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1 July 2025
Centers Healthcare Pays over $6 Million for False Statements on Medicare Cost ReportsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III announced today that Centers Healthcare is paying $6,063,500 to resolve allegations that 44 Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) submitted cost reports to Medicare that contained false statements or omitted material information regarding their transactions with related organizations. The 44 SNFs are related to Centers through common ownership or control and are located in Rhode Island, Kansas, Missouri and New York, including 15 facilities in the Northern District of New York (Albany, Essex, Fulton, Jefferson, Oneida, Onondaga, Otsego, Rensselaer, Schenectady, Ulster, Warren, and Washington counties).
“Taxpayer dollars fund nursing homes” said United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III. “I expect that nursing homes will truthfully account for how they spend those dollars, which are entrusted to them to care for our elderly and most vulnerable citizens.”
Federal regulations require SNFs to submit cost reports to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)’s Medicare Administrative Contractors about their allowable charges and expenses related to the care of nursing home patients, including information about their dealings with related organizations. A related organization is an entity that is related to the SNF through common ownership or control. When a SNF does business with a related organization, it is required to calculate and disclose the allowable cost of the services, facilities, or supplies. The allowable cost is the is the lower of: (1) the actual cost of the supply or service to the provider, or (2) the price in the open market for comparable services, facilities, or supplies. The reason for these requirements is that when a SNF obtains services or supplies from a related organization they are effectively doing business with themselves. Centers admitted that the cost reports associated with 44 SNFs contained one or more false statements or material omissions regarding related organization transactions and that Centers management reviewed the cost reports and knew or reasonably should have known of the false statements.
“When nursing home operators knowingly submit false information in cost reports, they undermine the integrity of federal health care programs and misuse taxpayer dollars,” said Special Agent in Charge Linda T. Hanley of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS/OIG). “HHS-OIG, including our investigators and auditors, will continue working with our DOJ partners to hold bad actors accountable and aggressively pursue those who engage in healthcare fraud.”
The investigation and resolution of this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York and HHS-OIG’s Office of Investigation (Kansas City Region) and Office of Audit Services (Kansas City Region). Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher R. Moran and John D. Hoggan represented the United States.
Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing Fentanyl with the Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
A Cedar Rapids man who distributed pills containing fentanyl was sentenced June 30, 2025, to four years in federal prison.
Antonio Clarence Robertson, age 33, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 16, 2025, guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that on December 21, 2023, Cedar Rapids Police Department officers stopped a vehicle in which Robertson was a passenger. During that traffic stop, officers observed him tucking an object underneath his person. Officers ordered him out of the vehicle. Robertson refused that order and officers removed him from the vehicle. Officers observed an unlabeled pill bottle where he had been seated. The unlabeled pill bottle contained fentanyl pills. Officers searched Robertson and located multiple plastic bags containing additional pills. As a result of the traffic stop, officers seized 227 pills containing fentanyl. Prior to the traffic stop, officers believed they observed Robertson sell narcotics to another individual. On December 22, 2023, Robertson met with investigators and admitted he sold fentanyl to another person.
Robertson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Robertson was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Robertson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael S.A. Hudson and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 24-CR-31.
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Canadian Man Arrested and Detained for Role in Deadly Alien Smuggling Conspiracy at the U.S.'s Northern BorderRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — A dual Canadian American citizen was arrested on Sunday, June 15, for his role in a deadly human smuggling conspiracy that left a family of four, including two children under the age of three, dead in the St. Lawrence River. Oakes was arrested as he attempted to enter the United States via the Massena, New York, Port of Entry.
Timothy Oakes, 34, from the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation (AMIR), Canada, was previously arraigned on numerous human smuggling offenses in the Northern District of New York District Court and had his detention hearing earlier today and will remain detained. Oakes was indicted on April 9 for conspiring with others to engage in alien smuggling, four counts of alien smuggling for profit, and four counts of alien smuggling resulting in death. United States based co-conspirators Dakota Montour, 31, and Kawisiiostha Celecia Sharrow, 43, both of Akwesasne-Mohawk, New York, and Janet Terrance, 45, of Hogansburg, New York, entered guilty pleas on Jan. 23, Oct. 8, 2024, and March 6, respectively.
“As alleged, Oakes and his co-conspirators profited from a human smuggling operation with a singular, cold-hearted aim: making money by bringing illegal aliens into the United States, regardless of the danger to human life involved,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their greed resulted in the deaths of a mother, a father, and two small children, as well as one of the defendants’ own brothers. The Criminal Division will continue to disrupt and dismantle these organizations and bring justice to smugglers whose actions result in senseless deaths.”
“This case shows the terrible perils of illegally crossing the border,” said U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York. “Four family members died because a smuggling network put them in harm’s way. My office is proud to partner with Joint Task Force Alpha to continue to combat dangerous human smuggling and trafficking organizations that operate on our northern border.”
“Oakes’ arrest comes as part of our nearly two-year long investigation into a transnational criminal organization responsible for the large-scale smuggling of aliens from Canada into the United States,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Buffalo Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan. “ICE HSI leverages its full range of authorities to combat and dismantle the heinous networks of greedy criminals who illicitly sell dangerous, sometimes fatal, passage through our nation’s northern border. We are extremely grateful for a multitude of law enforcement agency partners on the Border Enforcement Security Taskforce who join us in this fight to bring smugglers to justice."
“Two toddler aged children and their parents were the tragic victims of an alien smuggling attempt gone horribly wrong,” said Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Swanton Sector. “Their deaths were a direct result of callous smugglers who exploited the vulnerable. Due to unrelenting perseverance and investigative efforts by multiple law enforcement agencies, those responsible will be held accountable. Our pursuit of justice persists until justice is served.”
According to court documents, Oakes was a key facilitator in a human smuggling organization (HSO) that smuggled aliens from Canada into northern New York. Oakes, working with the HSO, routinely smuggled aliens into the United States by piloting boats across the St. Lawrence River. Additionally, Oakes used his home as a staging area for aliens before the HSO smuggled them into the United States. Oakes earned approximately $1,000 for every alien whom he smuggled across the St. Lawrence River into the United States.
In March 2023, Oakes housed a Romanian family of four, together with other aliens, for about 24 hours. He then transported the family and a boat to a public boat launch. His brother, Casey Oakes, attempted to use the boat to smuggle the Romanian family into the United States, but the boat capsized, killing all four members of the family, as well as Casey Oakes.
Terrance, Montour, and Sharrow admitted in their plea agreements that in late March 2023, they were employed to illegally transport a Romanian family of four — a mother, father, one-year-old boy, and two-year-old girl — from Canada into New York. Specifically, Montour admitted that he was aware of the dangerous weather conditions on the day of the tragedy — high winds, freezing temperatures, and limited visibility — yet another co-conspirator still loaded the family of four into the small boat to attempt to cross the St. Lawrence River.
HSI Massena engaged in an extensive years-long investigation of the case, with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, New York State Police, Canada Border Services Agency, Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service, St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Department, Ontario Provincial Police, Sûreté du Québec, St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Cornwall Police Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant support with foreign legal assistance requests.
The investigation is a result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations and eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating within the Americas that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the border, including the Northern District of New York. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 380 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 340 U.S. convictions; more than 290 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
The investigation is being conducted under the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.
Trial Attorney Jenna E. Reed of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Stitt for the Northern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Canadian Man Arrested and Detained for Role in Deadly Alien Smuggling Conspiracy at the U.S.'s Northern BorderRead the Press Release
Note: View the indictment here and detention letter here.
WASHINGTON — A dual Canadian American citizen was arrested on Sunday, June 15, for his role in a deadly human smuggling conspiracy that left a family of four, including two children under the age of three, dead in the St. Lawrence River. Oakes was arrested as he attempted to enter the United States via the Massena, New York, Port of Entry.
Timothy Oakes, 34, from the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation (AMIR), Canada, was previously arraigned on numerous human smuggling offenses in the Northern District of New York District Court and had his detention hearing earlier today and will remain detained. Oakes was indicted on April 9 for conspiring with others to engage in alien smuggling, four counts of alien smuggling for profit, and four counts of alien smuggling resulting in death. United States based co-conspirators Dakota Montour, 31, and Kawisiiostha Celecia Sharrow, 43, both of Akwesasne-Mohawk, New York, and Janet Terrance, 45, of Hogansburg, New York, entered guilty pleas on Jan. 23, Oct. 8, 2024, and March 6, respectively.
“As alleged, Oakes and his co-conspirators profited from a human smuggling operation with a singular, cold-hearted aim: making money by bringing illegal aliens into the United States, regardless of the danger to human life involved,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their greed resulted in the deaths of a mother, a father, and two small children, as well as one of the defendants’ own brothers. The Criminal Division will continue to disrupt and dismantle these organizations and bring justice to smugglers whose actions result in senseless deaths.”
“This case shows the terrible perils of illegally crossing the border,” said U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York. “Four family members died because a smuggling network put them in harm’s way. My office is proud to partner with Joint Task Force Alpha to continue to combat dangerous human smuggling and trafficking organizations that operate on our northern border.”
“Oakes’ arrest comes as part of our nearly two-year long investigation into a transnational criminal organization responsible for the large-scale smuggling of aliens from Canada into the United States,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Buffalo Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan. “ICE HSI leverages its full range of authorities to combat and dismantle the heinous networks of greedy criminals who illicitly sell dangerous, sometimes fatal, passage through our nation’s northern border. We are extremely grateful for a multitude of law enforcement agency partners on the Border Enforcement Security Taskforce who join us in this fight to bring smugglers to justice."
“Two toddler aged children and their parents were the tragic victims of an alien smuggling attempt gone horribly wrong,” said Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Swanton Sector. “Their deaths were a direct result of callous smugglers who exploited the vulnerable. Due to unrelenting perseverance and investigative efforts by multiple law enforcement agencies, those responsible will be held accountable. Our pursuit of justice persists until justice is served.”
According to court documents, Oakes was a key facilitator in a human smuggling organization (HSO) that smuggled aliens from Canada into northern New York. Oakes, working with the HSO, routinely smuggled aliens into the United States by piloting boats across the St. Lawrence River. Additionally, Oakes used his home as a staging area for aliens before the HSO smuggled them into the United States. Oakes earned approximately $1,000 for every alien whom he smuggled across the St. Lawrence River into the United States.
In March 2023, Oakes housed a Romanian family of four, together with other aliens, for about 24 hours. He then transported the family and a boat to a public boat launch. His brother, Casey Oakes, attempted to use the boat to smuggle the Romanian family into the United States, but the boat capsized, killing all four members of the family, as well as Casey Oakes.
Terrance, Montour, and Sharrow admitted in their plea agreements that in late March 2023, they were employed to illegally transport a Romanian family of four — a mother, father, one-year-old boy, and two-year-old girl — from Canada into New York. Specifically, Montour admitted that he was aware of the dangerous weather conditions on the day of the tragedy — high winds, freezing temperatures, and limited visibility — yet another co-conspirator still loaded the family of four into the small boat to attempt to cross the St. Lawrence River.
HSI Massena engaged in an extensive years-long investigation of the case, with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, New York State Police, Canada Border Services Agency, Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service, St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Department, Ontario Provincial Police, Sûreté du Québec, St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Cornwall Police Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant support with foreign legal assistance requests.
The defendant’s vehicle with light blue boat in tow on March 29, 2023, at 9:29 p.m., consistent with the boat found in the river during recovery efforts.The investigation is a result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations and eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating within the Americas that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the border, including the Northern District of New York. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 380 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 340 U.S. convictions; more than 290 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
The investigation is being conducted under the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.
Trial Attorney Jenna E. Reed of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Stitt for the Northern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Browning man sentenced to prison for death on Blackfeet Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Browning man who caused a death on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 18 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Douglas Dean McDonald, 29, pleaded guilty in February 2025 to one count of involuntary manslaughter.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on the afternoon of June 9, 2024, Douglas Dean McDonald was driving a sedan with his family at 118mph before he changed lanes and struck and killed John Doe, who was operating a motorcycle. Doe’s wife was a passenger on the motorcycle but was not seriously injured.
Doe and his wife were riding their motorcycle about five miles outside of Browning heading east toward Cut Bank to see the bison herd. There were none, so they decided to turn around. As Doe was executing the U-turn, McDonald, who was traveling at a high rate of speed, went into the westbound lane and struck the motorcycle. The accident severed Doe’s leg, and he died at the scene.
A witness came upon the crash shortly after it occurred. The witness reported that McDonald and his wife flagged the witness down and wanted a ride to Browning. She reported that there were other individuals at the scene telling McDonald he needed to stay at the scene. When law enforcement arrived, McDonald admitted to consuming twisted teas the night before and smoking a bowl of marijuana at noon that day. He gave a PBT at the scene that was positive for alcohol with a BAC of .02.
McDonald consented to a blood draw. Law enforcement drove him to the hospital for the blood draw. During this interaction, the officer could detect the smell of alcoholic beverages emitting from his person. At the hospital, McDonald attempted to run away from law enforcement, fleeing through the emergency doors and had to be chased down in the parking lot.
Montana Highway Patrol conducted the crash investigation. They mapped the scene and analyzed the electronic data from McDonald’s vehicle. Five seconds before the deployment event (collision) McDonald was going 118mph. The data showed that the vehicle slowed to 114mph two seconds before the deployment event, and then slowed to 99mph one second before. The speedometer of the vehicle was frozen at 98mph after the crash. MHP determined that if McDonald had been going the posted speed limit of 70mph, Doe would have been able to successfully execute the U-turn.
The toxicology report indicated that in addition to alcohol and marijuana, McDonald had fentanyl, methamphetamine, norfentanyl, amphetamine, and gabapentin in his system.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, Glacier County Sheriff’s Office, and Montana Highway Patrol.
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Brockton Man Detained After Allegedly Attempting to Purchase 15 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man was ordered detained pending trial in federal court in Boston on June 24, 2025, on drug charges.
Jose Perez, 47, is charged via a criminal complaint with one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. He was arrested on June 11, 2025 and following an initial appearance and detention hearing in federal court in Boston, the Court ordered Perez detained pending trial.
According to court documents, in May 2025, Perez communicated with undercover law enforcement about purchasing 15 kilograms of cocaine. It is alleged that Perez agreed to meet on June 11, 2025 in Framingham for the drug deal. On June 11, 2025, Perez was allegedly observed traveling from his residence in Brockton to his autobody shop, JP Auto Body in Dorchester, and then back to his Brockton residence, before travelling to meet the undercover officers in Framingham for the drug deal.
It is alleged that upon arriving at the agreed-upon meeting location, Perez removed $150,000 from a hidden compartment in his vehicle and provided the cash to undercover law enforcement in exchange for 15 kilograms of cocaine. The narcotics provided to Perez was sham cocaine. Perez then allegedly placed the kilograms of sham cocaine into the hidden compartment in his vehicle before being taken into custody.
The charge of attempted possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; the Massachusetts State Police; and the Boston, Framingham, Brockton, Bedford, Waltham, Braintree, Middleborough, Lynn, Lowell and Revere Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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.
Billings man pleads guilty to child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS - A Billings man accused of distributing child pornography admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Kole David Kuntz, 41, pleaded guilty to 2 counts of distribution of child pornography. With respect to each count, Kuntz faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years to 20 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a $35,000 special assessment, a $5,000 special assessment, and 5 years to a lifetime of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. U.S. District Court Judge Susan P. Watters will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing will be set at a later date. Kuntz was released on conditions pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on November 16, 2024, law enforcement created an undercover online persona on a social media site posing as an adult male with a minor daughter. Soon after establishing the account, another account, later attributed to the defendant, reached out and inquired about the fictious daughter.
The conversations became increasingly sexual and, for example, when the defendant learned the “daughter” was 12 years of age, he indicated that he “could have a lot of fun with her.”
On November 21, 2024, the defendant recommended they switch to a more secure application and both parties did so. Then, to ensure that he was “serious,” the defendant sent a roughly 45-second video of a female, aged between 12 and 14 years of age, removing her swimsuit and exposing her vagina to the camera. Then, on November 22, 2024, and after additional communications during which the defendant indicated that “6-14 is the money range I think,” he distributed a roughly 56-second video of a minor female performing oral sex on an adult.
Law enforcement connected the communication to the defendant and a search warrant for his residence in Billings was executed. A subsequent review of his electronic media led to the discovery of the communications referenced above.
The defendant was interviewed by law enforcement and admitted that he was the individual referenced in the communications above and that he previously shared images and videos.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
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Barnstable Man Sentenced to over Two Years in Prison for Drug Possession and Distribution ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Barnstable man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for felony narcotics charges.
John Kirk Costello, 45, originally of Milton, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Senior Judge William G. Young to 30 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release. On July 11, 2024, Costello pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
On Jan. 13, 2021, Costello sold approximately 1,000 counterfeit Adderall pills to an undercover law enforcement officer. The pills were illegally manufactured and laced with methamphetamine. During a search of Costello’s home in November 2021, a substantial quantity of drugs was seized, specifically: approximately 264 grams of 95% pure methamphetamine; approximately 6 kilograms of 7% pure methamphetamine; approximately 2,472 counterfeit Adderall pills laced with methamphetamine; and approximately 1,707 counterfeit Percocet pills laced with fentanyl.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Tolkoff of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Armed Bank Robbery Lands Arkansas Man in Federal Prison for a DecadeRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – BRIAN KEITH MAYS, 58, of Arkansas, has been sentenced to serve 120 months in federal prison for committing armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On January 21, 2025, a federal Grand Jury returned a two-count Superseding Indictment, charging Mays with armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. On March 13, 2025, after a three-day trial, a federal jury found Mays guilty of both counts.
According to evidence presented at trial, on July 5, 2024, Mays brandished a pistol at the FNB Community Bank in Harrah, Oklahoma, and demanded money from the tellers. The tellers complied, and Mays left the bank with $12,123.00. Agents with the FBI reviewed surveillance footage from the bank and an adjoining store, where they viewed Mays flee the scene. An eyewitness was able to obtain the tag number of the get-away vehicle, and an investigation into that car led authorities to Mays.
At the sentencing hearing on June 30, 2025, U.S. District Judge Bernard M. Jones sentenced Mays to serve 120 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge Jones noted the dangerous nature and circumstances of the robbery as well as the impact such an offense has on the victims.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City and Fort Smith Field Offices, Harrah Police Department, Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Gridley and Drew E. Davis and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Laney Ellis (SAUSA) prosecuted the case. SAUSA Ellis is an attorney with City of Oklahoma City whose position is funded by a federal Project Safe Neighborhoods grant awarded to the City of Oklahoma City to enhance efforts to address and reduce violent crime.
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).
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Ambulance Company and Its Owners Agree to Pay $900,000 to Settle False Claims Act Allegations of Medically Unnecessary Ambulance ServicesRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Courtesy Transport Services, LLC (“Courtesy”) and its owners, Melanie Burger and Dr. John Milanick, have agreed to collectively pay $900,000 to resolve allegations that they defrauded Medicare and Medicaid by billing for ambulance transportation services that were not medically necessary or not actually provided. The settlement amounts for Courtesy and Melanie Burger are based on their ability to pay.
According to the settlement agreements, from June 1, 2013, through June 30, 2019, Courtesy submitted claims to Medicare and Medicaid for basic life support, non-emergency ambulance transport services which the United States contends were not reimbursable, because the services were not medically reasonable and necessary, the patients did not require transportation by ambulance, or the services were not actually provided to patients. As such, these services were not reimbursable by Medicare and Medicaid.
“False and fraudulent claims for ambulance services harm both the integrity of important federal healthcare programs as well as the seniors who rely on them,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. “Our office is committed to recovering taxpayers’ money from fraud and abuse of these programs and will hold those who submit false claims accountable.”
“When health care providers bill Medicare for medically unnecessary services, they not only misuse critical resources meant to care for beneficiaries, but also increase the financial burden on taxpayers,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Rolando Alvarez of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Together with our law enforcement partners, we remain committed to uncovering and investigating fraudulent health care schemes to preserve the integrity of federal health care programs.”
These settlements resolve a lawsuit originally filed by Jonathon Whitmore, a former Courtesy employee, under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act that permit private individuals to sue on behalf of the government for false claims, and to share in any recovery. Mr. Whitmore will receive roughly $171,000 of the proceeds from the settlements with Courtesy and its owners. The False Claims Act case is captioned United States and the State of Florida ex rel. Whitmore vs. Courtesy Transport, et al., Case No. 5:19-cv-241-Oc-34PRL.
These settlements resulted from a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, Florida’s Office of the Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (“MFCU”), and the HHS Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn Tapie and MFCU Deputy Director of Civil Enforcement Cedell Ian Garland handled the investigation. The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Ambridge Felon Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Series of Drug Trafficking and Firearm ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Ambridge, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to violating drug trafficking and firearms laws and was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment, to be followed by eight years of federal supervised release, on his convictions, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed the sentence on Maurice Mosely Jr., 44.
According to information presented to the Court, Mosely’s drug trafficking activity was the subject of an investigation by federal, state, and local law enforcement operating under the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program in Beaver County. The investigation established that Mosely distributed controlled substances from both his own residence in Ambridge and his girlfriend’s residence in Aliquippa.
On July 21, 2021, law enforcement executed search warrants upon both locations. The search of Mosely’s residence resulted in the seizure of a loaded, stolen handgun from the kitchen, as well as ammunition from the master bedroom and garage. Mosely was previously convicted of four felony drug trafficking crimes. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. Mosely was present at the time law enforcement searched the residence associated with his girlfriend, with a search of Mosely’s person resulting in the seizure of crack cocaine and bulk U.S. currency. The search of the girlfriend’s residence also resulted in the seizure of distribution quantities of crack, methamphetamine, and cocaine, two digital scales, an owe sheet, and about $4,000 in cash.
Following the July seizures, Mosely was the subject of a traffic stop in New Brighton, Pennsylvania, in August 2021. Upon approaching the vehicle, the officer identified signs of impairment and observed Mosely kick a bag underneath the driver’s seat. A search incident to Mosely’s arrest resulted in the seizure of crack and more bulk U.S. currency.
In September 2021, law enforcement responded to a fight outside of a bar in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Upon law enforcement’s arrival outside, a surveillance camera within the bar recorded Mosely reach for his waist, run toward a nearby cigarette machine, and throw an item behind the machine, with an audible clunk when the item Mosely threw struck the ground. Law enforcement had all of the patrons of the bar line up outside of the building, with which Mosely initially complied before fleeing the scene on foot. A subsequent search of the bar resulted in the seizure of a loaded handgun from behind the cigarette machine.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Colville emphasized the seriousness of Mosely’s drug and firearms offenses, in addition to the danger Mosely presents to the community.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Pennsylvania State Police, New Brighton Area Police Department, Beaver Falls Police Department, and Drug Enforcement Administration for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Mosely.
Alleged Member of Mexican Drug Trafficking Organization Extradited to El PasoRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – A Mexican national charged with four counts in a 14-count indictment was extradited to the Western District of Texas following his arrest in Mexico last week.
According to court documents, from January 2016 through August 2019, Hector Adrian Rojero Ramos aka Teto, 54, allegedly engaged in a conspiracy to import heroin and fentanyl from Mexico to destinations in Texas, Oklahoma, Illinois and elsewhere in the United States. Rojero Ramos was arrested in Mexico June 25 and made his initial appearance in a federal court in El Paso on June 27.
Rojero Ramos is charged with one count of conspiracy to import a controlled substance, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and two counts of aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Rojero Ramos.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Luis Acosta is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, 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 Neighborhoods (PSN).
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Albany County Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – William Godlewski, 45, of Altamont, New York pled guilty last week in United States District Court to possession of child pornography. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office made the announcement.
Godlewski, a state convicted sex offender, admitted that he possessed approximately 100 images of child sexual abuse material on his cellular phone and caused approximately 244 videos to be uploaded, or attempted to be uploaded, to a cloud-based storage account associated with his phone.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 23, 2025. Godlewski faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, with a maximum sentence of 20 years, a fine of up to $250,000, a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life and will be required to continue to register as a sex offender. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors
U.S. Attorney Sarcone stated, “My office has ZERO tolerance for sexual predators. It doesn’t matter if this is the first time or last time they are arrested, my office will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. Moreover, we will, without exception, seek the longest prison term possible under the law because sexual predators, like Godlewski, have shown that they are not capable of stopping. I’m reminded of what my mother always says, ‘a leopard never changes its spots.’”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Keegan said, “This guilty plea is a stark reminder of the ever-present need to protect our children from those who seek to harm them for their own selfish desires. We remain steadfast in our mission to work tirelessly alongside our partners in law enforcement to safeguard the most vulnerable members of our society and will continue to hold accountable anyone who exploits their innocence.”
HSI is investigating the case with assistance from the New York Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Guilderland (N.Y.) Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney A.J. Vickey is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood
Project Safe Childhood is a 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
A Federal Felon Arrested for Possession of Firearms, Ammunition and MachinegunRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Jeffrey Omar Delgado-López with possession of a machinegun and with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is in charge of the investigation under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Devin J. Kowalski.
According to the Government’s allegations, on June 1, 2025, Delgado-López possessed a Glock pistol model 19 loaded with 31 rounds of ammunition and an additional 42 rounds of 9mm ammunition, as a convicted felon.
The indictment also alleges that Delgado-López possessed a machinegun, specifically a Glock pistol model 19 modified to fire automatically more than one shot without manually reloading by a single function of the trigger.
“Fighting gun violence remains a top priority for our office and the Justice Department and, as this case shows, we are steadfast in our commitment to prosecute those who violate federal firearms laws,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
“Jeffrey Omar Delgado-López was under federal supervised release, and he chose to break the law again--arming himself illegally in the streets of Mayagüez. This is unacceptable,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “Crushing violent crimes also means preventing them. We will not allow armed felons to operate in our communities.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlos J. Romo-Aledo and Alberto R. Lopez Rocafort, Chief of the Gang Section, are in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted, the defendant faces a sentence of up to fifteen years in prison.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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30 June 2025
Williamsburg man pleads guilty for sending threat to police officer that included images of child sexual abuseRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Williamsburg man pled guilty today to distributing obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children.
According to court documents, on Feb. 14 and 15, a police officer made contact with Xavier Joseph Stafford, 22, and asked Stafford to remove his vehicle from private property in Williamsburg. On Feb. 18, Stafford sent an email to the officer in which Stafford threatened to rape the officer’s daughter. Stafford included two animated images depicting child sexual abuse. The email also included a live photo repeatedly looping several frames of consecutive images of the officer’s home.
Stafford is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 4. He faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Dominique Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert J. Krask accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Therese O'Brien is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:25-cr-40.
Webster man awaiting sentencing on fraud charge pleads guilty to new federal chargesRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Timothy Siverd, 37, of Webster, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, which carry a maximum penalty of 22 years in prison and a $250,00 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Testani, who is handling the case, stated thatbetween November 2022, and September 19, 2024, Siverd operated and controlled ROC Scrubby LLC, a residential and commercial cleaning services company. During that time, Siverd overbilled ROC Scrubby clients for cleaning services that were not performed. He would manually change appointments on ROC Scrubby’s booking software without client permission to increase the amount each client would be billed, however employees would not perform the more expensive services. He used, without lawful authority, client credit card numbers to overbill his clients.
Siverd committed this offense while on supervised release for another financial fraud scheme. In April 2024, he pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud for his involvement in the separate scheme and is awaiting sentencing on that charge.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 28, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Siragusa.
Wayne County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Randy Price, 52, of Wayne, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 16, 2019, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Price in Charleston. Price attempted to flee on foot but was captured. Law enforcement seized a Raven Arms MP-25 .25-caliber pistol from the vehicle.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Price knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for involuntary manslaughter and aggravated robbery in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas on June 28, 2002.
Price is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys JC MacCallum and Negar M. Kordestani have 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.
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. 2:22-cr-97.
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United States District Court Appoints David Metcalf as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of PennsylvaniaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has appointed David Metcalf as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. After receiving his oath of office today, and pursuant to the Vacancy Reform Act, Mr. Metcalf remains the United States Attorney indefinitely while he awaits confirmation from the United States Senate.
“I am honored that the court has extended my service to our district,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Our commitment to prosecuting criminals and upholding the rule of law does not change.”
Last March, Attorney General Pamela Bondi named Mr. Metcalf the Interim United States Attorney for a period of 120 days, and President Trump nominated Mr. Metcalf to serve as the United States Attorney for the full term of four years. Last week, the United States Senate Judiciary Committee voted to send Mr. Metcalf’s nomination to the full Senate for a confirmation vote.
Mitchell S. Goldberg, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, swore in U.S. Attorney David Metcalf on June 30, 2025.
U.S. Attorney’s Office announces charges filed as part of national health care fraud takedownRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Today, Acting United States Attorney Kelly A. Norris announced criminal charges against a defendant in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid. The charges filed in the Southern District of Ohio are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
“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.”
Terry Hill, Jr., 59, of Dayton, was charged by indictment with health care fraud, false statements relating to health care matters and conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
Hill allegedly illegally owned and operated a Dayton substance abuse treatment recovery facility, Recovery Street Central, after being excluded from participating in government health care benefit programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. As alleged, Hill was excluded in 2021 from participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs after being convicted of Medicaid fraud. Notwithstanding his exclusion, Hill allegedly continued to own and operate Recovery Street Central, which submitted more than $4 million in claims to Medicaid for counseling services that were not provided or were provided in violation of Medicaid rules and regulations.
All the cases announced today 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 more than $14.6 billion in intended loss and more than 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 more than $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles and other assets in connection with the takedown.
The Hill case is being prosecuted in the Southern District of Ohio by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth F. Affeldt and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Walter, who is the Principal Assistant Ohio Attorney General for the Ohio Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Cincinnati Division and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) also investigated the case.
The national takedown includes cases being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Rapid Response Texas, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England and Northeast Strike Forces as well as U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Districts of Columbia, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont; Northern and Western Districts of Texas; Central, Northern and Southern Districts of California; Middle, Northern and Southern Districts of Florida; Middle District of Georgia; Northern District of Illinois; Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky; Eastern and Middle Districts of Louisiana; Eastern District of Michigan; Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi; Eastern, Northern, Southern and Western Districts of New York; Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio; Northern and Western Districts of Oklahoma; Eastern District of Pennsylvania; Middle and Western Districts of Tennessee; Eastern District of Virginia; Western District of Washington; Northern District of West Virginia. State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania are also contributing to the prosecutions with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team.
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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U.S. Attorney’s Office Participates in Record-Setting National Health Care Fraud TakedownRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, United States Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced the criminal charges brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia against defendants in multiple cases in connection with the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, an initiative aimed at alleged schemes to defraud Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and other health care programs that receive federal tax dollars.
The larger, nationwide Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers.
“Health care fraud costs this country billions of taxpayer dollars every year,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This office fights rigorously, every day to uncover the fraud and abuse that steal precious resources from programs like these. To the thieves who are engaging in these fraud schemes: you think you’ve discovered how to walk away with free money; but we will find you and you will walk away with a new label - ‘convicted felon’.”
“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.”
Demonstrating the significant return on investment that results from health care fraud enforcement efforts, the government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets as part of the coordinated enforcement efforts. As part of the whole-of-government approach to combating health care fraud announced today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also announced that it successfully prevented over $4 billion from being paid in response to false and fraudulent claims and that it suspended or revoked the billing privileges of 205 providers in the months leading up to the Takedown. Civil charges against 20 defendants for $14.2 million in alleged fraud, as well as civil settlements with 106 defendants totaling $34.3 million, were also announced as part of the Takedown.
Today’s Takedown was led and coordinated by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and its core partners from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The cases were investigated by agents from HHS-OIG, FBI, DEA, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies. The cases are being prosecuted by Health Care Fraud Strike Force teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, 50 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, and 12 State Attorneys General Offices.
"Defrauding the American health care system is not a victimless crime," said Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office. "It raises health insurance premiums, exposes patients to unnecessary medical procedures, and can lead to identity theft. Every dollar stolen is one fewer that's available to pay for needed care. The FBI will continue our relentless pursuit of those committing health care fraud and hold them accountable for their crimes."
“The scale of today’s Takedown is unprecedented, and so is the harm we’re confronting. Individuals who attempt to steal from the federal health care system and put vulnerable patients at risk will be held accountable,” said HHS-OIG Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins. “Our agents at HHS-OIG work relentlessly to detect, investigate, and dismantle these fraud schemes. We are proud to stand with our law enforcement partners in protecting taxpayer dollars and safeguarding patient care.”
The following individuals were charged in the District of Columbia:
Amstrong Chapajong, of Cheverly, Maryland, is charged with one count of health care fraud in connection with an overlapping billing scheme that allegedly defrauded the District of Columbia’s Medicaid program. As alleged in the information, from March 2020 to January 2022, Chapajong, while working as both a personal care aide and community support worker, fraudulently claimed to provide in-home personal care and behavioral health services to multiple clients in different locations at the same time. Additionally, Chapajong’s Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) data most often showed he was not in the vicinity of his client’s homes, where he purported to be providing services. In total, Medicaid paid $461,369 for Chapajong’s shifts with overlapping hours.
Michelle Shropshire, of Maryland, and Harlisha Jones, of Maryland and Washington, DC, both employed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) were charged by indictment with health care fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy charges for allegedly using Jones’s insurance policies with American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus (AFLAC) to submit fraudulent health care and short-term disability insurance claims for injuries, medical treatments, and disability periods that did not exist. The indictment alleges that as part of the scheme defendants created fraudulent medical paperwork, including medical excuse notes and physician’s statements, and forged doctors’ signatures on those forms. Then, after AFLAC paid each claim to Jones, she paid a kickback to Shropshire using a portion of the claim proceeds. As a result of those fraudulent insurance claims, AFLAC paid Jones approximately $58,750, of which Jones paid approximately 20% back to Shropshire.
Similarly, in addition to Jones, Shropshire is alleged to have assisted a number of other WMATA employees with submitting fraudulent health care and short-term disability insurance claims to AFLAC, which paid at least $362,035 in benefits based upon the false claims. Of those other WMATA employees, the following have been charged by information and have pled guilty to charges involving the scheme and paying kickbacks to Shropshire: Sharon Washington of Virginia, and Selethia Blake, Brady Turner, Lushawn Foreman, and Margot Jackson, all of Maryland.
These cases, in particular, were investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The Shropshire case was also investigated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Office of Inspector General. U.S. v Chapajong was also investigated by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the D.C. Office of the Inspector General’s (DC-OIG) Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
In addition to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, and Texas Strike Forces includes U.S. Attorneys Offices from around the nation; and State Attorney Generals’ Offices for Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are prosecuting the cases in the National Health Care Fraud Takedown, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department of Justice website.
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.
U.S. Attorney's Office Participates in Record-Setting National Health Care Fraud TakedownRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – Today, United States Attorney Sigal Chattah announced criminal charges against two defendants in the District of Nevada in connection with the Justice Department’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers.
“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.”
“As alleged, the defendants – a registered nurse and a nurse practitioner – applied medically unnecessary allografts and received millions in illegal kickbacks from the fraudulent claims to Medicare and other health care benefit programs,” said United States Attorney Chattah for the District of Nevada. “Together with the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, we will pursue and hold criminals accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes.”
According to court documents, the following individuals were charged in the District of Nevada:
- Paulino Gonzalez, 40, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was charged by information with conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay and receive kickbacks for participating in a $94 million scheme to order, recommend, and apply amniotic wound allografts in return for illegal kickbacks. As alleged in the information, Gonzalez, a registered nurse, received approximately $7,391,584 in illegal kickbacks from an allograft distributor in exchange for recommending the purchasing and ordering of certain allografts billed to Medicare. A wound care company paid Gonzalez to apply allografts, some of which were medically unnecessary, to Medicare beneficiaries. Between October 2021 and April 2024, the wound care company billed Medicare over $94 million for allografts applied by Gonzalez and others. Medicare paid over $54 million based on those false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Monica Cooper of the Texas Strike Force and Shane Butland of the National Rapid Response Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Oliva of the District of Nevada.
- Mary Huntly, 67, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was charged by information with conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay and receive health care kickbacks for participating in a scheme to receive illegal kickbacks in exchange for purchasing and ordering amniotic wound allografts billed to Medicare. As alleged in the information, Huntly, a nurse practitioner, applied medically unnecessary allografts to Medicare beneficiaries that were procured through illegal kickbacks and bribes. From September 2022 through April 2024, Huntly’s wound care company fraudulently billed Medicare approximately $14,333,550, and Medicare paid approximately $9,105,563 based on those claims. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Monica Cooper of the Texas Strike Force and Shane Butland of the National Rapid Response Strike Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Oliva of the District of Nevada.
Demonstrating the significant return on investment that results from health care fraud enforcement efforts, the government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets as part of the coordinated enforcement efforts. As part of the whole-of-government approach to combating health care fraud announced today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also announced that it successfully prevented over $4 billion from being paid in response to false and fraudulent claims and that it suspended or revoked the billing privileges of 205 providers in the months leading up to the Takedown. Civil charges against 20 defendants for $14.2 million in alleged fraud, as well as civil settlements with 106 defendants totaling $34.3 million, were also announced as part of the Takedown.
Today’s Takedown was led and coordinated by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and its core partners from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The cases were investigated by agents from HHS-OIG, FBI, DEA, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies. The cases are being prosecuted by Health Care Fraud Strike Force teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, 50 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, and 12 State Attorneys General Offices.
“As part of making healthcare accessible and affordable to all Americans, HHS will aggressively work with our law enforcement partners to eliminate the pervasive health care fraud that bedeviled this agency under the former administration and drove up costs,” said Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of the Department of Health and Human Services.
“The Criminal Division is intensely committed to rooting out health care fraud schemes and prosecuting the criminals who perpetrate them because these schemes: (1) often result in physical patient harm through medically unnecessary treatments or failure to provide the correct treatments; (2) contribute to our nationwide opioid epidemic and exacerbate controlled substance addiction; and (3) do all of that while stealing money hardworking Americans contribute to pay for the care of their elders and other vulnerable citizens,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Division’s Health Care Fraud Unit and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices stand united with our law enforcement partners in this fight, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect the integrity of our health care programs for the American people.”
“The scale of today’s Takedown is unprecedented, and so is the harm we’re confronting. Individuals who attempt to steal from the federal health care system and put vulnerable patients at risk will be held accountable,” said Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins of HHS-OIG. “Our agents at HHS-OIG work relentlessly to detect, investigate, and dismantle these fraud schemes. We are proud to stand with our law enforcement partners in protecting taxpayer dollars and safeguarding patient care.”
“Health care fraud drains critical resources from programs intended to help people who truly need medical care,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to pursuing those who exploit the system for personal gain. With more than $13 billion in fraud uncovered, this is the largest takedown for this initiative to date. Together, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold those accountable who steal from the American people and undermine our health care systems.”
“Today's unprecedented enforcement action demonstrates that CMS and our federal partners are united in our mission to protect the integrity of Medicare and Medicaid by crushing waste, fraud, and abuse," said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. "Every dollar we prevent from going to fraudsters is a dollar that stays in the system to serve legitimate beneficiaries. Through advanced data analytics, real-time monitoring, and swift administrative action, CMS is leading the fight to protect Medicare, Medicaid, and the trust Americans place in these vital programs. We're not waiting for fraud to happen—we're stopping it before it starts."
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Forces. Prior to the charges announced as part of today’s nationwide Takedown and since its inception in March 2007, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which operates in 27 districts, charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively billed Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurers more than $27 billion.
The following materials related to today’s announcement are available on the Health Care Fraud Unit’s website through these links:
• Graphics and Resources
• Case Descriptions
• Court Documents
An information 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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U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert announces charges as part of DOJ’s national health care fraud enforcement actionRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Today, Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced criminal charges against six defendants. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
“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.”
“This action underscores our efforts to holding accountable those who abuse our health care systems for personal profit,” said U.S. Attorney Siebert. “Health care fraud not only wastes valuable resources but also jeopardizes patient safety and trust. Under the leadership of Attorney General Bondi, my office, along with our stalwart law enforcement partners, will not stop until fraud, waste, and abuse are eliminated across the health care sector.”
“The Criminal Division is intensely committed to rooting out health care fraud schemes and prosecuting the criminals who perpetrate them because these schemes: (1) often result in physical patient harm through medically unnecessary treatments or failure to provide the correct treatments; (2) contribute to our nationwide opioid epidemic and exacerbate controlled substance addiction; and (3) do all of that while stealing money hardworking Americans contribute to pay for the care of their elders and other vulnerable citizens,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Division’s Health Care Fraud Unit and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices stand united with our law enforcement partners in this fight, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect the integrity of our health care programs for the American people.”
“Health care fraud drains critical resources from programs intended to help people who truly need medical care,” said Director Kash Patel of the FBI. “Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to pursuing those who exploit the system for personal gain. With more than $13 billion in fraud uncovered, this is the largest takedown for this initiative to date. Together, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold those accountable who steal from the American people and undermine our health care systems.”
The charges announced today by U.S. Attorney Siebert 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 s 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.
The following individuals were charged in the Eastern District of Virginia:
Jawad Bhatti, 54, of Richmond, was charged by indictment with health care fraud, false statements related to health care matters, receiving adulterated and misbranded devices, and administering a misbranded drug in connection with schemes to defraud Medicare and Medicaid. As alleged in the Indictment, in his first scheme, Bhatti received in interstate commerce three FDA-unapproved devices that produced medical ozone gas, which the FDA has described as “a toxic gas that with no known useful medical application in specific, adjunctive, or preventive therapy.” Bhatti then allegedly advertised these devices on his website and used them in his pain management practice. Bhatti allegedly advertised to patients the benefits of ozone, to include that it treats cancer, AIDS, arthritis, and lower back pain, and improves weight management, sexual stamina, energy, and mental acuity. When Bhatti allegedly injected ozone into patients’ necks, backs, toes, and scalps, many reported it to be the worst pain they had ever experienced. To disguise his unapproved ozone treatments from the FDA, Medicare, and Medicaid, he allegedly falsely billed ozone and other treatments as nerve blocks. In his second scheme, Bhatti allegedly falsely billed Medicare and Medicaid for using ultrasound to guide the insertion of a needle for his injections when in fact he either did not use an ultrasound at all or he only used the ultrasound after the injection was complete. Bhatti allegedly was by far the most prolific pain management biller of this procedure in Virginia. In total, Bhatti allegedly submitted and caused the submission of over $5,202,374.96 in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea Gibbons of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Keri Ayres, 50, of Warrenton, was charged by information with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme to overcharge Medicaid for environmental modifications to homes or vehicles such as installing wheelchair ramps, or grab bars in showers, which scheme cost Medicaid approximately $245,000. As alleged in the information, Ayres was the owner of Ability Unlimited, a Medicaid provider whose business centered on facilitating but not performing environmental modifications, and Medicaid did not allow facilitators that performed no actual labor to charge a separate profit margin. Unsatisfied, Ayres allegedly directed her employees to hide their arbitrary and often exorbitant profit margins in the subcontractor costs. For example, Ability Unlimited purchased a generator from Amazon.com for less than $1000 and had it shipped directly to the Medicaid recipient, but charged Medicaid $3,395.16, listing the generator cost in an altered invoice as $2,610.16, and including an additional labor cost of $785 despite the direct shipment of the generator. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea Gibbons of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Lori Adcock, 54, of Hampstead, North Carolina, was charged by complaint with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme to overcharge Medicaid for environmental modifications to homes or vehicles such as installing wheelchair ramps or grab bars in showers, which scheme cost Medicaid approximately $213,210.69 attributable to Adcock. As alleged in the complaint, Adcock was the operations manager of Ability Unlimited, a Medicaid provider whose business centered on facilitating but not performing environmental modifications, and Medicaid did not allow facilitators that performed no actual labor to charge a separate profit margin. Adcock was the manager of the fraudulent scheme to hide Ability Unlimited’s arbitrary and often exorbitant profit margins in the subcontractor costs. For example, Ability Unlimited purchased a generator from Amazon.com for less than $1000 and had it shipped directly to the Medicaid recipient, but charged Medicaid $3,395.16, listing the generator cost in an altered invoice as $2,610.16, and including an additional labor cost of $785 despite the direct shipment of the generator. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea Gibbons of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Kevin White, 56, of Richmond, was charged by information with health care fraud in connection with a scheme to bill Medicaid for residential group home services when the Medicaid recipients were hospitalized, incarcerated, or otherwise outside the group home. As alleged in the information, White was the owner of Ithiel Group, a Medicaid residential group home provider. White allegedly billed Medicaid for often-months-long periods when Medicaid group home residents were outside Ithiel’s group homes when they were hospitalized, incarcerated, or visiting their families. White and his managers allegedly often sent employees home because they lacked residents for which to care, but White billed Medicaid as if the residents were present. White allegedly received funds from a separate Virginia agency to hold bed space for absent residents while at the same time charging Medicaid as if he were providing services to these same absent residents. As a result of the scheme, Medicaid was billed over $1,000,000, and paid $461,704.23, in false and fraudulent claims. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea Gibbons of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Yvoune Kara Petrie, 54, of Leesburg, was charged by Information with health care fraud in connection with a scheme to bill CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) for medical services and products that were not provided to patients, not prescribed by a physician, and not medically necessary. As alleged in the information, Petrie was the president and chief operating officer of Virginia Integrative Health, a medical clinic that provided hyperbaric oxygen therapy (“HBOT”) to patients. Petrie allegedly recruited her family members and friends to participate in her fraud as patients and she submitted fraudulent claims based on profit rather than the services that were actually prescribed. Petrie allegedly hired physicians at her clinic, but then used at least four physician’s National Provider Identifiers (“NPIs”) without their knowledge or permission to submit fraudulent claims to CareFirst. For example, Petrie allegedly used one physician’s NPI to submit fraudulent HBOT claims for that physician, as if the physician prescribed HBOT treatment for himself, but the treatment was never provided nor prescribed. As a result of the fraud scheme, Petrie allegedly caused at least $1,900,000 in actual loss to CareFirst. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary H. Ray of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Cristina Schasse, 40, of Glen Allen, was charged by Criminal Information with three charges of Criminal Tampering. As alleged in the Criminal Information, Schasse, while working as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist at Chippenham and Johnston-Willis Medical Center, on three separate dates tampered with a Pyxis machine that contained fentanyl and Versed, by drawing syringes of fentanyl and Versed, placing them into her pockets, and then preparing syringes of Precedex (a non-scheduled sedative), mixed with saline, and then marked the syringes with preprinted labels misidentifying them as containing either fentanyl or Versed. Schasse then allegedly stored these mislabeled syringes in the Pyxis machine, knowing that the substituted drugs would be administered to patients. After the patient was sedated with Propofol, Schasse then allegedly administered the replacement substances she had placed inside the mislabeled syringes, to multiple patients during medical procedures. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Angela Mastandrea and Patrick J. McGorman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
“The scale of today’s Takedown is unprecedented, and so is the harm we’re confronting. Individuals who attempt to steal from the federal health care system and put vulnerable patients at risk will be held accountable,” said HHS-OIG Acting Inspector General Juliet T. Hodgkins. “Our agents at HHS-OIG work relentlessly to detect, investigate, and dismantle these fraud schemes. We are proud to stand with our law enforcement partners in protecting taxpayer dollars and safeguarding patient care.”
"Defrauding the American health care system is not a victimless crime," said Assistant Director in Charge Steven Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office. "It raises health insurance premiums, exposes patients to unnecessary medical procedures, and can lead to identity theft. Every dollar stolen is one fewer that's available to pay for needed care. The FBI will continue our relentless pursuit of those committing health care fraud and hold them accountable for their crimes."
“Health care professionals who tamper with patients’ medications not only endanger those patients, but also undermine the trust Americans place in their medical providers,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ronald Dawkins, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice health care professionals who tamper with patients’ medications.”
“We are sending a strong message: if you abuse your position to harm patients or engage in criminal activities, you will lose the privilege of handling, distributing, and prescribing controlled substances in our country,” emphasized Ibrar A. Mian, Special Agent in Charge for DEA Washington Division. “The DEA targets individuals involved in fraud and criminal enterprises, regardless of whether they are disguised in white coats or blue scrubs. We are committed to pursuing anyone who exploits financial, pharmaceutical, and criminal systems.”
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 Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern 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 Attorney Generals’ Offices for Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are prosecuting the cases in the National Health Care Fraud Takedown, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team.
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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER.
Two Mexican Citizens Living Illegally in the United States Plead Guilty and are Sentenced for Immigration CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Today, Jesus Eduardo Villeda-Villegas, 30, and Brigido Cayetano-Galvez, 29, Mexican citizens living illegally in Huntington, each pleaded guilty to the felony offense of reentry of a removed alien and were sentenced to time served. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has immigration detainers on Villeda-Villegas and Cayetano-Galvez so they can be transferred to ICE administrative custody for removal proceedings.
According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement officers in Huntington encountered Villeda-Villegas on April 23, 2025, and Cayetano-Galvez on April 21, 2025. ICE agents confirmed that Villeda-Villegas and Cayetano-Galvez are citizens of Mexico in the United States illegally and had previously been deported from the United States. Villeda-Villegas and Cayetano-Galvez had no identification documents permitting them legal status in the United States.
Villeda-Villegas was removed from the United States to Mexico on March 12, 2015, after being found in Hildalgo, Texas. Cayetano-Galvez was removed from the United States to Mexico on September 2, 2015, after being found in Nogales Arizona, and on April 27, 2017, after being found in the Huntington area of West Virginia. Villeda-Villegas and Cayetano-Galvez never obtained the express consent of the Secretary of U.S. Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States, nor did either seek to reenter the United States through other legal means.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
“Stopping illegal immigration is a top enforcement objective of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “I commend U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for their work in these cases.”
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings and imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorneys Erik S. Goes and Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the cases, as part of a special unit within the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia focused on the immigration enforcement objectives of Operation Take Back America.
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 Nos. 3:25-cr-79 (Villeda-Villegas) and 3:25-cr-80 (Cayetano-Galvez).
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Two Men Charged in HIV Medication Fraud and Identity Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia, announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging JOSUE TORRES and ANTHONY GUERRA with participating in a scheme to obtain high-cost medications for HIV and other illnesses by causing fraudulent prescriptions to be issued using the stolen identities of medical practitioners and those practitioners’ purported patients. TORRES and GUERRA were arrested on June 17, 2025, and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry J. Ricardo.
“As alleged, the defendants stole the identities of doctors and patients to convert valuable, life-saving medications into a source of illicit profits,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “By feeding the black market for prescription medications, the defendants’ alleged crimes endangered the safety of patients and undermined the integrity of our health care system. Together with our partners at the FBI, we are committed to bringing to justice those who seek to profit by defrauding pharmacies, drug manufacturers, distributors, and insurers.”
“Josue Torres and Anthony Guerra allegedly procured and resold hundreds of illegitimate prescriptions through unauthorized access to pharmaceutical databases and copay assistance,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “These defendants allegedly exploited private medical information of both practitioners and patients to perpetuate this elaborate scheme. The FBI remains committed to apprehending any individual who steals medications for illicit black-market profits.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint:[1]
From at least in or about August 2021 through the present, TORRES and GUERRA participated in a scheme to cause fraudulent prescriptions to be issued for certain high-cost prescription medications (the “High-Cost Medications”) used to treat HIV and other diseases, and to obtain those High-Cost Medications by picking them up at pharmacies or by having them shipped to a physical address.
TORRES accessed accounts on e-prescribing platforms using the names and other identifying information of certain physicians and other medical practitioners (the “Targeted Practitioners”) without the Targeted Practitioners’ authorization or knowledge. TORRES and GUERRA then used the e-prescribing platforms to cause High-Cost Medication prescriptions (the “Fraudulent Prescriptions”) to be issued for certain individuals who did not require those medications (the “Sham Patients”). The image below shows TORRES picking up HIV medication issued to a Sham Patient on or about December 30, 2022.
TORRES and GUERRA secured significantly reduced copay amounts for the High-Cost Medications associated with the Fraudulent Prescriptions through the use of copay assistance programs, with copay assistance cards that bore the names of the Sham Patients. In some cases, a Sham Patient’s private health insurance provider paid out money to cover a portion of the cost of a High-Cost Medication.
In total, TORRES, GUERRA, and other co-conspirators caused approximately 693 Fraudulent Prescriptions, including prescription refills, to issue from approximately 18 Targeted Practitioners. Those Fraudulent Prescriptions contained approximately 55,626 tablets, capsules, or other units of medication, worth approximately $2,638,581.[1]
TORRES and GUERRA went on to sell the High-Cost Medications, which have significant resale value on the black market.
Below are texts messages from 2021 between TORRES (messages with green background) and GUERRA (messages with grey background).
* * *
TORRES, 45, of Brooklyn, New York, and GUERRA, 37, of the Bronx, New York, are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison to run consecutive to any other prison term.
The statutory minimum and maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI in connection with this investigation.
The charges announced today 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 15.6 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. In connection with this nationwide health care fraud takedown, the Government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets.
Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry Ross is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
u.s._v._torres_et_al_complaint.pdf
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
[2] The approximate total value of the Fraudulent Prescriptions was calculated by multiplying the number of prescription and prescription refills for a given High-Cost Medication by the national average drug acquisition cost, or “NADAC,” of that medication, as of in or about 2023. NADACs are published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services at: https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/nadac.
Two Georgia Men Plead Guilty to Federal Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Today, Reginald Bernard Daniely Jr., also known as “Yo,” 34, and Jacquis Christopher Moody, also known as “Jo,” 30, both of Macon, Georgia, each pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute quantities of fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 20, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Huntington apartment where Daniely and Moody had been staying. Officers seized approximately 13.814 grams of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl, approximately 38.827 grams of crack, and two firearms during the search. As part of their guilty pleas, Daniely and Moody each admitted to possessing the seized controlled substances. Daniely and Moody each further admitted to possessing the two seized firearms.
Daniely and Moody are scheduled to be sentenced on October 14, 2025, and each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is prosecuting the case.
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. 3:25-cr-17.
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Two Dallas Residents Sentenced to 188 Months in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute over $600,000 Worth of FentanylRead the Press Release
Two Dallas residents were sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison for their roles in distributing over $600,000 worth of fentanyl, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.
Christle Nadia Ruiz, 22, and Ricardo Antonio Flores, 29, both of Dallas, Texas, pled guilty in October 2024 to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. On June 26, 2025, they were each sentenced to 188 months’ confinement by United States District Judge Karen Gren Scholer.
Court documents reveal Flores and Ruiz had been living together and distributing fentanyl from a home on Ezekiel Avenue in Dallas, Texas. In February 2023, Flores delivered 1,000 fentanyl pills and another 1,000 fentanyl pills in March 2023, in exchange for $2,000 on each occasion. Thereafter, in April 2023, Ruiz received a shipment of approximately 50,000 fentanyl pills that she and Flores were planning to distribute. On that same date, while officers executed a search warrant at their home, Ruiz attempted to flush several fentanyl pills down the commode.
According to agents’ testimony, Ruiz had also received approximately 10,000 fentanyl pills about three to four weeks before the execution of the search warrant and that she used a social media account with the phrases “Happy vibes . . . Thug Paradise” to advertise the sale of fentanyl. Agents also testified that the street value of one fentanyl pill is $10 in the Dallas, Texas, area. The estimated street value of 60,000 pills is $600,000.
“As we pointed out to the Court during the defendants’ sentencing hearings, tens of thousands of tragic overdose deaths occur each year due to fentanyl, and those who distribute it know exactly what they are doing,” said Acting United States Attorney Nancy Larson. “The staggering amount of fentanyl in this case would have caused far-reaching devastation to our families and community, but for the tremendous efforts of our law enforcement partners in apprehending these defendants and keeping this deadly poison off the streets. We are resolved to relentlessly pursue these offenders and seek the lengthy prison sentences they deserve.”
“This sentence sends a clear message that those who profit from poisoning our communities with fentanyl will be held accountable,” said Eduardo A. Chavez, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in Dallas. “Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, has caused thousands of overdose deaths and devastated communities across the nation. The investigation and sentence handed down in this case reflects an unwavering resolve by law enforcement to protect public safety and pursue justice for the victims of the opioid epidemic.”
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Rockwall County Sheriff’s Department, the Rockwall Police Department, the Garland Police Department, the Hunt County Sheriff’s Office, and the Flower Mound Police Department. Special assistance was provided by the Texas Department of Public safety during the execution of the search warrant. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George Leal.
Twice-deported Mexican national federally indicted in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A twice-deported Mexican national, illegally living in Texarkana, Texas, has been charged with federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Jose Orlando Colorado-Barcenas, 35, was named in a federal indictment returned by a grand jury last week in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with illegally reentering the United States after previously being removed.
The indictment alleges that on May 14, 2025, Colorado-Barcenas was found illegally in Texarkana, after having been previously deported to Mexico from the United States in June 2009 and again in January 2010.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
If convicted, Colorado-Barcenas faces up to 2 years in federal prison and deportation.
This case is being investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Department of Public Safety, and Bowie County Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Richards.
A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Tulsa Doctor Charged in National Healthcare Fraud TakedownRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, United States Attorney Clint Johnson announced criminal charges against a doctor in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Medicare and/or Medicaid. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
“The actions of Ladd Atkins not only hurt taxpayers within the Northern District but also put illegal drugs on our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “I want to thank our federal partners for their hard work and dedication to keeping the public safe.”
“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 United States Attorney Clint Johnson are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. In connection with the Takedown, the Government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets.
An additional 170 defendants were involved in various healthcare fraud schemes, allegedly involving over $1.84 billion in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies for diagnostic testing, medical visits, and treatments that were medically unnecessary, provided in connection with kickbacks and bribes, or never provided at all.
In the Northern District of Oklahoma, Ladd Clayton Atkins, 50, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was charged by information with Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance Unlawfully as a Registrant and Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud. As alleged in the information, Atkins, a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, knowingly conspired with others to unlawfully prescribe Adderall, a Schedule II controlled substance. Atkins scheme further defrauded healthcare benefit programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.
The Northern District of Oklahoma worked with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, the Office of the Inspector General for Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration to investigate this case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joel-lyn McCormick, Attila Bogdan, and Vani Singhal.
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 Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern 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 Attorney Generals’ Offices for Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are prosecuting the cases in the National Health Care Fraud Takedown, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team. Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available on the Department’s website here.
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.
Tucson Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Possession of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Jose Fernando McCormick, 52, of Tucson, was sentenced on June 27, 2025, by United States District Court Judge Scott H. Rash to 120 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. McCormick previously pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
On October 3, 2024, McCormick drove to a gas station in Tucson with approximately 8 kilograms of methamphetamine in his truck. McCormick intended to deliver the drugs to someone at the gas station but fled when law enforcement officers tried to stop him. McCormick drove to a nearby neighborhood and jumped out of his moving truck causing it to crash into a nearby electricity pole. Soon after his flight, officers found McCormick hiding in a residential shed.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Culver, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR 24-07595-TUC-SHR (LCK)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-107_McCormick# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Three West Tennessee Residents Charged in Connection with over $28 Million in Alleged Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Today, Interim United States Attorney Joseph C. Murphy, Jr. announced criminal charges against three defendants in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud the Federal Employees’ Compensation Fund (FECA). The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The charges stem from a West Tennessee pharmacy which fraudulently billed FECA for medications that were not based on valid prescriptions and were not dispensed to the injured claimants.
“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 Interim United States Attorney Murphy 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, and the Government, in connection with the Takedown, seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets.
The following individuals were charged in the Western District of Tennessee:
Kossie Lamon Simmons, 59, and Katina Marzie Simmons, 48, of Collierville, Tennessee, and Tritia Margalizita Townsend, 47, of Memphis, Tennessee, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud and health care fraud in connection with their scheme to defraud the FECA by billing for medications purportedly to be dispensed to injured United States Postal Service claimants, which were not based on a valid prescription and were not in fact carried in stock by the pharmacy or dispensed to the claimants. In total, the pharmacy, SarJo Pharmacy, Inc. (“SarJo”), fraudulently billed FECA approximately $28,738,532.90 and was paid approximately $16,262,445.70.
As alleged in the indictment, Kossie Simmons was a beneficial owner and submitted claims for prescription medications purportedly dispensed. Katina Simmons was the listed 70% owner of the entities involved and managed the entities, and Tritia Townsend was the pharmacist in charge of SarJo.
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 Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Maine, District of Massachusetts, Eastern 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 Attorney Generals’ Offices for Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are prosecuting the cases in the National Health Care Fraud Takedown, with assistance from the Health Care Fraud Unit’s Data Analytics Team.
Descriptions of each case involved in today’s enforcement action are available at the Department’s website: https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/2025-national-health-care-fraud-takedown.
The Western District of Tennessee, in particular, worked with the Department’s Criminal Division, the United States Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, and the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the enforcement period.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Sara Porter of the Gulf Coast Health Care Fraud Strike Force and Assistant United States Attorney Raney Irwin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.
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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For more information regarding this case, 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.
The Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Sanctuary City Policies in Los Angeles, CaliforniaRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and the Los Angeles City Council over policies that Los Angeles enacted shortly after President Donald J. Trump’s reelection to interfere with the federal government’s enforcement of its immigration laws.
Not only are Los Angeles’s “sanctuary city” policies illegal under federal law, but, as alleged in the complaint, Los Angeles’s refusal to cooperate with federal immigration authorities contributed to the recent lawlessness, rioting, looting, and vandalism that was so severe that it required the federal government to deploy the California National Guard and the United States Marines to quell the chaos.
“Sanctuary policies were the driving cause of the violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Jurisdictions like Los Angeles that flout federal law by prioritizing illegal aliens over American citizens are undermining law enforcement at every level – it ends under President Trump.”
“Today’s lawsuit holds the City of Los Angeles accountable for deliberately obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration law,” said U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “The United States Constitution’s Supremacy Clause prohibits the City from picking and choosing which federal laws will be enforced and which will not. By assisting removable aliens in evading federal law enforcement, the City’s unlawful and discriminatory ordinance has contributed to a lawless and unsafe environment that this lawsuit will help end.”
On her first day in office, Attorney General Bondi instructed the Department’s Civil Division to identify state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal immigration laws or impede lawful federal immigration operations, and, where appropriate, to take legal action to challenge such laws, policies, and practices. Today’s lawsuit is the latest in a series of lawsuits brought by the Civil Division targeting illegal sanctuary city policies across the country, including in New York and New Jersey.
Slidell Man Guilty of International Transportation of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that RICHARD ISLA TALENS (“TALENS”), age 39, of Slidell, Louisiana, pled guilty to Transportation of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(1) and (b)(1). TALENS faces a mandatory minimum sentence of not less than five (5) years and a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years, and/or a fine of up to $250,000.00. In addition, TALENS faces a term of supervised release of no less than five (5) years and up to life after his release from prison, as well as payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, the case stemmed from an investigation by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) assigned to Dulles International Airport in Dulles, VA. CBP officers determined that TALENS knowingly transported an Apple MacBook computer containing images and videos depicting the sexual victimization of prepubescent minors from the Eastern District of Louisiana to Istanbul, Turkey, and returned with these illicit materials back to the United States. Special agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) joined the investigation and executed a search warrant at TALENS’s Slidell residence. The HSI agents found additional evidence depicting the sexual victimization of prepubescent children in TALENS’s residence. As a result, HSI agents arrested TALENS.
Sentencing in this matter is scheduled for September 18, 2025, before United States District Judge Eldon E. Fallon.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s 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.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and the Slidell Police Department. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to over 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Khyri Deandre Brown, 28, of Dallas, Ga., has been sentenced for robbing a bank, attempting to rob three additional banks, and brandishing a firearm during a November 2023 crime spree.
“Brown repeatedly threatened the lives of bank employees and customers by robbing or attempting to rob banks at gunpoint,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “This case exemplifies how law enforcement partnerships facilitate the successful prosecutions of dangerous offenders like Brown, whose crimes spanned multiple jurisdictions. Seamless coordination by our federal and local law enforcement partners brought Brown to justice and ended his reign of terror.”
“This case highlights the FBI’s commitment to working closely with our local partners to identify and arrest violent offenders who threaten public safety,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Brown’s armed crime spree endangered innocent lives across multiple communities. Thanks to the swift collaboration between law enforcement agencies, he was brought to justice before he could inflict real harm.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court, Brown committed the following armed robberies and attempted armed robberies.
- On November 17, 2023, Brown approached a teller window at a Wells Fargo Bank branch in Hampton, Georgia with a Pringles potato chip can in hand and demanded money. Brown then reached into his waistband as if he were retrieving a weapon. Before the employee complied with Brown’s request, Brown fled the bank without receiving any money.
- On November 18, 2023, Brown entered a Truist Bank branch in Atlanta with a Pringles can in one hand and retrieved a gun from his waistband. Brown walked up to a teller, pointed the gun at her, and demanded money. After the teller struggled to open her drawer for a few seconds, Brown fled the bank without receiving any money.
- On November 22, 2023, Brown entered a Truist Bank branch in Marietta, Georgia, approached the teller counter, stated that he was robbing the bank, and demanded money. After a few moments, Brown quickly exited the bank without receiving anything.
- On November 27, 2023, Brown entered a Fifth Third Bank branch carrying a green Pringles chip can. Brown walked up to a bank employee, lifted his shirt to display a gun tucked in his waistband, and demanded money. Brown then walked around the counter, grabbed money from the employee’s drawer, and placed the cash inside the Pringles can. He then fled the bank.
On November 29, 2023, officers from the Dallas Police Department arrested Brown after pulling over his vehicle in Paulding County, Georgia. Brown was the sole occupant of the vehicle. During the arrest, officers found, among other items, a large amount of cash in Brown’s pocket, a green Pringles chip can on the front passenger floorboard, and a gun on the rear floorboard.
On June 30, 2025, U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Geraghty sentenced Brown to ten years, five months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Brown was convicted on March 20, 2025, after he pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted bank robbery, one count of armed bank robbery, one count of attempted armed bank robbery, and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance from the Atlanta Police Department, Cobb County Police Department, Dallas Police Department, Lovejoy Police Department, and Marietta Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wylly, and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney McClellon D. Cox, III, prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Saginaw Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
BAY CITY — Patrick Chamberlain, 25, of Saginaw was sentenced last week to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Ludington imposed sentence on Chamberlain following his guilty plea for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents, in December of 2022, the DEA and United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) intercepted a package containing nearly three kilograms of fentanyl pills destined for the home of a Chamberlain relative. This was just one of multiple similar packages Chamberlain arranged to have shipped to him over the course of 2022. As part of their investigation, authorities uncovered that Chamberlain conspired with others to ship fentanyl pills to Michigan. After the packages containing the pills arrived, Chamberlain retrieved the packages and distributed the pills throughout the Bay City area.
“Fentanyl is a plague on the American people,” said U.S. Attorney Gorgon. “We will do all that we can to fight this deadly drug and save precious lives.”
Acting Special Agent Lawton said, “The sentencing of Mr. Chamberlain sends a clear message: those who traffic fentanyl and other deadly drugs will be held accountable. This case reflects the dedication of our agents and partners in disrupting the networks responsible for fueling this public health crisis. DEA remains committed to protecting Michigan communities from the devastating impact of fentanyl and ensuring that justice is served.”
This investigation was conducted by the DEA alongside USPIS with additional assistance provided by the Michigan State Police Bay Area Narcotics Enforcement Team and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Orr.
Sacramento Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
Isaias Aroldo Contreras, 26, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb to five years in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, on Jan. 5, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Contreras’s residence and seized 992 fentanyl-laced pills that were made to look like oxycodone “M-30” pills, a loaded Glock 9 mm pistol, $31,154 in cash, a money counter, and numerous items of custom diamond jewelry, including a Rolex watch with full-cut diamonds. On Contreras’s seized cellphone, law enforcement found messages from at least March 2020 through December 2022 between Contreras and drug suppliers and customers regarding the purchase and sale of counterfeit M-30 pills (in quantities ranging from hundreds of pills to thousands of pills) and cocaine in kilogram quantities.
Contreras was also ordered to forfeit to the government $31,154 in cash and numerous items of seized jewelry, valued at over $50,000, that was seized from his residence.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Sacramento Area Intelligence/Narcotics Task Force (SAINT). Assistant U.S. Attorney David W. Spencer prosecuted the case.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Statutory Rapist Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
OXFORD – A Mexican national, unlawfully in the United States, pled guilty in front of United States District Court Judge Michael P. Mills to illegally reentering the United States after having been deported on Thursday, June 26, 2025. Sentencing will be held at a later date.
According to court documents, Antonio Quintana-Rodriguez, 29, had been removed from the United States by immigration authorities in 2013. He then reentered the United States and was found by law enforcement following his arrest for a statutory rape which was committed in Oxford, Mississippi. He pled guilty in the Circuit Court of Lafayette County to Statutory Rape in May of 2025.
“Those who illegally enter this country and prey on children must be held accountable for their violation of our laws. We commend the work by the Oxford Police Department in their investigation of a sex offense against a child and we commend their working with the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that this defendant will answer for every violation of law he has committed.” United States Attorney Clay Joyner said. “Additional praise is due to Third Circuit District Attorney Ben Creekmore’s Office for their quick work in securing a guilty plea to the statutory rape offense.”
U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner of the Northern District of Mississippi and Homeland Security ASAC, Matt Reidell made the announcement.
The Department of Homeland Security and the Oxford Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Herzog Jr. 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).
S.C. Cases Among Hundreds Announced in National Health Care Fraud TakedownRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Two South Carolina cases are among hundreds of criminal charges against defendants in connection with alleged schemes to defraud American health care systems. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, the largest DOJ health care fraud takedown in history.
“Health care fraud steals from the American taxpayer and harms the systems meant to serve those in need,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “The cases in South Carolina, like those nationwide, demonstrate our unwavering commitment to protecting vulnerable citizens, especially our veterans, and ensuring the integrity of programs designed to care for them.”
“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 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, and the Government, in connection with the takedown, seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets.
The following individuals were charged in the District of South Carolina:
- Tina Marie Armstrong, 67, of Florence, South Carolina, was charged by superseding indictment with health care fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid for durable medical equipment that was no longer in service, never delivered, or that had not been authorized by a physician. As alleged in the superseding indictment, Armstrong, through her company Safe at Home Medical Equipment and Supplies, LLC, submitted $198,981.55 in false and fraudulent claims, of which $104,577.74 were paid. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston Holliday of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina.
- Dee Alice Moton, 51, of Hephzibah, Georgia, was charged by indictment with health care fraud in connection with a scheme where Moton billed the Veterans Administration for services not rendered to veterans in the amount of $2,373,147.22 over a two-year period. Moton, a licensed massage therapist, owned and operated a massage therapy business in Aiken, South Carolina called Flowing Hands Massage Clinical Therapy. As alleged in the indictment, Moton consistently billed veterans for services that were not rendered, such as multiple mutually exclusive evaluation and management codes, telehealth codes when in-person services were rendered, and specialized services she was not authorized to render or treatments for ailments veterans did not have or could not have received, for example, wheelchair therapy for a veteran who does not use a wheelchair. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Matthews and Amy Bower of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina.
Today’s Takedown was led and coordinated by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and its core partners from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The cases were investigated by agents from HHS-OIG, FBI, DEA, and other federal and state law enforcement agencies. The cases are being prosecuted by Health Care Fraud Strike Force teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, 50 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, and 12 State Attorneys General Offices.
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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Rochester man who lured minor to hotel for sex pleads guiltyRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jonathan Woody, 31, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor, before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. The charge carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, maximum penalty of life and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that in January 2024, Woody engaged in sexually explicit online and text communications with a 13-year-old child that he met on social media. On January 2, 2024, Woody paid to transport the child to a hotel in Greece, NY, where he rented a room. While at the hotel, Woody provided alcohol and marijuana and engaged in sexual acts with the child. After realizing that the child was missing from home, the child’s family called 911 to initiate a missing person investigation. The child returned home, at which time law enforcement learned of Woody’s interactions with the child. Subsequent investigation resulted in the identification and arrest of Woody.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Wood, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 30, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Siragusa.
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Prince George’s County Man Sentenced to Decade in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Amos Oluremi Nureni, 43, of Laurel, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore, Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division, and Chief Marc Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD).
In September 2023, HSI and the DEA began investigating Nureni in connection with suspected fentanyl trafficking. During the investigation, law enforcement conducted two controlled purchases in which Nureni sold an undercover officer approximately 400-500 pills.
The pills were blue in color and imprinted with “M30” – mimicking the markings on legitimate pills from a manufacturer containing oxycodone hydrochloride. As confirmed by laboratory analysis, the blue “M30” pills contained fentanyl. In total, Nureni sold approximately 866 fentanyl pills — or nearly 100 grams of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl — to the undercover officer.
On the morning of March 27, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Nureni’s Laurel residence. During the search, law enforcement found a bag containing approximately 10.48 grams (98 pills) of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl, and a silver Taurus pistol with an obliterated number, in Nureni’s safe. The pistol was loaded with a 9mm round of ammunition in the chamber and a magazine containing six rounds of 9mm ammunition.
Additionally, law enforcement found a large silver and red hydraulic press; small silver hydraulic press; digital scale with white powder residue; and several bags containing approximately 6.44 grams (61 pills) of fentanyl, approximately 6.25 grams of cocaine base, approximately 0.859 grams of cocaine, approximately 3.04 grams of cocaine, approximately 3.02 grams of methamphetamine, and approximately 1.478 grams of dipentylone, in Nureni’s residence.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI, the DEA, and MCPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan S. McKoy and Elizabeth Wright who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Previously Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for New Child Pornography Charges and Registration ViolationsRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – An Anthony man who had previously been convicted for aggravated sexual assault of a prepubescent child was sentenced in a federal court in El Paso today to life in prison plus 10 years for producing, possessing and exchanging child sexual abuse material (CSAM), violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), and committing a sex offense as a registered sex offender.
According to court documents, Mark Martinez, 57, was found to be distributing CSAM within a group on the social messaging application Kik. Martinez was previously convicted in 1991 for the sexual assault of a child around the age of eight years old and, as of 2022, was residing at an address unknown to his registration officer.
FBI agents executed a search warrant in August 2022, seizing several electronic devices containing CSAM images and videos. One of those devices contained multiple photos taken at his residence in July, depicting a female approximately five to six years old. The device also contained a folder of videos of another minor female downloaded from WhatsApp. A separate device revealed chats on the messaging app Telegram, in which Martinez admitted to sexually molesting a minor. Agents discovered approximately 2,391 CSAM images and 138 CSAM videos on one device, several of which involved prepubescent minors. Martinez’s cellphone contained approximately 50 more CSAM images.
A criminal complaint and arrest warrant were issued for Martinez in October 2022. Martinez had already fled to Mexico without reporting to his registration officer and was arrested at the Columbus Port of Entry in New Mexico when he returned March 3, 2023. A federal grand jury indicted Martinez March 22, 2023. He pleaded guilty to all five counts on Aug. 21, 2024.
“Placing this child predator behind bars for the rest of his life makes certain this predator will never again harm another child,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “The facts of this case are incredibly disturbing, and I thank all of our law enforcement partners for their work investigating this case, which led to this repeat offender’s ultimate conviction, and life imprisonment.”
"Martinez is a dangerous sexual predator who preyed on our community’s most vulnerable victims- our children. This case highlights the disturbing reality of sexual exploitation, and the sentence ensures this predator will remain behind bars and unable to continue such atrocities physically and on the web,” said FBI El Paso Special Agent in Charge John Morales. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our commitment to work together to ensure no child is victimized in this way.”
The FBI, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and the Winnebago County Sherriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Valenzuela and Lori Hughes 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Pittsburgh Felon Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for Possession of Firearm and Violating Conditions of Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 65 months of prison on his conviction of being a felon in possession of a firearm and violating the conditions of his supervised release, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Senior United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Raymond Young, 23, on June 27, 2025.
According to information presented to the Court, on August 7, 2024, Glassport patrol officers stopped Young in a vehicle he was driving without a license. In preparation for towing Young’s vehicle, officers observed a firearm in the vehicle and attempted to remove Young, who then shifted the vehicle into gear and sped off, running over one officer’s feet and nearly striking another officer. Young’s vehicle came to a stop after hitting a parked vehicle. Young exited the vehicle and attempted to flee the scene on foot, but was apprehended by police.
In the defendant’s flight path, the officers recovered a Glock pistol with an extended magazine loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition and one round in the chamber. The firearm had been reported as stolen. Young is precluded under federal law from possessing a firearm because he was previously convicted of a felony for possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Young was still on federal supervised release for that offense when he was arrested by the Glassport Police on August 7, 2024.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Glassport Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Young.
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.
Personal Health Care Aide Charged with Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Amstrong Chapajong, 38, of Cheverly, Maryland, has been charged in an information with health care fraud in connection with an overlapping billing scheme that defrauded the District of Columbia’s Medicaid program.
The charges were announced today by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas of the D.C. Office of the Inspector General (DC-OIG).
As alleged in the information, from March 2020 to January 2022, Chapajong, while working as both a personal care aide and community support worker, fraudulently claimed to provide in-home personal care and behavioral health services to multiple clients in different locations at the same time.
Additionally, Chapajong’s Electronic Visit Verification data most often showed he was not in the vicinity of his client’s homes, where he purported to be providing services.
In total, Chapajong billed and was paid $461,369 by Medicaid for his shifts with overlapping hours.
This case was jointly investigated by the FBI, the HHS-OIG, and DC-OIG’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Facci, who is on detail from the D.C. Office of the Inspector General.
Pair Admit Attempted Armed Kidnapping and Robbery of Apartment Property ManagerRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two people have admitted to attempting to kidnap and rob a St. Louis apartment property manager at gunpoint in 2024, as well as other gun crimes.
Emma M. Cunningham, 32, pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. District Court to attempted kidnapping, transfer of a firearm to a convicted felon and making a false statement in connection with the purchase of a firearm.
Jervonz L. Williams, 49, pleaded guilty on June 23 to attempted kidnapping, robbery and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Both admitted that on Feb. 20, 2024, Cunningham bought a handgun for Williams, her boyfriend and a convicted felon who is thus barred from possessing firearms. Cunningham lied on Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Form 4473 when she claimed she was buying the gun for herself and when she denied being an unlawful user of a controlled substance.
Williams admitted using the gun to threaten others, including one of Cunningham’s neighbors. He also admitted using it to rob a drug dealer of $17, a gun and cocaine base in late June of 2024. Williams struck the dealer on the head with the revolver multiple times during the robbery.
Williams and Cunningham used that gun again on Aug. 5, 2024, in a failed bid to kidnap an apartment property manager in St. Louis. The property manager was meeting Cunningham, her tenant, for a final walkthrough. When the victim entered the apartment, Cunningham locked the door and Williams threatened to kill her when she tried to call 911. Williams then demanded cash and the password to her phone so that they could access her financial accounts. They secured her to a chair with duct tape, but she broke free and was able to escape, even though Cunningham and Williams ripped off her shirt and tore out clumps of her hair trying to prevent her from leaving. Two days later, police arrested the couple. Williams had the .38-caliber revolver Cunningham purchased and she had a box of ammunition.
Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on September 24 and Cunningham on September 30. The kidnapping and robbery charges each carry a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison. The felon in possession and transfer of a firearm charge each carry a penalty of up to 15 years. The false statement charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bluestone 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.
Pensacola Man Sentenced for Possessing Illegal Narcotics and a Firearm in a Home with Young Children PresentRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Christopher Michael Stanton, Jr., 29, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
According to court records, on August 7, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Stanton’s residence on West Baars Street in Pensacola. In addition to Stanton and a female being present in the residence at the time of the search warrant, there were also three young children, all under the age of 10, present in the residence. Law enforcement located marijuana, cocaine, a loaded firearm, ammunition, loaded handgun magazines, and drug paraphernalia including a scale and cups with cocaine residue. Stanton was already a convicted felon.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “The fact that the defendant had dangerous narcotics strewn about his home in the presence of young children is inexcusable. My office is committed to the safety of our community, which includes keeping illegal narcotics off the streets and firearms out of the hands of convicted felons.”
The case involved a joint investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Task Force (HIDTA). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
PCP Dealer in Possession of a Machine Gun Sentenced to 138 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Lamont Langston, 44, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 138 months in federal prison for supplying and coordinating the distribution of more than two kilograms of PCP to undercover officers while also possessing at least two firearms—a Glock with a machine gun conversion switch and an AK-style Draco semiautomatic pistol. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Langston pleaded guilty on Dec. 19, 2024, before Judge Dabney L. Friedrich to one count of possession with intent to distribute one kilo of phencyclidine (PCP) and to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. In addition to the 138-month prison term, Judge Friedrich ordered Langston to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Langston procured PCP for the conspiracy from at least November through late February 2024. On nine occasions, Langston’s co-conspirator, Jamar Bennett, sold wholesale quantities of the PCP to two undercover officers in water or juice bottles.
Langston often stored the PCP at the home of co-conspirator Kelvin Sanker Jr., 42, who was later sentenced on Jan. 30, 2025, to 65 months in prison for his role in the trafficking ring. Co-conspirator Bennett, 45, was sentenced on Jan. 15, 2025, to 121 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of PCP, and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Co-conspirator Norman Morris, 44, was convicted on June 4, 2025, for conspiracy to distribute PCP, following a jury trial. Morris will be sentenced on October 24, 2025.
In addition to being the source of supply, Langston acted as an organizer, leader, manager, or supervisor of others in the conspiracy. He admitted that he directed others in the preparation, storage, collection, and distribution of PCP.
On February 25, 2024, Langston met with a co-conspirator on the 300 block of 57th St. NE. As an MPD police cruiser came down the street, Langston turned, ran, and discarded a loaded Glock Model 22C .40 caliber handgun with a machine gun conversion device and an extended magazine. Langston was apprehended about 30 minutes later, after an extensive search involving a K9 unit and a police helicopter. Police recovered a loaded AK-style Century Arms Micro Draco pistol with a 30-round extended magazine, $9,868 in cash; and an 8-ounce water bottle containing PCP. Less than 48 hours after his arrest, Langston began making calls from the jail to his co-conspirators to protect and further the conspiracy.
Langston was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to his 2016 Superior Court conviction, and three-year prison sentence, for assault with a dangerous weapon.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam L.D. Stempel and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Roman.
Security video still of Langston holding a can of starter fluid, as he let himself into a stash house for the conspiracy.
Orange County Man Charged in Federal Complaint Alleging He Helped $270 Million Medi-Cal Scam Involving Medication ReimbursementRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – An Orange County man has been charged via federal criminal complaint with submitting over an 11-month span nearly $270 million in fraudulent claims to Medi-Cal for expensive prescription drugs containing generic ingredients that were not medically necessary and, in many instances, not provided to the purported recipients, the Justice Department announced today.
Paul Richard Randall, 66, of Orange, is charged with health care fraud, a felony that carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
Randall made his initial appearance in United States District Court in Los Angeles on Friday and was ordered jailed without bond. His arraignment is scheduled for July 17.
Today’s announcement was made as part of the Justice Department’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers.
Demonstrating the significant return on investment that results from health care fraud enforcement efforts, the government seized more than $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets as part of the coordinated enforcement efforts. As part of the whole-of-government approach to combating health care fraud announced today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also announced that it successfully prevented more than $4 billion from being paid in response to false and fraudulent claims and that it suspended or revoked the billing privileges of 205 providers in the months leading up to the Takedown. Civil charges against 20 defendants for $14.2 million in alleged fraud, as well as civil settlements with 106 defendants totaling $34.3 million, were also announced as part of the Takedown.
“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.”
“Public health programs are designed to help the sick and needy, not to help unscrupulous individuals pad their pockets,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Working with our federal and state law enforcement partners, we will continue to crack down on those who cheat taxpayers via health care fraud.”
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Randall, Kyrollos Mekail, 37, of Moreno Valley, and Patricia Anderson, 57, of West Hills, took advantage of Medi-Cal’s suspension of its requirement that health care providers obtain prior authorization before providing certain health care services or medications as a condition of reimbursement. The suspension of the prior authorization requirements was part of an ongoing transition of Medi-Cal’s prescription drug program to a new payment system.
Through a business called Monte Vista Pharmacy, Randall and his co-schemers exploited Medi-Cal’s prior authorization suspension by billing Medi-Cal tens of millions of dollars per month for dispensing high-reimbursement, non-contracted, generic drugs through Monte Vista Pharmacy. Some prescription medications purportedly were to treat pain and included Folite tablets, a vitamin available over the counter.
Normally, these high-cost reimbursement medications would have required prior authorization under Medi-Cal’s old payment system. Medication involved in this scheme was medically unnecessary, frequently was not dispensed to patients, and procured by kickbacks.
From May 2022 to April 2023, Monte Vista billed Medi-Cal more than $269 million and was paid more than $178 million for 19 expensive, non-contracted drugs containing low-cost, generic ingredients that were not medically necessary, not provided, or both.
Randall and others then laundered their illicit proceeds by transferring the proceeds of the Medi-Cal fraud scheme to a third party to pay kickbacks to Anderson, to promote the fraud scheme and to conceal and disguise the transfers from detection by law enforcement.
A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Relatedly, Anderson was charged in a two-count information charging her with health care fraud for her role in the scheme which was unsealed last week. Mekail pleaded guilty to criminal charges in August 2024 and awaits sentencing.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the FBI, and the California Department of Justice are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Roger A. Hsieh of the Major Frauds Section and Assistant Chief Niall M. O’Donnell and Trial Attorney Siobhan M. Namazi of the U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section are prosecuting this case. Assistant United States Attorney James E. Dochterman of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section is handling asset forfeiture matters in this case.
Oklahoma City Man Charged with Medicare Fraud as Part of National TakedownRead the Press Release
Largest Justice Department Health Care Fraud Takedown in History Results in 324 Defendants Charged in Connection with Over $14.6 Billion in Alleged Fraud
OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, United States Attorney Robert J. Troester announced ALEXANDER FRANK, 55, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, has been charged in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Medicare.
“We are committed to combatting fraud in our nation’s health care system, especially against federal programs that serve those most in need of care,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. “Today’s nationwide announcement is proof of the Department of Justice’s ongoing effort to protect Americans from those who seek to exploit government programs for their personal gain.”
On June 3, 2025, Frank was charged by indictment with twenty-five counts of health care fraud. As alleged in the indictment, between 2021 and 2023, Frank fraudulently billed Medicare for approximately $3.2 million dollars’ worth of face-to-face visits with beneficiaries in skilled nursing facilities which he did not render or rendered only in part. If convicted, Frank faces up to ten years in prison on each count, a $250,000 fine, and mandatory restitution.
The charges announced today 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 15.6 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. In connection with the Takedown, the Government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets.
Details of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, and materials related to today’s national announcement, are available on the Department website through these links:
- Department of Justice press release
- Graphics and Resources
- Case Descriptions
- Court Documents
The Western District of Oklahoma case against Frank is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D.H. Dilbeck. The Western District of Oklahoma worked with the Department’s Criminal Division and the following law enforcement organizations to investigate and prosecute the cases filed during the enforcement period: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General.
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.
Nurse Practitioner Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud, Unlawful Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK –United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III announced today that Anja Salamack, age 50, of Delray Beach, Florida, pled guilty last week to health care fraud and to distributing controlled substances outside the course of professional practice and for no legitimate medical purpose. The charges filed in federal court are part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
“Today’s record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown sends a crystal-clear message to criminal actors, both foreign and domestic, intent on preying upon our most vulnerable citizens and stealing from hardworking American taxpayers: we will find you, we will prosecute you, and we will hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” 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 Sarcone 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 15.6 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. In connection with the Takedown, the Government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets.
Salamack, formerly an Albany resident, was a psychiatric nurse practitioner who resided in Florida but claimed to be practicing in Albany.
Salamack pled guilty to health care fraud for submitting false and fraudulent claims to health care benefit programs in New York State for health care services that she never provided, e.g. psychotherapy services, and evaluation and management services; she caused $163,639.58 in losses.
Salamack also pled guilty to unlawful drug distribution (also known as drug diversion), for issuing prescriptions for the controlled substance amphetamine (e.g. Adderall) for non-medical purposes and outside the usual course of professional practice. For instance, from November 2018 to May 2023, Salamack regularly prescribed amphetamine in the name of a person who had not been her patient since 2016. Salamack issued these prescriptions (108 in total) at the request of a relative of the former patient.
In a separate civil settlement agreement, Salamack admitted that she submitted claims to Medicare for psychotherapy services that were not rendered. She also admitted that she used $48,670 in Provider Relief Funds (PRF) for impermissible purposes. The PRF was money that the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act had allocated to healthcare providers to pay for costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Salamack agreed to pay $188,850 to resolve her False Claims Act liability.
United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “It’s sad and shameful for a licensed medical professional to abuse the privilege they have to provide care for people and instead inflict harm on others. This case shows that no matter where you are conducting illegal activities, if what you do impacts the Northern District of New York, you will be prosecuted and punished here. Thanks to a thorough investigation by the DEA and other law enforcement partners, Anja Salamack is out of business and faces the prospect of spending years in federal prison.”
“Health care professionals are not above the law and must be held to the highest standards, especially when dealing with controlled substances” stated DEA New York Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino. “Anja Salamack knowingly chose to put profits above the health and well-being of those lives she took an oath to help when she unlawfully prescribed the controlled substance amphetamine for non-medical purposes. Salamack’s actions were no different from those of any drug trafficker fueling an already deadly and highly addictive opioid crisis.”
“Individuals and entities that participate in government programs are required to obey the laws meant to preserve the integrity of program funds and ensure the provision of appropriate, quality services to patients,” stated Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “The defendant in this case put patients’ wellbeing in jeopardy and exploited vital programs meant to benefit her community.”
At sentencing, before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci on October 22, 2025, Salamack faces up to 10 years in prison for health care fraud and up to 20 years in prison for drug diversion. She also faces a fine of up to $1 million, as well as at least 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Salamack has agreed to pay $163,659.68 in restitution for the health care fraud.
Salamack has already surrendered her DEA registration (which had allowed her to prescribe controlled substances).
The DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad (TDS) investigated this case. TDS is comprised of DEA Special Agents and Diversion Investigators, as well as Investigators from the New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Albany County Sheriff’s Office, and the Colonie Police Department assisted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett is prosecuting the criminal case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Moran represented the United States in the civil matter.
Nine Charged with Alleged Scheme to Generate Revenue for North Korean Government and Its Weapons of Mass Destruction ProgramRead the Press Release
UPDATE: This press release was revised on July 3, 2025 to reflect that a 10th individual was charged in a separate charging document that was unsealed on July 2, 2025.
BOSTON – Nine individuals have been indicted in Boston, Mass. including one New Jersey man and eight overseas actors from China and Taiwan in connection with an alleged scheme to generate revenue for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs. The alleged scheme involved the dispatchment of skilled information technology (IT) workers who, using stolen identities of U.S. persons, posed as domestic workers to obtain remote IT jobs with U.S. companies, including several Fortune 500 companies and a defense contractor.
The following defendants have been indicted for their roles in the scheme, which generated at least $5 million in revenue for North Korea:
- U.S. national Zhenxing “Danny” Wang of New Jersey;
- Chinese national Jing Bin Huang (靖斌 黄);
- Chinese national Baoyu Zhou (周宝玉);
- Chinese national Tong Yuze (佟雨泽);
- Chinese national Yongzhe Xu (徐勇哲 andيونجزهي أكسو), currently residing in the United Arab Emirates;
- Chinese national Ziyou Yuan (زيو), currently residing in the United Arab Emirates;
- Chinese national Zhenbang Zhou (周震邦);
- Taiwanese national Mengting Liu (劉 孟婷); and
- Taiwanese national Enchia Liu (刘恩)
Zhenxing Wang was arrested earlier today in New Jersey. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. A second U.S. national, Kejia “Tony” Wang of New Jersey, has also been charged in a separate charging document for his role in the scheme and has agreed to plead guilty.
As alleged in court documents, in response to U.S. and U.N. sanctions, the DPRK government has dispatched thousands of skilled IT workers around the world, who stole identities of U.S. persons and posed as domestic workers to obtain remote IT jobs with U.S. companies and generate revenue for DPRK weapons of mass destruction WMD programs. The DPRK IT workers’ scheme involved the use of pseudonymous email, social media, payment platform and online job site accounts, as well as false websites, proxy computers, and third-party enablers in the United States and abroad. According to the court documents the IT workers employed under this scheme also gained access to sensitive employer data and source code, including International Traffic in Arms Regulations data from a California-based defense contractor that develops artificial intelligence-powered equipment and technologies
“The threat posed by DPRK operatives is both real and immediate. Thousands of North Korean cyber operatives have been trained and deployed by the regime to blend into the global digital workforce and systematically target U.S. companies,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “We will continue to work relentlessly to protect U.S. businesses and ensure they are not inadvertently fueling the DPRK’s unlawful and dangerous ambitions.”
“These schemes target and steal from U.S. companies and are designed to evade sanctions and fund the North Korean regime’s illicit programs, including its weapons programs,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for the Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department, along with our law enforcement, private sector, and international partners, will persistently pursue and dismantle these cyber-enabled revenue generation networks.”
“The FBI will continue to work with our partners to expose and mitigate these fraudulent IT schemes and provide unwavering support to victims of North Korean cyber actors. While we have disrupted this group, this is merely the initial phase of the problem. The government of North Korea has trained and deployed thousands of IT workers to carry out similar schemes against U.S. companies daily. Protect your business by thoroughly vetting fully remote workers. The FBI strongly advises organizations to closely monitor their data, strengthen their remote hiring processes, and report any suspicious activity or fraud to the FBI,” said Rafik Mattar, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Las Vegas Division.
“These Indictments should act as a deterrent for individuals and foreign entities attempting to illegally export critical defense information,” said John E. Helsing, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Western Field Office. “DCIS will continue to work aggressively with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute those who threaten our National Security and America’s Warfighters.”
“This multiagency case demonstrates the power of law enforcement agencies collaborating to dismantle international fraudulent schemes involving technology,” said Shawn Gibson, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in San Diego. “Let this investigation prove that HSI will aggressively identify and bring to justice those who seek to steal intellectual property through illegal access to computer networks in order to financially profit and jeopardize U.S.-based businesses who have fallen victim to these actors.”
According to the indictment, from approximately 2021 through October 2024, the defendants and other co-conspirators perpetuated a massive fraud scheme resulting in the transmission of false and misleading information to dozens of U.S. companies, financial institutions, and government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the Social Security Administration (SSA). Specifically, these defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly compromised the identities of more than 80 U.S. persons; fraudulently obtained remote jobs at more than 100 U.S. companies, including several Fortune 500 companies and a cleared defense contractor; received laptops and other hardware from U.S. companies; accessed, without authorization, the internal systems of these U.S. companies, including sensitive employer data and source code; generated at least $5 million in revenue for the overseas IT workers; and caused U.S. victim companies to incur legal fees, computer network remediation costs, and other damages and losses of at least $3 million.
The overseas IT workers were allegedly assisted in this scheme by Kejia Wang, Zhenxing Wang, and at least four other identified U.S. facilitators. These facilitators allegedly received and/or hosted laptops belonging to U.S. victim companies at their residences to deceive the U.S. companies into believing the IT workers were in the United States. It is further alleged that they facilitated remote access to the computers for the overseas IT workers through illicit means, including downloading software to the computers without authorization from the U.S. companies, connecting the U.S. companies’ computers to internet-connected KVM switches, and creating shell companies with corresponding websites and financial accounts, including Hopana Tech LLC, Tony WKJ LLC and Independent Lab LLC to make it appear as though the overseas IT workers were affiliated with legitimate U.S. businesses. These facilitators also allegedly established accounts at U.S. financial institutions and online money transfer services to receive money from victimized U.S. companies, much of which was subsequently transferred to overseas co-conspirators. In exchange for their services, it is alleged that Kejia Wang, Zhenxing Wang, and the other U.S. facilitators collected at least $696,000 in fees.
According to court documents, in October 2024, seven locations in New York, New Jersey and California were searched and voluntary interviews at so-called “laptop farms” were conducted (that is, premises used to host U.S company laptop computers used in furtherance of the scheme), resulting in the recovery of more than 70 victim company devices. Additionally, 21 fraudulent web domains used to facilitate North Korean IT work have been seized, and 29 financial accounts, holding tens of thousands of dollars in funds, used to launder revenue for the North Korean regime through remote IT work.
Also today, the Northern District of Georgia unsealed an indictment charging four North Korean nationals with a scheme to steal virtual currency held by two victim companies valued at over $750,000 and laundering the proceeds overseas. Unlike traditional North Korean IT workers, who usually seek employment with the goal of remitting their salaries back to North Korea, the defendants charged by the Northern District of Georgia allegedly sought employment with virtual currency-related businesses to earn the trust of those businesses and then stole those businesses’ virtual assets.
Today’s announcement is the culmination of a multi-year investigation by federal law enforcement agencies and is one of several announced today as part of the Justice Department’s initiative, DPRK: Domestic Enabler. Under the initiative, Department prosecutors and agents continue to prioritize high-impact, strategic, and unified enforcement and disruption operations targeting DPRK’s illicit revenue generation efforts through remote IT workers, and the U.S.-based individuals who enable them.
The U.S. Department of State has offered potential rewards for up to $5 million in support of international efforts to disrupt North Korea’s illicit financial activities, including for certain information related to individuals who are sent outside of North Korea to work to generate money for the North Korean government or who facilitate the activities of such North Korean nationals.
The charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to cause damage to a protected computer provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charge of conspiracy to commit identity theft provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. 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.
U.S. Attorney Foley; AAG Eisenberg; FBI Las Vegas Acting SAC Mattar; DCIS San Diego Acting SAC Helsing; and HSI San Diego SAC Shawn Gibson made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Casey of the National Security Unit is prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney Gregory J. Nicosia, Jr. of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section. Valuable assistance was provided by FBI New York, Newark and San Diego Field Offices; HSI Newark Field Office; United States Postal Inspection Service’s San Diego Field Office; and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of New Jersey, the Eastern District of New York and the Southern District of California.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Nigerian man sentenced to 40 months in prison for scheme to steal identities and claim tax refundsRead the Press Release
Seattle – A Nigerian citizen who was arrested and extradited from the U.K. on an indictment in the Western District of Washington was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 40 months in prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Onomen Uduebor, aka Onomen Onohi, 39, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for the scheme to steal and use income tax data for fraud. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said, “He freely participated in the fraud and had a substantial role in the scheme. Thirty years old is not a young man and he ought to have known better.”
“This defendant participated in a conspiracy that involved tricking companies around the United States, including a Tukwila-based company, into providing W-2 information on their employees. If the targeted Human Resources employee resisted providing the information via email, a schemer berated them via email posing as the company CEO,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “This conduct damaged companies, employees, and the Internal Revenue Service. While the IRS caught most of the fake tax refund filings, it left the individual victims with tax headaches and a sense of fear since their identities had been stolen.”
According to the indictment, between February 2016 and April 2017, the conspirators created false emails that appeared to come from a company executive asking the Human Resources Department for the W-2 data. The conspirators manipulated the email so that any reply would go to an email address that they controlled. The conspirators then used the information from the W-2s to file more than 300 bogus tax returns claiming more than $1 million in tax refunds. The conspirators targeted companies across the U.S. in this scheme.
Uduebor admits that he filed 150 of the false tax returns and tracked the refunds and payments to bank accounts that the schemers set up in the names of the victims. While the IRS paid out about $140,000 to the fraudsters, Uduebor says he received only $10,000 from the scheme. The IRS was able to seize some of the money back from the conspirators, so the total restitution owed to the U.S. Treasury is $122,720.
Uduebor was ordered to forfeit the $10,000 that he admitted to earning and pay $122,720 in restitution to the IRS.
In asking the court for a three-year prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Miriam Hinman wrote to the court, “This scheme harmed individual taxpayers, victim companies, and the IRS…. Taxpayers had trouble filing their real tax returns, and they expended a large amount of time and emotional energy on resolving their tax situation. This process delayed refunds, sometimes causing problems for taxpayers who relied on receiving the refund funds. Taxpayers have had lasting stress and expenses related to protecting themselves from identity theft.”
Speaking in court today Uduebor said “I have read the victim impact statements and I know an apology is not enough…. I was desperate to succeed in my music career. It is not an excuse, but it is the truth.”
Uduebor was arrested in the United Kingdom in September 2023. He arrived in the U.S. in March 2025. He pleaded guilty in April 2025. Uduebor will likely be deported to Nigeria following his prison term.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Miriam Hinman. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance with the extradition process.