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries who resided at the facility when staffing levels did not meet minimum staffing requirements. Among other things, the United States and the Oregon DOJ MFCU allege that, during these timeframes, Riverpark's failure to adequately staff the facility resulted in residents experiencing increased instances and severity of preventable urinary tract infections, pressure sores, and falls.
In connection with the settlement, Riverpark and Avamere have entered into a Quality-of-Care Corporate Integrity Agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), which will remain in effect for five years to address quality of care and resident safety within the skilled nursing facility.
This civil settlement is part of the Justice Department’s national healthcare fraud takedown that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in alleged false billings and over 15 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets, and the Government, in connection with the Takedown, seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets. Descriptions of each case involved in the strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here.
The District of Oregon worked with HHS-OIG and the Oregon DOJ MFCU to investigate and resolve this matter.
The claims resolved by the civil settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
If you suspect Medicare or Medicaid fraud, please report it by phone at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477), or via email at [email protected].
U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces 5 Individuals Charged as Part of Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud TakedownRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – Today, United States Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky announced criminal charges against five defendants in connection with alleged schemes to defraud Medicaid and divert controlled substances. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The charges stem from conspiracy to illegally use a DEA registration number issued to another, conspiracy to obtain a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, or subterfuge, health care fraud, theft of medical products, tampering with consumer products, obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or deceit, and burglary involving controlled substances.
“Health care providers must be trusted to appropriately prescribe highly-addictive medications only to those in need. Doing otherwise only exacerbates the opioid epidemic that has ravaged our Commonwealth and destroyed families,” said U.S. Attorney Bumgarner. “As alleged in each of the charging documents, these defendants breached that trust and illegally diverted controlled substances. While these defendants are professionally obligated to help communities, the charging documents allege that they have unfortunately done the opposite. They will be held to account.”
“This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Make no mistake – this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.”
The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Bumgarner are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in alleged false billings and over 15 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets. The United States has seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets in connection with the takedown.
The following individuals were charged in the Western District of Kentucky:
Ashley Barnett, 41, of Louisville, Kentucky, Laura Webb, 37, of Springfield, Kentucky, and Rachel Goldstein, 43, of Jeffersonville, Indiana, were charged by information. According to the information, Barnett and Webb, both doctors of veterinary medicine, were charged in a conspiracy to illegally use a DEA registration number issued to another. In addition, Barnett and Goldstein were charged with conspiracy to obtain a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception, or subterfuge. As part of the conspiracy, Barnett, Goldstein, and others conspired to issue prescriptions for over 25,000 Schedule II controlled substances, such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, in the names of various canines, including some deceased and fictitious canines, when in reality, Barnett and Goldstein were the recipients of the controlled substances. Barnett was also charged with theft of medical products for taking and concealing buprenorphine from her employer prior to the controlled substances being made available for retail purchase by a consumer. Finally, Barnett and Goldstein were charged with health care fraud in connection with a scheme whereby Barnett requested Goldstein fill Goldstein’s dextroamphetamine prescription, a Schedule II controlled substance, and provide it to Barnett. Goldstein caused the submission of the claim for the dextroamphetamine prescription to Medicaid. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Ansari of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky.
Kristina Coomer, 43, of Louisville, Kentucky, was charged by information with theft of medical products. According to the information, Coomer, an employee of a retail pharmacy in the supply chain for oxycodone, took, carried away, and concealed oxycodone from the pharmacy, prior to the controlled substances being made available for retail purchase by a consumer. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Ansari of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky.
Matthew Ryan Elkins, 40, of Crestwood, Kentucky, was charged by indictment with tampering with consumer products, obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or deceit, and burglary involving controlled substances. According to the indictment, Elkins, an advanced practice registered nurse-certified registered nurse anesthetist, tampered with one pre-filled, capped syringe containing fentanyl citrate and bupivacaine, prescribed to a patient by removing a portion of the listed ingredients and replaced it with another liquid. Elkins was also charged with obtaining and attempting to obtain three injectable vials containing a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, by misrepresentation, deception, and subterfuge. Finally, Elkins was charged with burglary involving controlled substances when he entered a business registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration with the intent to steal any material and compound containing any quantity of a controlled substance. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin McKenzie of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky.
Nationwide, cases are being prosecuted by U.S. Attorneys' Offices in the Western and Eastern Districts of Kentucky, the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Arizona, Central District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California, District of Columbia, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Middle District of Georgia, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan, Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nevada, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, District of North Dakota, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, District of South Carolina, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Washington, and Northern District of West Virginia; and State Attorneys General’s Offices for California, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. The Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team used cutting-edge data analytics to identify and support the investigations that led to these charges.
The Western District of Kentucky, in particular, worked with the following law enforcement organizations to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the enforcement period: the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, the Kentucky State Police, the Louisville Metro Police Department, and the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services Office of Inspector General.
Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website: https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/2025-national-health-care-fraud-takedown.
A complaint, information, or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Two Shelbyville, Kentucky Men Found Guilty of Federal Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – On June 27, 2025, following a five-day trial, a federal jury convicted two Shelbyville, Kentucky men of possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine, possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possessing firearms as convicted felons.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, U.S. Marshal Gary B. Burman of the of the U.S. Marshal Service for the Western District of Kentucky, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on December 15, 2022, Benjamin Quintero Martinez, 31, and Rodolfo Reyes Martinez, 27, aided and abetted by each other and others, possessed with intent to distribute over 1 kilogram of fentanyl, including possessing a pill press used to manufacture illicit pills containing fentanyl, over 200 grams of methamphetamine, and over 200 grams of cocaine. The defendants also possessed 7 firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Both defendants were prohibited from possessing firearms because they had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On July 7, 2014, in Shelby Circuit Court, Quintero Martinez was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance, cocaine, less than 4 grams, 1st degree, 1st offense, and tampering with physical evidence.
On January 4, 2016, in Henry Circuit Court, Quintero Martinez was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance, 1st degree, 1st offense (two counts).
On May 22, 2017, in Shelby Circuit Court, Quintero Martinez was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance, 1st degree, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of handgun by a convicted felon, tampering with physical evidence, and trafficking in a controlled substance while in possession of a firearm.
On June 29, 2017, in Shelby Circuit Court, Quintero Martinez, was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance, methamphetamine, less than 2 grams, 1st degree, 1st offense.
On February 28, 2019, in Marshall Circuit Court, Reyes Martinez was convicted of complicity to escape, 2nd degree.
On July 19, 2022, in Shelby Circuit Court, Reyes Martinez, was convicted of convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
Both are scheduled for sentencing on September 25, 2025, before a United States District Judge for the Western District of Kentucky. Quintero Martinez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years, Reyes Martinez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, and both face a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The ATF, USMS, and LMPD investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Frank Dahl and Josh Porter are prosecuting the case with assistance from paralegal Adela Alic.
This conviction is a part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Two Men Sentenced After Robbing Dispensary with a FirearmRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Ronald Buckley, Jr., 39, for Robbery in Indian Country and Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, and Terrance Vohn Morrow, 41, for Accessory After the Fact to Obstructing, Delaying, and Affecting Commerce by Robbery.
Buckley was ordered to serve 150 months' imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. Morrow was ordered to serve 21 months' imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Their sentences will be served in the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
In May 2024, Tulsa Police officers were dispatched to a robbery at a marijuana dispensary. Officers spoke with witnesses who described the suspect producing a handgun, demanding money, and weed. Surveillance footage captured the robbery and the suspect leaving in a vehicle that was waiting for him. Law enforcement discovered that Buckley had robbed the dispensary, and during the robbery, he had discharged the handgun.
The investigation further revealed that Buckley was seen getting into Morrow’s vehicle. After Buckley was arrested, Morrow moved his vehicle into a heavily wooded area, attempting to hide it.
During the robbery, court records show that Buckley was under the supervision of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections for a previous robbery. He is a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
The FBI, Tulsa Police Department, and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Flynn and Kenneth Elmore prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Transient Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Tyrone Noble, age 58, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.
The Indictment charged Noble with knowingly possessing a 12-gauge shotgun and five rounds of ammunition on December 2, 2024, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Okfuskee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Noble will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.
Three more sentenced in wide-ranging scheme to monopolize international transit industryRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Three Texas residents have been sentenced in connection with a long-running and violent conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante forwarding agency industry in the Los Indios border region, located near Harlingen and Brownsville, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
They and others controlled the transmigrate industry through fear, monopolization and extortion of competitors and laundered proceeds from the conspiracies.
Pedro Antonio Calvillo Hernandez, 50, McAllen, and Mireya Miranda, 59, San Antonio, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to illegally fix prices and allocate the market for transmigrante forwarding agency services and conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante market. Hernandez also admitted to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion and received 37 months, while Miranda was ordered to serve 10 months on home detention. Jose de Jesus Tapia Fernandez, 47, Brownsville, was sentenced to 31 months in prison after pleading guilty to a money laundering conspiracy through which extortion proceeds were laundered.
Hernandez and Miranda must also pay a $75,000 fine, while Fernandez was ordered to pay $50,000. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
“Price fixing is an attempt to distort the market in favor of the fixer and to the detriment of basically everyone else. Although such market manipulation is bad enough, it is even worse when brought about through threats and violence,” said Ganjei. “The Southern District of Texas will work tirelessly to prosecute such criminal syndicates and to ensure markets along the Texas-Mexico border remain free, fair, and open.”
“The danger and the harm to the American people by the use of violence and extortion to fix prices and monopolize the market for an essential service in the Texas border region cannot be understated,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Today’s sentences demonstrate the Antitrust Division’s commitment to pursuing incarceration for both white-collar and violent criminals who seek to exploit America’s free markets.”
“The FBI remains committed to combatting the use of threats, violence and corrupt business practices such as price-fixing that harm honest business owners and undermine fair competition,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office. “Together with our law enforcement partners, we will leverage each other’s expertise and capabilities to dismantle every facet of transnational criminal organizations.”
“These sentencings reaffirm our unwavering commitment to safeguarding economic integrity at our nation’s borders,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) San Antonio. “By dismantling an enterprise that thrived on extortion and price fixing, we are ensuring that honest businesses can compete on a level playing field. This case exemplifies how corruption in niche industries can have far-reaching effects, and HSI will continue to pursue those who abuse the system for profit.”
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. 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.
Some also conspired to force forwarding agencies to pay money to the pool and to pay other extortion fees including a “piso” for every transaction processed in the industry as well as a fine for operating in the market outside of rules. The conspirators perpetrated acts of intimidation, coercion and violence in furtherance of the antitrust and extortion conspiracies.
To date, five others have been convicted, four of whom have already been sentenced in the case, including the leader - Carlos Martinez, 39, McAllen, who received an 11-year prison term.
Three others - Rigoberto Brown, Miguel Hipolito Caballero Aupart and Diego Ceballos-Soto were also charged in the superseding indictment and remain fugitives. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS), U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, ICE-HSI and FBI conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander L. Alum prosecuted the case along with Trial Attorneys Anne Veldhuis, Brittany E. McClure and Michael G. Lepage and Senior Litigation Counsel John Davis of the Antitrust Division and VCRS Trial Attorney Christina Taylor.
Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
Three Defendants Sentenced in Wide-Ranging Scheme to Monopolize International Transit Industry, Fix Prices, Extort Competitors, and Launder MoneyRead the Press Release
The U.S. Department of Justice today announced that three additional defendants were sentenced in connection with a long-running and violent conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante forwarding agency industry in the Los Indios, Texas, border region, located near Harlingen and Brownsville, Texas. The defendants controlled the transmigrate industry through fear, monopolization, and extortion of competitors, and laundered proceeds from the conspiracies.
Pedro Antonio Calvillo Hernandez, age 50 of McAllen, Texas, was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $50,000 fine after pleading guilty to conspiracy to illegally fix prices and allocate the market for transmigrante forwarding agency services, conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante market, and conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion.
Jose de Jesus Tapia Fernandez, age 47 of Brownsville, Texas was sentenced to time served, or 31 months in prison, and a three-year term of supervised release after pleading guilty to a money laundering conspiracy through which extortion proceeds were laundered.
Mireya Miranda, age 59 of San Antonio, Texas, was sentenced to 10 months of home detention, and a $75,000 fine after pleading guilty to conspiracy to illegally fix prices and allocate the market for transmigrante forwarding agency services; and conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante market.
“The danger and the harm to the American people by the use of violence and extortion to fix prices and monopolize the market for an essential service in the Texas border region cannot be understated,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Today’s sentences demonstrate the Antitrust Division’s commitment to pursuing incarceration for both white-collar and violent criminals who seek to exploit America’s free markets.”
“Price fixing is an attempt to distort the market in favor of the fixer and to the detriment of basically everyone else. Although such market manipulation is bad enough, it is even worse when brought about through threats and violence,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas. “The Southern District of Texas will work tirelessly to prosecute such criminal syndicates and to ensure markets along the Texas-Mexico border remain free, fair, and open.”
“The FBI is proud of the hard work and collaboration with partners that led to today’s sentencing,” said Assistant Director Joe Perez of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “We remain absolutely committed to thwarting criminal enterprises that function without regard for the rule of law and whose practices of market manipulation include the use of violence and intimidation.”
“These sentencings reaffirm our unwavering commitment to safeguarding economic integrity at our nation’s borders,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio. “By dismantling an enterprise that thrived on extortion and price fixing, we are ensuring that honest businesses can compete on a level playing field. This case exemplifies how corruption in niche industries can have far-reaching effects, and HSI will continue to pursue those who abuse the system for profit.”
Transmigrantes transport used vehicles and other goods from the United States through Mexico for resale in Central America. There are only a few locations where transmigrantes can legally cross from the United States into Mexico, one of those being the Los Indios Bridge in Texas. Transmigrante forwarding agencies are U.S.-based businesses that provide services to transmigrante clients, including helping those clients complete the customs paperwork required to export vehicles into Mexico.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the co-defendants fixed prices for transmigrante forwarding agency services and created a centralized entity known as the “Pool” to collect and divide revenues among the conspirators, limit competition from other agencies, and increase prices for their services. Some co-defendants also conspired to force forwarding agencies to pay money to the Pool and to pay other extortion fees, including a “piso” for every transaction processed in the industry as well as a “fine” for operating in the market outside of Pool rules. The conspirators perpetrated acts of intimidation, coercion, and violence in furtherance of the antitrust and extortion conspiracies. Co-defendants Carlos Martinez and Tapia also conspired to launder the extortion proceeds.
Calvillo, Tapia, and Miranda must also pay restitution to the victims of the conspiracies. The Court will determine the final restitution amount owed to victims of the conspiracies at a hearing set for Sept. 3.
Four co-defendants have previously been sentenced in this case. One other co-defendant has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. Three other defendants, Rigoberto Brown, Miguel Hipolito Caballero Aupart, and Diego Ceballos-Soto were also charged in the superseding indictment and remain fugitives. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Anne Veldhuis, Brittany E. McClure, and Michael G. Lepage and Senior Litigation Counsel John Davis of the Antitrust Division; Trial Attorney Christina Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS); and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander L. Alum for the Southern District of Texas prosecuted the case.
Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
The New England Strike Force Joins Nationwide Crackdown on Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
CONCORD- Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack, together with Acting U.S. Attorneys Michael P. Drescher of the District of Vermont and Craig M. Wolff of the District of Maine, announces a sweeping enforcement action aimed at combatting health care fraud across New England. The enforcement action is a result of the collaboration and partnership between the Districts of New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine, and the New England Strike Force.
The New England Strike Force charged six defendants in connection with unrelated allegations including conspiracies to defraud the State of New Hampshire’s Medicaid program (NH Medicaid), Medicare, and other federal benefit programs, totaling over $14 million. The charges filed in federal court throughout New England are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The charges stem from various schemes, including a previously convicted social worker who submitted claims to NH Medicaid following his disbarment from billing federal health care programs, a conspiracy to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for wrist, knee, and back braces and other equipment that were medically unnecessary, and a conspiracy to fulfill illegitimate prescriptions for drugs including Ozempic.
The schemes charged in the District of New Hampshire include:
Previously Convicted Felon Charged in New Scheme Fraudulently Billing Medicaid and Exploiting a Vulnerable Patient
- United States v. Erik Alonso: Erik Alonso, age 54, of Miami, Florida, was charged by indictment with eight counts of health care fraud in connection with an alleged scheme to submit claims to NH Medicaid, despite being barred from billing federally funded health care programs following a previous heath care fraud related conviction in 2015. Alonso failed to disclose his exclusion to his employer, a Laconia, New Hampshire-based telehealth psychotherapy provider, and purportedly provided psychotherapy treatments to NH Medicaid beneficiaries between March 2022 and July 2024 via telehealth. In addition, Alonso allegedly exploited a psychotherapy patient by using purported psychotherapy sessions to seek and obtain assistance from that client with personal tasks, including preparing an application for a presidential pardon of his prior conviction and assisting him with applying for licensure in other New England states. The case is being prosecuted by DOJ Trial Attorneys Danielle Sakowski, Thomas Campbell, and John Howard, and Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Vicinanzo of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.
Straw Owner of Health Care Company Used to Commit Fraud and Launder Illicit Proceeds
- United States v. Leo Anzivino Jr.: Leo Anzivino, Jr., age 34, of Teaticket, MA, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and four counts of money laundering in connection with an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain over $6 million in Medicare funds. According to the indictment, Anzivino, Jr. acted as the straw owner of a durable medical equipment (“DME”) company, Advanced Medical Supply (Advanced), and conspired with others to cause the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for DME. The indictment further alleges that Anzivino falsified bank account documents, including beneficial ownership information, and conspired to launder fraudulent funds from the DME scheme to conceal and disguise the nature, source, origin, and control of the proceeds of the DME fraud. Anzivino, Jr., made four transfers from one Advanced account at a New Hampshire bank to another Advanced account at a Massachusetts bank, totaling over $3 million dollars, to conceal a co-conspirator’s control over the funds. The government seized approximately $353,768.29 in assets tied to the alleged scheme. This case is being prosecuted by DOJ Trial Attorneys Danielle Sakowski, Thomas Campbell, and Tiffany Wynn, and Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Vicinanzo of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.
The schemes charged in the District of Vermont include:
Global Pharma and Money Laundering Scheme
- United States v. Manthan Rohit Shah: Manthan Rohit Shah, 37, of Mumbai, India, was charged by indictment with misbranding prescription medication, conspiring to import controlled substances, and conspiring to commit international concealment money laundering. As alleged in the indictment, Shah owned and operated Company-1, a pharma company based in Mumbai, India. Company-1 allegedly shipped controlled substances and misbranded pharmaceutical drugs, including drugs that contained potentially potent, dangerous, and/or addictive substances, into New England and across the United States. Shah and Company-1 used fake prescriptions to provide a veneer of legitimacy for customer orders, despite the customers never obtaining such prescriptions. Shah undertook various acts in furtherance of the drug conspiracy. For example, on or about May 6, 2025, Shah sent a text message to an undercover law enforcement agent regarding Company-1’s fulfillment of illegitimate prescriptions for 50 pens of the drug Ozempic, costing approximately $6,200, to be shipped from a location outside the United States to an address in Vermont. Shah also conspired with others to direct the shipment of pharmaceutical drugs without valid prescriptions to a network of online pharmacies and call centers that fulfilled orders placed by customers in New England and across the United States. Shah then conspired with others to launder the funds from financial accounts in the United States, through shell companies, and to Shah’s company in India. The case is being prosecuted by DOJ Trial Attorneys Patrick Brown, John Howard, and Thomas Campbell.
Health Care Scheme Involving Purchase of Tulum Penthouse, High-Volume Cash Withdrawals
- United States v. Evelyn Herrera: Evelyn Herrera, 61, of Loxahatchee, Florida, was charged by complaint with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain approximately $6.5 million in Medicare funds. According to the charging documents, Herrera, the owner of Merida Medical Supplies Inc., a purported DME company, submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicare from individuals residing across New England for wrist, knee, and back braces and other equipment, which were medically unnecessary and ineligible for reimbursement by Medicare. After the funds from these fraudulent services were deposited into a bank account controlled by Herrera, she allegedly conducted financial transactions and attempted to conceal the source, origin, and control of the health care fraud proceeds generated by Merida. For example, Herrera allegedly sent an international wire from her bank account, indicating it was to be used to purchase property in Mexico, and sent other funds to a cryptocurrency wallet that she controlled. During the scheme, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) issued a payment suspension to Herrera for suspected fraud, after which Herrerra allegedly attempted to withdraw large amounts of cash from a bank and siphon funds off to other individuals. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Sarah Rocha, Thomas Campbell, and Tiffany Wynn. The complaint was filed in the District of Vermont.
Health Care CEO Indicted in Cross-Border Health Care Fraud Scheme
- United States v. Donald Jani: Donald Jani, 39, of Maharashtra, India, was charged by indictment with health care fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain approximately $1.9 million in Medicare funds. According to the indictment, Jani, the CEO of CSS Pain Relief, Inc., a purported DME company, submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for DME. Jani and his co-conspirators allegedly used the personal identifying information of elderly and disabled New England residents to fraudulently bill Medicare. As part of the conspiracy, Jani unlawfully used the personal identifying information of medical providers in the District of Vermont and elsewhere to create the false appearance that the DME claims were premised on legitimate medical orders. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Sarah Rocha, John Howard and Thomas Campbell. The indictment was brought in the District of Vermont.
The scheme charged in the District of Maine includes:
Individual Charged in Health Care and Identity Theft Scheme
- United States v. Joseph Dobie: Joseph Dobie, 36, of Lewiston, Maine, was charged by complaint with aggravated identity theft, false statements relating to health care matters, and unlawful use of Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (“SNAP”) benefits in connection with an identity-theft scheme. As alleged in the complaint, Dobie used a stolen identity to fraudulently obtain Medicaid and SNAP benefits in Maine, while simultaneously receiving SNAP benefits in New York. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Scott. The complaint was filed in the District of Maine.
Additionally, the New England Strike Force provided valuable support in a nationwide investigation:
Operation Gold Rush: Transnational Criminal Organization-Led Health Care Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme
Outside of New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine, the New England Strike Force also supported a nationwide investigation, Operation Gold Rush, which resulted in charges in the Eastern District of New York, the Northern District of Illinois, the Central District of California, the Middle District of Florida, and the District of New Jersey against 19 defendants in connection with the largest loss amount ever charged in a health care fraud case brought by the Department at $10.6 billion. Twelve of these defendants have been arrested, including four defendants who were apprehended in Estonia as a result of international cooperation with Estonian law enforcement and seven defendants who were arrested at U.S. airports and the U.S. border with Mexico, cutting off their intended escape routes as they attempted to avoid capture. The criminal case is being prosecuted by DOJ Fraud Section Assistant Chiefs Kevin Lowell and Shankar Ramamurthy, and Trial Attorneys Sara Porter, Andres Almendarez, Leonid Sandlar, Monica Cooper, Thomas Campbell, Danielle Sakowski, and Matthew Belz. Trial Attorney Sara Porter initiated the investigation, which has been supported by members of multiple Strike Forces. The civil forfeiture proceeding is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Nelson of the District of Connecticut and Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section Trial Attorneys Emily Cohen and Chelsea Rooney. Office of Public Affairs | National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 324 Defendants Charged in Connection with Over $14.6 Billion in Alleged Fraud | United States Department of Justice
These charges are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in intended loss and over 15 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets. The United States has seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles and other assets in connection with the takedown. Descriptions of each case involved in the national enforcement action are available at Criminal Division | 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
The New England Strike Force’s cases are the result of investigations conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation; and the United States Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
Leveraging advanced data analytics, forensic accounting, interagency collaboration, and subject-matter expertise, the New England Strike Force investigates and prosecutes complex health care fraud and money laundering schemes across the region, focusing on both individuals and corporations engaged in criminal conduct. DOJ Fraud Section Assistant Chief Kevin Lowell leads the Strike Force.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
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Texas Man Sentenced for Stealing Mail from Albany Postal FacilityRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Sean A. Walter, age 31, of Humble, Texas, was sentenced yesterday to eighteen months of imprisonment for stealing business checks out of the U.S. Mail by repeatedly and unlawfully entering a mail sorting facility in Albany.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge, United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG)- Northeast Region; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also ordered Walter to serve three years of post-imprisonment supervised release, to pay a $5,500 fine, and to pay $181,920.90 in restitution.
In previously pleading guilty, Walter admitted that on six occasions in 2023 and 2024, he unlawfully entered the USPS Albany Processing and Distribution Center (PDC) on Karner Road, to steal mail that he believed contained business checks. For instance, at approximately 12:56 a.m. on January 23, 2024, Walter entered the Albany PDC by forcefully pulling up a retractable overhead door to the facility. Once inside, he went to a large room where USPS employees were sorting mail and then stole a variety of mail. Walter placed the stolen mail in his backpack and exited the Albany PDC at around 2:31 a.m. He then re-entered the Albany PDC two more times that night stealing additional mail each time.
According to the criminal complaint in this case, Walter was arrested on May 14, 2024, after being confronted by security guards inside of the Albany PDC and fleeing to a nearby motel.
The mail that Walter stole included checks drawn on bank accounts belonging to entities in Upstate New York, including a town government, a bank, a volunteer fire department, and several small businesses. Walter sold these stolen checks to others and understood that these checks would then be altered and forged in ways that allowed them to be successfully negotiated by people other than the checks’ intended payees.
United States Attorney John A. Sarcone stated: “This sentence holds Sean Walter accountable for repeatedly trespassing onto government property, stealing mailed checks, and causing financial loss to local businesses and governments. With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to investigate and prosecute those who threaten and disrupt the orderly distribution of mail.”
USPS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi stated: “The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General is dedicated to protecting the U.S Mail and the U.S. Postal Service. The special agents of the USPS OIG will tirelessly investigate those who choose to steal U.S Mail and defraud the American public. The sentence imposed on the defendant will serve as a reminder that there are severe consequences when individuals commit crimes targeting the U.S Mail. The USPS OIG is thankful for the great longstanding relationships we have developed with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to combat mail theft.”
USPIS Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward stated: “Yesterday’s sentencing of Mr. Walter stands as a testament to the United States Postal Inspection Service’s dedication to ensuring the sanctity of the U.S. mail and safety and security of postal facilities. The Inspection Service will continue to work with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York to prosecute anyone guilty of compromising the public’s trust in the mail.”
USPS-OIG and USPIS investigated the case, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett prosecuted the case.
Stockton Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Nationwide Sexual Exploitation of Minors Using Social MediaRead the Press Release
Elmer Yusay Ngo, 29, of Stockton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to 20 years in prison, to be followed by 50 years of supervised release for child exploitation, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court records, Ngo utilized social media to sexually exploit female minors nationwide. This sexual exploitation included attempting to coerce, entice, and persuade the minors to produce child pornography of themselves at Ngo’s direction. Ngo persistently sought out minor females and engaged in similar patterns of behavior, which included befriending the minor on social media, obtaining at least one nude or partially nude image of the minor, using that image as leverage to demand the minors engage in video calls while nude, and ordering the minors to perform various sexual acts on themselves while on video. Ngo would keep his end of the video call blacked out so that the minors could not see his face.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internet Against Crimes Against Children Task Force, with assistance from state and local police departments nationwide. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin F. Scott 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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about Internet safety education.
Statement on the Verdict in U.S. V. Sean CombsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Ricky J. Patel, on the verdict in U.S. v. Sean Combs:
Sex crimes deeply scar victims, and the disturbing reality is that sex crimes are all too present in many aspects of our society. Victims endure gut-wrenching physical and mental abuse, leading to lasting trauma. New Yorkers and all Americans want this scourge stopped and perpetrators brought to justice.
Prosecuting sex crimes requires brave victims to come forward and tell their harrowing stories. We and our law enforcement partners recognize the hardships victims endure and have prioritized a victim-centered approach to investigating and prosecuting these cases.
Today we recognize the important work of the SDNY’s Civil Rights Unit as well as the tireless efforts of the women and men at HSI who are devoted to combatting human trafficking. We thank the Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York, Digital Forensic Unit and the Complex Analytics and Social Media Enhancement (CASE) Team at the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. We would also like to thank our partners at the NYPD for their assistance in this matter and for sharing our victim-centered approach to combatting sex crimes.
Somerset Man Indicted for Fentanyl and Heroin Distribution Leading to the Death of a VictimRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging a Somerset County man with drug offenses including distribution of fentanyl and heroin that resulted in the death of a victim, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Thomas Kane Miller, 40, of Somerset, New Jersey was charged by criminal indictment with one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and a fentanyl precursor (4-ANPP), one count of distribution of fentanyl and heroin that resulted in the death of a victim, and two counts of distribution of fentanyl and heroin. Miller’s initial appearance and arraignment are scheduled for June 30, 2025, before Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal court.
“The fentanyl epidemic has devastated communities across the country. Too many lives have been lost, too many families have been broken. This poison has no place on our streets. This office is unwavering in its pursuit of justice, and will relentlessly hold accountable anyone who traffics fentanyl or other deadly drugs in New Jersey — ensuring they face the full weight of the law for the destruction they cause. The District of New Jersey continues to emphasize opioid enforcement, including with its Fentanyl Precursor Interception Strike Force that seeks to stem the tide of chemical precursors and adulterants used to manufacture fentanyl, and bring to justice individuals who sell this poison on our streets.”
- U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
“Today’s indictment against Thomas Miller reflects the determination the DEA and our law enforcement partners have in targeting those individuals who continue to poison our communities with fentanyl,” stated DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino. “Mr. Miller’s victim was more than just another statistic; it’s a life cut short by greed. The DEA is committed to holding these individuals accountable, especially when their actions result in the tragic loss of life.”
“This tragic loss of life is a stark reminder fentanyl-related deaths continue to plague our communities,” said Homeland Security Investigations New York acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso. “The lethal dangers posed by the illegal narcotics that traffickers are introducing to our communities cannot be overstated. This is why HSI New York, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, remains steadfast in our commitment to disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations that prioritize profit over American lives.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In October 2022, Miller distributed a mixture of fentanyl and heroin to an individual who died as a result of using the substance. Law enforcement located the deceased victim at a residence in Plainfield, New Jersey. Inside the residence were two wax folds containing fentanyl and heroin bearing a unique stamp which law enforcement linked to Miller. Shortly before the victim’s death, the victim and Miller were communicating about arranging to meet.
Approximately 10 days before the victim’s death, Miller was found in possession of multiple wax folds bearing the same unique stamp and containing fentanyl, heroin, and a fentanyl precursor. Miller also distributed fentanyl and heroin on two other occasions in December 2022 and January 2023, in Middlesex and Somerset Counties.
The count of drug distribution resulting in death carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment, a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of $1 million. The counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin, and distribution of fentanyl and heroin, each carry a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison and a fine of $1 million.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the New York DEA Strike Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino, III, special agents of HSI New York, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso, members of the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor John P. McDonald, and members of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone, with the investigation, leading to the charges.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The arrest was the result of an investigation by the New York Strike Force, a crime-fighting unit comprising federal, state and local law enforcement agencies supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud and Opioid Enforcement Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Timothy Donahue, Esq., Michael Alexander Thomas, Esq.
miller.indictment.pdfSixth Circuit Court of Appeals Affirms 45-Year Sentence for Memphis Man Convicted of Fentanyl and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the 540-month federal prison sentence handed down to Kendrick Watson, 44, following his conviction on drug and firearm offenses at a February 2024 jury trial in the Western District of Tennessee. Interim United States Attorney Joseph C. Murphy, Jr. announced the sentence today.
On appeal, Watson raised multiple issues regarding the denial of his motions to suppress and to dismiss, the sufficiency of the jury instructions, the sufficiency of the evidence presented at trial, and the reasonableness of his sentence. On June 16, 2024, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed his convictions and sentence in all respects.
According to the opinion, United States Postal Inspectors intercepted a parcel arriving in Memphis, Tennessee, opened it pursuant to a search warrant, and seized one kilogram of cocaine. Investigators then delivered the parcel to an address in Memphis, where Watson took the parcel inside. A SWAT team entered the address pursuant to a second search warrant and located the parcel (unopened), five firearms, ammunition, approximately $52,000 in cash, fentanyl, methamphetamine, a handpress with fentanyl residue on it, digital scales, multiple cell phones, a book titled “I.C.E. Eye See Everything the True Life of Kendrick Watson: All Facts No Fiction,” and paperwork in Watson’s name.
Watson filed multiple pre-trial motions, including two motions to suppress, three motions to dismiss, and two motions to exclude seized evidence. The Sixth Circuit affirmed the denial of the motions to suppress, stating that there was a substantial basis for the issuing judge to have found probable cause. The Court also affirmed the denial of the motions to dismiss, noting that Watson’s arguments were speculative and lacked evidentiary and legal support.
The Sixth Circuit further upheld the 540-month sentence, which included a 25-year mandatory term of imprisonment due to a prior federal conviction for possessing a gun during a crime of violence, as procedurally and substantively reasonable.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory Allen and Naya Bedini prosecuted this case and handled the appeal on behalf of the government.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor. The sentencing took place on June 23, 2025.
William Danery Sebastian, age 34, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison with five years of supervised release and ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Sebastian must also register as a sex offender upon release from federal prison.
Sebastian was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024. He pleaded guilty on March 27, 2025.
The conviction stemmed from an undercover chat operation in March 2024, when Sebastian started a conversation with a person he thought was a 15-year-old female on Facebook. The conversation turned sexual in nature and Sebastian asked the 15-year-old to meet up to have a sexual encounter. Sebastian arrived at the meet location where he was arrested by law enforcement. Unbeknownst to Sebastian, he had actually been chatting with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 15-year-old female.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department, and the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Human Trafficking Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Sebastian was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sioux City Man Who Escaped from Custody Pleads Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
A man who escaped custody pled guilty June 30, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.
Curtis Koesters, 45, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of escape from custody.
At the plea hearing, Koesters admitted that in October 2024, he began pre-release confinement at the Dismas Charities Residential Reentry Center in Sioux City, Iowa. Koesters had been in federal prison for a previous federal conviction of felon in possession of a firearm. On November 4, 2024, Koesters did not return to the Center as required after leaving to look for employment. In December 2024, after several weeks on the run, Koesters was arrested in Woodbury County, Iowa, and charged with multiple traffic violations.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Koesters remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Koesters faces a possible maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by U.S. Marshals Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4087. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Seven Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing and Trafficking 240 Firearms from Indianapolis Shipping CenterRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS— The following seven individuals have been sentenced for their roles in a firearms theft and trafficking conspiracy:
DefendantCharge(s)SentenceZackary Doss, 27- Conspiracy to Receive, Possess, Store or Sell Stolen Firearms
- Possession of a Firearm by a Felon
2.5 years imprisonment
3 years of supervised release
Dominique Ellison, 37- Possession of a Firearm by a Felon
1.5 years imprisonment
3 years of supervised release
Antonio Grant, 33- Conspiracy to Receive, Possess, Store or Sell Stolen Firearms
- Possession of a Firearm by a Felon
- Conspiracy to Receive, Possess, Store or Sell Stolen Firearms
- Possession of Stolen Firearms
4.5 years imprisonment
3 years of supervised release
Kevin Jones, Jr, 23- Conspiracy to Receive, Possess, Store or Sell Stolen Firearms
- Possession or Sale of Stolen Firearms
3.5 years imprisonment
3 years of supervised release
Malyk Mendez, 32- Conspiracy to Receive, Possess, Store or Sell Stolen Firearms
1.5 years imprisonment
1 year of supervised release
Bruce Williams, 33- Conspiracy to Receive, Possess, Store or Sell Stolen Firearms
- Possession of a Firearm by a Felon
9 years imprisonment
3 years of supervised release
According to court documents, Bruce Williams and Ryan Hurt—then employees at an Indianapolis shipping facility—masterminded a scheme to steal firearms and sell them for profit, utilizing accomplices Malyk Mendez and convicted felon Antonio Grant, among others. Firearms were ultimately sold to individuals including Kevin Jones, Jr., and convicted felons Dominique Ellison and Zackary Doss. Jones and Doss, in turn, then sold the firearms to numerous other individuals.
Between January and March 2022, the group made off with 240 firearms from four separate shipments headed for different states. The conspiracy began to unravel when ATF agents noticed a disturbing pattern: firearms sent through the Indianapolis terminal were missing key inventory.
A breakdown of stolen firearms, varying in make and models, is as follows:
- 9 mm semi-automatic handguns (174)
- .38 caliber revolvers (13)
- .22 caliber revolvers (2)
- .45 caliber semi-automatic handguns (38)
- semi-automatic rifles (5)
- 10mm semi-automatic handguns (8)
Williams and Hurt kept some firearms from the thefts for themselves but recruited others, including codefendants, to assist in locating buyers for the stolen guns. Williams also personally sold a substantial number of the stolen firearms.
Of the 240 firearms that were stolen, only 61 firearms have been recovered as of May 5, 2025; over three years since the thefts occurred. Five of those firearms were recovered from Williams and Hurt upon their arrests.
The other firearms recovered have been found in a wide array of criminal activity and locations; Indianapolis, Lafayette, Gary, Chicago, Florida, and Oklahoma, to name a few. The criminal activity has included felons possessing firearms, drug trafficking, domestic violence incidents, vehicle pursuits, shootings, carjackings, and homicides.
“Stolen firearms are a major source of crime guns for violent offenders and pose a serious threat to public safety,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we’re committed to stopping gun traffickers, recovering stolen weapons, and keeping them out of the hands of dangerous individuals.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and IMPD investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson.
Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Pamela S. Domash and Bradley P. Shepard, who prosecuted this case.
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.
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