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26 June 2025
St. Louis County Woman Admits Aiding $1 Million Romance FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A woman on Thursday admitted aiding an online Nigerian fraud conspiracy that cost victims an estimated $1 million.
Shirley Waller, 43, of St. Louis County, Missouri, also admitted committing two other frauds. Waller pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud and use of an assumed name to commit mail fraud.
Waller admitted aiding scammers who tricked their victims out of what the government estimates is $1,068,834. Investigators were initially alerted by a 71-year-old St. Louis County woman who mailed $35,000 to Waller’s home as part of a romance scam. The shipment of cash was tracked on its journey 164 times in less than 24 hours by several IP addresses in Nigeria. Investigators then determined that more than 70 Express Mail packages had been delivered to Waller’s home during a 60-day period ending Nov. 1, 2023. In a court-approved search of Waller’s home on Jan. 12, 2024, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service found two guns and a series of Express Mail packages sent to variations of Waller’s name. The packages of cash had been sent by older adults targeted in online fraud schemes. Waller would then forward a portion of the money to Nigeria via cryptocurrency transactions and other electronic means. Postal authorities seized parcels containing $41,650 that were being delivered to Waller’s home and packages containing $17,500 in her safe.
Waller admitted fraudulently applying for a Paycheck Protection Program loan of $19,235 on April 10, 2021, by falsely claiming she ran a business in Michigan. She received the loan but used the money to travel to Ghana, Germany and Jamaica. Waller also submitted another fraudulent loan application for a St. Louis resale shop, concealing the existence of the first loan and falsifying her business income. She did not receive that loan.
Waller also admitted fraudulently obtaining a $196,000 mortgage loan by lying about her marital status, income and job and by submitting counterfeit tax documents and bank statements.
Waller is scheduled to be sentenced on September 29. Each count carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both prison and a fine. In March, she was sentenced to 15 months in prison after she pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Town and Country Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is prosecuting the case.
South Korean woman pleads guilty, sentenced for illegal re-entryRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Youngshin Nam a/k/a Yejin Nam, 41, a citizen of South Korea, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to illegal re-entry. She was then sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson, who handled the case, stated that on April 3, 2024, Nam attempted entry by plane at an airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, and was refused admission to the United States. She was sent back to South Korea and advised that she was no longer eligible to travel under the Visa Waiver Program for five years. In July 2024, Nam was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Texas and removed from the United States in September. On May 4, 2025, Nam attempted entry into the United States at the Rainbow Bridge Port of Entry in Niagara Falls, NY. Nam presented, as proof of identity, a South Korean passport containing the name Yejin Nam. The vehicle was then referred for secondary inspection. Initially, Nam did not comply with routine electronic fingerprinting, before agreeing to submit her fingerprints. This resulted in a positive response revealing that Nam was issued an immigration fingerprint identification number in the name “Youngshin Nam.” The number was issued after Nam’s arrest by Border Patrol agents in Texas in July 2024. Subsequent investigation determined that Nam submitted a falsified application for the Visa Waiver Program, on which Nam falsely and fraudulently answered “NO” to questions concerning her use of any other names or aliases and denied previously being refused admission to the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.
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Serial Armed Robber Sentenced to over 26 Years Imprisonment for String of Commercial Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
STATESBORO, GA: A Waynesboro resident was sentenced to federal prison for 10 commercial armed robberies that he committed in Bulloch, Burke, Chatham, Emanuel, Glascock, Jenkins, and Ware Counties.
Cordell Cobb, 24, of Waynesboro, was sentenced to 318 months in prison after pleading guilty to ten counts of Interference With Commerce by Robbery and two counts of Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, said Tara M. Lyons, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Cobb to serve five years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term and to pay $12,081 in restitution to the various victimized businesses.
There is no parole in the federal system.
As described in court documents and testimony, on ten different occasions from January 2023 through June 2023, Cobb entered commercial establishments throughout the Southern District of Georgia and brandished weapons before demanding money. Employees in all ten locations provided United States currency to Cobb to avoid physical harm and Cobb left the locations with his ill-gotten proceeds. Following an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), Chatham County Police Department (CCPD), Glascock County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO), Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), Jenkins County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO), Waycross Police Department (WPD), Burke County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), and Emanuel County Sheriff’s Office (ECSO), Cobb was apprehended and ultimately admitted to committing all ten robberies.
“This sentencing reflects the serious consequences of violent crime and the strength of coordinated law enforcement” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “Communities across Georgia are safer today because of the tireless work of our local, state, and federal partner agencies in bringing this armed robber to justice.”
"We applaud the collaborative efforts of all law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation. Together, we have sent a strong message that armed robbery will not be tolerated, and we will work tirelessly to ensure that those responsible are held accountable," said Thomas Crawford, ATF Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge.
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 Neighborhoods (PSN).
This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.
The case was being investigated by the ATF, GBI, CCPD, GCSO, JCSO, WPD, BCSO, ECSO and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley R. Thompson and Henry W. Syms, Jr.
Second Owner of Fuel Truck Supply Company Incarcerated for Bid Rigging, Market Allocation, and Wire Fraud ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
The owner of a fuel truck supply company, Kris Bird, 62, was sentenced today in Boise, Idaho, to three months in prison and a $24,000 fine for his role in schemes to rig bids, allocate territories, and commit wire fraud over an eight-year period. Further, Bird was ordered to forfeit to the federal government $1,542,387 as proceeds of his wire fraud offenses. The conspiracies Bird participated in related to contracts to provide fuel trucks that assist the U.S. Forest Service’s efforts to battle wildfires in Idaho and the mountain west.
Bird pleaded guilty in March 2025 — two weeks before his trial was set to begin — to the seven-count indictment. The plea followed an investigation that involved evidence from a judicially authorized wiretap and led to charges against two executives in December 2023. Earlier this month on June 5, Bird’s co-defendant, Ike Tomlinson, 61, was sentenced to 12 months in prison and a $20,000 fine for his leadership role in the criminal conduct.
“Mr. Bird stole taxpayer funds allocated for critical wildfire-fighting efforts protecting the American people to line his own pockets,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Trump Antitrust Division’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force and its law enforcement partners will continue the fight to ensure that the fraudulent use of taxpayer money results in incarceration.”
“Today’s sentencing underscores the FBI’s commitment to protecting the integrity of our markets,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Antitrust violations are not just corporate misconduct, they’re federal crimes that distort competition, drive up costs for consumers and erode public trust. We will continue to work with our law enforcement and regulatory partners to hold accountable those who rig the system for personal gain.”
“Bid rigging is not a victimless crime. It cheats taxpayers and the honest contractors who play by the rules,” said Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Jason Suffredini of the General Services Administration (GSA) Office of Inspector General (OIG). “GSA OIG and our partners remain committed to pursuing those who engage in procurement fraud.”
According to court documents, the co-conspirators coordinated their bids to inflate prices and to determine who would have priority to receive business from the U.S. Forest Service and other federal agencies in the event of a wildfire in a specific geographic area. The co-conspirators further coordinated to exclude and punish potential competitors to further maintain the success of their conspiracy. During the conspiracies, from March 2015 to March 2023, Bird annually submitted false SAM certifications to the federal government covering up his bid-rigging conspiracy and committing wire fraud.
The Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho, FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, Boise Resident Agency, and General Services Administration Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant Chief Christopher J. Carlberg and Trial Attorneys Elena A. Goldstein, Daniel B. Twomey, and Matthew Chou of the Antitrust Division's San Francisco Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean M. Mazorol for the District of Idaho have been prosecuting the case.
In addition to today’s criminal sentence, in May 2025, the United States, on behalf of the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Small Business Administration, entered into a civil settlement with Kris Bird and other related entities and individuals who agreed to pay $781,186 to resolve civil claims after admitting to allegations that they obtained government contracts through bid-rigging and the submission of false SAM Certifications, as well as wrongly obtained a Paycheck Protection Program loan.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General investigated the civil case. Assistant United States Attorney Robert B. Firpo and Civil Chief James Schaefer are handling the case.
In November 2019, the Justice Department created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government—federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation can contact the PCSF at the link listed above.
Scarborough Man Admits Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Scarborough man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to possessing a firearm despite a prior felony conviction.
According to court records, in November 2024, South Portland police officers approached James Selberg-Stross, 33, while he was inside a vehicle parked at a gas station. An officer observed that Selberg-Stross had a handgun on his lap. A loaded magazine for the handgun was found elsewhere in the vehicle. Selberg-Stross was prohibited from possessing firearms due to his criminal history, which includes a federal conviction for possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute.
Selberg-Stross faces up to 15 years in federal prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI investigated the case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the South Portland Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods: This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn.
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Saginaw Man Sentenced for Unlawful Imprisonment, Strangulation, Suffocation, Interstate Domestic Violence, and Witness Tampering Committed on the Isabella ReservationRead the Press Release
BAY CITY – A Saginaw, Michigan man was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for unlawful imprisonment, strangulation of an intimate or dating partner, suffocation of an intimate or dating partner, interstate domestic violence, and six counts of witness tampering, announced U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.
Michael Lee Johnson, 45, was sentenced by United States District Judge Linda Parker in Detroit. Johnson was convicted by a jury on November 1, 2024.
The evidence presented at trial established that the victim, Johnson’s girlfriend, broke up with him prior to returning home from work. Rather than leave the home as he was ordered to do by his parole agent, Johnson stayed at the residence and moments before the victim arrived home Johnson sent a Facebook message which said “I wanna do something evil.” When the victim arrived home, Johnson approached her from behind, grabbed her and repeatedly threw her into a wall. Johnson then strangled and suffocated the victim to the point she had trouble breathing. Later, Johnson assaulted the victim again, this time in front of her children. Johnson also held the victim against her will in a bedroom the evening before the assaults. In an effort to conceal his crimes, Johnson witness tampered in various ways. These incidents occurred on the Isabella Reservation in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. The victim is an Indian.
The case was investigated by the Saginaw Chippewa Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roy Kranz and former Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Turkelson.
Serial Felon on Supervised Release Convicted of Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Lee Manuel Colson, 45, of Tallahassee, Florida, was found guilty by a federal jury yesterday for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The verdict was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Our community is safer now that we are returning this repeat felon back behind bars where he belongs. My office is fully committed to fulfill the promise of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America by targeting and aggressively prosecuting the criminals victimizing our communities. Thanks to the tenacious prosecutors in my office and the hard work of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, this dangerous felon will be removed from our streets.”
Evidence at trial showed that on July 11, 2024, the United States Probation Office conducted a search of Colson’s residence and found that he was in possession of two pistols in a drawer in his bedroom. Colson admitted to officers that the firearms were present. Colson has 22 prior felony convictions, including prior federal convictions for drug-trafficking and firearm offenses for which he served 90 months in prison.
Colson faces up to 17 years in prison at sentencing and an additional term of supervised release.
The case involved an investigation by the United States Probation Office, the United States Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph A. Ravelo and James A. McCain.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 10, 2025, at 10:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Mark E. Walker.
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.
Repeat Child Sex Offender in Southern Utah Sentenced to 25 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. GEORGE, Utah – A convicted sex offender, Jaycee Stewart, 33, of St. George, was sentenced to 300 months’ imprisonment today after he pleaded guilty to charges involving receipt of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM).
The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Ann Marie McIff Allen, comes after Stewart pleaded guilty to the charges on November 4, 2024. In addition to his term of imprisonment, the court sentenced Stewart to a lifetime of supervised release, and ordered him to pay restitution to the victims.
According to court documents and statements made at Stewart’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, on April 12, 2023, a child disclosed to their elementary school teacher that they were being sexually abused by Stewart. The victim said that Stewart occasionally used an item to sexually abuse them. The victim also stated that Stewart had numerous photographs of “naked girls” and images of children that were “inappropriate” in his room. Following an executed search warrant on Stewart’s residence, officers found multiple images of child sexual abuse hanging on his walls and a stack of images of child sexual abuse on his printer, in binders, and in Stewart’s closet. Stewart also had a digital frame that cycled through approximately 22,000 images of child sexual abuse. In sum, Stewart was in possession of tens of thousands of files depicting child sex abuse materials. Stewart was previously convicted in Utah state court of possession of child pornography in 2015. Additionally, Stewart has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing two victims and is pending sentencing in state court.
The St. George Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Burton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah 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 Justice.gov/PSC.
Remote Patient Monitoring Company Settles False Claims Act Lawsuit for $1.29 MillionRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Health Wealth Safe, Inc. and Dr. Subodh Agrawal have paid $1.29 million to settle allegations that they knowingly caused false claims to be presented to Medicare.
“Knowingly billing Medicare for services that do not meet Medicare’s requirements is a fraud against taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Our office will continue to enforce the False Claims Act to recover government payments that result from such misconduct.”
“Healthcare professionals have a sworn duty to prioritize patient health and to ensure all services billed to the federal government are fully compliant with program requirements,” said Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to safeguard the integrity of the Medicare program.”
The investigation began when former employees of Health Wealth Safe, Inc. (“Health Wealth”) filed a whistleblower lawsuit under the False Claims Act referred to as a qui tam suit. The False Claims Act is a federal law that imposes civil liability on any person who submits false claims to the federal government or its contractors. The law imposes treble damages and civil penalties on those who submit false claims. Under the law, whistleblowers (also called “relators”) who bring fraud to the government’s attention share in any recovery obtained by the government.
The United States alleged that, at the direction of owner Dr. Subodh Agrawal, Health Wealth caused claims to be presented to Medicare for remote physiologic monitoring (RPM) services that were not reimbursable. RPM involves the use of non-face-to-face technology to monitor and analyze a patient’s physiological metrics, such as oxygen saturation, blood pressure, weight, and blood-sugar or blood-oxygen levels. For monitoring services to be covered by Medicare, the monitoring devices must automatically report readings to the monitoring company without further human intervention. The United States alleged that Health Wealth knowingly billed for RPM services even though it failed to provide patients with devices that met these requirements between September 2019 and January 2021.
The settlement resolved the underlying lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, United States ex rel. Chavous v. Health Wealth Safe, Inc., No. 1:22-cv-02553. The relator will receive $238,650 from the settlement in this matter, plus attorney’s fees.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.
The civil settlement was reached by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony DeCinque.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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.
Physician Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Operating a Pill Mill from His Northwest D.C. Medical PracticeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- Ndubuisi Joseph Okafor, M.D., 65, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 18 years in prison for illegally distributing prescriptions for narcotics in exchange for cash from his Northwest Washington D.C. medical clinic. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
A jury found Okafor guilty on Mar. 21, 2025, of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances (outside the course of professional practice), maintaining a drug-involved premises, and 22 counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances (oxycodone and promethazine with codeine).
In addition to the 18-year prison term, U.S. District Judge John D. Bates ordered Okafor to serve three years of supervised release to pay a special assessment, and to forfeit $213,173.97.
According to court documents and evidence at trial, between May 2021 and April of 2023, Okafor was the sole practitioner and owner of Okafor Medical Associates, an internal medicine clinic in Northwest, Washington, D.C. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, the HHS-OIG, and FBI began investigating Okafor for illegal distribution of controlled substances after it received information from law enforcement agencies nationwide regarding prescriptions from Okafor being connected to local drug trafficking networks.
Between Feb. 18, 2022, and Nov. 30, 2022, the FBI sent confidential sources and undercover agents into Okafor’s medical practice for walk-in appointments. Each individual was prescribed opioids by Okafor after minimal examination. Further investigation revealed that Okafor was operating a nationwide drug distribution scheme, whereby he would prescribe opioids to numerous individuals using false identities, whom Okafor knew to be diverting the medication.
Okafor’s conduct spanned at least 45 states and resulted in hundreds of thousands of units of oxycodone and promethazine with codeine liquid prescribed nationwide. Okafor was convicted of distribution of opioids to undercover sources, numerous uncharged co-conspirators, and to a civilian patient J.V. Okafor was also convicted of conspiracy and maintaining a drug-involved premises. Evidence at trial further established that, after Okafor was notified by the D.C. Board of Health that J.V.’s family member filed a complaint against him, he created backdated medical records for J.V. to justify his prescribing.
The investigation also resulted in the suspension of Okafor’s DEA registration number in September 2023 as he was deemed to be a threat to public health and safety.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, with valuable assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and Justice Department gratefully acknowledge the Apex, North Carolina Police Department, the Warsaw, New York, Police Department, the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Pennsylvania State Police, State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy, and the Noble County, Ohio, Sheriff’s Office for their efforts, support, and cooperation during the investigation and trial.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith Mayer-Dempsey, Trial Attorney Kathryn Furtado and paralegals Rebecca Walton, Dillon Clark, and Matthew McClarnon of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section. The team also extends its deep appreciation to Michael Goodrich, Lead Travel Analyst of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section.
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Philadelphia Vertical Farmer Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that John “Jack” Griffin, 62, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty before United States District Judge Chad F. Kenney on Wednesday to wire fraud and tax evasion charges.
As detailed in court documents and statements made in court, Griffin was the principal and founder of Second Story Farming Inc., which did business as Metropolis Farms. Second Story Farming had several lines of business, including growing crops in vertical farms to sell to customers, developing sustainable vertical farming technologies, and selling vertical farming systems to customers.
In 2017, Griffin, through Second Story Farming, sold vertical farming systems, along with the equipment, supplies, materials, and operational instructions necessary to operate them, to two companies. Before entering into the contracts, Griffin provided financial projections to them that grossly overstated the anticipated revenues that could be generated by the vertical farms and grossly understated the anticipated expenses necessary to operate the vertical farms.
In reliance on the financial projections, the companies each paid Second Story Farming to set up vertical farms for them. Rather than use those funds to provide them with vertical farms, Griffin used most of the money to pay his own personal expenses and operate Second Story Farming’s research and development line of business.
In 2017, Griffin earned income from his work at Second Story Farming. Despite being legally required to file a tax return for that year, Griffin did not do so. Griffin tried to conceal that he received any income in 2017 by, among other things, withdrawing cash and paying personal expense from his business’s bank accounts and transferring funds from his business to his wife, and withdrawing cash from Second Story Farming’s business bank account.
Griffin is scheduled to be sentenced on October 22 and faces a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the wire fraud charges and five years in prison on the tax evasion charge.
This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis Weber and Trial Attorney Catriona Coppler of the Department of Justice’s Tax Division.
Philadelphia Vertical Farmer Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty yesterday to wire fraud and tax evasion.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: John (Jack) Griffin of Philadelphia was the principal and founder of Second Story Farming Inc., which did business as Metropolis Farms. Second Story Farming had several lines of business, including growing crops in vertical farms to sell to customers, developing sustainable vertical farming technologies, and selling vertical farming systems to customers. Vertical farming refers to a practice of growing crops vertically and in horizontally stacked layers.
In 2017, Griffin, through Second Story Farming, sold vertical farming systems along with the equipment, supplies, materials, and operational instructions necessary to operate them to two companies. Before entering into the contracts, Griffin provided financial projections to them that grossly overstated the anticipated revenues that could be generated by the vertical farms and grossly understated the anticipated expenses necessary to operate the vertical farms. In reliance on the financial projections, the companies each paid Second Story Farming to set up vertical farms for them. Rather than use those funds to provide them with vertical farms, Griffin used most of the money to pay his own personal expenses and operate Second Story Farming’s research and development line of business.
In 2017, Griffin earned income from his work at Second Story Farming. Despite being legally required to file a tax return for that year, Griffin did not do so. Griffin tried to conceal that he received any income in 2017 by, among other things, withdrawing cash and paying personal expense from his business’s bank accounts and transferring funds from his business to his wife, and withdrawing cash from Second Story Farming’s business bank account.
Griffin is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 22. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the wire fraud charges and a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the tax evasion charge. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Catriona Coppler of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis Weber for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Gunpoint CarjackingRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Kelly Stanton, 55, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 144 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and restitution in the amount of $12,500 by United States District Judge R. Barclay Surrick for carjacking a woman at gunpoint in January of 2023.
Stanton was charged by indictment in March 2023 and pleaded guilty to the carjacking in October of last year.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, around 11 p.m. on January 26, 2023, a woman had parked her car on the 1600 block of Cecil B. Moore Avenue in Philadelphia to pick up a pizza. After she exited the pizza shop and was getting back in her car, Stanton approached. He put a firearm to her head and said, “give me the f[***]ing keys or I’m going to shoot you.”
After struggling with Stanton, the victim was eventually able to get her keys out of her pocket, give them to him, and run away from the car. The defendant drove off in the vehicle, heading west on Cecil B. Moore. The victim’s car has still not been recovered.
“The victim in this case was just going about her night when Stanton ambushed and terrorized her, putting his gun to her head and threatening to shoot,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Anyone who would violently accost a stranger like this for their car, or any other possession, is a clear threat to our community. My office will continue to work with our partners on the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force to bring these dangerous offenders to justice.”
“Kelly Stanton’s victim was picking up a pizza when he stuck a gun to her head and demanded her car keys — he’s now facing a dozen years in federal prison,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Philadelphia Field Division. “Carjacking is a violent and dangerous crime. Together with our Carjacking Task Force partners we are using ATF’s unique forensic and investigative tools to stop criminals like this from terrorizing our neighborhoods. We hope this case deters those willing to use violence in our community.”
The case was investigated by the ATF and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Meagan Gordon and Assistant United States Attorney Priya De Souza.
Pennsylvania man going to prison for 20 years for receipt of child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Dylan C. Irvin, 26, of Bradford, PA, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison and 10 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who handled the case, stated that sometime in June or July 2023, Irvin engaged in sexual activity with a 13-year-old female (victim). Irvin used his cellular telephone to record the sexual activity and then received the video on a Snapchat account he controlled. On March 5, 2024, Irvin was arrested on state charges related to the sexual contact, at which time his cell phone was seized. A search of the phone recovered the video of Irvin and the victim.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, and the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Eric Butler.
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- Parker Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Felon in Possession of a Firearm
Orlando Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Machine GunsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Omar Joel Rivera Olivo (26, Orlando) today pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing and transferring machine guns. Rivera Olivofaces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Rivera Olivo engaged in eight sales of drugs and guns, including automatic weapons, to an undercover law enforcement officer – initially selling cocaine and marijuana before selling firearms. On March 13 and March 28, 2025, Rivera Olivo sold four firearms, some of which had been modified to be fully automatic weapons, along with multiple devices to convert firearms into fully automatic weapons.
Rivera Olivo subsequently posted images of himself online with guns, drugs, and the proceeds of his illegal activities.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
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).
Operation Catch Me if You Can: Elusive Nigerian Ringleader of Nationwide Bank Fraud and Money Laundering Conspiracies Convicted After Two and a Half Week TrialRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Oluwaseun Adekoya, a/k/a “Ace G.,” a/k/a “BRODA,” a/k/a “Legendary, a/k/a “SANTA,” a/k/a “SANTANA,” a/k/a “Sammy LaBanco,” a/k/a/ “Sean Maison,” a/k/a ”Kiing_maison,”,” age 39, of Cliffside Park, New Jersey, was convicted by a jury of bank fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and nine counts of aggravated identity theft for his role as the mastermind of a nationwide conspiracy to steal identities and impersonate customers at banks and credit unions throughout the United States. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
“With the last set of pleas in this case, I said, ‘and then there was one;’ now, there are none,” United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III said. “I commend the work of the FBI Albany, local law enforcement agencies and credit unions across the country, and Broadview Federal Credit Union here in Albany for bringing this relentless scammer to justice.”
Special Agent in Charge Tremaroli said, “Mr. Adekoya was the mastermind of a complex web of deception, but he couldn’t escape the reach of the FBI and our partners. We are incredibly grateful to the numerous state and local law enforcement and banking institution partners who helped bring this investigation to a successful conviction. Our communities should rest assured the FBI will continue to use every investigative tool we have to bring to justice anyone looking to line their pockets at the expense of hard-working Americans.”
The government called over 60 witnesses at trial, which lasted two and a half weeks. Proof at trial established that from the comfort of his luxury apartment in New Jersey, Adekoya, a career fraudster, obtained publicly available information regarding people’s home equity lines of credit (“HELOCs”) at localized credit unions throughout the United States, shifting his focus over time to different parts of the country to avoid law enforcement scrutiny. He then utilized encrypted messaging platforms, like Telegram, to obtain Social Security numbers, account numbers, mother’s maiden names, and other personal identifying information (“PII”) for individuals he had identified as having substantial amounts of equity available in their HELOCs. Adekoya then recruited a vast web of managers located all over the country, who he supplied this information to, along with fake driver’s licenses for lower-level workers to use to impersonate the HELOC customers and conduct withdrawal transactions on their accounts. To insulate himself from detection, Adekoya utilized a web of “burner” phones and encrypted messaging applications and laundered his substantial share of the proceeds through bank accounts in other people’s names. Adekoya also reinvested some of the proceeds into continuing the fraud scheme by purchasing air and bus travel for coconspirators, fake driver’s licenses, and rental cars used to drive workers to credit unions.
As set forth in pretrial pleadings, Adekoya – who was admitted to the United States as a Lawful Permanent Resident in 2000 – has been convicted of numerous increasingly sophisticated identity-fraud related felonies since he was 23 years old in 2008. He has never been removed from the country.
The investigation into Adekoya began in May 2022, when Broadview Federal Credit Union (formerly CAP COM Federal Credit Union and State Employees Federal Credit Union (SEFCU)), headquartered in Albany, identified a series of impersonation transactions at its branches in the Capital Region and referred the case to the FBI-Albany. The ensuing investigation led to the discovery of Adekoya as the mastermind of the nationwide operation and the prosecution of 13 additional coconspirators, all of whom have pled guilty for their roles in the offenses.
The defendant’s conspiracies were brought to a screeching halt by his federal arrest on an initial indictment on December 12, 2023. He has since been detained and the government twice superseded the indictment to add additional coconspirators and charges. Evidence at trial showed that when the FBI attempted to enter the defendant’s luxury apartment on December 12, 2023, to execute a federal search warrant, Adekoya wiped the primary phone he had used to orchestrate the conspiracy. Nonetheless, the FBI seized numerous “burner” phones used by Adekoya to perpetrate the charged crimes. The FBI also seized of hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of luxury merchandise, including Rolex watches, a $51,000 Tiffany engagement ring, and designer handbags and shoes, and approximately $26,000 in a bank account used by the defendant to launder his proceeds. Those items have since been forfeited by the government.
Adekoya’s sentencing is scheduled for October 30, 2025, before the Honorable Mae A. D’Agostino, U.S. District Judge. He faces a mandatory minimum of 2 years’ incarceration, a maximum of 32 years’ incarceration, restitution, forfeiture of the fruits of his offenses, up to five years of supervised release, and is subject to removal and deportation following his sentence.
The following defendants previously pled guilty in connection with the conspiracies and all face sentencing later this year:
- David Daniyan, a/k/a “Bamikole Laniyan,” a/k/a “David Enfield,” a/k/a “Africa,” age 61, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of money laundering conspiracy, and one count of aggravated identity theft;
- Kani Bassie, a/k/a “$,” age 36, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of money laundering conspiracy, and one count of aggravated identity theft;
- Davon Hunter, a/k/a “Scams,” age 27, of Richmond, Virginia, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft;
- Christian Quivers, a/k/a “Denzel Carter,” a/k/a “E,” of Richmond, Virginia, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft;
- Jermon Brooks, a/k/a “JayB,” a/k/a “beezy,” age 20, of Richmond, Virginia, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft;
- Akeem Balogun, 56, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud;
- Victor Barriera, 64, of Bronx, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud;
- Danielle Cappetti, 46, of Bronx, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud;
- Jerjuan Joyner, 50, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud;
- Gaysha Kennedy, 46, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud;
- Crystal Kurschner, 44, of Brooklyn, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud;
- Leslie Lucchese, 53, of Manhattan, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud; and
- Sherry Ozmore, 56, of Richmond, Virginia, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
FBI-Albany investigated the case and obtained invaluable assistance from numerous law enforcement agencies all over the country. Those include the FBI Field Offices in New York, Newark, Richmond, Chicago and Resident Agencies in Westchester, New York; Brooklyn/Queens, New York; Garrett Mountain, New Jersey; La Crosse, Wisconsin; Fort Walton Beach, Florida; and York, Pennsylvania. Additional assistance was provided by other law enforcement agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement & Removal Operations (New York Field Office & Albany sub-office); U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (Buffalo Field Office & St. Albans Resident Office); U.S. Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; New York law enforcement agencies including the New York State Police; Cohoes PD; Colonie PD; Elmira PD; Corning PD; Plattsburgh PD; Albany County Sheriff’s Office; and Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office; Florida law enforcement agencies including the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and Escambia County Sheriff’s Office; Pennsylvania law enforcement agencies including the Pennsylvania State Police and Franklin County District Attorney’s Office; Alabama law enforcement agencies including the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, Gasden PD, and Rainbow City PD; Georgia law enforcement agencies including the Georgia State Patrol, Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, Coweta County Sheriff’s Office, Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, and Morrow PD; Kansas law enforcement agencies including Lawrence PD and Overland Park PD; New Hampshire law enforcement agencies including Rochester PD, Manchester PD, and Amherst PD; the Delaware State Police; Maryland law enforcement agencies including the Maryland State Police, Harford County Sheriff’s Office and Baltimore County Sheriff’s Office; the Virginia State Police; Wisconsin law enforcement agencies including Onalaska PD and Eau Claire PD; and Indiana law enforcement agencies including the Allen County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin S. Clark, Mathew M. Paulbeck, and Joshua R. Rosenthal are prosecuting this case.
Olive Branch Man Sentenced to Five Years and Ordered to Pay Millions after PPP Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Oxford, MS – Montreal Hudson, of Olive Branch, Mississippi, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Michael P. Mills to over five years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering following his trial conviction in January.
Judge Mills sentenced Montreal Hudson to a 70-month jail sentence followed by five years of supervised release for his role in a PPP fraud scheme that was presented to a federal jury and resulted in a guilty verdict on January 17, 2025. Hudson was also ordered to pay $3,526,517 in restitution.
The Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) was a COVID-19 pandemic relief program administered by the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) to provide funding for small businesses affected by the economic downturn associated with the Coronavirus Pandemic. According to court documents, Zipora Hudson, her son, Montreal Hudson, and Deandre Jones utilized Zippy Bee, LLC as a tax preparation business in Charleston, MS, to create and file hundreds of PPP loan applications on behalf of borrowers that were not eligible to receive the loans. The defendants created fraudulent Schedule C tax documents to claim gross income amounts that far exceeded the real income for a particular business or claimed gross income amounts for businesses that never existed. The documents were created in order to receive PPP loans in amounts ranging from $19,000 to $20,833 per loan. For their efforts, the defendants required the borrowers to pay them a kickback out of the proceeds of each loan. The defendants used the illegally obtained money to purchase luxury vehicles and real estate, among other things.
U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Lisa Fontanette of the IRS Criminal Investigation Atlanta Field Office made the announcement.
Montreal Hudson was convicted alongside Zipora Hudson in the January jury trial. Zipora Hudson was sentenced in April of this year to 5 years in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release. Deandre Jones, also of Olive Branch, MS, previously pled guilty in the case.
The scheme was initially uncovered during the course of a civil investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Leary and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Wright prosecuted the case on behalf of U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi. The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation Division along with investigators from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department's response to the pandemic, please visit Justice.gov/Coronavirus and Justice.gov/Coronavirus/CombatingFraud.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice's National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.North Stonington Woman Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Crystal MethRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JILL MULLIGAN, 45, of North Stonington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking crystal meth.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in April and May 2023, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force made three controlled purchases of crystal meth from Mulligan. Mulligan was arrested on May 4, 2023. At the time of her arrest, searches of Mulligan’s North Stonington residence and her vehicle revealed approximately 390 grams of crystal meth, and quantities of crack cocaine, LSD, and prescription pills.
On November 1, 2023, Mulligan pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. She has been detained since March 12, 2025, when her bond was revoked.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reed Durham.
Ninth and Tenth FCI Dublin Correctional Officers Charged with Sexual Abuse of Female InmatesRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Two former correctional officers at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, Calif., Jeffrey Wilson and Lawrence Gacad, were charged yesterday by information with sexual abuse of female inmates. Wilson and Gacad are the ninth and tenth correctional officers to be charged in connection with the wide-ranging investigation into sexual abuse of inmates at the federal prison.
Wilson, 34, is charged with five counts of sexual abuse of a ward related to his alleged abuse of an FCI Dublin inmate, C.S. The information alleges that Wilson engaged in sexual abuse of the victim on multiple occasions between March 14, 2022, and Aug. 16, 2022. The acts allegedly occurred in a medical room at FCI Dublin. Wilson is also charged with falsely telling federal agents that he had never had sexual contact with C.S. and that he had never given her contraband while she was an inmate at FCI Dublin.
Gacad, 33, is charged with one count of abusive sexual contact related to his alleged abuse of an FCI Dublin inmate, S.L., between March 1, 2022, and June 14, 2022.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian, Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Hunt, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani made the announcement.
As part of the Department of Justice’s ongoing investigation into FCI Dublin, 10 FCI Dublin correctional officers have been charged with crimes related to the sexual abuse of the female prisoners at the facility. The status of these cases is below:
Defendant
Case NumberStatusWarden Ray J. Garcia4:21-cr-00429-YGRConvicted on all counts by jury on Dec. 8, 2022; sentenced to 70 months in prisonCO John Bellhouse4:22-cr-00066-YGRConvicted on all counts by jury on June 5, 2023; sentenced to 63 months in prisonChaplain James Highhouse4:22-cr-00016-HSGPleaded guilty on Feb. 24, 2022; sentenced to 84 months in prisonCO Enrique Chavez4:22-cr-00104-YGRPleaded guilty on Oct. 27, 2022; sentenced to 20 months in prisonCO Ross Klinger4:22-cr-00031-YGRPleaded guilty on Feb. 10, 2022; sentenced to one year of home confinementCO Andrew Jones4:23-cr-000212-YGRPleaded guilty on Aug.17, 2023; sentenced to 96 months in prisonCO Nakie Nunley4:23-cr-000213-YGRPleaded guilty on Sept. 5, 2023; sentenced to 72 months in prisonCO Darrell Smith (a/k/a “Dirty Dick Smith”)4:23-cr-00110-YGRIndicted on April 13, 2023; trial scheduled for Sept. 2, 2025CO Jeffrey Wilson4:25-cr-00180Information filed on June 25, 2025CO Lawrence Gacad4:25-cr-00181Information filed on June 25, 2025An information merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Wilson faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each count of sexual abuse of a ward in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2243(b) and eight years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the count of false statements to a government agency in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2). Gacad faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the count of abusive sexual contact in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2244(a)(4). Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Paulson, Alethea Sargent, Sailaja Paidipaty, and Molly Priedeman are prosecuting these cases with the assistance of Veronica Hernandez and Amala James. The prosecutions are the result of an investigation by the DOJ OIG and the FBI.
Nine Members of 36th and Penn “Big Sip” Drug Trafficking Organization Indicted on Fentanyl Conspiracy and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Nine defendants have been indicted on federal fentanyl and firearms charges for their involvement in the “Big Sip Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO)” — a violent drug trafficking organization that that sold out of at least five apartment buildings near the intersection of 36th Avenue North and North Penn Avenue in Minneapolis, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
“Today marks the federal takedown of yet another dangerous criminal organization. And we will not stop,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “The Big Sip drug trafficking organization wreaked havoc at 36th and Penn, bringing guns, violence, and deadly fentanyl to neighborhood apartment buildings. The law abiding people of Minneapolis deserve better. I am proud of the federal, state, and local team that came together to protect the neighborhood from this fentanyl trafficking organization.”
According to court documents,Larry McGee, 42, Danielle Robberstad, 35, Maurice Montgomery, 31, Dameon Collins, 24, Marcus Lucious, 53, Romell Vann, 22, Bobby Nolan, 43, and Jeremy Lucious, 35, all are members of a drug trafficking organization (“DTO”) known as the “Big Sip DTO,” a high-volume fentanyl sales operation that sold out of at least five apartment buildings near the intersection of 36th Avenue North and North Penn Avenue in Minneapolis. The Big Sip DTO’s operation contributed to crime in the area, including shootings, homicides, and drug use, from August 2023 through June 2025. The defendants were indicted for a Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl in violation of Title 21 United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 846. Three defendants, Montgomery, Collins, and Vann, were also indicted for Possessing Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c). Seven defendants made their initial appearnces today and are all detained pending further proceedings. An eighth defendant will make his initial appearance tomorrow. A ninth defendant remains under seal. The defendants all face up to life in prison.
According to court documents, the Big Sip DTO originated in the summer of 2023, led and operated by defendants McGee and Robberstad, who are husband and wife. The Big Sip DTO was an efficient sales operation with defined roles. At the top, McGee led the organization. He obtained and stored the fentanyl product, collected proceeds, and managed other members of the organization. Robberstad was a co-leader of the organization. Robberstad maintained the apartments used for fentanyl storage and sales, interacted with customers, provided vehicles for use by the organization members, and managed other members’ sales.
Defendants Montgomery, Collins, M. Lucious, Vann, Nolan, and J. Lucious were also members of the Big Sip DTO. These defendants all sold fentanyl on behalf of the organization to users at the apartments controlled by the Big Sip DTO. Montgomery was responsible for collecting and transporting the profits of the fentanyl sales to McGee. Montgomery, as well as Collins and Vann, all possessed firearms to protect their product and sale activities.
“Time and again, violent drug trafficking rings try to take root in our communities, bringing with them illegal guns, violence, and fear,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Travis Riddle, of the St. Paul Field Division. “As soon as these organizations surface, ATF, along with our law enforcement partners, will be there to dismantle their operations and hold them accountable. We will not allow armed criminal groups to threaten the safety and future of the Twin Cities.”
“This operation disrupted a violent drug trafficking network that was funneling narcotics, including deadly fentanyl, to the streets,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “These drugs and the criminals who traffic them, bring death, sorrow, and fear to our communities. As this coordinated operation demonstrates, those who poison and terrorize the public will face justice. The FBI and our partners will stop at nothing to pursue and apprehend these dangerous offenders and protect our communities."
“For too long, 36th and Penn has been a hotspot for violent crime,” said Chief O’Hara. “In 2024, there were four times as many shooting victims within a one block radius of 36th and Penn than the previous three-year average. Overall violent crime more than doubled within a one-block radius of 36th and Penn. We’ve seen the spike in violent crime and heard the concerns loud and clear from the community. Inspector Charlie Adams and the officers of the Fourth Precinct have been working closely with residents to address those concerns, while our investigators have pursued long-term strategies to bring relief. I’m incredibly grateful to the dedicated MPD personnel and to our local and federal partners who supported this investigation. I’m hopeful these arrests and charges will deliver an immediate impact and help restore a sense of safety for everyone who lives and works near 36th and Penn.”
“These defendants are suspected of some of the worst crimes wreaking havoc on our community. I want to thank all law enforcement agencies for their work on this case including the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Intelligence Division and Violent Offender Task Force. These units provided intelligence throughout the case, carried out search warrants, targeted traffic stops, K9 operations, and much more to bring down these defendants and damage the criminal organization. We must stop those harming our neighbors, friends, and family and part of that work includes stopping the source,” said Dawanna Witt, Sheriff of Hennepin County.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF, FBI, Minneapolis Police Department, and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William C. Mattessich is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Nigerian national arrested in multimillion-dollar email and money laundering scamRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 33-year-old Houston man has been taken into custody for his role in a large-scale business email compromise and money laundering scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Authorities have arrested Edikan Adiakpan who is expected to make his initial appearance at 2 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray.
A federal grand jury in Houston returned a three-count indictment June 11 charging Adiakpan with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy and illegal money transmission. The indictment alleges that in 2021, Adiakpan and co-conspirators carried out a business email compromise scheme targeting companies in at least eight states, including a California research group focused on developing treatments for U.S. veterans.
Victims received “spoofed” emails that appeared to come from known suppliers and creditors, according to the charges. They were allegedly tricked into sending payments to bank accounts the fraudsters controlled instead of the actual suppliers.
The charges further allege the conspirators laundered the funds by quickly transferring the money between multiple bank accounts they controlled. They then allegedly converted the funds into cashier’s’ checks. Adiakpan allegedly cashed the checks and kept a percentage as a fee.
Another Nigerian citizen, Ayobami Omoniyi, 26, was previously charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud as part of the same scheme and is awaiting sentencing before U.S District Judge Andrew S. Hanen.
If convicted, Adiakpan faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy charges and up to five years for the illegal money transmitting. Each conviction carries a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
FBI – Houston and its Bryan Resident Agency and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and Christine Lu are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Nigerian National Pleads Guilty to Role in Romance Scam and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Nigerian national pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to his involvement in the theft of more than $2.5 million from six romance scam victims by transferring their money to cryptocurrency accounts that he controlled.
Charles Uchenna Nwadavid, 35, of Abuja, Nigeria, pleaded guilty to mail fraud, aiding and abetting money laundering and money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Sept. 23, 2025. Nwadavid was arrested in April 2025 after arriving on a flight from the United Kingdom to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. In January 2024, a federal grand jury in Boston indicted Nwadavid on charges of mail fraud and money laundering.
According to the charging documents, “romance scams” recruit victims through advertisements for online relationships on dating or social media websites. Individuals perpetuating romance scams create fictitious profiles and then use them to gain victims’ trust through a purported romantic relationship. Perpetrators then direct their victims to send money or to conduct financial transactions involving other victims’ money under false pretenses, such as an urgent need for money to secure a multi-million dollar inheritance or to pay for an unexpected hospitalization.
Between in or about 2016 and September 2019, Nwadavid participated in romance scams that tricked victims into sending money abroad. In an effort to conceal the ultimate recipient of the victims’ funds, a victim from Massachusetts was tricked into receiving funds from five other victims around the United States. The victim then passed the funds to Nwadavid through a series of cryptocurrency transactions. Nwadavid repeatedly accessed accounts in the victim’s name from overseas, to transfer the victims’ funds to accounts he controlled at LocalBitcoins, an online cryptocurrency platform.
The mail fraud charge provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the loss to the victim, restitution and forfeiture. The money laundering charges provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the laundering transactions, restitution and forfeiture. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth B. Kosto and Mackenzie A. Queenin of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
New York Man Sentenced in Rhode Island for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE A Bronx, NY, man who participated in a conspiracy that intended to defraud banks in at least ten states of approximately $143,000 was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Paul Keenan, 54, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 24 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release. Keenan, charged and arrested in this matter in August 2024, pleaded guilty in February to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
According to court documents, Keenan, working alongside other members of a conspiracy, to facilitate their scheme, recruited and organized individuals and obtained their photographs and personal identifying information (PII). Keenan and his co-conspirators used the information to create fraudulent IDs that contained their own photographs and the PII of some of the recruits.
Keenan and others then obtained the PII of at least 28 victim individuals, including their names, dates of birth, addresses, Social Security numbers, and bank account information. They also obtained information of at least 20 business entities, including business names and banking information. The information collected was used to create fraudulent IDs and checks. Members of the conspiracy then traveled with recruits to banks in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and at least eight other states to cash bogus checks.
Through the scheme, Keenan and others attempted to defraud banks of a total of approximately $143,000, successfully defrauding twenty-two banks of a total of approximately $93,200.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christine Lowell with the assistance of Assistant United States Attorney Sandra Hebert.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the East Providence Police Department, with the assistance of the Portsmouth Police Department.
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New Orleans Man Sentenced for Federal Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that CARDELL GLOVER, (“GLOVER”), age 24, was sentenced on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, by United States District Judge Darrel J. Papillion, after previously pleading guilty to a three-count indictment. Count One charged GLOVER with being a felon in possession a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). Count Two charged GLOVER with possession of a stolen firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(j) and (a)(2). Count Three charged GLOVER with possession of a machine gun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(o) and 924(a)(2).
GLOVER was sentenced to 96 months imprisonment as to each of the three counts of the indictment, to be served concurrently. Judge Papillion also ordered that GLOVER be placed on supervised release for three years as to each of the three counts, to be served concurrently, and pay a $300 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, on July 9, 2024, a rideshare driver reported to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office (JPSO) that her weapon had been stolen. She also works as a security guard and had placed her work firearm, a Glock Model 19 Gen 5, nine-millimeter pistol, in her trunk earlier that afternoon prior to starting her rideshare work. She reported to law enforcement that she had picked up a fare, a male and a female passenger, at the Dollar General and allowed them to place their groceries in the trunk of her car. When they arrived at the passengers’ destination, an apartment complex in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, the passengers retrieved the groceries from the trunk and went to an unknown second floor apartment. The rideshare driver then looked in the trunk of her vehicle to discover her firearm missing. She had said that the first name of the passenger who ordered the ride was “Dell.”
GLOVER pled guilty to the entire indictment and admitted that he stole the Glock pistol. GLOVER also admitted that, at the time of its recovery, the Glock pistol, was equipped with machinegun conversion device, making it a machinegun as defined by the National Firearms Act (26 U.S.C. § 5845(b)).
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit.
NUWAY Alliance Agrees to Pay $18,500,000 Settlement in Medicaid Kickbacks Scheme, False Claims Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS –Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson announced today that NUWAY Alliance, Inc. has agreed to pay the United States $18,500,000 for submitting fraudulent claims to Medicaid in violation of the False Claim Act.
NUWAY Alliance provided intensive outpatient (IOP) treatment, among other services, for substance use disorder to thousands of clients suffering from addiction each year in Minnesota. Between January 2019 through February 2025, NUWAY compensated Medicaid patients for seeking IOP treatment—which is reimbursable by Medicaid—in violation of federal anti-kickback statute and resulting in false claims. NUWAY also submitted false claims to Medicaid for IOP services they had not provided as they involved double-billing the same period of time as distinct billable units. In total, since at least 2018, NUWAY defrauded the federal government and state of Minnesota of millions of dollars.
“The submission of false claims for federally funded government contracts will not be tolerated. Protecting taxpayer dollars from fraud and abuse is one of our top priorities at the U.S. Attorney’s Office.” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Joseph H. Thompson. “This settlement should serve as further proof that we will aggressively investigate Medicaid fraud whenever it occurs and will hold all companies to account.”
“Our enforcement agency is dedicated to protecting the integrity of federal health care programs including Medicaid and to ensure taxpayer money is used as intended to serve vulnerable populations,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who manipulate taxpayer-funded health programs to boost their profits.” As part of the settlement, NUWAY Alliance entered into a 5-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with HHS-OIG. The Corporate Integrity Agreement requires that NUWAY maintain a compliance program designed to foster adherence to federal health care program requirements and thereby protect the programs. The CIA also requires NUWAY to engage an independent organization to review claims they submit to Medicaid to ensure they comply with applicable requirements.
The matter was handled by the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, the Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of the Inspector General, the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Division, and the Office of the Inspector General at the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
The claims resolved by these settlements are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability or wrongdoing.
Mohave Valley Arizona Woman Sentenced to 118 Months in Prison for Assaulting a ChildRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Starla Shaffer, 36, of Mohave Valley, Arizona, was sentenced on June 25, 2025, by United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 118 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Shaffer previously pleaded guilty to Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury.
Between January 1, 2022, and September 21, 2022, Shaffer assaulted a three-year-old minor victim by shaking and striking her on the face, buttocks, chest, and back, while the victim was in her care. Shaffer’s assault caused permanent and life-threatening injuries to the minor victim. Both Shaffer and the minor victim are enrolled members of the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe.
The FBI Phoenix Division’s Lake Havasu office and the Fort Mojave Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina J. Reid-Moore, District of Arizona, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-08052-PCT-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-102_Shaffer# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Minneapolis Man Pleads Guilty; Forty-Seventh Conviction in the Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering for his role in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson
According to court documents, from September 2020 through January 2022, Ahmed Abdullahi Ghedi, 35, claimed to be operating a child nutrition site in St. Paul, Minnesota. As part of the scheme, on or about September 4, 2020, Ghedi’s co-conspirator registered ASA Limited LLC with the Minnesota Secretary of State. Four days later, Ghedi’s co-conspirator applied for ASA Limited to operate a purported food site in the Federal Children Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future at the Gurey Deli, a small market located in a St. Paul strip mall
Within just three weeks of creating the ASA Limited site, Ghedi and his co-conspirators falsely claimed to be serving meals to 2,000 or 3,000 children each day, seven days a week. During the one-year period from September 2020 to September 2021, Ghedi and his co-conspirators fraudulently claimed to have served more than 1.6 million meals at the ASA Limited site. To accomplish his scheme, the defendant and his co-conspirators prepared and submitted inflated meal counts, fabricated invoices, and fake attendance rosters of purported children.
According to court documents, rather than use fraudulently obtained money to serve meals or feed children, Ghedi and his co-conspirators fraudulently misappropriated much of it. Ghedi used a shell entity he created, AG Limited LLC, to hide and disguise the source and ownership of his portion of the fraud proceeds. Between December 2020 and November 2021, Ghedi deposited more than $2 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds into AG Limited LLC bank accounts. Ghedi used this money to purchase more than $245,000 in motor vehicles and to fund more than $200,000 in credit card spending. Ghedi also transferred approximately $560,000 in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds to Cosmopolitan Business Properties LLC—another shell he co-owned with other co-conspirators—toward the purchase of a mansion and adjoining property located at 2722 and 2742 Park Avenue South in Minneapolis, which will be now forfeited to the United States along with a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
According to court documents, Ghedi paid $5,000 in kickbacks to Abdikerm Eidleh, a Feeding Our Future employee, in exchange for sponsoring and facilitating ASA Limited’s fraudulent participation in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. ASA Limited, of which the defendant was a co-owner, paid Eidleh an additional $49,000 in kickbacks. Feeding Our Future received nearly $400,000 in administrative fees for sponsoring ASA Limited’s participation in the program.
In total, Ghedi and his co-conspirators caused a loss of $7.2 million to Federal Child Nutrition Programs based on fraudulent claims submitted through Feeding Our Future.
Ghedi pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert, Harry M. Jacobs, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets
Milton Man Indicted on Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Justo Melendez-Morales, age 44, of Milton, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 22, 2025, for charges related to drug trafficking.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on or about February 26, 2025, through May 9, 2025, Melendez-Morales sold and possessed approximately 38 grams of cocaine in his Milton apartment, which he maintained as a premises for drug trafficking.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Zenzinger is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The maximum penalty under federal law for the offense is 30 years and a fine. A sentence for this offense may also include a period of supervised release following imprisonment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Michigan Doctor Sentenced to Four Years for $6.3M Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Michigan doctor was sentenced today to four years in prison for a $6.3 million Medicare fraud scheme in which elderly and disabled patients were sent thousands of orthotic braces that they did not need.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Sophie Toya, M.D., 56, of Bloomfield Hills, prescribed over 7,900 orthotic braces to more than 2,600 Medicare patients during a six-month period. The patients were solicited through deceptive television commercials offering free back braces. When they called the advertised telephone number, they were persuaded to accept braces for other parts of their bodies, with the promise that Medicare would pay. Toya spoke to some of these patients briefly over the phone, and she had no contact at all with the others. Toya nonetheless signed orders prescribing more than 7,900 braces, including prescribing four or more braces to nearly 1,000 patients.
Toya prescribed as many as 136 braces in a day, 12 braces for a single patient, and numerous braces for undercover agents posing as Medicare beneficiaries after speaking with them by telephone for less than a minute. The prescriptions and accompanying medical records signed by Toya falsely represented that the braces were medically necessary and that she diagnosed the beneficiaries, had a plan of care for them, and recommended that they receive certain additional treatment. In the case of one patient, to whom Toya prescribed five braces for which Medicare was billed $3,883, she falsely attested that she evaluated the patient and that the patient was mobile when, in fact, the patient had long been confined to a wheelchair, could not walk or stand, and was suffering from a dangerous spinal infection that could not be treated by braces but instead required spinal surgery.
Toya’s false prescriptions were used by brace supply companies to bill Medicare more than $6.3 million. Toya was paid approximately $120,000 by purported telemedicine companies in exchange for signing the fraudulent prescriptions.
On May 10, 2024, Toya was convicted following an eight-day trial on one count of health care fraud and five counts of false statements relating to health care matters. Toya was also ordered to pay $3,606,935 in restitution and $120,475 in forfeiture.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Director in Charge Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Division; and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case. The case was charged as part of Operation Rubber Stamp, a coordinated nationwide law enforcement operation that targeted medical professionals who participated in fraudulent telemedicine schemes.
Assistant Chief Rebecca Yuan and Trial Attorney Chris Wenger of the National Rapid Response Strike Force of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Mexican National Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Prison for Laundering $5.5MRead the Press Release
A Mexican national was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison and three years of supervised release for his role in the collection of drug proceeds in the United States and the repatriation of those proceeds or their equivalent value to Mexico as part of a money laundering conspiracy.
According to court documents, Jose Manuel Martinez Gomez, also known as Meno, 52, of Guadalajara, Mexico, served as a “money broker” in an organization that conspired with drug traffickers to launder money for them in Mexico. Martinez personally brokered contracts to launder approximately $5.5 million and used a network of co-conspirators to pick up the drug proceeds all over the United States. Martinez then directed the transfer of the funds to Mexico via cryptocurrency and kept a percentage for himself as a fee.
As a direct result of the money laundering contracts brokered by Martinez, The Drug Enforcement Administration Lexington Field Office and its partners seized approximately 3 kilograms of fentanyl, 52.77 kilograms of cocaine, 7,078.63 kilograms of unconverted methamphetamine in the form of charcoal lumps, 170 gallons of unconverted methamphetamine in the form of coconut oil, 140 kilograms of methamphetamine and 15 gallons of liquid methamphetamine. The DEA also seized $1,352,160 in bulk U.S. currency.
The DEA Lexington Resident Office investigated the case, working closely with the Detroit Field Division and Rocky Mountain Field Division and assisted by DEA offices in Mexico, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Birmingham, Chicago, Cincinnati, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Louisville, Baltimore, Des Moines, Milwaukee, Portland, Columbia, and Rapid City, with the IRS Criminal Investigation Division.
Trial Attorney Elizabeth R. Rabe of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Deputy Criminal Chief Gary Todd Bradbury of the Eastern District of Kentucky prosecuted this case.
Mexican National Sentenced to 100 Months in Prison for Laundering $5.4 millionRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Today, a Mexican national was sentenced to 100 months in prison for his role in arranging for the collection of drug proceeds in the United States and the repatriation of the proceeds, or their equivalent value, to Mexico as part of a money laundering conspiracy.
According to court documents, Jose Manuel Martinez Gomez, a/k/a Meño, served as a “money broker” in an organization that aided the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) by collecting, laundering, and repatriating drug proceeds generated in the United States to the cartel in Mexico. Martinez personally arranged for the laundering of $5,462,289 that was proceeds of drug trafficking crimes. Martinez used a network of co-conspirators to pick up those drug proceeds all over the United States. After money was delivered in the United States, Mr. Martinez provided instructions for the transfer of those funds via cryptocurrency, including providing a cryptocurrency wallet address, or a bank account. Martinez worked for “commissions,” or a percentage of the money laundered successfully.
As a direct result of the money laundering contracts brokered by Martinez, DEA Lexington and its domestic partners seized a staggering quantity of drugs, including approximately 3 kilograms of fentanyl, 52.77 kilograms of cocaine, 7,078.63 kilograms of unconverted methamphetamine in the form of charcoal lumps, 170 gallons of unconverted methamphetamine in the form of coconut oil, 140 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 15 gallons of liquid methamphetamine. DEA also seized $1,352,160 in bulk U.S. currency.
“The successful prosecution of Martinez disrupted the flow of vital drug proceeds back to CJNG, and removed substantial quantities of dangerous drugs from American communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Paul McCaffrey. “While the fight against cartel-sourced drug trafficking is far from over, today’s result is a step in the right direction, and is a testament to our law enforcement partners’ collaboration and constant commitment to justice.”
“Jose Manuel Martinez Gomez helped Mexican drug traffickers to wash their ill-gotten gains from the sale of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl in U.S. neighborhoods and communities,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
“This prosecution should serve as a warning of the Department of Justice’s focus on holding to account anyone who seeks to help launder cartel’s money and underpins a system that delivers dangerous drugs that destroy our neighborhoods and communities.”
“The Drug Enforcement Administration will continue to use every tool at our disposal to disrupt the flow of drugs across our borders and the flow of money back to Mexico by cartel operatives and bring these individuals to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott, head of DEA’s Louisville Division. “I want to thank all of our law enforcement partners in this case and commend them for their dedication to public safety.”
On March 7, Martinez pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and concealment money laundering.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Lexington Resident Office investigated the case, working closely with the Detroit Field Division and Rocky Mountain Field Division, and assisted by DEA offices in Mexico, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Birmingham, Chicago, Cincinnati, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Louisville, Baltimore, Des Moines, Milwaukee, Portland, Columbia, and Rapid City, as well as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation Division.
Deputy Criminal Chief Todd Bradbury of the Eastern District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Elizabeth R. Rabe of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and other transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
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Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Mexican national unlawfully residing in New Bedford has pleaded guilty to one count of illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Bernardo Lorenzo-Guatemala, 38, pleaded guilty on June 24, 2025 to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. He was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in May 2025.
Lorenzo-Guatemala was deported from the United States on June 4, 2019. Sometime after his removal, Lorenzo-Guatemala unlawfully reentered the United States. immigration officials became aware of Lorenzo-Guatemala’s unlawful presence in the United States following his arrest on July 2, 2024 for operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sullivan of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering the US After a Prior RemovalRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Mexican national pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to illegally reentering the U.S. after a prior removal.
According to court records, on May 10, 2025, Miguel Gomez-Sanchez, 45, was arrested by the Maine State Police for operating under the influence on I-95. Agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) determined Gomez-Sanchez had previously been removed from the U.S. several times. He was most recently removed in 2022 after being convicted for illegally reentering the U.S. after a prior removal.
Gomez-Sanchez faces a maximum prison term of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
ICE-ERO investigated the case.
Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
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Members of Violent ‘21st and Vietnam’ Crew Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking, ShootingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jamiek Bassil, 32, and Charles Manson, 34, of the District of Columbia, were sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 135 months in prison and 175 months, respectively, for their roles in the violent 21st and Vietnam drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl, crack cocaine, and other drugs in Northeast Washington, D.C., and elsewhere, and, in Manson’s case, for a March 2024 shooting near 19th and I Streets NE. The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Bassil, aka “Onion,” pleaded guilty on March 21, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. In addition to the 135-month prison term, Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Bassil to serve five years of supervised release.
Manson, aka “Cheese,” pleaded guilty on March 21, 2025, to multiple counts: conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and assault with a dangerous weapon. In addition to the 170-month prison term, Judge Howell ordered Manson to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Bassil and Manson were members of the “21st and Vietnam” crew, which controlled an open-air drug market and distributed narcotics in the area of the 2100 block of Maryland Avenue, NE.
Bassil repeatedly sold significant quantities of fentanyl – as much as roughly 80 grams at a time -- to undercover law enforcement between January and March 2024.
Manson sold narcotics directly to customers and was captured on surveillance video engaging in hand-to-hand drug transactions. During the conspiracy, Manson also participated in multiple controlled drug sales to law enforcement.
In a March 7, 2024, Manson was the gunman in a shooting. Manson was with several co-conspirators adjacent to an apartment building on the 1900 block of I Street that was the base of the conspiracy’s operations. A person walked by with their dog. Members of the crew had a verbal altercation with the dogwalker. Manson then went into the crew’s stash house in the apartment building. A crew member handed Manson a ski mask. Manson exited the apartment building wearing the mask and armed with a gun. Manson fired several rounds in the direction of the dogwalker. Neither the dogwalker nor the dog were hit.
On May 15, 2024, investigators arrested Manson at his residence on the 1900 block of I Street, NE. Law enforcement recovered a Glock 17 pistol loaded with 22 rounds of 9mm ammunition. They also recovered a handgun magazine, a box of ammunition, about 50 grams of fentanyl analogue, about 13.88 grams of cocaine, and assorted drug paraphernalia.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This investigation was a multi-agency effort between the Violent Crime Investigations Team of the Violent Crime Suppression Division of the Metropolitan Police Department, the FBI Washington Field Office’s Cross-Border Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division, the District of Columbia National Guard Counter Drug Program, and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Duvall and Solomon Eppel of the Violent Crime Reduction and Narcotics Trafficking Section.
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Massachusetts Man to Serve 18 Months for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Massachusetts man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for trafficking fentanyl into Maine.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Alvin Dorsey, 39, to 18 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty on January 24, 2025.
According to court records, in June 2023, a confidential source of information working at the direction of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arranged the purchase of two “sticks” (i.e., 20 grams) of fentanyl from a drug dealer who was the target of a federal investigation. Ultimately, it was Dorsey who showed up in Biddeford bearing the drug order, and who consummated the transaction with the informant. Dorsey was later charged by a grand jury with distributing fentanyl, leading to his arrest and prosecution.
DEA investigated the case, with support provided by the DEA Airport Group, the Massachusetts State Police Airport Group, and the Biddeford Police Department.
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Marrero Woman Guilty of Cares Act FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, LINDA TRIGGS (“TRIGGS”), age 73, a resident of Marrero, pleaded guilty to making a false statement related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(2).
On March 27, 2020, the President of the United States signed into law the CARES Act, which provided emergency assistance, administered by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), to small business owners affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. One of the primary sources of funding for small businesses was the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
According to the charging documents, on or about April 18, 2021, TRIGGS, on behalf of a non-profit corporation that she owned, made false statements to an approved lender to obtain approximately $59,065 for PPP loans.
TRIGGS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five (5) years, a fine of up to $250,000, a period of supervised release of up to three years, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. United States District Judge Brandon S. Long will sentence TRIGGS on September 30, 2025.
For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Reed of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Local Union President Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A former president of a local union chapter representing employees of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court in Portland to wire fraud and making false written statements.
According to court records, Kyle Chasse, 38, embezzled over $10,000 in union funds between 2020 and 2022, while serving as the union’s president. As part of the scheme, Chasse withdrew cash and made debit purchases using the union’s bank account, all without authorization by the union. The debit transactions included purchases from bars, restaurants, vending machines, and other businesses. Chasse made false statements to cover up his fraudulent use of the funds. These false statements included a union financial disclosure form filed with the federal government, in which Chasse misrepresented the amount of money he had received from the union.
Chasse faces up to 20 years of imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000, and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Office of Labor-Management Standards of the U.S. Department of Labor investigated the case.
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Lawyers, Law Firm, and Claims Adjuster Pay $75,000 to Resolve Allegation They Unlawfully Avoided Obligation Owed to U.S. Department of Veterans AffairsRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced today that federal authorities had reached a $75,000 settlement with two Milwaukee-area attorneys, Alex Eichhorn and Scott Wade, the law firm Tabak Law LLC, and workers’ compensation insurance claims adjuster Gallagher Bassett Services, Inc., all of whom were alleged to have unlawfully sought to avoid paying over money owed to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The settlement resolves the government’s claims in United States v. Eichhorn et al., Case Number 25-cv-584, which the United States Attorney’s Office filed in the Eastern District of Wisconsin this past April.
Court records reveal the following. The VA had provided substantial medical care to one of our Nation’s military veterans, treating (free of charge to the veteran) a condition the veteran sustained while employed in the private sector. According to the government’s complaint, Attorney Eichhorn represented the veteran in his workers’ compensation proceedings against the private-sector employer and its insurers. As part of that representation, Attorney Eichhorn requested medical records from the VA. Upon learning of the workers’ compensation claim, the VA promptly asserted its right to recover its medical expenses under the Federal Medical Care Recovery Act, 42 U.S.C. § 2651(a) and 38 U.S.C. § 1729(a) (“FMCRA”).
Attorney Eichhorn later negotiated a settlement of the workers’ compensation claim with counsel for Gallagher Bassett, Attorney Wade. Despite having received written notice of the VA’s claim, the two sides ultimately reached a deal whereby the veteran would accept the “risk” that the VA would enforce its FMCRA claim, in exchange for $90,000, of which $75,000 was earmarked for medical expenses.
The government’s complaint alleges that although Attorney Eichhorn assured an administrative law judge with the state workers’ compensation board that the settlement proceeds would be used to satisfy the VA’s claim, his law firm, Tabak Law LLC, immediately disbursed the settlement funds from its client trust account to itself (as an unearned attorney’s fee) and its client. After the VA learned about the settlement months later, the defendants failed to make good-faith efforts to resolve the claim and instead took further steps to avoid their obligations under the FMCRA. As a result, the United States filed suit in April, alleging a variety of causes of action under the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3729(a), as well as common law theories of recovery.
The United States refers members of the public, particularly members of the workers’ compensation bar, to its regulations and guidance concerning attorneys’ and veterans’ responsibilities under the FMCRA. See 28 C.F.R. § 43.2; see also Dep’t of Veterans Affairs, Notification, Cooperation and Affirmative Verification, or E-Verification, in Claims Arising Tort Liability and Third-Party Liability, 88 Fed. Reg. 8344 (Feb. 8, 2023). Individuals who are aware of evidence of persons avoiding FMCRA obligations owed to the government are encouraged to voluntarily disclose such evidence to their district’s U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Aaron R. Wegrzyn represented the government in connection with this matter, with assistance from D’Anthony Graham and the Revenue Law Group in the VA’s Office of General Counsel.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
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Keene Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for His Role in the Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Keene man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for his role in sexually exploiting a minor female victim under the age of 12-years-old to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM), Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Paul Baird, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Steven J. McAuliffe to 300 months in federal prison and 20 years of supervised release. In March 2025, Baird pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the production of child sexual abuse material.
“The defendant committed an appalling betrayal of trust by abusing a child in his care to produce sexually exploitative material,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack. “Yesterday’s lengthy sentence reflects the gravity of his crimes and ensures that he will not be able to harm other children. This office has zero tolerance for crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children.”
"Yesterday’s sentencing of Paul Baird underscores our staunch commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society. The heinous acts committed by Baird are a stark reminder of the critical importance of our work in combating child exploitation,” said Special agent in charge of HSI New England Michael J. Krol. “HSI New England, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, will continue to pursue justice for victims and ensure that perpetrators of such abhorrent crimes are held accountable.”
According to the court documents and statements made in court, on or about January 29, 2024, Paul Baird illegally engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a minor female victim he was babysitting for the purpose of producing a CSAM. He took at least one sexually explicit photograph of the minor victim’s genitalia and shared three sexually explicit images of the minor victim on a dark website dedicated to CSAM.
At the time of his arrest, Paul Baird was employed as a bus driver by the Student Transportation of America, which is a school transportation company that services the Contoocook Valley (ConVal) School District.
The Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. The Keene Police Department provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski prosecuted the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
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KC Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Trafficking Methamphetamine, and Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and for knowingly being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Travis N. Black, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Stephen R. Bough to 96 months for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and for knowingly being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced to an additional 24 months for violating his conditions of federal supervision for a prior federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The Court ordered the sentences to run consecutively for a total sentence of 120 months in federal prison without parole. The Court also sentenced Black to three years of supervised release following his incarceration.
On Feb. 13, 2025, Black waived indictment and pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and one count of knowingly being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On Nov. 7, 2023, Kansas City, Missouri Police Department officers observed a Ford Expedition that had been previously reported as stolen on Oct. 13, 2023. Black was in the driver’s seat with a female passenger. While officers were trying to confirm that the vehicle was stolen, in an apparent effort to evade the officers, Black crashed the Ford Expedition into some trees near 5519 North Cypress Avenue, Kansas City, Clay County, Missouri.
When officers arrived at the scene of the crash, Black and the female were no longer present. A citizen contacted law enforcement officials and reported that two unknown individuals were in his yard and he provided the address. Officers went to the reported location and observed a male, later identified as Black, and a female run to a vehicle that was later identified as an Uber ride. Officers arrested Black and the female. While conducting an inventory search of the wrecked Ford Expedition, officers discovered a storage box on the front driver’s seat that contained approximately 70 grams of methamphetamine and a Taurus, Model 85, .38 Special caliber, revolver that was loaded with two rounds of ammunition. The Kansas City, Missouri Police Department Crime Laboratory later analyzed genetic material taken from a swab of the trigger of the firearm and compared it to a known DNA sample taken from Black. The comparative analysis tended to show that Black’s DNA was on the recovered firearm.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
KC Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
Jose Amparan, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
On Nov. 20, 2024, Amparan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Amparan was a source of supply of fentanyl pills for co-defendant Tiger Draggoo. Based upon text messages from seized cell phones and Cash App records, it was determined that Tiger Draggoo purchased at least 22,364 pills from co-defendants, including Amparan. Tiger Draggoo paid $34,363 through Cash App and an unknown amount via cash. Of this amount, Amparan sold at least 3,000 pills to Tiger Draggoo over 15 separate transactions, between approximately Dec. 10, 2022, through approximately Jan. 14, 2023. Amparan was paid approximately $4,835 through Cash App and an additional amount via cash for these transactions. Amparan and Tiger Draggoo conspired to conceal and disguise the nature of the transfer of funds through Cash App by referring to the payments being for items such as “groceries,” “reimbursement,” and “car work.”
On Jan. 10, 2023, a confidential informant purchased 500 counterfeit M30 pills containing fentanyl for $1,750 from Amparan and another.
Amparan and his co-defendants have all pleaded guilty in this case, with only, Tiger Draggoo, left to be sentenced at a later date.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Belton, Mo., Police Department, the Raymore, Mo., Police Department, the Cass County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the FBI.
Justice Department Opens Investigation into the University of California System for Race- and Sex-Based Employment PracticesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation into the University of California (UC) system, including its individual campuses, concerning potential race- and sex-based discrimination in university employment practices.
The University of California’s “UC 2030 Capacity Plan” directs its campuses to hire “diverse” faculty members to meet race- and sex-based employment quotas. These initiatives openly measure new hires by their race and sex, which potentially runs afoul of federal law. The Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section will investigate whether the University of California is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race, sex, and other protected characteristics, pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“Public employers are bound by federal laws that prohibit racial and other employment discrimination,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Institutional directives that use race- and sex-based hiring practices expose employers to legal risk under federal law.”
The notice letter is available here.
Jury Convicts Little Rock Man for Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A federal jury convicted a Little Rock man who illegally possessed with intent to distribute approximately a quarter pound of fentanyl and five guns. Following a two-day trial and after just over an hour of deliberation, the jury convicted Montrell Austin, 41, of multiple federal drug and firearm crimes.
On November 6, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment against Austin that charged him with the three counts he took to trial.
The jury returned the verdict Tuesday evening to Chief United States District Court Judge Kristine G. Baker, who will sentence Austin at a later date. Austin was taken into federal custody at the conclusion of the trial. The statutory penalty for possession with intent to deliver over 40 grams but less than 400 grams of fentanyl is not less than 5 years but not more than 40 years’ imprisonment. Since Austin was also convicted of committing the fentanyl offense after a previous conviction for a serious drug offense, he is subject to an enhanced penalty of not less than 10 years, but not more than life imprisonment. Austin faces not more than 10 years’ imprisonment for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and not less than five years’ imprisonment for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which must be served consecutive to any other sentence.
The evidence presented at trial showed that in October of 2021, Little Rock Police Department (LRPD) narcotics detectives began investigating information about narcotics sales from a shop on Geyer Springs Road in Southwest Little Rock. Detectives identified Austin as one of the individuals who frequented, and possibly ran, the location. The investigation led to the execution of a search warrant on November 9, 2021, during which detectives located six guns—three of which were AR-style pistols, nearly a quarter pound of fentanyl, a brick press, scales, mixing equipment, and over $10,000 in U.S. currency. Austin, who was at the building during the search, was arrested at the scene and later questioned. In a written statement, Austin claimed that everything in the shop was his, including the guns and drugs.
Previously, a co-defendant, Tarik Slater, 26, who is also a felon, claimed ownership of one of the guns and pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm before Chief Judge Baker. On January 11, 2025, Chief Judge Baker sentenced Slater to 30 months in federal prison.
The drug offense carries additional penalties of up to a $5,000,000 fine and at least four years of supervised release. The firearm offenses include penalties of up to a $250,000 fine and up to five years of supervised release.
The investigation was conducted by LRPD, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Eldridge and Julie Peters prosecuted the case.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
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Iranian Man Arrested in Austin for Immigration ViolationsRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – An Iranian national was arrested Wednesday in Austin on criminal charges related to his alleged failure to deport.
According to court documents, Jamil Bahlouli, 32, was issued a final order of removal in 2020 for being illegally present in the U.S. He self-deported to Canada in October 2021. Bahlouli was again found to be in the U.S. illegally in December 2023. He was convicted in Montana for illegal entry in January 2024 and sentenced to time served. His final order of removal from 2020 was reinstated and he was released into the U.S., scheduled to report in person to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office in San Antonio on or about Jan. 23, 2024. The criminal complaint filed on June 25, 2025, alleges that Bahlouli did not report as scheduled.
A deportation officer located Bahlouli in Austin on Wednesday and identified him as a previously removed alien. The criminal complaint alleges that deportation officers went to Bahlouli’s residence, encountered him in the doorway of his residence, and attempted to arrest him. The complaint alleges Bahlouli refused to be arrested and slammed the door on the deportation officers, remaining inside his residence and refusing to exit. His alleged actions were designed to prevent or hamper his deportation and departure pursuant to the outstanding final order of removal.
Bahlouli is charged with one count of failure to deport. If convicted, he faces up to four years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
ICE is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Henneke is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Iowa City Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Federal Prison for Firearm and Ammunition ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – An Iowa City man was sentenced on June 26, 2025, to 120 in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, O’Sean Dentale Horton, 29, possessed two loaded pistols, a distribution quantity of marijuana, and drug paraphernalia in December 2020, within two backpacks found at Horton’s sister’s residence. In May 2023, Horton was witnessed on surveillance video shooting at another person multiple times in an apartment complex parking lot in Coralville and left behind .40 caliber shell casings. Horton was on probation in the Iowa District Court for Johnson County for failure to affix a drug tax stamp at the time he committed these offenses.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Horton will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa City Police Department, University of Iowa Police Department, Johnson County Drug Task Force, Johnson County Special Emergency Response Team, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
International Arms Dealer Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Export Firearms to RussiaRead the Press Release
Yesterday in federal court in Brooklyn, Sergei Zharnovnikov, 46, of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit export violations. The defendant exported firearms and ammunition worth over $1.5 million from the United States to Russia, in violation of U.S. law. When sentenced, Zharnovnikov faces up to 20 years in prison.
“By his own admission, Zharnovnikov willfully violated U.S. export controls to smuggle American-made firearms into Russia,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to disrupt illicit arms networks and prosecute those who illegally transfer U.S. weaponry abroad.”
“The defendant admitted that he purchased American-made, military-grade firearms and re-exported them to Russia,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella for the Eastern District of New York. “Today’s guilty plea is the culmination of extensive investigative work, showing that this office will not allow merchants of lethal weapons and Russia to flout U.S. sanctions.”
According to court filings and statements made during the plea proceeding, the defendant is the owner of an arms dealer located in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyzstan Company-1). Since at least March 2020, the defendant, together with others, has conspired to export firearms controlled by the U.S. Department of Commerce from the United States to Russia. The defendant exported $1,582,836.52 worth of U.S.-manufactured firearms and ammunition from the United States to Russia without the required licenses from the Department of Commerce. In one transaction, he entered into a five‑year, $900,000 contract with a company in the United States (U.S. Company‑1) to purchase and export U.S. Company-1 firearms to Kyrgyzstan. The Department of Commerce issued a license for U.S. Company-1 to export firearms to Kyrgyzstan Company-1. The license, however, explicitly prohibited the export or re-export of the firearms to Russia. Nevertheless, the defendant exported and re-exported U.S. Company‑1 firearms, including semi‑automatic hybrid rifle-pistols, to Russia via Kyrgyzstan without the necessary approvals.
According to an export filing, in connection with the defendant’s contract with U.S. Company-1, U.S. Company-1 exported semi-automatic rifles from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Kyrgyzstan Company-1 on or about July 10, 2022. On or about Nov. 14, 2022, the General Director of a Russian company — a client of the defendant — executed a tax form listing the same semi‑automatic rifle‑pistols that U.S. Company‑1 had exported to Kyrgyzstan Company‑1, the defendant’s company. The defendant did not apply for, obtain, or possess a license to export or re-export the semi‑automatic pistol-rifles to Russia.
Zharnovnikov traveled from Kyrgyzstan to the United States on or about Jan. 18, 2025. The defendant traveled to Las Vegas, where he attended the Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show to meet with U.S. arms dealers.
The FBI New York Field Office and Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security Office of Export Enforcement are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen H. Sise for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Litigation Analyst Rebecca Roth of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
Indictment Charges Danbury Man with Meth Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Wallingford Police Chief John Ventura today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging BRANDT MENDELSON, 30, of Danbury, with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.
The indictment was returned on June 17, 2025, and Mendelson was arrested yesterday. He was released on a $100,000 bond.
As alleged in the indictment and statements made in court, on January 18, 2025, Wallingford Police stopped a vehicle Mendelson was driving and arrested him for driving under the influence. At the time of his arrest, Mendelson possessed numerous counterfeit Adderall pills that contained methamphetamine and were packaged to be shipped through the U.S. Mail.
If convicted of the charge, Mendelson faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Wallingford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile.
Illegal alien sentenced to 60 months for illegally reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 33-year-old Honduran national who resided in Houston has been sentenced for illegally entering the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Denis Hernandez-Cruz pleaded guilty April 11.
U.S. District Judge Charles R. Eskridge has now ordered Hernandez-Cruz to serve 60 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Hernandez-Cruz needed a substantial sentence to deter him from illegally reentering again.
Hernandez-Cruz has felony convictions for illegal reentry as well as two convictions for burglary of a habitation. He has three prior removals from the United States, most recently in April 2020.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Franklyn prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Houston personal injury lawyer pleads guilty to defrauding clientsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A former attorney has entered a guilty plea for conspiring to commit mail fraud and filing a false tax return, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei.
Clyde J. Moore admitted to defrauding clients out of millions of dollars in personal injury settlement funds. Between 2012 and 2021, Moore and others at his firm, including Mark Broussard misled clients about medical expenses and diverted money for personal use. Moore ran the scheme through his firm, Clyde J. Moore Attorney at Law P.C.
To carry out the fraud, Moore and others inflated medical costs and falsely told injured clients the firm had paid certain providers more than it actually had. As a result, clients received a reduced share of their settlements.
Moore funneled the skimmed funds from the firm’s trust account into personal expenses. He used the money to buy two Ferrari sports cars, pay private school tuition for his children and fund an investment account. Moore also shared stolen funds with Broussard and other members of the firm who helped carry out the scheme.
Losses from the fraud totaled approximately $2.4 million.
As part of his plea, Moore will pay restitution to the IRS of over $500,000, representing taxes owed from years of false tax returns that intentionally understated his income. In addition, he has agreed to compensate his clients for the fraud in an amount the court will determine at a later date.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks will impose sentencing Sept. 8. At that time, Moore faces a maximum five-year possible prison term for the conspiracy and up to three years for tax fraud. Both convictions also carry a potential $250,000 fine.
Broussard had previously pleaded guilty to the same charges and is also pending sentencing.
IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Johnson is prosecuting this case.