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Wednesday 14 May 2025
Illegal Alien with Prior Sex Assault of a Child Conviction Sentenced to 35 Months in Federal Prison for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
An illegal alien from Mexico, previously convicted of sexually assaulting a teenage girl, was sentenced to 35 months in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Enrique Campos-Gomez, 45, was indicted in November 2024 and pled guilty in January 2025 to illegally reentering the United States after he was deported by immigration authorities in 2014. He was sentenced on Thursday, May 8, to 35 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Jane Boyle.
At Thursday’s sentencing hearing, prosecutors argued that Campos-Gomez was a danger to the community based on his violent criminal history, which included a 2008 Dallas County conviction for domestic violence, followed by multiple criminal violations of a protective order obtained by the same domestic-assault victim in 2008 and 2009, as well as his 2013 Dallas County conviction for sexually assaulting a fifteen-year-old girl. Campos-Gomez also failed to register as a sex offender, as he was required to do by federal law.
“This case highlights the continuing need to protect the public from offenders with violent tendencies who should not be in the United States in the first place,” said Acting United States Attorney Chad E. Meacham. “Individuals such as these attempting to hide illegally in this country will be found and brought to justice.”
“ICE and our federal law enforcement partners have an unrelenting commitment of protecting minors and other at-risk members in our society,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas acting Field Office Director Josh Johnson. “Criminal aliens like this one who repeatedly prey on our children are not welcome in our communities. We will track them down and remove them to ensure the safety of those who cannot protect themselves.”
ICE conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katy Garner prosecuted the case.
Hugo Resident Sentenced for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jeffery Scott Pinkston, age 40, of Hugo, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 37 months in prison for one count of Possession of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
On November 14, 2024, Pinkston pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, from November 2022 until June 2024, Pinkston knowingly possessed visual depictions of a minor under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct, which Pinkston accessed intending to view.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
We encourage anyone who suspects or has information regarding child sexual exploitation, trafficking of minors, sextortion, child pornography, or any other means of child exploitation to immediately contact law enforcement. You can file a report through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-843-5678 or online at www.cybertipline.com, through the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or through Homeland Security Investigations at 1-877-4-HSI TIP.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Pinkston will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Pippin represented the United States.
Houston custom home builder heads to prison for misusing construction fundsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 40-year-old Houston man has been sentenced for wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Brett Michael Detamore pleaded guilty Aug. 23, 2024.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks has now ordered Detamore to serve 51 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a total of $2.3 million in restitution to over 10 victims. At the hearing, the court heard additional testimony from several victims who described how Detamore had abused their trust and devastated them financially.
Detamore, operating as a custom home builder under Detamore Development LLC, fraudulently obtained at least $1.5 million for his personal use as a result of misusing funds intended for the construction of private residences.
Detamore submitted false and fraudulent invoices to banks holding construction loans for single-family residences he was contracted to build. The false invoices caused the banks to send funds to bank accounts Detamore controlled. He then used the funds for his personal benefit.
He was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the West University Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Lansden and Suzanne Elmilady prosecuted the case.
Honduran National Guilty of Re-Entry of Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – EDGARDO AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ (“AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ”) , age 29, a native of Honduras, pled guilty on May 13, 2025, to an indictment charging him with re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson. His sentencing is set for June 17, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Brandon S. Long.
According to court documents, AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ re-entered the United States after being previously deported on June 8, 2018. On December 22, 2024, AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ, was booked into the Orleans Justice Center after being arrested for several state charges. Thereafter, on March 5, 2023, The Pacific Enforcement Response Center issued a detainer for AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ, after he was arrested in Jefferson Parish on municipal and traffic attachments. Enforcement and Removal Operations New Orleans picked up AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ, on March 7, 2025, after his release from local custody and turned him over to immigration authorities.
EDGARDO AMADOR-RODRIGUEZ faces up to two years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
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).
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Hancock County Man Admits to Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Lawrence James Reagan, age 40, of Colliers, West Virginia, has admitted to the distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Reagan, also known as “Larry,” sold methamphetamine in Hancock County.
Reagan faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Hancock/Brooke/Weirton Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Grants Pass Man Charged in Federal Court for Trafficking Fentanyl and Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
MEDFORD, Ore.—A Grants Pass, Oregon, man is facing federal charges for trafficking fentanyl and illegally possessing a firearm, announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Christopher Smith, 38, has been charged by criminal complaint with possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to the complaint, approximately one year ago, investigators with the Rogue Area Drug Enforcement (RADE) task force and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) obtained information that Smith was actively distributing fentanyl throughout Josephine County, Oregon from his residence in Grants Pass. On May 9, 2025, investigators executed a state search warrant on Smith’s residence where they located and seized approximately 400 grams of fentanyl, two digital scales with fentanyl residue, two 3D printers, two ghost guns, 74 additional firearms, and an unmarked firearm suppressor. Smith was present during the search and placed under arrest.
Smith made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge.
This case was investigated by RADE and DEA and is being prosecuted by John C. Brassell, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
RADE a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force supported by the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. RADE includes members from Oregon State Police, the Grants Pass Police Department, Josephine County Probation & Parole, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives.Grand Jury Returns Four IndictmentsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation, and a person named as defendant in an indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
MINOCQUA MAN CHARGED WITH WIRE FRAUD AND MONEY LAUNDERING
Cory Kromray, 39, Minocqua, Wisconsin, is charged with eight counts of wire fraud and two counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity. The indictment alleges that between September 2018 and April 2025, Kromray accepted money from investors and promised to use their funds to trade stocks, mutual funds, cryptocurrency, and foreign currency exchange market, for the benefit of the investor. However, the indictment alleges that Kromray failed to invest the money as promised and he used the majority of the money for his own purposes.
If convicted, Kromray faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the wire fraud charges. Kromray faces a maximum of 10 years in prison on the charges of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity.
The charges against him are the result of an investigation conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Aaron Wegner is handling the case.
MADISON MAN CHARGED WITH TRAFFICKING COCAINE AND HEROIN
Timothy Clark, 62, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with distributing cocaine and heroin and possessing cocaine intended for distribution. The indictment alleges that from February 28, 2025, to April 2, 2025, Clark distributed cocaine and heroin, and on April 24, 2025, he possessed cocaine and cocaine base intended for distribution. The indictment additionally alleges Clark used a premises in Madison for the purpose of distributing drugs from February 28, 2025, to April 24, 2025.
If convicted, Clark faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The charges against him are the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Madison Police Department, Dane County Narcotics Task Force, and ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, which consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Ayala is handling the case.
SUN PRAIRIE MAN CHARGED WITH ILLEGALLY POSSESSING FIREARM
Kordarow Moore, 35, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing a firearm as a felon. The indictment alleges that on September 22, 2024, Moore, knowing he had previously been convicted of an offense punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year, knowingly possessed a loaded Century Arms 39mm pistol.
If convicted, Moore faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
The charge against him is the result of an investigation conducted by the Wisconsin State Patrol, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force also assisted with the investigation. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Reinhard is handling 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).
BELOIT MAN CHARGED WITH TAKING UNDELIVERED MAIL
Cale Tinder, 36, Beloit, Wisconsin, is charged with detaining and opening U.S. mail while employed as a U.S. Postal Service employee. The indictment alleges that Tinder took letters, cards and items sent through the mail that he was entrusted to deliver, opening some of the items and storing the undelivered mail at his home in Beloit. The indictment alleges that Tinder engaged in this activity from on or about February 8, 2024, to August 28, 2024.
If convicted, Tinder faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.
The charge against him is the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Anderson is handling the case.
Fresno-Based Community Health System Agree to Pay $31.5 Million to Resolve Allegations of False Claims Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
Community Health System and its affiliate Physician Network Advantage Inc. have agreed to pay $31.5 million to the United States to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act based on financial benefits provided to referring physicians, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced today. Community Health System operates in Fresno County and includes hospitals Community Regional Medical Center and Clovis Community Medical Center.
“We cannot allow medical decisions to be distorted by kickback schemes or efforts to buy physicians’ loyalty with lucrative side perks,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Beckwith. “This settlement demonstrates this Office’s commitment to ensuring that patients’ best interests remain paramount.”
The civil settlement announced today resolves allegations that Community Health System and Physician Network Advantage Inc. (PNA) provided several types of extravagant benefits to induce physicians in the Fresno area to refer their patients to Community facilities for medical services, in violation of the False Claims Act. PNA is a health care technology business formed and funded by Community to support Fresno-area physicians’ adoption of the electronic health records platform used by Community. The United States contends that PNA also played a key role in securing business for Community by unlawful means. In a custom-built lounge located on premises at PNA’s offices, known as HQ2, PNA provided expensive wine, liquor, cigars, and meals to referring physicians, with the knowledge and funding of Community.
The settlement also resolves allegations that Community and PNA provided financial subsidies for electronic health records technology and equipment used by certain physicians in their private offices in return for the referral of governmental health care program patients to Community. Further, the settlement resolves allegations that Community paid bonuses to certain physicians ostensibly for participation in clinical integration activities, when the real purpose of the bonuses was to reward referrals.
The United States contends that these financial benefits violated the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, resulting in false claims for the medical services referred by physicians receiving the benefits, that were submitted to governmental health care programs. The United States also contends that the conduct described above created financial relationships with referring physicians under the Physician Self-Referral Law (known as the “Stark Law”). The Stark Law seeks to safeguard the integrity of the Medicare program by prohibiting a hospital from billing for certain services referred by physicians with whom the hospital has a financial relationship, unless that relationship satisfies one of the law’s statutory or regulatory exceptions, which the United States contends were not met.
“Kickback arrangements aimed at improperly influencing medical decisions will remain a top investigative priority for our agency,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Robb R. Breeden of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This settlement demonstrates HHS-OIG’s commitment to identifying and holding accountable those who engage in unlawful financial relationships at the expense of Medicare patients and the taxpayer.”
In connection with the settlement, Community entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with HHS-OIG that requires, among other conditions, the implementation of a risk assessment and internal review process designed to identify and address evolving compliance risks. The Corporate Integrity Agreement also requires an independent review organization to annually assess the policies and systems to track arrangements with some referral sources.
The settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by relator Michael Terpening. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery from that action. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Terpening v. Fresno Community Hospital and Medical Center, et al., 1:19-CV-01699 (E.D. Cal.). As part of the settlement announced today, Mr. Terpening will receive approximately $5 million.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California and HHS-OIG with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Thiess handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Note: View the settlement here.
2025.05.07_executed_copy_chs_and_pna_settlement.pdfFour Businessmen and Two Companies Charged in Nationwide Telemarketing Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced the unsealing today of a superseding indictment (“the indictment”) charging four businessmen and two companies with conspiracy and wire fraud offenses in connection with their execution of a nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme. The corporate defendants, Bene Market LLC and Seguro Medico LLC, doing business as Quick Health, Q Health, Benefits Now, Express Benefits, and YourBenefits4U (collectively, the “Bene Market Group”), operated a boiler room call center near Reading, Pennsylvania, which peddled discount health and dental plans to consumers through a series of false, misleading, and deceptive sales practices.
The businesses were controlled and managed by the principal architect of the alleged fraud scheme, defendant Alan Redmond, 42, of Wyomissing, Pa., who was supported by senior executives Arthur Walsh, 65, of West Lawn, Pa., and Jesus Barrera, 32, of Dillsburg, Pa., and head sales agent and manager Albert Groff, 44, of Wernersville, Pa.
The 44-page indictment returned by the federal grand jury alleges that, from at least January 2018 through December 2022, the defendants collected tens of millions of dollars in commissions by regularly and systematically deceiving and misleading consumers seeking health insurance through bait-and-switch sales tactics, which included tricking consumers into buying limited benefit plans that provided little or no coverage by falsely representing that the plans provided comprehensive health insurance coverage, also known as “major medical insurance,” or provided coverage equivalent to major medical insurance, when they did not.
As alleged in the indictment, the Bene Market Group paid lead generators for the transfer of live calls with consumers looking to purchase healthcare insurance. Once transferred over, the Bene Market Group employees falsely told consumers that the company was “the national enrollment center for health insurance” and worked as a third-party broker to search and compare health insurance products across the entire marketplace to find the best coverage at the lowest rate. The Bene Market Group also falsely claimed to “work with over 30 of the top A-rated insurance companies” and to sell comprehensive health insurance policies from well-known, blue-chip insurers. In reality, the Bene Market Group did not search the marketplace, did not work with the touted A-rated carriers, and did not even sell major medical insurance. Instead, the Bene Market Group peddled a limited set of discount plans that had lower and more restricted benefits than major medical insurance. In some instances, the limited benefit plans sold by the defendants were not even insurance.
The indictment charges further that, as a result of the defendants’ bait-and-switch scheme, tens of thousands of purchasing consumers were left without insurance coverage for the majority of their medical, dental, and prescription costs. For some consumers with serious health care needs, the lack of coverage from the limited benefit plans sold by the defendants caused financial hardship and left them in significant medical debt in the tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars.
According to the indictment, in order to keep the fraud scheme going, Redmond and the manager defendants used unlicensed sales employees to sell the limited benefit plans; bundled products together to mimic major medical insurance; trained the sales employees with misleading scripts and sales pitches to use on the phones; used a variety of trade names and aliases when selling plans; engaged in “churning” and “policy-flipping” by reselling and upselling existing consumers; omitted and downplayed material restrictions about the limited plans sold; overbilled and double-billed consumers; told consumers to ignore or disregard the verification disclaimers or disclosures; altered recorded sales calls after the fact to deceive regulators; withheld information about the limited benefit plans from sales employees; ignored complaints from consumers, carriers, and regulators; and refused or delayed refunds to consumers.
The indictment charges further that Redmond obscured his control of defendant Seguro Medico by using nominees, including his spouse, and used funds fraudulently obtained from victim purchasers to buy personal properties, commercial properties, jewelry, airline tickets, event tickets, private school tuition, and limousine services. The other manager defendants also received significant payments or distributions, as a result of the fraud scheme.
The indictment further alleges that, between 2019 and 2022, Redmond caused Bene Market and Seguro Medico to withhold over $1.2 million in trust fund taxes from the wages and paychecks of employees, but Redmond did not pay over these withheld amounts to the IRS on behalf of the employees, as required.
If convicted of the conspiracy, wire fraud, and tax offenses, defendant Alan Redmond faces a maximum possible sentence of 635 years’ imprisonment, a five-year period of supervised release, and a $6,750,000 fine, along with restitution and forfeiture of various properties and money. Defendants Arthur Walsh, Jesus Barrera, and Albert Groff each face 600 years’ imprisonment, a five-year period of supervised release, and a $5,000,000 fine, along with restitution and forfeiture.
The case was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Samuel S. Dalke and Mary E. Crawley.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Former U.S. Postal Service employee sentenced to 10 years for attempting to coerce a minorRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A former Anchorage U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in prison and will serve 20 years on supervised release for attempting to entice and coerce a minor.
On Aug. 22, 2024, William Feltovic, 37, messaged an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 13-year-old boy on a social media application. The conversation was immediately sexual in nature, and they switched their communication to text messages. Feltovic texted him and continued the conversation, requesting the “boy’s” age and pictures. He told Feltovic he was 13 years old.
Feltovic then requested to meet with him to engage in sexually explicit conduct. The “boy” said he was at a motel in downtown Anchorage and that his parents were leaving soon. Roughly an hour later, Feltovic arrived at the motel’s parking lot and texted that he was there. Feltovic entered the motel through a backdoor that was propped open and went to the room number sent to him. Law enforcement officers arrested Feltovic as he waited at the doorway and peered into the room.
Law enforcement searched Feltovic’s cell phone and discovered over 110 images and over 50 videos of child sexual abuse material, some depicting infants, toddlers and prepubescent children.
“Mr. Feltovic used an online messaging service to groom and prey on what he thought was a 13-year-old boy to fulfill his perverse desire for sexual gratification with a minor,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “My office will work with law enforcement to find every perpetrator who exploits - or even attempts to exploit - the most vulnerable among us for sexual purposes.”
“This sentencing reflects HSI’s commitment, in coordination with our partners, to target and identify those who prey on children,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Seattle Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Murphy. “Protecting children from abuse is a responsibility that we share as a community to hold individuals who victimize children accountable for their actions, while also working together to prevent abuse.”
“The Alaska State Troopers are committed to protecting Alaska’s children from those who seek to exploit them,” said Colonel Maurice Hughes, Director of the Alaska State Troopers. “This case is a stark reminder that predators will go to great lengths to target our vulnerable youth—but we will go farther to stop them. We’re proud to stand with our federal partners to ensure offenders like this are held accountable for their actions.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Alaska State Troopers and USPS Office of Inspector General, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Schroeder prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Former Postal Employee Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Nearly $2M Worth of Checks from the MailRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Gregory Drake, 35, of Cleveland, has been sentenced to 41 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and theft of mail by a postal employee. The scheme involved stealing checks from the mail and giving them to co-conspirators to alter and deposit at banks.
According to court documents, in May 2022, in Lakewood, Ohio, many businesses began to report a rash of stolen checks that were either mailed in or out of the Lakewood Post Office, which prompted the U.S. Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General (USPS-OIG) to begin an investigation.
During that time and in the months that followed, Drake served as a postal worker in the Lakewood Post Office. Because of his role, he had access to mail that was in the custody of the USPS and was able to identify mail that contained checks. He would then give stolen checks to co-conspirators who would alter, duplicate, or forge them.
On Oct. 6, 2022, USPS-OIG inspectors caught Drake stealing two business checks from the mail.
During the subsequent investigation, authorities discovered that, in total, 127 checks were stolen with a value of $1,988,715.78.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brenna L. Fasko for the Northern District of Ohio.
To report fraud, visit https://www.uspis.gov/report.
Former CEO of Healthcare Services Company Admits Role in Elaborate Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The former chief executive officer of a publicly traded healthcare services company admitted his role in a conspiracy to defraud investors in connection with the purchase or sale of the company’s securities, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Parmjit Parmar, a/k/a “Paul Parmar,” 55, of Colts Neck, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to conspiracy to commit securities fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From May 2015 through September 2017, Parmar and his conspirators, including Sotirios Zaharis, a/k/a “Sam Zaharis,” and Ravi Chivukula orchestrated an elaborate scheme to defraud a private investment firm and others out of hundreds of millions of dollars in connection with the funding of a transaction to take private a healthcare services company (Company A) traded publicly on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market. To fund the transaction, the private investment firm put up approximately $82.5 million and a consortium of financial institutions put up another $130 million, for a total of approximately $212.5 million. The scheme utilized fraudulent methods to grossly inflate the value of Company A and trick others into believing that Company A was worth substantially more than its actual value.
Parmar and the conspirators sought to raise tens of millions of dollars in the public markets, purportedly to fund Company A’s acquisitions of various operating subsidiaries. In actuality, a number of those entities either did not exist or had only a fraction of the operating income attributed to them. The conspirators funneled the proceeds of these secondary offerings through bank accounts they controlled and used the money for a variety of purposes that had nothing to do with acquiring the purported targets. The conspirators went to great lengths to make it appear that these funds were revenue, concocting phony customers and altering bank statements to make it appear as if the funds were coming from customers.
To perpetuate the scheme, Parmar and his conspirators also falsified and fabricated bank records of subsidiary entities in order to generate a phony picture of Company A’s revenue streams and made material misrepresentations and omissions to the private investment firm and others.
Parmar and his conspirators’ actions caused victims to value Company A at more than $300 million for purposes of financing the transaction to take Company A private. The scheme was uncovered in September 2017, when Parmar and his conspirators resigned from their positions with Company A or were terminated. On March 16, 2018, Company A and numerous of its affiliated entities filed for bankruptcy, attributing the company’s financial demise, in large part, to the fraud scheme.
The conspiracy to commit securities fraud charge to which Parmar has plead guilty, carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Pursuant to the terms of his plea agreement, Parmar has also agreed to forfeiture of certain properties and the contents of several bank accounts, and the Court must order that Parmar pays restitution to any victims of his offense.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Driscoll, with assistance from FBI Headquarters Forensic Accountant Support Team.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vinay S. Limbachia, George M. Barchini, and Kelly M. Lyons of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the Indictment with respect to Parmar’s co-defendants, Zaharis and Chivukula, are merely accusations, and Zaharis and Chivukula are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel for Parmar: John H. Hemann, Esq., San Francisco, CA; Andrew D. Goldstein, Victoria R. Pasculli, Alessandra V. Rafalson, Esqs., New York, NY; Anuva V. Ganapathi, Esq., Palo Alto, CA
parmar.indictment.pdfFor the Second Time, Maryland Man Convicted at Trial of Making Violent Threats Against Federal JudgesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Keith Dougherty, 69, of College Park, Maryland, was convicted today at trial of one count of threatening to assault and murder United States judges with the intent to impede, intimidate, and interfere with them while they were engaged in the performance of official duties, and with the intent to retaliate against them on account of their performance of official duties, and three counts of mailing threatening communications.
Dougherty was charged by indictment in July of last year with those offenses.
As detailed in court filings and proven at trial, the defendant has mailed and/or filed motions containing threatening language directed at federal judges, on numerous occasions and in several federal districts. He had already been prosecuted and convicted by a federal jury in December of 2021 for such filings and served a 41-month prison term in that case, followed by a three-year period of supervised release.
Just months into that supervised release, he uttered more threatening communications, so his supervised release was revoked, and he was returned to prison. While back in prison serving the violation sentence, he again mailed and/or filed the same sort of threatening language, resulting in the July 2024 charges and today’s trial conviction.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum possible term of 40 years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine.
“No judge should have to fear that one of their rulings might provoke a violent attack in response,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “Keith Dougherty knows that threatening judges is a crime. He’s already been prosecuted, convicted, and served previous time for sending these vile communications. His behavior is unacceptable, and today’s verdict ensures he’ll answer for it and remain safely behind bars.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph LaBar.
Florida Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for Participating in Violent Danbury KidnappingRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANTHONY PENA, also known as “Tony,” 24, of Miami Gardens, Florida, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 132 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for participating in a violent kidnapping in Danbury last summer.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the late afternoon of August 25, 2024, Danbury Police received multiple 911 calls from witnesses who observed several males assaulting another male and forcing him into a white work van. Responding officers encountered the van on Clapboard Ridge Road, near the intersection of East Gate Road, and attempted to stop it. The van accelerated at a high-rate of speed and crashed approximately one mile away on Cowperthwaite Street. Pena, Angel Borrero, and two associates, all dressed in black, exited the van and fled on foot. Officers arrived at the location of the disabled van and located a male and female victim, both bound with duct tape, in the back of the van. The male victim had significant injuries to his face and arm. Both victims were transported to the hospital for further evaluation. The victims reported that the Lamborghini Urus they were operating was rear-ended by a Honda Civic on Damia Drive in Danbury, and a white work van cut in front of their vehicle. The victims were then forcibly removed from their vehicle, dragged into the van, and bound with duct tape. When the male victim resisted, he was punched in the face and hit repeatedly with a baseball bat, both outside and inside the van, by Pena and others. The victims were told several times that they would be killed.
Pena, Borrero, and the two associates were apprehended in various locations within a quarter-mile radius from where the van crashed. Two other associates, and the Honda Civic, were located at a short-term rental home in Roxbury. A baseball bat was found inside the car. The victims’ Lamborghini, with a blood-stained baseball bat inside the car, was found abandoned in the woods off the roadway on East King Street.
The kidnapping was intended to facilitate the extortion of the victims’ son, who is suspected of participating in the theft of hundreds of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency.
Pena has been detained since his arrest. On January 10, 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy and kidnapping.
Borrero and three others involved in the offense also pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI New Haven Violent Crimes Task Force and the Danbury Police Department. The Task Force includes members from the Connecticut State Police and several local police departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck and John T. Pierpont, Jr.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Danbury for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the United StatesRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL — Last week, a Florida man pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge David A. Baker for the Middle District of Florida to conspiring to defraud the United States by filing false tax returns for clients. The plea must be accepted by a U.S. district court judge.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Diandre Mentor, of Miami, worked for a tax return preparation company between January 2017 and 2019 named Neighborhood Advance Tax (NAT). Mentor and his co-conspirators operated a dozen offices throughout Florida that fraudulently inflated client tax refunds by fabricated deductions on their returns. Mentor and his co-conspirators also held periodic training sessions at which they taught other NAT employees how to prepare fraudulent tax returns.
In 2020, Mentor and his co-conspirators started their own tax return preparation business named Smart Tax & Finance that eventually expanded to 12 franchise locations throughout South and Central Florida. As with Neighborhood Advance Tax, Mentor and his co-conspirators prepared false tax returns for clients, including by fabricating deductions. As before, Mentor and his co-conspirators also taught franchise owners and employees how to prepare false returns for clients.
In total, Mentor caused a tax loss to the IRS of $3,090,077.
Several of Mentor’s co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty. Abryle Y De La Cruz and Emmanual Almonor pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States. Adon Hemley pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and to aiding the preparation and filing of false returns. Isaiah Hayes pleaded guilty to aiding the preparation and filing of false returns. The two remaining co-conspirators, Franklin Carter Jr. and Jonathan Carrillo, are scheduled to go to trial on June 2.
Mentor will be sentenced at a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison as well as 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 General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Michael L. Jones of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Testerman for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the United StatesRead the Press Release
Last week, a Florida man pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge David A. Baker for the Middle District of Florida to conspiring to defraud the United States by filing false tax returns for clients. The plea must be accepted by a U.S. district court judge.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Diandre Mentor, of Miami, worked for a tax return preparation company between January 2017 and 2019 named Neighborhood Advance Tax (NAT). Mentor and his co-conspirators operated a dozen offices throughout Florida that fraudulently inflated client tax refunds by fabricated deductions on their returns. Mentor and his co-conspirators also held periodic training sessions at which they taught other NAT employees how to prepare fraudulent tax returns.
In 2020, Mentor and his co-conspirators started their own tax return preparation business named Smart Tax & Finance that eventually expanded to 12 franchise locations throughout South and Central Florida. As with Neighborhood Advance Tax, Mentor and his co-conspirators prepared false tax returns for clients, including by fabricating deductions. As before, Mentor and his co-conspirators also taught franchise owners and employees how to prepare false returns for clients.
In total, Mentor caused a tax loss to the IRS of $3,090,077.
Several of Mentor’s co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty. Abryle Y De La Cruz and Emmanual Almonor pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States. Adon Hemley pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and to aiding the preparation and filing of false returns. Isaiah Hayes pleaded guilty to aiding the preparation and filing of false returns. The two remaining co-conspirators, Franklin Carter Jr. and Jonathan Carrillo, are scheduled to go to trial on June 2.
Mentor will be sentenced at a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison as well as 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 General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Michael L. Jones of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Testerman for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Florida Financial Advisor Sentenced for Promoting Illegal Tax Shelter and Stealing Client FundsRead the Press Release
A Florida financial advisor was sentenced today to eight years in prison for orchestrating a nearly decade-long scheme to promote an illegal tax shelter and to steal client funds.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Stephen T. Mellinger III, of Delray Beach, was a financial advisor, insurance salesman, and securities broker operating in Florida, Michigan, Mississippi, and elsewhere. Beginning in late 2013, Mellinger conspired with others to promote an illegal tax shelter whereby clients would claim false tax deductions for so-called “royalty payments” to fraudulently reduce their taxes. In reality, the “royalty payments” were merely a circular flow of money designed to give the appearance of genuine business expenses. Typically, a client would send money to bank accounts controlled by Mellinger and his co-conspirators, who then sent the money, minus a fee, to a different bank account that the client controlled. Tax shelter participants retained control of the money they transferred, while falsely deducting the transfers as business expenses on their tax returns.
In total, Mellinger and his co-conspirators helped clients prepare tax returns that claimed over $106 million in false tax deductions, which caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $37 million. Mellinger and a co-conspirator, who was a relative, collectively earned approximately $3 million in fees from the scheme.
In January 2016, Mellinger learned that several of his clients were under investigation and that the United States had started seizing their funds. Mellinger and the relative subsequently stole more than $2.1 million from some of the clients, a portion of which Mellinger used to buy a home in Delray Beach.
In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett for the Southern District of Mississippi ordered Mellinger to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $37 million in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick Lemon for the Southern District of Mississippi, Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Atlanta Field Office, and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations and Director of DCIS Kelly P. Mayo made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Richard J. Hagerman, William Montague and Matthew Hicks of the Tax Division, Trial Attorneys Emily Cohen and Jasmin Salehi Fashami of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham for the Southern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case.
Florida Equipment Manufacturer Sentenced for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A Florida man was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for evading nearly $2.4 million in taxes on income he earned from his business.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Roger Whitman manufactured and sold Rife machines, devices that use energy waves to purportedly treat a wide range of medical conditions. Between 2002 and 2018, Whitman generated millions of dollars in gross receipts from the sale of such equipment. Whitman also has a long history of non-compliance with his tax obligations, having not filed an individual income tax return since 1997 and not made any tax payments since 2000.
In 2012, the IRS assessed nearly $800,0000 in taxes against Whitman for 2002 through 2009 and then began trying to collect these taxes from him. To thwart the IRS’s collection efforts, Whitman formed a trust with his girlfriend serving as the trustee. Whitman then directed his income from the business into the trust’s bank accounts and used the funds from these accounts to pay personal expenses. In approximately July 2019, to further thwart IRS efforts, Whitman formed a new entity to operate his business.
Through his actions, Whitman caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $2.4 million.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge John Antoon II for the Middle District of Florida ordered Whitman to serve one year of supervised release and pay $2,314,220.15 in restitution to the IRS.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Melissa Siskind of the Tax Division prosecuted the case, with assistance and support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
Florida Equipment Manufacturer Sentenced for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A Florida man was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for evading nearly $2.4 million in taxes on income he earned from his business.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Roger Whitman manufactured and sold Rife machines, devices that use energy waves to purportedly treat a wide range of medical conditions. Between 2002 and 2018, Whitman generated millions of dollars in gross receipts from the sale of such equipment. Whitman also has a long history of non-compliance with his tax obligations, having not filed an individual income tax return since 1997 and not made any tax payments since 2000.
In 2012, the IRS assessed nearly $800,0000 in taxes against Whitman for 2002 through 2009 and then began trying to collect these taxes from him. To thwart the IRS’s collection efforts, Whitman formed a trust with his girlfriend serving as the trustee. Whitman then directed his income from the business into the trust’s bank accounts and used the funds from these accounts to pay personal expenses. In approximately July 2019, to further thwart IRS efforts, Whitman formed a new entity to operate his business.
Through his actions, Whitman caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $2.4 million.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge John Antoon II for the Middle District of Florida ordered Whitman to serve one year of supervised release and pay $2,314,220.15 in restitution to the IRS.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Melissa Siskind of the Tax Division prosecuted the case, with assistance and support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
Fishers Man Sentenced to 202 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Taurean Young, 40 years old, of Fishers, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Young was sentenced to 202 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.According to documents in the case, in May 2023, Young sold a pound of high purity methamphetamine on two separate occasions. In June 2023, law enforcement found Young with a firearm and also recovered a pound of methamphetamine, four ounces of fentanyl, a firearm, and body armor from his residence.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration including the DEA North Central Laboratory and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Mishawaka Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katelan McKenzie Doyle.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Federal Jury Convicts a Former Armed-Robber of Possessing a Firearm while on Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – A federal jury convicted a Raleigh man on Tuesday on charges of possession of a firearm by a felon. Cawajalin Kavin McNeil, age 30, will face up to 15 years of imprisonment when sentenced later this year.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in the early morning hours of March 16, 2024, while heading home from work, an eyewitness saw McNeil in a confrontation with a young woman. When the eyewitness attempted to intervene, McNeil pointed a 9mm pistol at him. He then backed away to his vehicle where he called 911 to report the incident near North Carolina State University. The eyewitness described the black car the defendant got into, gave a nearly complete license plate number, and a physical description of McNeil.
When Officers with the Raleigh Police Department (RPD) responded, they found McNeil seated in a black vehicle matching the description of the car from the eyewitness. That vehicle’s license plate was nearly an exact match of the one given to 911 and McNeil himself matched the description of the individual who had pointed the gun at the eyewitness. A search of the vehicle found a 9mm pistol wedged between the front passenger seat and the center console. The gun was similar to the gun pointed at the 911 caller. McNeil was then arrested for not having a conceal-carry permit.
During processing at the Wake County Detention Center, officers located a razor blade in McNeil’s shoe and felt an unusual object near the defendant’s groin. A subsequent search uncovered a second 9mm pistol hidden in McNeil’s underwear. It was later determined that McNeil was a convicted felon who had previously plead guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery and using and carrying a firearm in furtherance of a federal crime of violence. McNeil had been sentenced to 180 months in prison, had been released in November 2023, and was on supervised release when this incident occurred.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle accepted the verdict. The RPD and the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Logan Liles is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:24-cr-00271.
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Federal Jury Convicts Prison Inmate of Murder and Hate Crime in Death of Fellow InmateRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — An inmate at Thomson Penitentiary in Thomson, Ill., has been convicted of murder and hate crime in the death of a fellow inmate.
After a seven-day trial, the jury in U.S. District Court in Rockford on Tuesday found BRANDON SIMONSON, also known as “Whitey,” 41, of Moorhead, Minn., guilty of all four counts against him, including second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, hate crime, and assault relating to the death of Matthew Phillips. U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston set sentencing for Aug. 22, 2025.
According to evidence presented at trial, Simonson conspired with a co-defendant, KRISTOPHER MARTIN, to beat Phillips because he was Jewish. Simonson and Martin assaulted Phillips to gain recognition and membership into a white supremacist anti-semitic prison gang called the Valhalla Bound Skinheads. Evidence showed Simonson punched and kicked Phillips in the face and head, despite Phillips being knocked unconscious and unable to defend himself. The assault on March 2, 2020, led to Phillips’ death three days later.
Martin, also known as “No Luck,” 43, of Brazil, Ind., pleaded guilty earlier this year and is awaiting sentencing.
The convictions were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vincenza L. Tomlinson and Ronald DeWald.
“We are grateful to the jury for delivering justice in a very difficult case for Mr. Phillips’ family and the people of the Northern District of Illinois,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “The significant convictions in this case are the result of the extraordinary dedication and commitment of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners. We will not tolerate criminal acts such as these anywhere in our district, including in our prison system.”
“The FBI and our law enforcement partners hold those accountable who compromise the safety or lives of others, even those serving sentences in prison,” said FBI SAC DePodesta. “We continue to ask the public to help keep our communities safe from any acts of violence like those detailed in this case by reporting threatening or suspicious behavior immediately to local law enforcement or the FBI.”
Father and Son Sentenced for Role in International Market Manipulation Scheme Related to New Jersey DeliRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A father and son were sentenced on May 13, 2025, for their roles in orchestrating a large-scale market manipulation scheme related to two publicly traded companies, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Peter Coker, Sr., 82, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and Peter Coker, Jr., 56, formerly of Hong Kong, China, had pleaded guilty, on December 19, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn to securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Coker, Sr. was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, including six months’ home detention, and fines totaling $500,000. Coker, Jr. was sentenced to 40 months’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, and fines totaling $250,000.
James Patten, 65, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina also previously pleaded guilty to the same charges and is awaiting sentencing.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2014 through September 2022, Peter Coker Sr., Peter Coker Jr., and Patten conspired to enrich themselves through a scheme to manipulate securities prices via a pattern of coordinated trading, which injected inaccurate information into the marketplace, creating false impressions of supply and demand for these securities.
As part of the securities fraud scheme, the defendants targeted two publicly traded companies—Hometown International Inc. and E-Waste Corp.—which both traded on the OTC Link Alternative Trading System, also known as the OTC Marketplace. The OTC Marketplace is an alternative trading system that contains three tiers of markets, which are largely based on the quality and quantity of the listed companies’ information and disclosures.
Coker Sr., Coker Jr., and Patten took steps to gain control of both entities’ management and stock with the ultimate intention of entering reverse mergers, a transaction through which an existing public company merges with a private operating company. A successful reverse merger would allow the defendants to sell shares of each entity at a significant profit.
In or around 2014, two New Jersey residents began the process of opening a local deli in Paulsboro, New Jersey. One of the individuals discussed his interest in opening the deli with Patten, a long-time friend, who suggested the creation of Hometown International, an umbrella corporation, under which the deli would operate as a wholly owned subsidiary. Unbeknownst to the deli owners, after Hometown International was formed, Patten and his associates began positioning Hometown International as a vehicle for a reverse merger that would yield substantial profit to them.
Around October 2019, Hometown International began selling shares on the OTC Marketplace. Patten, Coker Sr., and Coker Jr. furthered their scheme by gaining control of Hometown International’s management and its shares from the deli owners. Coker Sr., Coker Jr., and Patten took similar actions to gain control of E-Waste Corporation’s stock and management. The defendants also arranged for the transfer of millions of shares of stock to a number of nominee entities, including entities controlled by Coker Jr., in an effort to mask their control of the shares.
In addition, the defendants transferred shares to family members, friends, and associates and gained control over their trading accounts by obtaining their log-in information to conceal the defendants’ involvement. The defendants then used those accounts to commit a number of coordinated trading events, often referred to as match and wash trades, to trade in Hometown International and E-Waste Corp.’s stock on both sides of the transaction.
These tactics artificially inflated the price of Hometown International and E-Waste’s stock by giving the false impression that there was a genuine market interest in the stock. Their scheme had the ultimate impact of artificially inflating Hometown International’s stock by approximately 939 percent and E-Waste’s stock by approximately 19,900 percent.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation. He also thanked special agents from FBI Charlotte, FBI Los Angeles, FBI San Francisco, FBI Denver, and FBI Knoxville, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Lauren E. Repole, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Webman of the Economic Crimes Unit.
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Defense counsel:
Peter Coker, Sr.: John Azzarello, Esq. (Morristown, New Jersey), William McGovern, Esq. (New York, New York)
Peter Coker, Jr.: Zach Intrater and Marc Agnifilo (New York, New York)
Ecuadorian National Sentenced for Illegally Entering the U.S. After a Prior RemovalRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: An Ecuadorian national was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for illegally entering the U.S. after a prior removal.
U.S. District Court Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Juan Pablo Clabijo Tacuri, 37, to time served (approximately 105 days).
According to court records, on January 27, 2025, an officer from the Brunswick Police Department observed Clabijo Tacuri operating a vehicle without a seatbelt. After Clabijo Tacuri pulled into a gas station parking lot, the officer approached the vehicle. When asked for his license, Clabijo Tacuri presented a Massachusetts driver’s license with a false name. Immigration records showed that he had previously been removed from the United States on four occasions and did not have a visa or other documentation that would allow him to re-enter the United States.
U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case with assistance from the Brunswick 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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
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Ecuadorian National Convicted of Illegal Reentry and Failure to Notify of a Change of AddressRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Sebastian Saquinga-Topanta, an Ecuadorian national, pleaded guilty to Illegal Reentry into the United States, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326, and Failure to Notify of a Change of Address, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1306(b), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents, Sebastian Saquinga-Topanta, 31, did not have a lawful immigration status to enter the United States. On September 1, 2022, Saquinga-Topanta was discovered by the U.S. Border Patrol and was removed from the United States as an undocumented alien. He was returned to Ecuador but, soon after, the defendant knowingly, voluntarily, and unlawfully returned to the United States in December 2022.
According to court documents, Saquinga-Topanta was previously apprehended for driving while intoxicated in June 2023. The defendant was arrested twice on warrants in December 2023 and January 2024 for the DUI case. Saquinga-Topanta was questioned about his residence following his arrest. Law enforcement went to the purported address but discovered that the defendant no longer lived there. During a period from January to May of 2024, the defendant failed to register his change of address with the Attorney General. In addition, he was not approved by the Attorney General or the Security of Homeland Security to re-apply and remain in 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melinda A. Williams prosecuted the case.
East Point, Georgia Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for CARES Act Unemployment FraudRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, AL – On May 13, 2025, a federal judge sentenced Brandon Cody Carter, 36, of East Point, Georgia, to 78 months in prison for his role in a scheme to file fraudulent unemployment insurance claims under the expanded Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson and Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst, of the Southeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Following his six-and-a-half-year term of imprisonment, Carter will serve three years on supervised release. Federal inmates are not eligible for parole.
Beginning in March 2020, the CARES Act and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act expanded access to unemployment insurance programs to address the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Alabama, eligible individuals could receive enhanced benefits through the Alabama Department of Labor (ADOL).
According to court documents and Carter’s plea agreement, between March and September 2020, he conspired with others to submit fraudulent unemployment insurance claims to ADOL. In doing so, Carter falsely claimed Alabama residency and used multiple aliases, submitting fictitious names, birthdates, Social Security numbers, and other fraudulent information. As a result of these false representations, ADOL issued substantial payments to Carter through unemployment insurance debit cards and direct deposits.
On January 23, 2025, Carter pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. During the plea hearing, he admitted his actions led ADOL to disburse $818,304 in fraudulent claims. A restitution amount will be determined at a later date.
“This sentence reflects the seriousness of defrauding programs intended to help those truly in need during a national crisis,” said Acting United States Attorney Davidson. “Brandon Carter exploited a system designed to provide relief to families facing unprecedented hardship. Our office remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to uncover and prosecute pandemic-related fraud wherever it occurs.”
“Brandon Carter defrauded the Alabama Department of Labor by filing numerous false claims for unemployment insurance benefits to which he was not entitled. He enriched himself by diverting taxpayer funds from a program that was intended to assist unemployed American workers who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” stated Special Agent in Charge Broadhurst. “We will continue to work closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our other law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of these critical benefit programs.”
The U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Alabama Department of Labor, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Secret Service, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, Alabama Department of Transportation, and Alabama Law Enforcement Agency investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney Joel Feil prosecuted.
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 at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Drive-By Shooters Who Sprayed Bullets Near a Southeast Washington D.C. Elementary School Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Rasheed Mullins, 27, and Josiah Warfield, 24, both of Washington, D.C., were sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 90 months and 100 months in prison, respectively, for participating in an April 2024 daylight drive-by shooting near an elementary school in Southeast D.C.
The sentencings were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Mullins and Warfield both pleaded guilty on January 27, 2025, to single counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. In addition to the prison terms, Judge Carl J. Nichols ordered them each to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Mullins was at the wheel of a red Kia SUV as it drove near the 2800 block of Bruce Place, SE. Warfield and another male conspirator were passengers in the vehicle. About 11:25 a.m., Mullins began to chase a grey Mercedes. Warfield, armed with a Glock 19, and the other man, wielding a Draco assault rifle, leaned out of the SUVs windows and fired multiple shots at the Mercedes, hitting it three times.
Mullins continued to chase the Mercedes until losing control of the SUV and crashing it near where two PGPD detectives were standing as they were investigating an unrelated case. The three men bailed out of the SUV and ran into a nearby wooded area where the officers arrested them.
This case was investigated by the ATF and MPD. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Martin and Jared English.
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Dominican National Indicted for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Dominican national convicted for drug trafficking and deported has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Rhode Island for illegally reentering the United States, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Kelvin Roberto Feliz, 54, who has been detained at the Adult Correctional Institution in an unrelated matter since June 2024, was ordered deported from the United States in September 2014, following a conviction for trafficking heroin. He was removed from the United States on July 7, 2015.
A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr. The matter was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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Criminal illegal alien gets 48 months for unlawfully reentering United StatesRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 27-year-old Mexican national with a felony criminal history has been sentenced for illegally reentering the country without permission for a second time, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Hector Castillo-Molina pleaded guilty Sept. 13, 2024.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Castillo-Molina to serve four years 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 called Castillo-Molina’s extensive record “concerning,” noting that if he kept coming back, he would just be spending all his time jail.
Castillo-Molina has a lengthy criminal history to include five felonies including burglary, drug possession, felon in possession of a firearm and illegal reentry into the United States. He has been previously removed from the United States on multiple occasions.
He was last removed in August 2022. However, authorities discovered him again April 27, 2024, at the Falfurrias Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint. He was one of 59 individuals being transported in a tractor-trailer.
Castillo-Molina will remain in custody pending transfer a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Convicted Sex Offender Indicted in Federal Court on Multiple Charges of Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A Madison County man has been indicted on multiple child sexual exploitation charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
A five-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges John Justin McCall, 53, of Madison, Alabama, with four counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to the indictment, on several occasions between May 2023 and October 2023, McCall coerced and enticed minor children to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography, and he possessed child pornography. McCall was previously convicted of criminal sexual abuse in two separate cases in Illinois.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Huntsville, along with the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office in Paris, Texas, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Huntsville Police Department, and Madison Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney R. Leann White is prosecuting the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Colorado man indicted for drug trafficking and firearmsRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Colorado man for drug trafficking and illegal firearms.
According to court documents, Russell Scott IV, 37, of Denver was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Chase Boyd, 39, of Wichita was indicted on two counts of possession of firearms and ammunition by a prohibited person. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting the case.
Jose Galan-Andrade, 39, was indicted on one count of illegal reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gordon is prosecuting the case.
Jose Louis Gonzalez-Gonzalez, 35, was indicted on one count of illegal reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.
Darius Isaiah Jackson, 25, of Wichita was indicted on one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.
Greggory K. O’Neal, 41, of Wichita was indicted on one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and Park City Kansas Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting the case.
Guadalupe Rios-Edeza, 29, was indicted on one count of illegal reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###Colonie Man Pleads Guilty to Murder-for-Hire PlotRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jeal Sutherland, age 57, of Colonie, New York, pled guilty today to using an interstate commerce facility in a murder-for-hire scheme targeting a Capital Region man. 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.
As detailed in Sutherland’s plea agreement and an earlier-filed criminal complaint, between November 2024 and January 2025, Sutherland used his cell phone to arrange the murder of a man who is the father of a child with Sutherland’s then-partner. As part of this plot, Sutherland agreed to forgive a debt of the person he hired to kill the victim. Sutherland also agreed to pay an undercover FBI agent – whom Sutherland believed to be a hog farmer – for use of a Pennsylvania farm to dispose of the victim by having pigs consume the body. Sutherland admitted that in late January 2025, he had another man put the carcass of a Canada goose on the doorstep of the victim’s mother. When the dead bird was discovered, it had a threatening note stuffed in its beak that had been written at Sutherland’s direction.
The intended victim was not harmed and the FBI arrested Sutherland on January 27, 2025. Sutherland has been in custody since his arrest.
United States Attorney Sarcone stated: “Jeal Sutherland hatched a vicious plot to kill a romantic rival and intimidate his victim’s family. When members of the FBI and my office learned of Sutherland’s plans, they acted quickly and did not rest until Sutherland was brought to justice.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated: “Mr. Sutherland’s diabolical plot intended to violently end a man's life and intimidate his family. Thanks to the swift actions taken by FBI Albany and our law enforcement partners, that plan never came to fruition and Mr. Sutherland was quickly arrested and remains in custody. The FBI will continue to work with our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office to aggressively pursue and hold accountable anyone looking to commit such egregious acts of violence in our communities.”
Sutherland faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino on September 22, 2025. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The FBI’s Capital District Safe Streets Gang Task Force investigated this case, with assistance from the Colonie Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua R. Rosenthal and Joseph S. Hartunian are prosecuting this case.
Citizen of India Unlawfully Living in Greenbrier County Pleads Guilty in Marriage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Aakash Prakash Makwana, 29, a citizen of India unlawfully residing in Ronceverte, pleaded guilty today to aggravated identity theft. Makwana admitted that he committed the offense as part of a scheme to marry a United States citizen to evade U.S. immigration laws.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 23, 2019, Makwana arrived in the United States on a J-1 non-immigrant visit under which he worked in hotel hospitality and culinary service. As part of his guilty plea, Makwana admitted that he knew the J1 visa was valid for one year and that he remained in the United States after the visa was not extended and expired on November 24, 2020.
In or around August 2021, Makwana conspired with others to marry a U.S. citizen for $10,000 so he could apply for Lawful Permanent Residence status, also known as obtaining a Green Card. Makwana was living in White Sulphur Springs and working at an area convenience store without legal authorization. As part of this scheme, Makwana married the U.S. citizen on September 3, 2021, falsified a residential lease agreement in White Sulphur Springs to make it appear that he and the U.S. citizen lived together, and added the U.S. citizen’s name to his utility bills and bank accounts. Makwana admitted that he committed aggravated identity theft when he included the name and signature of the residential property’s manager on the falsified lease agreement without the property manager’s authorization.
After learning that the marriage fraud scheme did not work, Makwana filed a Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant, with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Makwana admitted that he falsely claimed in the petition that he suffered domestic violence and emotional abuse at the hands of the U.S. citizen he married as part of the fraud scheme. Makwana further admitted that he filed the petition to continue to stay in the United States while his claims were considered and to increase his chances of obtaining a Green Card.
Makwana is scheduled to be sentenced on September 26, 2025, and faces a mandatory penalty of two years in prison, up to one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Makwana is also subject to removal from the United States.
The U.S. citizen, Kalee Ann Huff, pleaded guilty on February 20, 2025, to marriage fraud and perjury. Huff, 28, now living in Fairbury, Illinois, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 12, 2025. Huff’s brother-in-law, Joseph Sanchez, pleaded guilty on January 29, 2025, to participating in an immigration marriage fraud conspiracy. Sanchez, 33, of Fairbury, Illinois,is scheduled to be sentenced on May 30, 2025.
“This case reflects another unacceptable attempt to undermine our nation’s immigration laws, and the commitment of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to enforce those laws to uphold public safety, national security, and the rule of law in our country,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston.
Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-190.
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Chicago Woman Pleaded Guilty in Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud Targeting United States Service Men & WomenRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Chicago, Il., woman pleaded guilty in federal court today for her role in a wire fraud conspiracy that targeted United States Service men and women who had recently joined the military.
Jetauwn T. Griffin, 31, waived her right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Willie Epps, Jr., to a federal information charging her with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Griffin conspired with others that sought to defraud United States military service men and women through the use of social media.
According to the plea agreement, Griffin conspired with others that employed a scheme to defraud United States military service men and women. Service members who had recently joined the United States military were contacted through various social media platforms. Upon communicating with each military member, a person within the conspiracy would use the information obtained from the social media platform and then contact the service member claiming to be a senior military official. As a senior military member, they would tell each service member that they were receiving the wrong salary, and they were owed more money than they were being paid. The perpetrators of the scheme who advise the service member that they needed to return their prior pay using a cash application and then they would receive the higher pay once the other money was returned. If a service member followed these instructions, the members of this scheme would take the monies transferred and would never return any monies to the victim. Griffin conspired with others in this scheme by taking the cash application transfers and conducted financial transactions that transferred the victim’s money to accounts that were accessed by all members of the scheme.
Under federal statutes, Griffin is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Canadian Man Illegally in the United States Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Smuggle Handguns into CanadaRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Durante King-Mclean, age 26, of Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, pled guilty today before United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to a single count of a multi-count indictment charging him with conspiring with others to illegally traffic in firearms.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the charges stem from a September 2, 2023, traffic stop by the Pennsylvania State Police in Franklin County of a rental vehicle operated by King-Mclean who was the only occupant of the vehicle. During the stop King-Mclean fled on foot and was apprehended after a brief foot chase. A subsequent search of the rental vehicle led to the recovery of 65 handguns in the vehicle’s trunk that were all individually concealed in socks. Of the 65 handguns that were recovered, two were fully automatic, 11 were stolen, and one had an obliterated serial number. King-Mclean had been in communication with his co-conspirators from April of 2023 until his arrest on September 2, 2023, and had been staying at an Airbnb in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, until he rented the vehicle at the end of August 2023 and headed north towards Canada with the illegally purchased handguns. Sometime after his arrest and incarceration on September 2, 2023, King-Mclean was charged by Canadian authorities for his alleged participation in the April 17, 2023, heist of approximately $22.5 million dollars in gold bars and foreign currency from the Air Canada cargo terminal at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. It was shortly after this heist that King-Mclean illegally entered the United States where he remained until his arrest on September 2, 2023, as he was headed back to Canada with the 65 handguns.
“King-Mclean’s international firearms trafficking scheme had 65 guns destined for the hands of violent criminals and other prohibited people who threaten their communities,” said Eric J. DeGree, Special Agent in Charge (SAC) for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Philadelphia Field Division. “ATF’s highest priority is reducing violent gun crime, and thanks to our cooperative efforts, this action kept dozens of crime guns off the street — preventing them from being used in any number of killings and other crimes.”
"This guilty plea highlights the serious consequences of international arms trafficking and the dangers it poses to public safety. By illegally moving firearms across borders, criminal networks fuel violence and threaten communities,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia Edward V. Owens. “HSI remains dedicated to working with our domestic and international partners to disrupt these illicit operations and ensure that those who engage in trafficking are held accountable."
“This case is the result of outstanding pro-active enforcement by our Patrol Troopers, which led to a larger successful inter-agency investigation,” said Major Serell Ulrich, Director, Pennsylvania State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation. “Illegal firearm trafficking has no boundaries, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners both federally and internationally to mitigate this worldwide problem. Anytime illegal firearm trafficking affects our Commonwealth, the Pennsylvania State Police will strive to identify, investigate, and arrest those responsible.”
King-Mclean faces a potential sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000.00 fine, and a three-year term of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Harrisburg Office, the Pennsylvania State Police, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant United States Attorney William A. Behe is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This prosecution is also part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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California, Missouri Man Charged with Possession of Silencer and Machine GunRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A California, Mo., man was charged this week by a federal grand jury with possession of a silencer and possession of a machine gun.
According to the superseding indictment returned this week, Aubrey Foxworthy, 81, of California, Missouri was charged with possession of a silencer which was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Foxworthy was also charged with possession of a machinegun. According to the superseding indictment, Foxworthy possessed an AR-15 conversion device.
Foxworthy was previously indicted for selling firearms without a federal firearms license and possession of a rifle with a barrel length less than 16 inches and that rifle was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. The superseding indictment added the charges of possession of a silencer and possession of a machinegun.
The charges contained in the superseding indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron M. Maness. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Jefferson City Police Department, and the Boone County Sheriff’s Office.
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.
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California Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Smuggle Pesticides & Veterinary Drugs into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Ruben Montes, of Calexico, California, was sentenced today in federal court to 16 months in prison and ordered to pay $12,710 in forfeiture for conspiring to smuggle and distribute more than $3 million worth of Mexican pesticides and veterinary drugs that are not approved for use in the United States.
“A secure border is vital to ensuring the health and safety of Americans,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “The Justice Department is committed to prosecuting those who violate our environmental and customs laws and jeopardize the health and safety of our citizens.”
“Bringing in and selling pesticides and veterinary drugs illegally puts both people and the environment at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California. “These unregulated products can be harmful to animals, insects, and humans. Our office is committed to holding accountable anyone who chooses profit over public safety.”
According to filings and evidence presented in court, Montes coordinated the smuggling of pesticides and veterinary drugs from Mexico into the United States since 2020. The primary pesticides involved were Taktic and Bovitraz, which are not registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use in the United States. The smuggled veterinary drugs included Tylocet, Terramicina, Tetragent Ares and Catarrol, which are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the United States.
Montes requested that his co-conspirators bring pesticides and veterinary drugs — unavailable for purchase in the United States — from Mexico into the United States. Montes and his co-conspirators brought them into the United States without declaring them at the border. He and his co-conspirators then hid the pesticides and veterinary drugs in storage units in Calexico and retrieved them for distribution throughout the United States. Specifically, Montes and his co-defendant Gutierrez, who remains at large, supplied most of the pesticides and veterinary drugs to individuals charged in another case, United States v. Toledo, et. al., (case number 22-cr-1965-JAH, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California). Montes was also involved in shipping about 150 packages of unapproved products to another co-conspirator in Texas.
According to the EPA, the active ingredient in the pesticides Taktic and Bovitraz is amitraz, which is toxic to bees if released into hives, and then ultimately to humans when it ends up in honey, honeycomb, and beeswax. Misuse of amitraz-containing products in beehives can result in exposures that could cause neurological effects and possibly reproductive effects in humans from the consumption of contaminated honey. Signs of neurotoxicity from exposure to amitraz have been documented in multiple animal species and include central nervous system depression, decrease in pulse rate, and hypothermia.
Assistant Section Chief Stephen Da Ponte of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabet Brown for the Southern District of California prosecuted the case.
Calexico Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Smuggle Unapproved Pesticides and Veterinary Drugs into the United StatesRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO — Ruben Montes, of Calexico, California, was sentenced today in federal court to 16 months in prison and ordered to pay $12,710 in forfeiture for conspiring to smuggle and distribute more than $3 million worth of Mexican pesticides and veterinary drugs that are not approved for use in the United States.
“Bringing in and selling pesticides and veterinary drugs illegally puts both people and the environment at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California. “These unregulated products can be harmful to animals, insects, and humans. Our office is committed to holding accountable anyone who chooses profit over public safety.”
“A secure border is vital to ensuring the health and safety of Americans,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “The Justice Department is committed to prosecuting those who violate our environmental and customs laws and jeopardize the health and safety of our citizens.”
According to filings and evidence presented in court, Montes coordinated the smuggling of pesticides and veterinary drugs from Mexico into the United States since 2020. The primary pesticides involved were Taktic and Bovitraz, which are not registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use in the United States. The smuggled veterinary drugs included Tylocet, Terramicina, Tetragent Ares and Catarrol, which are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the United States.
Montes requested that his co-conspirators bring pesticides and veterinary drugs — unavailable for purchase in the United States — from Mexico into the United States. Montes and his co-conspirators brought them into the United States without declaring them at the border. He and his co-conspirators then hid the pesticides and veterinary drugs in storage units in Calexico and retrieved them for distribution throughout the United States. Specifically, Montes and his co-defendant Gutierrez, who remains at large, supplied most of the pesticides and veterinary drugs to individuals charged in another case, United States v. Toledo, et. al., (case number 22-cr-1965-JAH, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California). Montes was also involved in shipping about 150 packages of unapproved products to another co-conspirator in Texas.
According to the EPA, the active ingredient in the pesticides Taktic and Bovitraz is amitraz, which is toxic to bees if released into hives, and then ultimately to humans when it ends up in honey, honeycomb, and beeswax. Misuse of amitraz-containing products in beehives can result in exposures that could cause neurological effects and possibly reproductive effects in humans from the consumption of contaminated honey. Signs of neurotoxicity from exposure to amitraz have been documented in multiple animal species and include central nervous system depression, decrease in pulse rate, and hypothermia.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabet Brown for the Southern District of California and Assistant Section Chief Stephen Da Ponte of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case.
DEFENDANT Case Number 23CR2377
Ruben Montes Age: 60 Calexico, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C. Section 371
Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigations Division
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations
California Department of Toxic Substances Control
Buffalo felon arrested on new gun chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that William Morrison, Jr., 26, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, late in the evening of July 19, 2024, Buffalo Police responded to the area of Ashley and Mohr Streets for a report of a man with a gun. The caller indicated the suspect, later identified as Morrison, was wearing an ankle bracelet and was waiving a black pistol around. The caller then reported that the suspect was inside an Ashley Street residence, which was referred to as a “dope house.” When officers arrived, they observed Morrison running from the rear of the residence. Morrison was quickly apprehended. Officers searched the area of the yard where Morrison had fled and recovered a loaded 9mm handgun. In November 2019, Morrison was convicted of a felony gun charge in Erie County Court and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Morrison made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was held pending a detention hearing.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Alfonse Wright, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Buffalo felon arrested on new gun chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that William Morrison, Jr., 26, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, late in the evening of July 19, 2024, Buffalo Police responded to the area of Ashley and Mohr Streets for a report of a man with a gun. The caller indicated the suspect, later identified as Morrison, was wearing an ankle bracelet and was waiving a black pistol around. The caller then reported that the suspect was inside an Ashley Street residence, which was referred to as a “dope house.” When officers arrived, they observed Morrison running from the rear of the residence. Morrison was quickly apprehended. Officers searched the area of the yard where Morrison had fled and recovered a loaded 9mm handgun. In November 2019, Morrison was convicted of a felony gun charge in Erie County Court and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Morrison made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was held pending a detention hearing.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Alfonse Wright, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Bryan County Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Sean Paul Duer, age 58, of Durant, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to an Information of one count of Possession With Intent To Distribute Methamphetamine, punishable by up to twenty years in prison.
The Information alleged that on May 12, 2024, Duer knowingly and intentionally possessed a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, intending to distribute it.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Durant Police Department.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Duer will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard J. Lorenz and Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.
Boyd County Man Sentenced for Armed Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
ASHLAND, Ky. – An Ashland man, Phillip Conley, 28, was sentenced on Monday to 180 months in prison, by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
In February 2024, law enforcement officers with the Northeast Kentucky Drug Task Force (NKYDTF) began an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of Conley. On April 4, 2024, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Conley’s residence. During the search law enforcement located 57.6 grams of fentanyl, two firearms, and ammunition.
Conley admitted that he intended to distribute the fentanyl, and that he possessed the firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking crime. He also admitted to knowing that he was a convicted felon and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Conley was previously convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance first degree in Boyd Circuit Court in May 2017.
Under federal law, Conley must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for eight years.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and John Nokes, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by ATF and Northeast Kentucky Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, Acting U.S. Attorney McCaffrey coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Fentanyl, Firearm, and Unemployment Insurance Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, Vincent Ford, 22, of Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and oxycodone; possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon; and wire fraud, in connection with fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 unemployment insurance (UI) benefits.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the plea with Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG); and Chief Malik Aziz, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD).
According to the guilty plea, on February 17, 2023, PGPD officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with heavily tinted windows. During the traffic stop, officers detected the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. The driver acknowledged there was marijuana in the car.
Ford was the passenger in the vehicle and officers noticed that he was wearing an unzipped gray satchel. After searching the vehicle, officers found a loaded Taurus G3C semi-automatic firearm under the passenger seat where Ford had been sitting. It was loaded with 13 rounds of 9mm ammunition in the magazine and one round of 9mm ammunition in the chamber ready to be fired. The firearm was previously reported stolen from a vehicle in Baltimore County.
Law enforcement also searched Ford’s satchel and person, recovering 46 30mg blue pills that contained fentanyl, a 20mg white pill that contained oxycodone, three 15mg green pills that contained oxycodone, and more than $1,000 in cash.
Ford admitted to possessing the fentanyl and oxycodone pills with the intent to distribute them. He also acknowledged that he possessed the loaded Taurus firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking. Due to a previous felony conviction, Ford is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Additionally, a subsequent investigation revealed that Ford also engaged in COVID-19 UI fraud. According to the plea, between at least June 13, 2020, and November 19, 2020, Ford participated in a scheme to defraud the Maryland Department of Labor of at least $17,000 in UI benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several federal programs expanded UI eligibility and increased UI benefits to provide emergency assistance to struggling Americans. Ford fraudulently took advantage of that program and filed at least six false UI claims, using stolen identities of real persons. Two of the fraudulent claims resulted in the disbursement of $17,000 in funds in the names of two of the identity theft victims. He obtained $2,580 of that amount from a bank card in the name of one of the victims.
Ford faces a maximum sentence of 15 years for the felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition charge; a maximum of 20 years for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and oxycodone; and a maximum of 20 years for wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent COVID-19 unemployment insurance scheme. Judge Deborah L. Boardman scheduled sentencing for Monday, November 3, at 2 p.m.
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.
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, among other methods, 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, 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.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF, DOL-OIG, and PGPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick D. Kibbe and Nicholas F. Potter who are prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Attorney General Pamela Bondi Appoints Career Prosecutor Theodore S. Hertzberg as Interim United States AttorneyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Attorney General Pamela Bondi has appointed Theodore S. Hertzberg as Interim United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 546, which provides that “the Attorney General may appoint a United States [A]ttorney for the district in which the office of United States [A]ttorney is vacant.” This appointment took effect on May 13, 2025. Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr. administered Mr. Hertzberg’s oath of office on May 14, 2025.
Mr. Hertzberg previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for nearly ten years. His tenure with the Justice Department began in the Savannah headquarters of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia. In Savannah, Mr. Hertzberg prosecuted violent criminals, drug dealers, fraudsters, and money launderers while also serving as chief of the asset forfeiture section. Upon relocating to Atlanta in 2018, Mr. Hertzberg transferred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, where he prosecuted gang leaders, child sex predators, gun traffickers, armed felons, and other dangerous offenders.
Before joining the Department of Justice, Mr. Hertzberg practiced law in the New York office of Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP, and he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Kristi K. DuBose of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama.
U.S. Attorney Hertzberg is a graduate of Amherst College and New York University School of Law.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Atlanta Attorney Sentenced in Syndicated Conservation Easement Tax SchemeRead the Press Release
A Georgia attorney was sentenced today to 16 months in prison for obstructing the IRS in connection with his participation in the promotion of abusive syndicated conservation easement tax shelters.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Vi Bui was an attorney and partner at Sinnott & Co., an Atlanta-based company. Beginning at least in 2012 and continuing through at least May 2020, Bui participated in a scheme to defraud the IRS by organizing, marketing, implementing, and selling illegal syndicated conservation easement tax shelters created and organized by co-conspirators Jack Fisher, James Sinnott, and others. Fisher and Sinnott were convicted at trial for their involvement in the scheme, and in January 2024, they were sentenced to 25 and 23 years in prison, respectively.
The scheme entailed the creation of partnerships that purchased land and land-owning companies and then donated conservation easements over that land or the land itself. Appraisers generated fraudulent and inflated appraisals of the conservation easements. The partnerships then claimed a charitable contribution tax deduction based on the inflated value of the conservation easement, resulting in a fraudulent tax deduction flowing to the wealthy clients who purchased units in the partnership. Many of these clients joined the tax shelters after the donation of the interest in land and after the end of the relevant tax year. Bui knew that in order to make it appear that the participants had timely purchased their units in the tax shelters, Fisher, Sinnott, and others backdated and instructed others to backdate documents, including subscription agreements, checks, and other documents.
Bui anticipated that the syndicated conservation easement transactions would be audited. In order to deceive the IRS, Bui and others took steps to make the partnerships appear as legitimate real estate development companies. They created and disseminated lengthy documents disguising the true nature of the transaction, instituted sham “votes” for what to do with the land that the partnership owned despite knowing that outcome was predetermined, and falsified paperwork such as appraisals and subscription agreements.
In one instance, when investigators conducted an undercover operation in 2018, Bui, believing that the IRS was auditing an individual’s tax returns, prepared false documents related to a 2014 syndicated conservation easement tax shelter with the intent to make it appear that the documents were executed before the purported donation of the conservation easement in 2014 and before the 2014 tax returns had been filed.
Bui earned substantial income for his role in the illegal scheme. He also used the fraudulent tax shelters to evade his own taxes, filing false personal tax returns from 2013 through 2018 that claimed false tax deductions from the illegal syndicated conservation easement tax shelters.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Timothy C. Batten Sr. for the Northern District of Georgia ordered Bui to serve one year of supervised release and to pay $8,250,244 in total restitution to the IRS.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia made the announcement. They also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina for their assistance in the investigation of this matter.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Richard M. Rolwing, and Trial Attorneys Parker Tobin, Jessica Kraft, and Nicholas Schilling of the Tax Division prosecuted the case, with support from Assistant U.S. Attorney Samir Kaushal for the Northern District of Georgia.
Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Possession with Intent to Distribute MarinjuanaRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Trevion Dickson, a multi-convicted felon who again illegally possessed guns and drugs, will spend the next 30 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the 360-month total sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller.
A federal grand jury indicted Dickson, 43, of Pine Bluff, in an indictment on December 5, 2023. On February 6, 2025, Dickson pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Judge Miller sentenced Dickson to 30 years on the firearm charge and five years on the drug charge, with the sentences to run concurrently.
On January 6, 2023, law enforcement officers from the White Hall Police Department were dispatched to an immobile vehicle revving its engine in the roadway. Dickson was standing next to the vehicle and upon questioning, Dickson fled from police on foot. He was later apprehended in a shed hiding behind a lawn mower and had to be physically restrained when officers attempted to take him into custody. At the time, Dickson had active felony warrants pending and was a parolee with a search waiver on file. Officers searched Dickson’s person and located methamphetamine, synthetic marijuana, marijuana, and alprazolam. During a search of Dickson’s vehicle officers located two sets of digital scales, marijuana, and a Smith & Wesson 9mm firearm.
Dickson has five previous felony cocaine convictions and two prior felony firearm convictions, as well as numerous other convictions. His criminal history classified him as an armed career criminal and enhanced his sentence.
Judge Miller also sentenced Dickson to three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by DEA with assistance from the White Hall Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacy Williams.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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@USAO_EDAR
Albany Sex Offender Sentenced for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Stephen Brisee a/k/a Sage Brisee, age 31, of Albany, was sentenced today to 180 months in prison following a guilty plea to all six counts of an indictment charging distribution, receipt, and possession of child pornography.
United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office, made the announcement.
Brisee previously admitted to receiving and distributing videos of adults subjecting girls between the ages of 6 months and 10 years to sexual penetration. A search of a phone revealed Brisee’s possession of a collection of other child pornography images. At the time of the offenses, Brisee was a registered sex offender on post-release supervision following a New York State conviction for promoting a sexual performance by a child. Brisee had been released from state prison only months prior to committing this new offense.
United States Attorney Sarcone stated: “This conduct was especially egregious because the defendant was released from prison for another child pornography offense less than six months before. With our law enforcement partners my office will continue to take all available actions to hold sex offenders accountable to the fullest extent to the law when they commit new crimes.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan stated: “Brisee received and shared images depicting some of the most inhumane crimes imaginable against defenseless children and babies as young as 6 months old. Our community is significantly safer with this repeat sex offender no longer roaming freely. I thank HSI Albany personnel and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York for ensuring this defendant was sent back to prison where he can no longer hurt children."
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed a 20-year-term of supervised release and ordered Brisee to pay $3,000 in restitution. Brisee will be required to continue to register as a sex offender upon release from imprisonment.
HSI investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner prosecuted as a part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
5 Defendants Federally Charged in Los Angeles, Orange Counties as Part of Nationwide Crackdown on Child Sexual Abuse OffendersRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Attorney General Pamela Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel recently announced an unprecedented national initiative to protect the most vulnerable members of our communities. The FBI launched a coordinated effort with all field offices in a sweeping action to identify, track and arrest child sex predators.
Since the end of April, the FBI arrested 205 subjects across the country and rescued 115 children during Operation Restore Justice. These subjects are accused of various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. They include school leaders and registered sex offenders, among others.
In the Central District of California, a seven-county jurisdiction that includes Los Angeles and Orange counties, five defendants were charged with federal crimes as follows:
- Andrew Castillon, 47, of El Monte, was arrested May 1 on a federal criminal complaint charging him with possession of child pornography. A federal magistrate judge ordered him released on $5,000 bond. Castillon’s arraignment is scheduled for May 27 in United States District Court in Los Angeles. Assistant United States Attorney Thi H. Ho of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
- Jose Olvera, 34, of North Hollywood, was arrested May 1 on a federal indictment charging him with two counts of distribution of child pornography and five counts of possession of child pornography. He pleaded not guilty to all charges at his arraignment and a June 23 trial was scheduled in this case. A federal magistrate judge ordered him jailed without bond. Assistant United States Attorney Mikaela W. Gilbert-Lurie of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
- Steven Martin Nuss, 66, of San Juan Capistrano, was arrested May 9 on a two-count federal grand jury indictment charging him with distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography. He pleaded not guilty to both charges and a federal magistrate judge ordered him jailed without bond. He is scheduled to go to trial on July 1. Assistant United States Attorney Melissa S. Rabbani of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this case.
- David Eugene Parker, 55, of La Palma, was arrested April 30 on federal grand jury indictment charging him with two counts of possession of child pornography. He pleaded not guilty to the charge and a federal magistrate judge ordered him released on $100,000 bond. A June 24 trial date is scheduled in this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Lauren E. Border of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
- Gregory Cole Jr., 30, of Lancaster, was arrested April 30 in Arizona after he failed to appear at his trial earlier last month in which a jury found him guilty in absentia of one count of production of child pornography, one count of enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, and one count of receipt of child pornography. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 23, at which time he will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison. Assistant United States Attorney Derek R. Flores of the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.
Two additional individuals were arrested in Los Angeles for sexual exploitation of a child and charges of coercion and enticement, respectively; however, those cases are being prosecuted in separate districts.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
“Sexual predators who target children leave emotional scars that can last a lifetime,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Along with our law enforcement partners, we seek to bring a measure of solace to victims and put criminals on notice that they risk lengthy prison sentences and severe penalties for harming children.”
“The amount of child predators arrested during Operation Restore Justice should shock the conscience of any law-abiding citizen and parents or guardians, in particular,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Each day, our agents are tackling criminal allegations involving children, whether it be online dangers such as ‘sextortion,’ emerging nihilist extremist networks such as ‘764,’ or children being groomed by someone close to them. We urge caretakers of all children to educate themselves about these constant threats targeting the most vulnerable members of our society.”
As the nation marked National Child Abuse Prevention month in April, the timing of this effort was a culmination of countless hours by hundreds of FBI agents. It further underscores the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Bureau works relentlessly to investigate these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of prevention and community education.
The FBI takes a proactive approach to identify unknown individuals involved in the sexual exploitation of children and the production of child sexual abuse material. We do that through our Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Forces (CEHTTFs) located in each field office. This allows the FBI to combine resources with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The FBI also partners with the nonprofit National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
In 2004, the FBI created the Endangered Child Alert Program (ECAP) to identify individuals involved in the sexual abuse of children and the production of child sexual abuse material. The program is a collaborative effort between the FBI and the NMCEC.
The FBI also offers resources for parents and caregivers to stay engaged with their children’s online and offline activities. The FBI's Safe Online Surfing (SOS) program teaches students in grades 3 to 8 how to navigate the web safely.
The FBI urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through our tiplines at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
Other online resources:
- Electronic Press Kit:
- Violent Crimes Against Children
- How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids
18th Street Gang Associate Pleads Guilty to Dealing FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An associate of the 18th Street Gang pleaded guilty yesterday to drug charges in federal court in Boston.
Elvin Martinez-Flores, 23, of Everett, pleaded guilty to distributing and possessing with intent to distribute 40 grams and more of fentanyl. United States District Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Aug. 5, 2025. Martinez-Flores was charged by criminal complaint in January 2025.
On Sept. 20, 2024, Martinez sold approximately 400 pressed fentanyl pills to a cooperating witness. Later, on Oct. 28, 2024, Martinez sold another 500 pressed fentanyl pills to the cooperating witness.
The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kim Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations; Suffolk County and Middlesex County District Attorney’s Offices; and the Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Falmouth, Lynn, Medford, Nantucket and Revere Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Moran and Fred Wyshak of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Tuesday 13 May 2025
Wolf Point man pleads guilty to multiple assault charges on the Fort Peck Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS - A Wolf Point man accused of assaulting two individuals on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Philip Ray Azure, 22, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon related to two separate incidents. Azure faces a term of imprisonment of ten years, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for September 24, 2025. Azure was detained pending further proceedings.
The first incident occurred on March 16, 2023, when Azure went to John Doe’s residence in Wolf Point, on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Azure and John Doe were friends and were drinking alcohol together. Azure became intoxicated and was asked to leave for being too loud. A family member of Doe’s, who also lives in the home, started to walk Azure out. As he was leaving, he struck the family member. John Doe confronted Azure about hitting his family member. Azure pulled out a knife and stabbed Doe in the chest and then turned and walked away without saying anything.
Doe was rushed to the hospital for treatment of his serious injuries. The stab wound pierced his lung, causing a partial collapse that caused blood, gas, and air to build in the space between his lungs and rib cage. Doe was airlifted to Billings for surgery. After surgery to repair his lung, Doe spent a week in the hospital before being discharged.
The second incident happened on January 27, 2024. Azure and several friends, including two co-defendants, and the victim, John Doe 2, were in a yard in Wolf Point, on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, playing a game of “slap-boxing.” The fighting escalated and eventually the group separated. Azure and his co-defendants returned home, and John Doe 2 arrived a short time later asking for his phone. Azure and his co-defendants exited the home and confronted Doe 2 in the driveway.
Several people witnessed the assault. One witness described seeing Azure and his co-defendants hitting John Doe 2 and saw someone using a bat and someone else using a hammer. A second witness saw Azure and his two co-defendants approach Doe 2 while he backed away and said all three “jumped” Doe 2. That witness saw Azure use a bat during the assault.
Doe 2 died at the scene before law enforcement arrived. According to an autopsy, he died from blunt and sharp force injuries to the head and chest, including a stab wound to the chest that perforated Doe 2’s sternum, heart, and esophagus.
Azure was arrested the day after the second assault. He initially claimed he wasn’t there when Doe 2 was assaulted. He later admitted he was involved but didn’t remember the details because he was intoxicated. He claimed Doe 2 had a big knife and he ultimately hit Doe 2 with a bat to stop him from using the knife. None of the other witnesses reported seeing Doe 2 with a knife.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI, Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice, and Wolf Point Police Department conducted the investigation.
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 https://www.justice.gov/psn.
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