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25 June 2025
Utah Businessman Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding the COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program Out of over $628,000Read the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Utah entrepreneur was sentenced today to 18 months’ imprisonment after he fraudulently obtained $628,307 from a COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan in 2021 by submitting a fraudulent loan application in the name of his business.
The COVID-19 PPP Loans were provided to small businesses for funding to meet specific obligations, including payroll and rent during the pandemic.
Marcelo Federico Torre, 42, of Draper, Utah, pleaded guilty to wire fraud, and possession of stolen mail on April 10, 2025. In addition to his sentence, and credit for time served, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Clark Waddoups sentenced Torre to three years’ supervised release and ordered him to pay $628,307 in restitution. Torre also forfeited a money judgement in the amount of $628,307.
According to court documents and statements made at Torre’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, from April 27, 2021 to May 5, 2021, Torre fraudulently submitted a PPP Loan application through U.S. Bank for approximately $628,307 on behalf of his company, Offerworks Inc., a company he owned and controlled. By fraudulently submitting the Loan application, he lied to U.S. Bank and the United States government in order to be approved for the PPP Loan. Some of the false statements Torre made on the PPP Loan application included that his company, Offerworks Inc., had been in operation as of February 15, 2020, when it had not; his company had 37 employees, when it did not; and that Offerworks Inc., had an average monthly payroll of $251,323 in 2020, when it did not.
“The amount of money Mr. Torre stole from the U.S. government and taxpayers, which was intended to keep businesses open and provide salaries for employees and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic, is significant and his fraud will not go unpunished,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah. “It is our hope Mr. Torre’s sentence will deter him and others who seek to take criminal advantage of government programs meant to help honest and hardworking business owners and their employees during a crisis.”
The case was investigated jointly by the U.S. Postal Investigation Service, Draper City Police Department, U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office, Salt Lake City Police Department, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).
Assistant United States Attorney Todd C. Bouton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division's prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at Justice.gov/OPA/pr/justice-department-takes-action-against-covid-19-fraud.
The Justice Department Files Complaint Challenging Minnesota Laws Providing In-State Tuition Benefits for Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
Today the United States is challenging laws in Minnesota that provide reduced in-state tuition — and in some cases, free tuition — for illegal aliens. These laws unconstitutionally discriminate against U.S. citizens, who are not afforded the same privileges, in direct conflict with federal law. The Department of Justice has filed the complaint in the District of Minnesota. This challenge builds upon a recently successful lawsuit against the state of Texas on a similar law.
“No state can be allowed to treat Americans like second-class citizens in their own country by offering financial benefits to illegal aliens,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice just won on this exact issue in Texas, and we look forward to taking this fight to Minnesota in order to protect the rights of American citizens first.”
In the complaint, the United States seeks to enjoin enforcement of Minnesota laws that require public colleges and universities to provide in-state tuition rates (and free tuition under certain circumstances, including if they meet a certain income threshold) for illegal aliens who maintain state residency, regardless of whether those aliens are lawfully present in the United States. Federal law prohibits institutions of higher education from providing postsecondary education benefits to aliens that are not offered to U.S. citizens. These laws blatantly conflict with federal law and thus are unconstitutional under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
This lawsuit follows two executive orders recently signed by President Trump that seek to ensure illegal aliens are not obtaining taxpayer benefits or preferential treatment.
- Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders
- Protecting American Communities From Criminal Aliens
Read the complaint here.
The Justice Department Files Complaint Against the District Court of Maryland for Ordering Automatic Injunctions on Federal Immigration Enforcement ActionsRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice announced the filing of a complaint against the U.S. District Court of Maryland for implementing a “Standing Order” that automatic injunctions be issued for federal immigration enforcement actions. This order requires the court clerk to automatically enter an injunction against removing or challenging the legal status of any alien detained in Maryland who files a habeas petition. In doing so, the District Court defies procedural and substantive requirements for issuing preliminary injunctions, flouts congressional intent, and violates Supreme Court precedent.
“President Trump’s executive authority has been undermined since the first hours of his presidency by an endless barrage of injunctions designed to halt his agenda,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The American people elected President Trump to carry out his policy agenda: this pattern of judicial overreach undermines the democratic process and cannot be allowed to stand.”
Since the beginning of the new administration, district courts have abused their Article III powers by interfering with Executive Branch prerogatives. To date, district courts have entered more nationwide injunctions in the first 100 days of the administration than in the 100 years from 1900 to 2000. The District Court of Maryland’s automatic injunctions order is yet another egregious example of unlawful judicial overreach into the Executive Branch’s ability to enforce and administer federal law.
This is the latest action taken by the Department of Justice to reign in unlawful judicial overreach.
Read the full Complaint HERE.
Texas Business Owner Sentenced for COVID-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
A Texas woman was sentenced today to three years and five months in prison for her participation in a scheme to file fraudulent applications for loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that the Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
According to court documents, between around May 2020, and March 2021, Shantelle Hawkins, 43, of DeSoto, conspired to submit 17 fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of companies she or her relatives owned or controlled. The applications contained false statements about payroll and tax information, which the SBA used to calculate the amount of PPP funds to which the applicant-companies would be entitled. Hawkins used some of the money she obtained from the loans for personal expenses, including to pay off her 2015 Maserati Ghibli luxury car and to purchase property in the greater Dallas area.
Hawkins pleaded guilty on Oct. 8, 2024, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. At sentencing, Hawkins was ordered to pay more than $1.8 million in restitution and to forfeit the residence purchased with proceeds from the fraud.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson for the Northern District of Texas; and Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI’s Dallas Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Dermot Lynch and Kashan Pathan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elyse Lyons for the Northern District of Texas is handling asset forfeiture.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Terra Amarilla Man Faces Federal Charges for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Terra Amarilla man has been federally charged for unlawful possession of a firearm despite prior felony convictions.
According to court documents, on May 31, 2025, the Jicarilla Apache Police Department responded to a domestic disturbance involving Ronnie Martinez, 49, at a residence in Dulce, New Mexico. According to the investigation, Martinez became agitated after a dispute with Jane Doe and subsequently sent her threatening messages, including a photograph of a rifle.
Officers located Martinez at the residence, where he was found carrying multiple knives. During questioning, Martinez admitted to possessing a rifle, which he claimed belonged to his father. Martinez consented to a search, and officers recovered a rifle from the home.
Court records confirm Martinez has prior felony convictions, including first-degree assault with a deadly weapon and second-degree assault, both punishable by more than one year of imprisonment. As a previously convicted felon, Martinez is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Martinez will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Martinez faces up to 15 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Jicarilla Apache Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Pahl is prosecuting the case.
View the Criminal complaint (Martinez).pdfA criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tennessee Resident Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Western Pennsylvania MinorRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of South Pittsburg, Tennessee, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Terron Slatton, 26, pleaded guilty before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab to count one of the Indictment charging Slatton with coercion and enticement of a minor.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from on or about December 24, 2022, until on or about December 25, 2022, Slatton, using the internet, induced a minor residing in the Western District of Pennsylvania to produce a visual depiction of the minor engaging in sexual activity. The Court was further advised that Slatton discussed meeting the minor to have sex.
Judge Schwab scheduled Slatton’s sentencing for November 18, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Homeland Security Investigations–Pittsburgh and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Slatton.
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.
Two-Time Convicted Felon from Levy County Charged with Possessing a Gun and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Kashone Demetrious Bing, 20, of Levy County, FL, was indicted by a federal grand jury this week charging him with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charge today.
Bing is scheduled for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Midori Lowry on July 1, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. in Gainesville, Florida.
If convicted, Bing faces up to fifteen years’ imprisonment.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
TD Bank Insider Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes to Fraudulently Open More Than 100 Bank AccountsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A former Florida-based employee of TD Bank, N.A. pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in exchange for fraudulently opening more than 100 bank accounts, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Jhonnatan Steven Rodriguez, a/k/a “Jorge,” 32, of Naples, Florida, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court to a two-count Information charging him with one count of receipt of bribes by a bank employee and one count of making false bank entries. Rodriguez’s sentencing is scheduled for November 25, 2025.
According to documents filed in these cases and statements made in Court:
In late 2022, Rodriguez began opening bank accounts for unknown individuals in exchange for bribes of approximately $200 to $250 per account. During the scheme, Rodriguez accepted bribes in exchange for fraudulently opening approximately 140 bank accounts, some of which were used for fraud. In carrying out this bribery scheme, Rodriguez would often forge the purported customers’ signatures on account opening documents. To protect his identity, Rodriguez used the alias “Jorge” on a text messaging app to communicate with the individuals seeking bank accounts.
The charge of receipt of bribes by a bank employee carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of the greater of up to $1 million or three times the value of the thing given, offered, promised, solicited, demanded, accepted, or agreed to be accepted. The charge of making false bank entries carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents and task force officers of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan; special agents and task force officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Caribbean Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael A. Miranda; and special agents of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General, New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca, with the investigation leading to the charges. She also thanked the Morristown Police Department for its assistance with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marko Pesce, Deputy Chief of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit in Newark and Trial Attorneys D. Zachary Adams and Chelsea Rooney of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section.
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Defense counsel: Murdoch Walker, Esq. and Serguel Akiti, Esq.
rodriguez.information.pdfSwanzey Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Stealing Firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee in WinchesterRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Swanzey man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for stealing 18 firearms from Trader John’s Gun Shop in Winchester, New Hampshire, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Khale Guillou, 20, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliot to 18 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release. In March 2025, Guillou pleaded guilty to one count of theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee (FFL).
“The defendant stole 18 guns from an FFL and, just days later, shell casings were found in his car. This case highlights the dangerous link between gun thefts and violent crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack. “Yesterday’s sentence sends a message that we will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who fuel gun violence are held accountable.”
“ATF’s collaboration with our industry partners forms the first line of defense against firearms trafficking and diversion,” said Acting ATF SAC Scott Riordan. “ATF prioritizes investigations which both victimize those industry partners and endanger the community by placing guns in criminal hands. This investigation reflects ATF’s commitment to protect federal firearm licensees and ensure firearms in lawful commerce are not diverted for criminal use.”
According to the court documents and statements made in court, on the night of July 6, 2024, Guillou broke into Trader John’s Gun Shop and stole 17 handguns and one rifle. Nine days later, Guillou’s car was involved in a shooting in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. Law enforcement recovered three of Trader John’s stolen firearms from the trunk of Guillou’s car and spent shell casings from inside the vehicle. Three additional stolen firearms were recovered from Guillou’s home, two of which were also taken from Trader John’s Gun Shop.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation. The Keene, Swanzey, Winchester, and Tewksbury Police Departments provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski prosecuted the case.
This effort 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).
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Springfield Man Sentenced to 78 Months for Conspiracy to Traffic FirearmsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for using a straw purchaser to illegally acquire firearms.
DeSean L. Franklin, 24, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 78 months in federal prison without parole, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
On Nov. 25, 2024, Franklin pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms. Franklin admitted to conspiring to receive a firearm from another, knowing that he was prohibited from possessing one.
Franklin is one of three defendants in this case who have all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic firearms and is the third to be sentenced. Joseph M. Johnson pleaded guilty on May 20, 2024, and was sentenced to 5 years of probation. Raimaiya L. Tyson pleaded guilty on Dec. 17, 2024, and was sentenced to 19 months.
Johnson admitted to purchasing a firearm that he then transferred to another person, Franklin, who was prohibited from possessing firearms. Franklin was a close associate of an area gang known as “ODB,” who have been linked to a number of violent and firearm offenses. Many of the members of ODB are unable to purchase firearms due to their youth, history of drug use, or other prohibited status and use straw purchasers to obtain them.
Investigators with the ATF observed Tyson and Franklin at a gun show in Greene County, Mo., on Aug. 12, 2023. Franklin was prohibited from purchasing firearms because of pending felony criminal charges out of Caddo County, Ok. for unlawful possession of a controlled drug, and possession of a firearm during commission of a felony. Tyson attempted to purchase a Draco pistol but was denied due to pending felony criminal charges out of Henry County, Mo. Later that morning, Tyson and Franklin returned to the gun show with Johnson and Johnson purchased a Micro Draco 7.62 caliber semi-automatic pistol.
On Aug. 31, 2023, deputies with the Greene County Sherriff’s Office searched Desean Franklin’s vehicle during a traffic stop and found the loaded Draco pistol which was then equipped with a high-capacity magazine, and three other firearms. Franklin admitted that the Draco pistol belonged to him, and claimed he had purchased it at a gun show.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Six Men Indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana and Interstate Travel in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana – On May 22, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against five Chinese nationals, three of whom were illegally residing in the United States, as well as a U.S. citizen, on racketeering and drug charges, announced Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson. The indictment was unsealed on June 4, 2025. Charged in the indictment were HANJIE WU, age 25, from China, YILEI ZHOU, age 35, from China, and ZIHANG ZENG, age 24,from China, LIKE CHEN, age 34, a naturalized U.S. citizen from China, WEI BIN CHEN, age 34, a lawful permanent U.S. resident from China, and AARON STEELE, age 45, from Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
According to court documents, WU, ZHOU, STEELE, WEI BIN CHIN, LIKE CHEN and ZENG were indicted for conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, a mixture and substance containing one hundred (100) kilograms or more of a detectable amount of marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 846. WU and STEELE were also indicted for traveling between Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi with the intent to promote, manage, establish, carry on and facilitate the unlawful activity of conspiring to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, marijuana, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1952(a)(3).
If convicted of the drug conspiracy count, WU, ZHOU, STEELE, WEI BIN CHIN, LIKE CHEN and ZENG face a minimum term of imprisonment of five (5) years, up to a maximum term of imprisonment of forty (40) years, a fine of up to $5,000,000.00, at least four (4) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. For the interstate travel in aid of racketeering count, WU and STEELE face a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that the indictment is merely a charging document and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, Forrest County Mississippi Sheriff’s Office, and the Picayune, Mississippi Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys André Jones and Nolan D. Paige of the Narcotics Unit.
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).
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Serial Hacker “IntelBroker” Charged for Causing $25 Million in Damages to VictimsRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia, announced the unsealing of a four-count criminal Indictment and Complaint charging KAI WEST, a/k/a “IntelBroker,” a/k/a “Kyle Northern,” with a years-long hacking scheme committed through the online identity “IntelBroker.” WEST, using the IntelBroker identity, conspired with an online group named the CyberN[------], to steal data from a telecommunications company, municipal health care provider, an Internet service provider, and more than 40 other victims. WEST, and his online co-conspirators, took that stolen data, and offered it for sale online for more than $2 million. Collectively, WEST, through the “IntelBroker” identity and his online co-conspirators, caused in excess of $25 million in damages to victims. WEST was arrested in France in February 2025, and the United States is seeking his extradition. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla.
“The IntelBroker alias has caused millions in damages to victims around the world,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “This action reflects the FBI’s commitment to pursuing cybercriminals around the world. New Yorkers are all too often the victims of intentional cyber schemes and our office is committed to bringing these remote actors to justice.”
“Kai West, an alleged serial hacker, is charged for a nefarious, years-long scheme to steal victim’s data and sell it for millions in illicit funds, causing more than $25 million in damages worldwide,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “Today’s announcement should serve as a warning to anyone thinking they can hide behind a keyboard and commit cyber-crime with impunity; the FBI will find and hold you accountable no matter where you are.”
As alleged in the Indictment and Complaint:[1]
“IntelBroker” is the online moniker of WEST, who, in concert with his co-conspirators, compromised victims’ (typically companies) computer systems, exfiltrated data from those systems (e.g. customer lists and company marketing data), and then sold the stolen data for profit. WEST accomplished his scheme in connection with his leadership of an online hacking group called the “CyberN[------],” which frequented a particular internet forum (“Forum-1”).
Between approximately 2023 to 2025, WEST offered hacked data for sale approximately 41 times; and offered to distribute hacked data for free (or for Forum-1 credits) approximately 117 times. WEST, and his co-conspirators, have sought to collect at least approximately $2,000,000 by selling the stolen data. Based on information received from the victims of these breaches, WEST and his co-conspirators have cumulatively caused victim losses of at least $25,000,000.
Based on a review of WEST’s IntelBroker Forum-1 posts, approximately 158 threads started by WEST offered stolen data for sale, for Forum-1 credit, or for free, since in or about January 2023 through in or about February 2025. At least 41 of those 158 public messages sell data from companies based in the United States. Of those 158 messages, approximately 16 provided a specific asking price for the stolen data, which cumulatively totals at least $2,467,000. At least 25 of the 158 public messages invited Forum‑1 users to private message IntelBroker (i.e. WEST) to negotiate a sales price. The remaining 117 public messages offer hacked data for free to Forum-1 users or in exchange for Forum-1 credits. At least 46 of the 158 public messages indicate that WEST worked in concert with a particular Forum-1 user (“CC-1”) to obtain the data through a “breach” (i.e. “hack”). WEST’s public messages (as IntelBroker) indicate that he accepts payment via Monero, which is a cryptocurrency that uses a blockchain with privacy-enhancing technologies to attempt to obfuscate transactions and seek to achieve anonymity and fungibility.
WEST’s prolific posting (as IntelBroker), and his sales of stolen data, have generated notoriety for the IntelBroker identity within the Forum-1 community. Indeed, from in or about August 2024 through in or about January 2025, “IntelBroker” was identified on Forum-1 as the site’s “owner.” To further his username’s notoriety, WEST has associated different images with IntelBroker but primarily uses the following image as his calling card:
WEST’s victims include a U.S.-based telecommunications provider. WEST, using the IntelBroker moniker, sold data from that telecommunications company, which included information about its customers. That data was accessed by WEST by illegally accessing a server which was improperly configured. On or about March 6, 2023, WEST, using the IntelBroker moniker, authored a public message on Forum-1 titled “CyberN[------] [redacted reference to Victim] Database.” In that post, WEST offered for sale data from a municipal healthcare provider which included patient data such as names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, genders, health plan information, employer information, among other information, from the victim’s patients.
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WEST, 25, a British national, is charged with conspiracy to commit computer intrusions, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; accessing a protected computer to obtain information, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI and the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. He also thanked the French, Spanish, British, and Dutch authorities for their assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan B. Finkel is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment and Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
u.s._v._west_indictment.pdf u.s._v._west_complaint.pdf
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the Complaint, and the descriptions set forth herein, constitutes only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.
Serial Bank Robber Arrested for Allegedly Robbing Weymouth Bank at GunpointRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Quincy man has been arrested and charged in connection with the December 2024 armed robbery of a Santander Bank in Weymouth.
Glenn Legere, 46, of Quincy, was charged with one count of armed bank robbery. The defendant was arrested this morning and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston today, was ordered detained pending a hearing scheduled for July 8, 2025.
According to the charging document, at approximately 4:52 p.m. on Dec. 17, 2024, local law enforcement was dispatched to a Santander bank branch in Weymouth for a reported bank robbery. There, it is alleged that a bank teller told law enforcement that as employees were preparing to close the bank, a man wearing a sweatshirt, baseball hat, face covering and gloves entered the bank through the main entrance. It is alleged that the suspect approached the victim teller’s window, removed a black firearm from the front pocket of his sweatshirt, opened a black cloth bag and demanded all the money. As the bank teller handed the suspect money from the cash box, the suspect allegedly yelled words to the effect of “I need money,” “I want the money” and “I don’t play.” At various times, the suspect allegedly pointed the firearm directly at the victim teller. It is further alleged that the suspect ran towards other teller windows, gesturing d towards the cash box areas and demanding more money, but the victim teller explained that there was no more money and displayed an empty cash drawer. The suspect allegedly then left the bank with approximately $947 in stolen cash.
According to court documents, a subsequent review of surveillance video footage from nearby locations determined that the suspect drove to and from the robbery location in a silver or grey Jeep Grand Cherokee. A vehicle matching the description was captured on cameras in Quincy immediately before and after the robbery. It is alleged that the vehicle was registered to Legere.
Legere has multiple prior convictions for committing armed and unarmed robberies, including a 2011 conviction of armed robbery in Norfolk Superior Court for which he was sentenced to three to five years in state prison, as well as a 2010 conviction for armed and unarmed robbery of banks in Braintree, Hanover, Duxbury and Plymouth for which he was sentenced to three years in state prison.As stated in open court at the defendant’s initial appearance today, when Legere was arrested, a firearm and some of the clothing believed to be used by Legere during the robbery were recovered.
The charge of armed bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Weymouth Police Chief Richard M. Fuller made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police, the National Insurance Crime Bureau and the Wellesley Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
San Juan County Man Indicted for Second Degree MurderRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a San Juan County man with second degree murder after he allegedly shot a man to death in San Juan County, Utah.
Chevel Cottonwood, 34, of San Juan County, was charged by complaint on June 11, 2025, and ordered detained by a U.S. Magistrate Judge.
According to court documents, on June 10, 2025, Navajo Police Department Officers responded to a 911 call reporting gunfire near the Hovenweep area north of Aneth, Utah, within the Navajo Nation. Upon arrival at a residence, officers spoke with a woman who was allegedly at the residence at the time of the shooting and described hearing gunshots from the living room. She recalled hearing Cottonwood and the victim arguing and then heard another gunshot and saw the flash of the discharge. The woman then went to the living room and saw the victim laying on the floor bleeding from an apparent gunshot wound.
As alleged in court documents, responding officers entered the residence and found the victim deceased with a gunshot wound and an empty shell casing next to him. Cottonwood was found hiding in nearby bushes with a loaded magazine and ammunition. A search warrant was executed, and officers seized a 9mm pistol and two 9mm shell casings. Agents also observed bullet holes through the roof of the house that appeared to have occurred at some point during the incident.
Cottonwood is charged with second degree murder while within Indian Country and being a restricted person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Cottonwood will have his initial appearance on the indictment on June 26, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. in courtroom 7.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated jointly by the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office’s Monticello Resident Agency.
Assistant United States Attorneys Sam Pead and Tanner Zumwalt of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (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).
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Salem Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Entice and Coerce Children OnlineRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A Salem, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison today for requesting sexually explicit materials from undercover law enforcement officers posing as children online and attempting to persuade the purported children to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
Gary Wade Ronning, 40, was sentenced to 130 months in federal prison and ten years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, in March 2023, Ronning used Facebook Messenger, an online messaging application, to contact an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 15-year-old girl as part of a broader investigation into online enticement of minors. For months, Ronning engaged in sexually explicit communications with the officer, requested sexually explicit images of the purported child, sent sexually explicit photos and videos of himself, and planned a meeting to engage in illicit sexual conduct. However, when it came time for the meetup, Ronning did not follow through with his plans.
Between October and November 2023, Ronning communicated with two other undercover officers posing as 13-year-old and 15-year-old children online. Ronning again engaged in sexually explicit conversations, sent sexually explicit images and videos of himself, and attempted to arrange meetups to engage in illicit sexual conduct. During these conversations, Ronning expressed awareness that his actions were illegal and repeatedly reminded the fictitious children not to tell anyone about his plans.
On January 18, 2024, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a five-count indictment charging Ronning with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, attempting to use a minor to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct, and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor.
On January 22, 2025, Ronning pleaded guilty to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Redmond Police Department, with assistance from the Salem Police Department. It was prosecuted by William M. McLaren, Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
The FBI Child Exploitation Task Force (CETF) conducts sexual exploitation investigations, many of them undercover, in coordination with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. CETF is committed to locating and arresting those who prey on children as well as recovering and assisting victims of sex trafficking and child exploitation.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Russian National Who Allegedly Lied About Smuggling Undeclared Biological Items into Boston Indicted by Federal Grand JuryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Russian national was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with attempting to smuggle clawed frog embryos and embryonic samples into the United States.
Kseniia Petrova, 31, a Russian citizen, was indicted on one count of concealment of a material fact, one count of false statement and one count of smuggling goods into the United States. Petrova was taken into immigration custody on Feb. 16, 2025 and was charged by criminal complaint on May 14, 2025 in connection with the federal case. She is currently on pretrial release.
According to the charging documents, on Feb. 16, 2025, Petrova arrived at Logan International Airport in Boston on a flight from Paris. Upon her arrival, Petrova was stopped by Customs & Border Protection agents after a law enforcement canine allegedly alerted its handler to the defendant’s checked duffel bag on the baggage carousel. Per protocol, the bag was removed from the carousel and brought to an agricultural secondary inspection area for further screening. There, an officer inspected the contents of the bag and allegedly discovered undeclared biological items, including a foam box containing clawed frog embryos in microcentrifuges, as well as embryonic samples in paraffin well stages and on mounted dyed slides. All individuals are required to declare any articles brought into the United States to Customs & Border Protection at the port of first arrival.
It is alleged that, when approached by law enforcement, Petrova initially denied carrying any biological material in her checked baggage. However, when asked again, Petrova allegedly admitted that she was carrying biological material. During an interview under oath, Petrova allegedly claimed to be unsure that she was required to declare the embryos when entering the United States.
According to the charging documents, however, Petrova’s phone revealed text messages from an individual identified as one of Petrova’s colleagues informing Petrova that she was required to declare the biological material: “if you bring samples or antibody back, make sure you get the permission etc. Like that link I sent to leon-/group chat about frog embryos because TSA went through my bags at customs in Boston.”
It is alleged that in another text message conversation, an individual identified as her principal investigator asked Petrova, “What is your plan to pass the American Customs with samples? This is the most delicate place of the trajectory.” After the principal investigator again asked how Petrova planned to get through customs with the biological samples, she replied: “No plan yet. I won’t be able to swallow them.”
The charges of concealment of material fact and false statements provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of smuggling goods into the United States provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jennifer De La O, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office; and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nadine Pellegrini, Chief of the National Security Unit and David M. Holcomb, also of the National Security Unit, are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Repeat illegal alien sentenced for human smuggling after high-speed chase, crashRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 36-year-old Mexican national who illegally resided in Laredo has been sentenced for unlawfully reentering the country and human smuggling, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jesus Hernandez-Herrera pleaded guilty March 27.
U.S. District Judge John Kazen has now ordered Hernandez-Herrera to serve 66 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings again following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that described Hernandez-Herrera’s criminal history, including an evading arrest incident in which he drove his car towards a federal agent, almost collided with a pedestrian and engaged in a dangerous vehicle pursuit. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Hernandez-Herrera did not seem remorseful for what he did.
Hernandez-Herrera also has five prior removals from the United States.
On Dec. 10, 2024, a Ford Expedition and Cadillac were driving in tandem and stopped at an intersection, where three suspected illegal aliens approached the two vehicles. Hernandez-Herrera had been driving the Expedition.
Authorities followed him to a residence on Green Street where they observed suspected illegal aliens leave the house and enter the vehicle. When law enforcement attempted a traffic stop, Hernandez-Herrera fled and lead them on a high-speed pursuit, weaving in and out of heavy traffic and speeds reaching 95 miles per hour.
The pursuit ended when Hernandez-Herrera crashed into two vehicles on Santa Maria Avenue. He and four illegal aliens fled on foot. Hernandez-Herrera ran into oncoming traffic, but law enforcement apprehended him before he could cross onto the southbound lanes of IH-35.
Hernandez-Herrera ultimately confessed, admitting there were additional aliens at the Green Street residence. Authorities discovered an additional four people illegally in the United States and approximately 50.8 kilograms of marijuana at the location.
“The human smuggling trade endangers our community in many ways, not the least of which is high-speed vehicular flights like the one in this case,” said Ganjei. “This defendant, with his five prior removals, should have never been in this country, but now he’ll have the opportunity to stay in federal custody for several more years before being removed for one last time.”
Hernandez-Herrera will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Texas Department of Public Safety and Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew P. Hakala-Finch 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.
Repeat Felony Offender Convicted at Trial for Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A federal jury in Columbia has convicted Yashawnus Leekean Patterson, 44, of Columbia, of being a felon in possession of a firearm after a two-day trial.
Evidence presented at trial included testimony and body worn camera footage showing two Columbia Police Department officers responding to a hotel in downtown Columbia to assist in removing Patterson, who was no longer staying at that hotel. After being asked to place Patterson on trespass notice, officers learned he was wanted on a bench warrant from the Cayce Police Department, and he was arrested. During a search of his person, officers located a loaded 9mm pistol in the front of his waistband, a 30-round extended magazine in his backpack, and a total of 74 rounds of 9mm ammunition among his person and his other belongings. Patterson acknowledged to officers that he knew he was not legally allowed to possess a firearm.
Patterson has an extensive record of felony convictions dating back to 1998, including convictions for criminal sexual conduct with a minor, strong-arm robbery, and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis presided over the trial and will sentence Patterson after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. Patterson faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Sanford and Elizabeth Major are prosecuting the case.
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Reinbeck Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Second TimeRead the Press Release
A Reinbeck man who obtained a significant quantity of methamphetamine from a source of supply that he had met in federal prison was sentenced June 23, 2025, to 20 years in federal prison.
Austin David Hansen, age 39, from Reinbeck, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 23, 2024 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance after having previously been convicted of a serious drug felony.
Information disclosed at Hansen’s sentencing hearing and other hearings related to this case showed that, beginning in December 2023, and continuing to May 22, 2024, Hansen worked with a California source of supply that Hansen had met in federal prison to ship methamphetamine and marijuana packages in the mail to post office boxes in Reinbeck, Dike, and Waterloo, Iowa. After the methamphetamine and marijuana packages arrived at the Iowa post office boxes, Hansen worked with others to distribute the methamphetamine and marijuana to individuals in the Northern District of Iowa. Hansen then sent packages containing thousands of dollars of drug proceeds to the source of supply in California. In total, the California source of supply sent at least 37 packages to the Northern District of Iowa, and Hansen sent the source of supply over $260,000 of drug proceeds.
During the investigation, law enforcement seized a package from California and intended for one of the post office boxes, and it contained over 5,000 grams of methamphetamine. On May 22, 2024, officers executed several search warrants in this case, including at Hansen’s residence. At Hansen’s residence, officers seized over 600 grams of methamphetamine, a firearm, over $12,000 in United States currency, and receipts of all the money packages Hansen sent to the source of supply in California.
Hansen had previously been convicted of a federal drug trafficking crime and sentenced to federal prison in November 2011.
Hansen was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Hansen was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment, and he must also serve a ten‑year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Hansen is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the United States Postal Service; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Tri‑County Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Waterloo Police Department, Cedar Falls Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, Evansdale Police Department, Waverly Police Department, Hudson Police Department, La Porte City Police Department, and the Bremer County Sheriff’s Office; the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Mid‑Iowa Drug Task Force; the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office; the Iowa State Patrol; and the Santa Ana, California Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24‑CR‑00044‑CJW.
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Rapid City Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on June 18, 2025.
Luke Standing Bear, age 19, was sentenced to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
A federal grand jury indicted Standing Bear in July 2024. He pleaded guilty on March 21, 2025.
On July 6, 2024, Standing Bear was in his neighborhood, in the Eastridge community in Pine Ridge, where he tried to fight several other men. The victim, who was one of the men whom Standing Bear tried to fight, told Standing Bear to go home. Standing Bear went back to his house and armed himself with a knife. Standing Bear returned to the scene of the first argument and got into another argument with the victim. Standing Bear was disarmed by bystanders, but then retrieved a second knife from his home and returned again to the street where the victim was standing. Standing Bear approached the victim after being insulted and stabbed the victim one time in the ribs. The victim took one step and collapsed to the ground. The knife had pierced several internal organs and the victim’s aorta. The victim survived the flight to the hospital in Rapid City but died during surgery.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.
Standing Bear was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Oxford Man Sentenced to 156 Months in Federal Prison for Attempted Enticement of a Minor and Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – An Oxford man was sentenced on June 25, 2025, to 156 months in federal prison for Attempted Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Illicit Sexual Activities and Receipt of Child Pornography.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Eric Gene Rundle, 44, communicated with an undercover law enforcement officer who was posing as a fifteen-year-old girl. Rundle made plans to meet with the fifteen-year-old to engage in sex acts and was arrested at the meeting location. Rundle had a cell phone with him which was searched. Rundle used the device to receive, view, and possess images and videos containing child sexual abuse material.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Rundle will be required to serve a seven-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa City Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Newcomb Man Charged with Assault for Violent AttackRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Newcomb man is facing federal charges after a violent altercation left a victim with serious injuries.
According to court documents, on June 14, 2025, Vincent Torrez, 35, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, assaulted John Doe at a residence on the Navajo Nation. During the incident, Torrez entered John Doe’s bedroom, repeatedly struck him, slammed him to the floor, and used a ceramic cup as a weapon to inflict a deep laceration to John Doe’s leg. John Doe sustained multiple injuries, including lacerations to the head and leg, abrasions, and an arterial wound, and was transported to Northern Navajo Medical Center for treatment.
Torrez is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury and will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Torrez faces up to 10 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.
View the Criminal Complaint (Torrez).pdfA criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New Jersey CPA Pleads Guilty to Conspiring with Others to Defraud the United StatesRead the Press Release
A New Jersey Certified Public Accountant (CPA) pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring to defraud the United States by promoting fraudulent tax shelters to his high-income clients.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2018 and 2019, Ofer Gabbay, a CPA, of Paramus, New Jersey, conspired with others, including Jack Fisher, James Sinnott, and their assistant Kate Joy to promote fraudulent syndicated conservation easement tax shelters to their clients. These tax shelters facilitated high-income taxpayers in claiming unwarranted and inflated charitable contribution tax deductions in connection with the donation of a conservation easement over land. To carry out the scheme, Gabbay and others instructed clients to provide backdated checks, agreements and other documents to support the unwarranted tax deductions. Gabbay then prepared false tax returns for his participating clients.
Fisher and Sinnott were sentenced to 25 year and 23 years in prison, respectively, for their roles in the scheme. Joy remains a fugitive.
Gabbay faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Richard Rolwing and Trial Attorney Parker Tobin of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Naugatuck Man Charged with Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that SEAN SAYER, 22, of Naugatuck, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with child exploitation offenses.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on March 20, 2025, an eight-year-old boy (“the minor victim”) in Oregon contacted Sayer by text message and asked Sayer if he was @fornight_legends on TikTok. Sayer responded affirmatively and, over the next three days, exchanged with the minor victim more than 1,300 messages in which Sayer repeatedly and aggressively demanded sexually explicit images and videos of the minor victim in exchange for playing Fortnite with him online. The minor victim sent Sayer at least 15 videos constituting child sexual abuse material or child pornography.
Sayer was arrested on June 18, 2025. It is alleged that a preliminary forensic review of Sayer’s cellphone has revealed screenshots of Snapchat conversations Sayer had with dozens of additional minor victims who Sayer coerced or enticed to send him sexually explicit photos of themselves.
Sayer appeared today for a bond hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven. He was released on a $150,000 bond into home detention with location monitoring, and is prohibited from accessing the internet and communicating with, and having contact with, minors.
The complaint charges Sayer with production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of 30 years of imprisonment; coercion and enticement of a minor, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life; receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, and transfer of obscene material to a minor, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, with the assistance of the Eugene (Ore.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary G. Vitale.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Murder Charge Filed Against Teen Who Struck Another Person with a CarRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kyree Young, 17, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged with first degree murder while armed – felony murder, that occurred on the morning of May 7, 2025, in Northwest D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Young made his initial appearance before Superior Court Magistrate Judge Robert J. Hildum today, where Judge Hildum found probable cause that Young committed the offense of first-degree murder while armed – felony murder and ordered that Young be held without bond pending trial. The United States is still investigating Young’s accomplices.
According to court documents, Young followed the victim from an ATM and struck him with a vehicle, robbed him, and tried to access his financial accounts at the same ATM he had been using earlier. The victim died at the scene. Police later recovered the vehicle and gathered other evidence that led to Young’s identification.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Washington Field Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Carter.
These charges are merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Minnesota sex offender sentenced to over a year in prison for failing to registerRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Minnesota man who failed to register as a sex offender was sentenced today to 16 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Jeremiah Robert Wiberg, 42, pleaded guilty in March 2025 to one count of failure to register as a sex offender.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Jeremiah Wiberg is required to register as a sexual offender under SORNA following a 2007 federal conviction for receipt of child pornography. Wiberg has been on federal supervised release for the past eight years and has been revoked off supervised release multiple times.
Following his sentence of incarceration after being revoked from supervision, Wiberg was released from the BOP in Louisiana on November 8, 2023. Per his travel itinerary with BOP he traveled to Billings, Montana the same day. Wiberg arrived in Billings that day, but he did not check in with United States Probation on that day, nor did he register under SORNA upon his arrival in Billings. His whereabouts were unknown.
It was determined through records and witness statements that Wiberg was in Montana for a period of a few weeks after he arrived in Billings. Wiberg traveled to Roundup and then left the state. He never registered in Montana.
On December 27, 2023, law enforcement received information that the Wiberg was staying in Minnesota. Wiberg was subsequently located at a VFW in Forrest Lake, Minnesota. He was arrested on a federal warrant for violating his supervised release. Wiberg had not registered in Minnesota.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Probation Office, Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation.
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Middlesex County Woman Admits to COVID-19 Relief Program FraudRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, woman admitted that she fraudulently obtained Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”), Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), and pandemic unemployment insurance benefits, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Damaris Valerio, a/k/a Damaris Tineo Abreu, 42, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch to an information charging her with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From April 2020 through December 2021, Valerio fraudulently obtained $194,212 in COVID-19 emergency relief funds, which included loans and cash advances meant for distressed small businesses under the EIDL program and PPP, and pandemic unemployment insurance benefits meant for unemployed workers, by submitting false and fraudulent applications inflating her business’s revenues, payroll expenses, and number of employees. After receiving the fraudulent funds, she diverted proceeds from the relief programs for her personal gain.
The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greater. The money laundering charge count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or loss to the victim, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for October 28, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel in Newark; Special Agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, and special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General’s Boston-New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amy Connelly, with the investigation leading to this guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin D. Bleiberg and Fatime Meka Cano of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
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 Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Defense Counsel: John Russo, Esq, of New York.
valerio.information.pdfMichigan Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Drug Distribution and Loan FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Michigan man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for a conspiracy to import and sell illegal pharmaceuticals, including opioids, and to fund the operation of the scheme by fraudulently obtaining a COVID-19 pandemic relief loan.
Donald Nchamukong, 37, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to two years in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Nchamukong was also ordered to pay $200,000 in restitution. In March 2025, Nchamukong pleaded guilty to conspiracy to smuggle goods into the United States, committing loan fraud and distributing controlled substances.
Starting in 2019 and continuing to 2022, Nchamukong and co-conspirator, Doyal Kalita, conspired to distribute drugs to persons in the United States over the internet and using call centers in India. Nchamukong used shell companies, including a purported dietary supplements company and an auto parts supplier, and associated bank and merchant accounts to process sales of illegal foreign drugs, including the Schedule IV opioid, tramadol. Nchamukong and Kalita also received shipments of tramadol from India and reshipped the drug to customers across the United States, including in Massachusetts. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Nchamukong and Kalita fraudulently obtained a $200,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan to fund their illegal drug scheme.
In June 2024, Kalita was sentenced to 10 years in prison for orchestrating the online drug distribution scheme, a technical support fraud scheme and related money laundering.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Fernando P. McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in New York, the Small Business Administration and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil, Deputy Chief of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.
Mexican citizen sentenced for illegal reentryRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A Mexican man who entered the United States illegally was sentenced today to 6 months in prison to be followed by removal from the United States, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Miguel Angel Lozada-Dominguez, 36, pleaded guilty in May 2025 to one count of illegal reentry.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on April 7, 2025, law enforcement had contact with the defendant in St. Regis. Lozada-Dominguez seemed to be soliciting money by approaching bystanders while holding a notebook with handwritten English phrases. Lozada-Dominguez told officers that he was a citizen of Mexico, he did not possess valid immigration documents and had no legal authorization to enter the United States. He did not claim any United States citizenship or lawful status. He was arrested and transported to a local jail for reinstatement of a prior order of removal. In an interview, the defendant stated he entered the United States by crossing the border undetected through Del Rio, Texas.
Lozada-Dominguez’s records showed he was convicted for illegal entry and ordered removed from the United States on January 24, 2019. Further review of records showed that he did not seek or receive authorization from the Attorney General to reenter the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
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).
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Mescalero Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse of MinorRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man pleaded guilty to the federal charge of sexual abuse of a minor.
According to court records, on February 15, 2025, John Albert Carrillo, Jr., 36, a member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, used force to commit a sexual act with a minor victim.
Carrillo pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor and faces up to 15 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Carrillo will be required to register as a sex offender and must serve a term of supervised release not less than five years and up to life.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson K. Dering V is prosecuting the case.
View the Plea Agreement (Carrillo).pdfMcKeesport Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possession of Ammunition Collected from Scene of Fatal Apartment Complex ShootingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 33 months of imprisonment on his conviction of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Desmond Dontae Lee, 47.
According to information presented to the Court, on March 1, 2023, Lee and his son were both part of a group of individuals congregating outside of an apartment in a McKeesport apartment complex. When the resident of the apartment confronted the group and asked them to leave, one of the group members approached the resident and struck him with a closed fist, which led to the resident shooting and killing his attacker. Lee entered and proceeded through the apartment next to the resident’s, exiting that apartment from the rear, and then approached the rear of the resident’s apartment, firing five rounds from a 9mm semi-automatic pistol into the apartment before fleeing the scene. At that time, Lee’s son shot back at and killed the resident at the front of the apartment. The firearm used by Lee was never recovered, but investigators with the Allegheny County Police Department Homicide Unit collected the shell casings fired from Lee’s gun.
Lee was previously convicted on state drug trafficking and firearms offenses. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Allegheny County Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Lee.
Massachusetts Man Faces at Least 15 Years for Multiple Offenses, Including Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to conspiring to straw purchase firearms, conspiring to distribute controlled substances, and producing child sexual abuse material.
According to court records, from late 2020 until at least July 2023, Aden Mohamed (a/k/a “Mike,” a/k/a “AD”), 26, was among the leaders of a wide-ranging criminal conspiracy to traffic firearms purchased by straw purchasers in Maine to sell to customers in Syracuse, New York and Springfield, Massachusetts. Mohamed was often paid in drugs, primarily cocaine, which he used to facilitate the firearms trafficking activity by paying straw purchasers in drugs for their services. Mohamed regularly bought and sold hundreds of grams per week of cocaine as part of this scheme.
During the investigation into the firearms trafficking conspiracy, law enforcement seized Mohamed’s phone and discovered child sexual abuse material on the device. The resulting investigation revealed that Mohamed had compelled two minors into sexually explicit situations for the purpose of producing child sexual abuse material.
Mohamed faces up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 on the firearms charges, up to 20 years in prison and a maximum $1 million fine on the drug charges, and at least 15 years imprisonment (up to a maximum 30 years) and a fine up to $250,000 on the production of child sexual abuse material charge. The Court may also order him to pay restitution to the victims. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
As part of a plea agreement with the government, Mohamed – a Somalian national – has agreed to the entry of a judicial order of removal, which will result in his deportation from the United States following a term of at least 15 years of incarceration.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the cases.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
STRAW PURCHASING: A straw purchase is an illegal firearm purchase where the actual buyer of the gun, being unable to pass the required federal background check or desiring to not have his or her name associated with the transaction, uses a proxy buyer who can pass the required background check to purchase the firearm for him/her.
Project Safe Neighborhoods: This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn.
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Mannford Man Sentenced for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Mannford man was sentenced today for Possession of Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney
Clint Johnson.U.S. District Judge Eric F. Melgren sentenced Gary Syd Goldberg, 77, to 120 months imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Upon release, Goldberg will also be required to register as a sex offender.
In October 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a cybertip concerning an image being uploaded to an artificial intelligence (AI) image generator platform. Law enforcement discovered that Goldberg was the user who uploaded the image of a child being sexually abused. Investigators served a search warrant on Goldberg’s home, seizing several electronic devices. When law enforcement spoke with Goldberg, he admitted to having hundreds of images of child pornography. Further, Goldberg admitted to viewing images and videos of children being sexually abused, daily for the past 24 years.
Federal court records show that Goldberg pled guilty in 2001 to Receipt of Child Pornography through the Mail. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Goldberg will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Mannford Police Department and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mallory Richard and Ashley Robert prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Lowell Man Arrested for Possessing and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man has been arrested on federal charges of possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Anthony Saint Jean, 34, was indicted on one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Saint Jean was arrested at his residence this morning and made his initial appearance in federal court today in Boston. He has been detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for June 26, 2025.
According to the indictment, between March 17, 2024, and Aug. 20, 2024, Saint Jean knowingly distributed online videos depicting CSAM. It is further alleged that Saint Jean possessed CSAM, some of which depicted the abuse of minor victims younger than 12 years old.
The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or contact [email protected].
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lowell Police Department; the Texas Department of Public Safety; and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Lone American indicted in international drug trafficking investigation sentenced to five years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A U.S. citizen deeply enmeshed in an international drug smuggling conspiracy was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to five years in prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Just over a year ago, law enforcement teams from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Seattle Police Department and IRS Criminal Investigation executed 24 search or arrest warrants taking four people into custody who were linked to the drug trafficking conspiracy. 56-year-old Curtis McDaniel was arrested at a Tukwila motel and has been in custody ever since. The drug conspirators arrested on June 5, 2024, have ties to suppliers in Mexico and Colombia.
In sentencing McDaniel to five years in prison and four years of supervised release to follow his prison term, U.S. District Judge Tana Lin referenced the significant impact that McDaniel’s distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine have upon our community—specifically noting that methamphetamine and cocaine were the second and third most common substances involved in overdose deaths in King County in 2024.
Lead defendant Ramon Duarte Garcia, 37, a citizen of Mexico who lived in Kent, Washington, was identified as a significant drug supplier when law enforcement stopped him driving back to the Pacific Northwest with 12 pounds of methamphetamine in his vehicle, along with a stolen firearm and $10,000 in drug trafficking proceeds. Duarte Garcia, was sentenced to ten years in prison in May 2025. Defendant Humberto Lopez Rodriguez, 30, a citizen of Mexico, formerly of Renton, Washington, is scheduled for sentencing on July 30, 2025.
Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized 84,000 fentanyl pills, more than a kilogram of fentanyl powder, 32 kilograms of cocaine, 15 kilograms of methamphetamine nearly three kilograms of heroin, and $71,000 in drug proceeds. They recovered nine guns, including an AK-47.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The investigation is being led by the DEA and Seattle Police Department. The IRS Criminal Investigation and OCDETF Auditor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office are conducting the financial investigation that is focused on the money launderers responsible for the transfer of significant sums of drug trafficking proceeds to sources of supply in Mexico and Colombia. Additional assistance was provided by Renton Police Department, Centralia Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of the Inspector General (HUD OIG), Washington State Patrol, Pierce County and Valley SWAT teams.
The Colombian National Police (CNP) and Colombian Prosecutor’s Office (Fiscalia General) partnered with U.S. law enforcement on this investigation. The Justice Department’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá provided critical assistance.
The cases from this investigation are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joe Silvio and C. Andrew Colasurdo in the Western District of Washington.
Leader of PPP Fraud Scheme Sentenced to 51 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for her leadership role in two cases that resulted in more than $900,000 in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans being issued under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Renetta Golden-Larimore, 56, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 51 months imprisonment based upon her guilty pleas to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, contained in two separate federal indictments.
The CARES Act established several new temporary programs and provided for the expansion of others to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these programs, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) authorized forgivable loans to small businesses to retain workers and maintain payroll, make mortgage interest payments, lease payments, and utility payments.
Golden-Larimore admitted that from February 2021 to May 2022 she conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent applications for PPP loans. The scheme caused over $900,000 in fraudulent PPP loans to be issued to ineligible borrowers, some of which were forgiven even though the funds were not used for the purposes specified in the PPP.
Golden-Larimore admitted she prepared and filed fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of other persons. Generally, she charged fees between $2,000 and $7,000 for her assistance in filing false and fraudulent PPP loans, earning a total of at least $75,833 from the scheme. Golden-Larimore created counterfeit IRS forms for nonexistent businesses and with inflated income for existing businesses in order to qualify the borrower for a PPP loan.
Golden-Larimore prepared approximately 43 false PPP loan applications that were funded and numerous other false applications that were rejected. The total loss to the Small Business Administration was $908,278.
Twenty-one other persons have been charged and convicted in the Golden-Larimore fraud scheme in these two cases and five additional cases.
Golden-Larimore was ordered to forfeit to the government at least $75,833, which represents the proceeds she personally obtained from the scheme and pay $908,278 in restitution to the Small Business Administration, representing the total fraud loss associated with the wire fraud scheme.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
KC Man Pleads Guilty for Computer HackingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has pleaded guilty for hacking into the computer system at an area nonprofit.
Nicholas Michael Kloster, 32, admitted during his plea that he caused reckless damage to a protected computer owned by an area nonprofit during unauthorized access. Kloster admitted that he entered the premises of a nonprofit corporation on May 20, 2024. Kloster entered an area that is not available to the public and accessed a computer with access to the company’s network.
Kloster specifically admitted that he utilized a boot disk to access the computer through multiple user accounts. By accessing the computer in this manner, Kloster was able to circumvent the password requirements by changing the password assigned to one or more users. Kloster was then able to install a virtual private network on this computer. Since Kloster’s intrusion into its computer and its network, the company has sustained significant losses in an attempt to remediate the effects from this intrusion.
Under federal statutes, Kloster is subject to a sentence of up to five years’ imprisonment in federal prison without parole, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release, and an order of restitution. 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. Attorneys Nicholas Heberle and Patrick D. Daly. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.
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Justice Department Files Suit Against Orange County California Registrar of Voters for Refusing to Provide Non-Citizen Voter Removal Records in Violation of Federal Elections LawsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against Robert Page, the Orange County Registrar of Voters in Orange County, California for refusing to provide the Justice Department with records pertaining to the removal of non-citizens from its voter registration list and for failing to maintain an accurate voter list in violation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).
“Voting by non-citizens is a federal crime, and states and counties that refuse to disclose all requested voter information are in violation of well-established federal elections laws” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Removal of non-citizens from the state’s voter rolls is critical to ensuring that the State’s voter rolls are accurate and that elections in California are conducted without fraudulent voting. The Department of Justice will hold jurisdictions that refuse to comply with federal voting laws accountable.”
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the integrity of the vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting. Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.
Iranian National and Wife Federally Indicted After Wife Threatens to Shoot ICE Officers in TempeRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On June 24, 2025, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned an indictment against Iranian national, Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand, 40, of Tempe, Arizona for Alien in Possession of a Firearm, and against his wife, Linet Vartanniavartanians, 37, a United States Citizen from Tempe, Arizona, for Threatening to Assault a Federal Officer.
Documents filed in the case allege that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers went to Eidivand and Vartanniavartanians’ Tempe residence on Saturday, June 21, 2025, to administratively arrest Eidivand for failing to comply with a 2013 removal order. Eidivand, an Iranian national, had challenged the removal order on several occasions, but the Board of Immigration Appeals denied those motions repeatedly. Despite the court order to return to his home country, Eidivand remained in the United States for over a decade.
When ICE ERO officers arrived at the couple’s residence, they announced themselves and were answered by Vartanniavartanians, who refused to open the door and told the officers to return with a warrant. Shortly thereafter, Tempe Police officers arrived on the scene and told ICE ERO that Vartanniavartanians had called the police and threatened to shoot the federal officers. She claimed that she had a loaded gun and that she would shoot anyone who tried to come inside the house. She also threatened to go outside and shoot ICE officers in the head. When the police dispatcher spoke with Eidivand, he confirmed that there were guns in the home.
The following day, June 22, 2025, agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and officers from ICE ERO executed a federal search warrant on the residence. Inside the home, agents found a loaded firearm on the kitchen counter and a second loaded firearm on a nightstand. Both Vartanniavartanians and Eidivand were arrested at the scene and taken into custody without further incident.
A conviction for Alien in Possession of a Firearm carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, or both. A conviction for Threatening to Assault a Federal Officer carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, or both.
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).
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
HSI Phoenix, ICE, ERO, and the FBI’s Phoenix Office are conducting the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Addison Owen, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-25-00931-PHX-DGC
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-099_Eidivand, et al.# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.International marine company agrees to pay over $3 million to settle False Claims Act allegationsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Viking Life-Saving Equipment (America) Inc. has agreed to pay $3.86 million to resolve allegations it fraudulently obtained paycheck protection program (PPP) loans, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Viking is a marine equipment company headquartered in Miami, Florida, with operations in Pasadena. It is a subsidiary of Denmark-based Viking Life Savings Equipment A/S. The company provides maritime and offshore safety equipment and services, including lifeboats, life rafts, personal protective gear and safety training programs.
From April 24, 2020, to Nov. 11, 2021, Viking applied for two PPP loans and requested forgiveness for both. The PPP, created under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, offered forgivable loans to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic for employee payroll and certain other expenses. Eligible companies were required to have fewer than 500 employees or meet industry-specific size limits. Under the Small Business Administration (SBA) affiliation rules, businesses with shared ownership or control had to include all affiliated employees when calculating eligibility.
The settlement resolves allegations that Viking obtained two PPP loans by misrepresenting the total number of its own employees and those of its affiliates. Viking allegedly falsely certified eligibility on the dates of the relevant loan application materials to receive PPP funding and loan forgiveness. Viking fully responded to requests for information in this investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul B. Moore handled the matter in coordination with Attorney Amber Perez, SBA - Office of General Counsel.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
International Arms Dealer Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Export Firearms to RussiaRead the Press Release
Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, Kyrgyz national Sergei Zharnovnikov pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit export violations. The defendant exported firearms and ammunition worth over $1.5 million from the United States to Russia, in violation of U.S. law. When sentenced, Zharnovnikov faces up to 20 years in prison.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; John Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Jonathan Carson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office (BIS-OEE), announced the guilty plea.
“The defendant admitted that he purchased American-made, military-grade firearms and re-exported them to Russia,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Today’s guilty plea is the culmination of extensive investigative work, showing that this Office will not allow merchants of lethal weapons to flout U.S. sanctions.”
“By his own admission, Zharnovnikov willfully violated U.S. export controls to smuggle American-made firearms into Russia,” stated Assistant Attorney General for National Security Eisenberg. “The National Security Division will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to disrupt illicit arms networks and prosecute those who illegally transfer U.S. weaponry abroad.”
“Sergei Zharnovnikov admitted to violating export control laws by exporting US semi-automatic firearms to Russia via Kyrgyzstan. Schemes designed to evade export laws are not only illegal but also endanger our country’s security. The FBI along with our partners will continue our efforts to defend the homeland by bringing to justice any criminal attempting to evade the laws enacted to protect our national security,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.
According to court filings and statements made during the plea proceeding, the defendant is the owner of an arms dealer located in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyzstan Company-1). Since at least March 2020, the defendant, together with others, has conspired to export firearms controlled by the United States Department of Commerce (DOC) from the United States to Russia. The defendant exported $1,582,836.52 worth of U.S.-manufactured firearms and ammunition from the United States to Russia. In one transaction, he entered into a five‑year, $900,000 contract with a company in the United States (U.S. Company‑1) to purchase and export U.S. Company-1 firearms to Kyrgyzstan. DOC issued a license for U.S. Company-1 to export firearms to Kyrgyzstan Company-1, but the license prohibited the export or re-export of the firearms to Russia. Nevertheless, the defendant exported and re-exported U.S. Company‑1 firearms to Russia (via Kyrgyzstan), including semi‑automatic hybrid rifle-pistols from U.S. Company-1.
According to an export filing, U.S. Company-1 exported semi-automatic rifles from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Kyrgyzstan Company-1 on or about July 10, 2022. On or about November 14, 2022, the General Director of a Russian company that is a client of the defendant executed a tax form listing the same semi‑automatic rifle‑pistols that U.S. Company‑1 had exported to Kyrgyzstan Company‑1, the defendant’s company. The defendant did not apply for, obtain, or possess a license to export or re-export the semi‑automatic pistol-rifles to Russia.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorney Ellen H. Sise is in charge of the prosecution, along with Trial Attorney Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, with assistance from Litigation Analyst Rebecca Roth.
The Defendant:
SERGEI ZHARNOVNIKOV
AGE: 47
Bishkek, KyrgyzstanE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-45 (HG)
Illegal Alien Charged with Possessing a Gun and Ammunition in FloridaRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Camerino Perez Perez, a/k/a “Squirrel,” 41, of Levy County, FL, was indicted by a federal grand jury this week charging him with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charge today.
Perez is scheduled for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Midori Lowry on July 1, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. in Gainesville, Florida.
If convicted, Perez faces up to fifteen years’ imprisonment.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Guatemalan National Previously Deported Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - A Guatemalan national who reentered the country illegally after having been convicted for drug trafficking in 2014 and subsequently deported was sentenced today on a charge of illegal reentry and will again face deportation, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
According to court records, Pedro Andony Alvarado Aguilar, 46, was convicted in federal court in Connecticut in November 2014 on charges of conspiracy to import 5,000 grams or more of cocaine and conspiracy to import 1,000 grams or more of heroin. He was deported on July 1, 2015.
On April 10, 2025, Immigration Officers learned through an automated biometric fingerprint match of fingerprints entered into the National Crime Information Center that Alvarado Aguilar was arrested in Rhode Island for driving on a suspended license and on an obstruction charge. The defendant was charged in U.S. District Court in Providence on May 9, 2025, with illegal reentry; he pleaded guilty on May 29, 2025.
At sentencing today, U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy sentenced Alvarado Aguilar to time served (detained in federal custody since May 2, 2025). An immigration detainer has been filed in this matter.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter I. Roklan.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Immigration and Custom Enforcement.
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).
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Guatemalan National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in Lawrence, Mass., was indicted on June 11, 2025 by a federal grand jury for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Marcos Riquiac-Ordonez, 41, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Riquiac-Ordonez was arrested by immigration authorities on May 12, 2025.
According to the indictment, Riquiac-Ordonez was deported from the United States on April 26, 2016. It is alleged that sometime after his April 2016 removal, Riquiac-Ordonez illegally reentered the United States without permission.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra W. Amrhein of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Gladwyne Investment Adviser Sentenced to over Eight Years in Prison for Defrauding Clients of More Than $23 MillionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Scott Mason, 66, of Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 97 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage, in connection with two fraudulent schemes that Mason, through his investment advisory firm Rubicon Wealth Management LLC, orchestrated to divert millions of dollars in client funds in order to finance his own lavish lifestyle. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $24,998,596.46 to his fraud victims and restitution of $2,353,355 to the IRS.
In January of this year, Mason was charged by information with two counts of wire fraud, securities fraud, investment adviser fraud, and five counts of filing a false tax return, and pleaded guilty to all charges later that month.
As detailed in court documents and admitted to by the defendant, Mason — who had a fiduciary duty to make investment decisions in his clients’ best interests — transferred more than $17 million from 13 Rubicon clients to an entity that he owned and controlled, and ultimately used that money to finance his personal expenditures, including international travel, country club membership dues, credit card bill payments, and the purchase of an ownership stake in a Jersey Shore-based miniature golf course.
Mason targeted clients with whom he had a longstanding relationship and who trusted him implicitly, including longtime friends and family members, and he often liquidated those clients’ securities holdings in order to finance the fraudulent transfers. He either forged client signatures on distribution authorization forms or omitted all pertinent details of the so-called “investments” when seeking client authorization for the transfers and instead falsely represented that he was investing client funds in diversified short-term bonds.
In reality, Mason was converting client funds to his own personal use. He also used a portion of the fraud proceeds to partially repay another Rubicon client from whom Mason gradually misappropriated millions of dollars since 2007, in order to avoid detection by that victim. Even after factoring in the partial repayments, Mason stole a net total of more than $6 million from that additional victim.
Finally, Mason failed to report any of his fraud proceeds on his personal income tax returns, generating a tax loss of approximately $3.225 million.
“Frauds like the one Mr. Mason perpetrated on his clients damage the trust and integrity of our financial systems,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners continue to strive to protect the honesty of our financial institutions and bring to justice the criminals responsible for deceiving the public through their financial schemes.”
“IRS-Criminal Investigation is diligent when it comes to enforcing the laws directed at those who attempt to defraud our nation’s tax system,” stated Yury Kruty, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Philadelphia Field Office. “Today’s sentencing shows how seriously the courts take federal tax crimes.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation, with valuable assistance from the Securities and Exchange Commission's Philadelphia Regional Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Rice.
Former Vice-President of Asphalt Paving Company Incarcerated for Bid RiggingRead the Press Release
A former senior executive of a Michigan asphalt paving company was sentenced today to six months in prison and a $500,000 fine for his role in multiple conspiracies to rig bids for asphalt paving services contracts in Michigan.
Bruce F. Israel, former vice-president of Pontiac-based Asphalt Specialists LLC (ASI), pleaded guilty in January 2024 to conspiring with Al’s Asphalt Paving Company Inc. (Al’s Asphalt), F. Allied Construction Company Inc. (Allied), and employees from those companies to rig bids in each other’s favor. Israel is one of seven individuals that have been charged as part of an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the asphalt paving services industry. Three companies also have been charged as part of the investigation, which to date has resulted in over $8.7 million in criminal fines.
“Bid rigging is cheating, plain and simple,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “By their own admissions, the defendant and his co-conspirators cheated their customers and betrayed the basic notions of free and fair competition, all to benefit themselves. The Antitrust Division and its law enforcement partners will bring to justice all individuals who deprive the public of the benefits of competition by seeking their incarceration.”
“Anyone choosing corporate greed over open and fair competition should take note of the sentence handed down today,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony Licari of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Midwestern Region. “This result underscores our firm resolve and ongoing collaboration with law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to identify, expose, and dismantle any efforts to undermine the systems that exist to protect consumers.”
“Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of bid rigging that degrades the competitive process,” said Inspector General Tammy Hull of the United States Postal Service. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those companies that commit fraud by conspiring to engage in anticompetitive practices for personal gain and corporate greed.”
According to court documents, the co-conspirators coordinated each other’s bid prices so that the agreed-upon losing company would submit intentionally non-competitive bids. These bids gave customers the false impression of competition when, in fact, the co-conspirators already had decided among themselves who would win the contracts. Israel participated in the conspiracy with Al’s Asphalt from March 2013 through November 2018 and the Allied conspiracy from July 2017 through May 2021.
Israel’s former employer, ASI, also pleaded guilty for its participation in the Al’s Asphalt and Allied conspiracies in January 2024. Another former ASI executive, Daniel Israel, pleaded guilty for his participation in the conspiracy with Al’s Asphalt in October 2023, and a third former ASI executive, Timothy Baugher, pleaded guilty for his participation in the Allied conspiracy in January 2025. ASI was sentenced in August 2024 to pay a fine of $6,500,000.
The Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office and the Offices of Inspectors General for the Department of Transportation and U.S. Postal Service investigated the case.
The Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office is prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258 or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
Former Venezuelan General Pleads Guilty to Narco-Terrorism, Weapons, and Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and the Acting Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Robert Murphy, announced today that former Venezuelan general HUGO ARMANDO CARVAJAL BARRIOS, a/k/a “El Pollo,” pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein to conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, engaging in narco-terrorism for the benefit of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (the “FARC”), and related weapons offenses.
“The deeply troubling reality is that there are powerful foreign government officials who conspire to flood the United States with drugs that kill and debilitate,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios was once one of the most powerful men in Venezuela. For years, he and other officials in the Cartel de Los Soles used cocaine as a weapon—flooding New York and other American cities with poison. In doing so, Carvajal Barrios partnered with a deadly terrorist group to support their combined drug trafficking and terrorism efforts, wreaking havoc on communities throughout the United States and elsewhere. Today’s guilty plea demonstrates our commitment to holding accountable foreign officials who abuse their power to poison our citizens. I commend the extraordinary efforts of our law enforcement allies in the DEA’s Special Operations Division and our other law enforcement partners here and abroad.”
“Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios exploited his position as the director of Venezuela’s military intelligence and abandoned his responsibility to the people of Venezuela in order to intentionally cause harm to the United States,” said DEA Acting Administration Robert Murphy. “After years of trying to evade law enforcement, Carvajal Barrios will now likely spend the rest of his life in federal prison. As evidenced in this case, DEA will relentlessly pursue anyone who uses violence, drugs, and intimidation to compromise the safety and security of the United States.”
As alleged in the Superseding Indictment, other court filings, and statements made during court proceedings:
Beginning in at least 1999, CARVAJAL BARRIOS, a Venezuelan citizen and the former director of Venezuela’s military intelligence agency, which was known as the Direccion de Inteligencia Militar (“DIM”), along with other high-ranking Venezuelan government and military officials, acted as leaders and managers of the Cartel de Los Soles, or “Cartel of the Suns.” CARVAJAL BARRIOS and other Cartel de Los Soles members abused the Venezuelan people and corrupted the legitimate institutions of Venezuela—including parts of the military, intelligence apparatus, legislature, and judiciary—to facilitate the importation of tons of cocaine into the United States. The Cartel de Los Soles sought not only to enrich its members and enhance their power but also to “flood” the United States with cocaine and inflict the drug’s harmful and addictive effects on users in the United States. To accomplish these goals, the leaders of the Cartel de Los Soles partnered with leaders of the FARC, a violent terrorist organization based in Colombia that was dedicated to the overthrow of the Colombian government, which was responsible for the production and distribution of the majority of the cocaine that reached the United States.
CARVAJAL BARRIOS held multiple positions of public trust in Venezuela that he exploited to benefit the Cartel de Los Soles, including as director of the DIM between approximately 2004 and 2011, and again in 2013. CARVAJAL BARRIOS took advantage of that position to illegally traffic narcotics and support his drug trafficking partners, including the FARC. In or about 2006, for example, CARVAJAL BARRIOS coordinated with other members of the Cartel de Los Soles to dispatch a 5.6-ton cocaine shipment from Venezuela on a DC-9 plane bearing a United States registration number. The plane departed Venezuela and landed in Mexico, where Mexican authorities seized the 5.6 tons of cocaine upon arrival. CARVAJAL BARRIOS also worked with the FARC to coordinate multi-ton drug shipments under his protection; provided heavily-armed security to protect drug shipments; and armed the FARC with automatic weapons and explosives to further the group’s drug trafficking and terrorist activities. To accomplish cocaine distribution on this massive scale, CARVAJAL BARRIOS accepted millions of dollars from drug traffickers. In addition, CARVAJAL BARRIOS participated in violence, including kidnappings and murder, to facilitate this cocaine trafficking and protect his co-conspirators.
One of CARVAJAL BARRIOS’s co-defendants in this case has already been sentenced. On or about April 11, 2024, Cliver Antonio Alcala Cordones was sentenced principally to a term of 260 months in prison, after pleading guilty to providing material support, including firearms, to the FARC. Other co-conspirators remain at large.
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CARVAJAL BARRIOS, 65, of Venezuela, pled guilty to four counts contained in the Superseding Indictment. A table containing the charges and minimum and maximum penalties is set forth below. CARVAJAL BARRIOS is scheduled to be sentenced on October 29, 2025.
CountMin. and Max. Prison TermCount One: Narco-terrorism conspiracyMandatory minimum of 20 years in prison; maximum of life in prisonCount Two: Narcotics importation conspiracyMandatory minimum of 10 years in prison; maximum of life in prisonCount Three: Possession of firearms, including machineguns and destructive devicesMandatory minimum of 30 years in prison, which is to run consecutively to any other prison term imposed; maximum of life in prisonCount Four: Conspiracy to possess firearms, including machineguns and destructive devicesMaximum of life in prisonThe minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding efforts of the DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit, Miami Field Division, New York Field Division, Madrid Country Office, Bogota Country Office, and Mexico City Country Office; the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; the U.S. Treasury Department, Office of Foreign Assets Control; the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division; the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida; the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs; the U.S. Embassy Madrid; the U.S. Embassy Bogota; the U.S. Embassy Mexico City; and our law enforcement partners in Colombia, Mexico, and Spain.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and July 19, 2023, extradition from Spain of Carvajal Barrios.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley, Kaylan E. Lasky, and Kevin T. Sullivan are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Kevin Nunnally of the Counterterrorism Section.
Link to a previous press release in this case: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/former-venezuelan-official-hugo-armando-carvajal-barrios-extradited-united-states.
Former New York City Corrections Officer Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Celeste Ramirez, 44, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today to 180 months’ imprisonment, 10 years of supervised release, and $38,000 in restitution by United States District Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl for distribution of child pornography.
Ramirez was charged with that offense by indictment in March 2023 and pleaded guilty in March of this year. She will have to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), as required by federal and state law.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, in February 2022, Ramirez, then a corrections officer employed by the New York Department of Corrections, distributed six videos depicting child pornography via Telegram, an online messaging application, to Person 1, while Person 1 was located in Easton, Pennsylvania.
The defendant’s conduct came to light during an investigation into child exploitation crimes committed by Person 1. In 2022, Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) had received a Cybertip indicating that Person 1, of Easton, Pa., had used their Snapchat account to distribute child pornography. Person 1 confessed to receiving child pornography over the internet, and specifically from a corrections officer in New York City known as “CeCe,” identified through investigation as the defendant Celeste Ramirez.
In November 2022, federal agents executed a search warrant at Ramirez’s residence and found hundreds of videos of child pornography on her phone. Along with Person 1, Ramirez had communicated with numerous others online for the purpose of distributing and receiving child pornography.
One of those users, Cleveland Dewayne Chambers, charged elsewhere, told Ramirez that another woman he was chatting with online had offered to produce sexually explicit images of an infant. That woman was later identified by police as Raven Pointer, also charged elsewhere.
Chambers shared images that he had received from Pointer with the defendant. Ramirez and Chambers discussed how the child should be sexually abused and reflected on the images produced. Ramirez then repeatedly directed Cleveland to have Pointer film herself engaged in specific sex acts with the infant. Chambers responded by sharing additional sexually explicit images and videos produced by Pointer with defendant Ramirez.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States 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 projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Priya De Souza.
Former Bookkeeper Charged with Stealing from her EmployerRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney, Michael M. Simpson, announced that BELINDA MARTIN, age 50, of New Orleans, was charged in a bill of information on June 23, 2025, for access device fraud.
According to court documents, between 2014 and 2023, BELINDA MARTIN, allegedly embezzled money and things of value in excess of $1,000 from her employer through the fraudulent use of her company’s access device accounts.
The maximum penalty for the offense is ten years imprisonment, and/or a fine of up to $250,000, followed by up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that the bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Richard R. Pickens, II of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Florida Man and New York Man Sentenced for Aiding and Abetting an Attempt to Bring Aliens to the United StatesRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Joel Gil-Garcia, 23, currently residing in Orlando, Florida, and Maykel Reyes-Castillo, 22, currently residing in Yonkers, New York, have both been sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a time-served term of imprisonment to be followed by a 1-year term of supervised release. Both men pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting an attempt to bring aliens to the United States.
Reyes-Castillo, who was also ordered to pay a $500 fine, was sentenced on June 24, 2025. Gil-Garcia, who was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine, was sentenced on May 22, 2025.
According to court records, in March 2024, Gil-Garcia made arrangements with an individual to pick up four foreign nationals crossing into Vermont from Canada illegally. Gil-Garcia asked Reyes-Castillo to drive with him to Vermont. In exchange for his promise to pick up the foreign nationals illegally entering the United States, Gil-Garcia received $1,800 and Reyes-Castillo received $500. Prior to this event, neither Gil-Garcia nor Reyes-Castillo had any criminal history.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Arra. Gil-Garcia was represented by Mark Oettinger, Esq., and Reyes-Castillo was represented by Stephanie Greenlees, Esq.
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).