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Friday 2 May 2025
Chinese National Sentenced for Mail FraudRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Chinese National, Yongjian You, 41, was sentenced on Friday to 27 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves for mail fraud he committed as part of a gift card tampering scheme.
In a gift card tampering scheme, individuals steal gift card packages from retail stores, discreetly access the card numbers or security access codes, reseal the compromised gift card packages, and then place them back into retail stores to be sold to unsuspecting customers. Once the tampered gift cards are loaded with cash value at the store’s point of sale by customers, the fraudsters steal the funds from the card. According to his plea agreement, You stole gift cards from multiple Kroger stores in the Lexington area, mailed them to co-conspirators using the United States Postal Service to be compromised, received them back in the mail, and returned the tampered cards to retailer shelves to be sold to unwary customers. On July 8, 2024, You was caught stealing untampered gift cards from a Kroger in Lexington, and placing tampered cards back on the gift card racks. A law enforcement search of his vehicle that same day yielded 871 tampered gift cards and 998 untampered gift cards, representing potential consumer loss of $419,975. Two packages that You recently mailed to California were then intercepted, and found to contain an additional 2,651 untampered gift cards, representing another $627,925 in potential consumer loss. Ultimately, the total potential loss from the gift cards in You’s scheme was more than $1.1 million.
Under federal law, You must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by HSI and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Chapman is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Career offender sentenced to 14 years in prison for fentanyl traffickingRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria man was sentenced yesterday to 14 years in prison for distributing fentanyl.
According to court documents, law enforcement identified Alphonso Page, aka Zoe and Fonzie, 35, as a narcotics distributor in Northern Virginia. On March 14, 2024, and April 2, 2024, law enforcement conducted controlled purchases from Page of approximately 2,300 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl for a total net weight of 247.92 grams.
Page was convicted twice previously on drug charges in Arlington County. On March 14, 2008, Page was convicted of distribution of cocaine and the distribution of an imitation controlled substance. On July 16, 2018, Page was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Page also has previous convictions for conducting an illegal gambling operation, trespassing, identity theft, petit larceny, maliciously shooting at a dwelling, and the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Rosenberg prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-257.
California man pleads guilty to wire fraud for $1 million fraud schemeRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 43-year-old Laguna Niguel, California man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to wire fraud for his scheme to steal nearly $1 million from his employer, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Paul Joseph Welch was the IT manager of Kent, Washington energy manufacturing company Algas-SDI when he used various schemes to steal more than $950,000 from the company. Welch is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead on August 21, 2025.
According to records in the case, Welch worked for the company from 2011 to 2024. He was promoted to Information Technology Manager in 2018. As early as 2017, Welch used the company’s Amazon business account to make unauthorized personal purchases from Amazon.com. Between 2017 and 2023, those purchases totaled at least $43,000. Welch primarily purchased electronics such at televisions, laptops and more—all for personal use. In 2019, Welch began using his company credit card for personal purchases through other online retailers such as Apple, Alaska Airlines, Instacart, and BestBuy. Between 2019 and 2024, those unauthorized personal purchases totaled at least an additional $60,000.
The scheme really accelerated in January 2021 when Welch began making payments to himself disguised as payments to a computer services company. Welch created a series of email addresses and payment processor accounts using a business name that was very similar to a legitimate computer services company based in Washington State. Welch then used Algas-SDI company credit cards to pay the computer services company under the guise that the company was providing IT equipment and services to Algas-SDI. However, the legitimate computer services company had no relationship with Welch and never provided any services or equipment to Algas-SDI. The credit card payments Welch made from Algas-SDI’s credit cards went directly to the payment processor accounts that Welch controlled. Between 2021 and 2024 Welch used this scheme to transfer approximately $879,175 from company accounts to his own accounts.
Algas-SDI tried to verify the legitimacy of Welch’s activity on multiple occasions, but each time, Welch provided false or misleading information to cover up his scheme. Algas-SDI employees asked Welch to submit invoices to substantiate his charges, but Welch emailed phony documents designed to look like invoices from the legitimate computer services company. At one point in 2023, an Algas-SDI accounting employee identified personal purchases on Welch’s company credit card. Welch claimed the charges were inadvertent and said he would repay the company. Welch never repaid the charges and continued to defraud the company through unauthorized personal purchases and more fake vendor charges. In January 2024, alone, Welch submitted phony invoices to Algas-SDI showing that the computer services company had purportedly invoiced Algas-SDI more than $55,000 for equipment and services in that timeframe.
On January 19, 2024, Algas-SDI employees confronted Welch about the charges from the computer services company accounts that Welch controlled. After Welch again told Algas-SDI that the vendor was a real vendor for the company, the company fired him.
The wire fraud charge is representative of the overall scheme. It represents the times Welch emailed the company false statements or invoices purported to be from a legitimate computer services company.
In all, between 2017 and January 2024 Welch secretly made at least 250 fraudulent charges for the third-party vendor he controlled. He made at least 140 unauthorized purchases with retailers using the company credit card and at least 100 fraudulent purchases on the company’s Amazon account. While Welch profited some $950,000 from his theft, the loss to ALGAS-SDI was approximately $982,520 due to various fees on the transactions.
Welch has agreed to make full restitution to the company.
Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend no more than 27 months in prison. The actual sentence will be determined by Judge Whitehead after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dane A. Westermeyer.
Butler Man Indicted for Threats to Assault and Murder President Trump and Other U.S. OfficialsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Butler, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh with making threats to assault and murder President Donald J. Trump, other United States officials, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The eight-count Indictment named Shawn Monper, 32, currently detained in the Butler County Prison, as the defendant. Monper was previously charged by federal criminal complaint with making the threats that are charged in the Indictment (read the criminal complaint news release here).
On April 9, 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with the assistance of the Butler Township Police Department, arrested Monper on the federal criminal complaint, with law enforcement at that time seizing three handguns purchased by Monper between February and March 2025. After preliminary and detention hearings on April 14, 2025, the Court found that Monper was a danger to the community and ordered that he be detained pending trial.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence on each count of up to five or 10 years 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 offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The FBI and the Butler Township Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Buffalo man going to prison on fentanyl chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Hector Anaya, 51, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who handled the case, stated that in April 2024, Buffalo Police detectives received information that Anaya was in possession of a large quantity of narcotics. Detectives surveilled Anaya’s residence and observed him making three hand-to-hand transactions of suspected heroin and cocaine during controlled purchases. On April 25, 2024, a search warrant was executed at his residence during which investigators seized a firearm, ammunition, and a quantity of suspected fentanyl. Anaya was arrested at the scene.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Alphonso Wright.
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Bloomsburg Man Convicted of Drug Distribution Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tysheem Dunlap, age 28, of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, was convicted of drug delivery resulting in death after a four-day jury trial in front of Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann.
According to Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus, on August 20, 2022 in Bloomsburg, PA, Dunlap delivered a substance to four individuals who were current or recent students at Bloomsburg University and were seeking to use cocaine that night. The substance delivered by Dunlap, however, was fentanyl and not cocaine. After using it, three of the four individuals overdosed. The fourth individual called 911. Emergency responders were able to revive two of the overdose victims, but the third victim’s overdose was fatal.
Laboratory analysis of the substance sold to the victims by Dunlap revealed it contain fentanyl. Autopsy and post-mortem toxicology confirmed the presence of fatal levels of fentanyl in the deceased victim’s bloodstream. During the trial, expert testimony established that but for the toxic level of fentanyl, which is 50-100 times more potent than morphine, the otherwise healthy victim would not have died. At the conclusion of trial, the jury returned a verdict finding Dunlap guilty on one count of drug distribution resulting in death; two counts of drug delivery resulting in serious bodily injury; and two counts of distribution of cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bloomsburg Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Geoffrey W. MacArthur and Alisan V. Martin prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Bessemer Man Sentenced to More than Four Years in Prison for His Role in an Elder Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Bessemer man has been sentenced for his role in an elder fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
U.S. District Court Judge Anna Manasco sentenced Terrance Alonzo Pruitt, 47, to 50 months in prison. In December 2024, Pruitt was convicted by a jury of two counts of wire fraud.
According to evidence presented at trial, in September 2023, Pruitt executed a Power of Attorney over an elderly family member with dementia without the victim’s knowledge or permission. Between September 2023 and December 2023, Pruitt devised a scheme to defraud the victim by becoming a joint account holder on the victim’s bank accounts, changing the address on the victim’s bank accounts from the victim’s address to his address, removing two payable on death (POD) beneficiaries from one of the accounts, and adding two POD beneficiaries to another account. Pruitt then transferred $550,000 in funds from the victim’s accounts to his personal bank accounts. Pruitt used some of these funds for his own personal benefit, and he moved $500,000 to a new bank account that did not include the victim as an account holder. When confronted, Pruitt told various, inconsistent stories attempting to excuse his conduct.
Pruitt’s sentencing range was increased because he received an enhancement for obstruction of justice after it was determined that he committed perjury when he testified in his own defense at trial.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan S. Rummage and Brett Janich prosecuted the case.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and attempted fraud is critical to law enforcement’s efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud, and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed 10am-6pm Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov. Victims are encouraged to file a complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at this website or by calling 1-800-225-5324.
Bessemer Man Sentenced for Plotting the Murder of a Federal ProsecutorRead the Press Release
Montgomery, AL – On May 2, 2025, a judge in the Northern District of Alabama ordered that 32-year-old Michael Roman Black, from Bessemer Alabama, serve over 52 years in prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson for the Middle District of Alabama. The sentence includes 420 months for planning the shooting of a federal prosecutor, and 212 months for the initial drug and gun charges previously filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama. Following his prison sentence, Black will serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Court records and trial evidence revealed that in February 2023, while Black was incarcerated in Hoover, Alabama on federal charges brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama, he disclosed to a fellow inmate a plot to have a federal prosecutor assigned to his case shot and killed. Black detailed his intentions to enlist two associates outside of prison to carry out the shooting while the prosecutor was driving home in her car.
Upon learning of the threat, law enforcement verified its credibility and took swift action to disrupt the planned murder. During subsequent questioning by federal agents, Black attempted to conceal his involvement by providing false information. On September 12, 2024, a federal jury in Birmingham found Black guilty on charges of threatening to murder and soliciting the murder of a federal prosecutor, and for making false statements to a federal agent.
“Michael Black’s plot to target a federal prosecutor was not only an attempt to evade accountability for his crimes, but it was also a brazen act of vengeance,” said Acting United States Attorney Davidson. “Such conduct strikes at the heart of our judicial system and must be met with severe consequences. I commend the investigators and prosecutors whose swift actions protected a life and ensured justice was served.”
“The attempt to orchestrate violence against a federal prosecutor is a grave assault on public safety and the principles of justice we rely upon,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer. “The DEA remains unwavering in its commitment to stand alongside the U.S. Attorney’s Office to safeguard those who dedicate themselves to upholding the rule of law.”
“After a thorough investigation, Michael Black is being held accountable for plotting to assassinate a federal prosecutor. Today's sentence makes clear that those actions will not be tolerated,” said Christopher DiMenna, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge, Birmingham Field Office. “The FBI's partnership with Hoover Police Department, Jefferson County's Sheriff's Office, U.S. Marshals Service, ATF, and DEA were critical in bringing Black to justice. We will not stop our pursuit of criminals who threaten those who serve to uphold justice.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Hoover Police Department, and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigated and assisted on this case, with Criminal Division Chief John J. Geer, III from the Middle District of Alabama prosecuting.
Baltimore Man Charged in Second Superseding Indictment for Robbery, Kidnapping, and Shooting Death in QueensRead the Press Release
Earlier today, a seven-count second superseding indictment was unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn charging Jalon Lenny Garrett, also known as “Lips,” Marcus Pittman, also known as “Nacho” and “Cheese,” Delonta Pittman, also known as “D Lo,” and Jerome Waters, also known as “the Engineer” and “Rome,” for their alleged roles in the kidnapping, robbery, and shooting of marijuana dealers on July 25, 2024. Garrett was arrested this morning in Baltimore, Maryland, and will make his initial appearance in the Eastern District of New York at a later date. Marcus Pittman is also newly charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition for his role in the fatal shooting. The remaining defendants are already in custody and will be arraigned at a later date.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD) announced the arrests and charges.
“As alleged, the defendants took part in an interstate armed robbery and kidnapping scheme that resulted in the brutal murder of a targeted victim. This prosecution underscores the ongoing threat of guns and drugs in our communities,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “This Office is committed to holding violent offenders accountable and ensuring justice for every victim.”
“These four defendants allegedly traveled across the northeast to brutally kidnap and rob two unsuspecting individuals, ultimately murdering one of the victims,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Raia. “This alleged fatal robbery highlights the volatile and random violence that the illicit drug trade can fuel. With our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to dismantle any organization implementing lethal tactics to bolster their criminal lifestyles and jeopardize the safety of our city.”
“These individuals came to New York City armed with guns and zip ties — ready to rob, kidnap, and kill,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “It was a deliberate, brutal attack meant to terrorize our communities. They thought they could hit and run. They were wrong — and anyone else thinking the same should take note. I’m grateful to our partners in Project Safe Neighborhoods for their shared commitment to protecting New Yorkers.”
According to the superseding indictment and other public court filings, the defendants are members of a Baltimore-based robbery crew that conspired to commit an armed robbery and kidnapping of marijuana dealers in Queens, New York. On the evening of July 24,2024, the defendants and their co-conspirators executed a violent armed robbery and kidnapping plot that resulted in John Doe #1’s death. As described below, Garrett robbed and kidnapped John Doe #2 at gunpoint, and Marcus Pittman shot and killed John Doe #1.
Specifically, the defendants drove from Maryland to New York for the purpose of robbing two drug dealers, John Doe #1 and John Doe #2. Once in New York, defendants Jerome Waters and William Barnett met with John Doe #1 and John Doe #2 at a stash house in Queens, New York, under the guise of purchasing marijuana.
At the stash house, Waters and Barnett pulled out their weapons and held up John Doe #1 and John Doe #2 at gunpoint. Next, they let their co-defendants into the stash house to assist in the robbery and kidnapping. While in the stash house, the defendants and their co-conspirators tied up John Doe #1 and John Doe #2 with zip ties and forced them outside and into the back of a Jeep and a U-Haul van, which were driven by Barnett and Israel. At the same time, the defendants and their co-conspirators stole approximately 30 pounds of marijuana from the stash house.
The defendants and their co-conspirators drove John Doe #1 and John Doe #2, who were still tied up, through Queens at gunpoint, demanding drugs and money. Garrett held a gun to John Doe #2 as he was being driven through Queens. Marcus Pittman shot John Doe #1 to death in the back of the U-Haul van. When his body was found by first responders, John Doe #1 still had a zip tie binding one of his hands and was surrounded by bags of marijuana. After the shooting, the defendants fled back to Maryland.
If convicted, defendants Marcus Pittman, Delonta Pittman, and Waters each face mandatory minimum sentences of life imprisonment, and Garrett faces a mandatory minimum of ten years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was brought as 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. As part of the program, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and their local communities to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Chand Edwards-Balfour and Adam Amir are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Samuel Ronchetti.
New Defendant:
JALON LENNY GARRETT
Age: 20
MarylandPreviously Charged Defendants:
MARCUS PITTMAN (also known as “Nacho” and “Cheese”)
Age: 30
MarylandDELONTA PITTMAN (also known as “D Lo”)
Age: 31
MarylandJEROME WATERS (also known as “the Engineer” and “Rome”)
Age: 23
MarylandCALVIN ISRAEL
Age: 23
MarylandWILLIAM BARNETT
Age: 27
MarylandE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-413 (S-2) (KAM)
Bahamian National Pleads Guilty to Alien Smuggling ChargesRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Miami federal district judge adjudicated a Bahamian national guilty on alien smuggling charges.
According to court documents and statements made in court hearings, on Dec. 19, 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers aboard a CBP aircraft observed Shakerio Michael Jones, 31, traveling from the direction of The Bahamas toward the United States, and notified CBP officers on the water.
Once the boat crossed into United States waters, off the coast of Miami-Dade County, Fla., the CBP officers onboard a CBP Air and Maritime Operations vessel approached the go-fast boat and ordered the driver to stop. The CBP officers brought all the individuals from the boat onboard the USCG Cutter Bernard C. Webber and confirmed that the 13 individuals did not have permission to enter the United States. The CBP officers determined that the individuals were nationals of the United Kingdom, Haiti, Honduras, Ireland, India and The Bahamas, and that Jones had been previously removed from the United States.
The CBP officers brought Jones to shore to face charges. The rest of the aliens were returned to The Bahamas.
On April 24, Jones entered a guilty plea before magistrate judge Edwin G. Torres, who issued a report recommending that the plea be accepted. On April 30, U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Becerra adopted the report and recommendations and adjudicated the defendant guilty.
Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on July 18 at 10:00 a.m. in Miami. He faces up to 20 years in prison, followed by up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
HSI Miami investigated the case with assistance from CBP and USCG, 7th Coast Guard District. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner Stiehl is prosecuting the case.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-10027.
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Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Federal Prison for a Firearm ViolationRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney April M. Leon announced that Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Ledale Deanthony Sawyer, age 35, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 120 months in federal prison following his conviction for possession of a stolen firearm. The Court further sentenced Sawyer to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered the firearm seized by law enforcement be forfeited.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, on July 16, 2023, Baton Rouge Police officers were dispatched to a residence in Baton Rouge in response to a domestic disturbance. The caller, identified as Victim-1, told dispatch that Sawyer was inside her residence armed with an AR-15 rifle. Upon arrival, officers spoke with Victim-1, who stated that Sawyer possessed a firearm. Victim-1 said that she hid the firearm from Sawyer and showed officers its location. Officers recovered the firearm, identified as a Wise Arms, Model WA-15B rifle. Shortly thereafter, officers located an individual matching Sawyer’s description at a house approximately one block from Victim-1’s residence. The individual was positively identified as Sawyer by both Victim-1 and by the distinctive tattoo on his neck with the name “Sawyer” at which time Sawyer was arrested.
A trace on the firearm indicated that the firearm had previously been reported stolen on June 22, 2023. In that case, the victim, identified as Victim-2, stated that she met an individual to sell him a television. The individual pulled a firearm from his waistband, pointed it at Victim-2 and her partner, and took the firearm from the backseat of her vehicle.
ATF agents also located pictures of Sawyer in possession of a firearm that were posted on his public social media profile on June 30, 2023. Agents compared these images to photos of the firearm seized in this case. Based on the markings and distinctive scratch marks, agents determined the firearm from Sawyer’s social media photos was the same firearm seized upon his arrest on July 16, 2023.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Baton Rouge Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Lundin Craig.
Augusta Man Pleads Guilty to being a Felon in Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: An Augusta man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to possessing a firearm after previously being convicted of at least one felony offense.
According to court records, Raymond Lilly, 41, was encountered by Augusta police officers at an encampment in Mill Park in September 2023. During the interaction, officers observed a bottle of pills within Lilly’s tent, which Lilly admitted he did not have a prescription for. After officers arrested Lilly, they discovered a Smith & Wesson model M&P 15, .22 caliber rifle in his tent. Lilly had previous felony firearms convictions in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, which barred him from possessing firearms.
Lilly faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, up to a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release of up to three years. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case in conjunction with the Augusta Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods: This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn.
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Armed Drug Dealer Convicted on Weapons and Drug Charges After Three-Day TrialRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal jury convicted Anthony Travis Slaughter on Wednesday on charges of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Slaughter, age 30, faces at least five years and up to life in prison when he is sentenced in August 2025.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, the Wilmington Police Department conducted a traffic stop of Slaughter on Princess Place Drive in Wilmington. After a police K9 positively alerted on the vehicle, a police search uncovered approximately two pounds of marijuana, along with marijuana packaging and a digital scale in the car. Police also located a loaded firearm under the driver’s seat.
Slaughter was prohibited from possessing a firearm based on seven prior state felony convictions for drug and violent crimes. These include a conviction for common law robbery as well as multiple convictions for selling heroin.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan accepted the verdict. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Wilmington Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles E. Loeser and Jake D. Pugh prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.7:23-CR-51.
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Agawam Man Charged with Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Agawam man was charged with possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Warren Messeck, 75, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of possession of child pornography. He made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katherine A. Robertson in Springfield.
In 2021, Messeck was identified as a user of an internet-based peer-to-peer network downloading CSAM. A subsequent search of his residence resulted in the recovery of over 40 electronic devices including a laptop, hard drives and other electronic storage devices. A forensic examination allegedly revealed over 10,000 files depicting CSAM on six of the seized devices.
The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to life 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 and James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Agawam Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Merck of the Springfield Branch Office 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.
Thursday 1 May 2025
Yemeni Man Charged in Federal Indictment Alleging He Sent ‘Black Kingdom’ Malware to Extort Businesses, Schools, and Medical ClinicsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Yemeni national was charged today in a three-count federal grand jury indictment alleging he deployed the so-called “Black Kingdom” ransomware against computer servers owned organizations worldwide, including businesses, schools, and hospitals in the United States, including a medical billing services company in the San Fernando Valley.
Rami Khaled Ahmed, 36, a.k.a. “Black Kingdom,” of Sana’a, Yemen, is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of intentional damage to a protected computer, and one count of threatening damage to a protected computer. He is believed to be residing in Yemen.
According to the indictment, from March 2021 to June 2023, Ahmed and others infected computer networks of several U.S.-based victims, including a medical billing services company in Encino, a ski resort in Oregon, a school district in Pennsylvania, and a health clinic in Wisconsin. Ahmed developed and deployed Black Kingdom ransomware to exploit a vulnerability in Microsoft Exchange.
The ransomware either encrypted data from victims’ computer networks or claimed to take that data from the networks. When the malware was successful, the ransomware then created a ransom note on the victim’s system that directed the victim to send $10,000 worth of Bitcoin to a cryptocurrency address controlled by a co-conspirator and to send proof of this payment to a Black Kingdom email address.
During the conspiracy, the Black Kingdom conspirators caused the transmission of the Black Kingdom malware to approximately 1,500 computer systems in the United States and elsewhere.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Ahmed would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count.
The FBI is investigating this matter with assistance from the New Zealand Police.
Assistant United States Attorneys Angela C. Makabali and Alexander Gorin of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
Wisconsin Man Sentenced to More Than 3½ Years in Prison for ‘Swatting’ Spree that Hacked Doorbell Cameras to Livestream Police ResponseRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Wisconsin man was sentenced today to 44 months in federal prison for participating in a one-week nationwide “swatting” spree that gained access to Ring home security door cameras, placed bogus emergency phone calls designed to elicit an armed police response, then livestreamed the events on social media, sometimes while taunting responding police officers in communities such as West Covina and Oxnard.
Kya Christian Nelson, 23, of Racine, Wisconsin, was sentenced by United States District Judge John A. Kronstadt.
Nelson pleaded guilty on January 23 to one count of conspiracy and two counts of unauthorized access to a protected computer to obtain information. He has been in federal custody since August 2024 and previously was serving a prison sentence in Kentucky after being convicted in state court there in an unrelated case.
From November 7, 2020, to November 13, 2020, Nelson and co-conspirators gained access to home security door cameras sold by Ring LLC, a Santa Monica-based home security technology company. Nelson acquired without authorization the username and password information for Yahoo! email accounts belonging to victims throughout the United States.
The conspirators then determined whether the owner of each compromised Yahoo! account also had a Ring account using the same email address and password that could control associated internet-connected Ring doorbell camera devices. Using that information, they identified and gathered additional information about their victims.
Then, the conspirators placed false emergency reports or telephone calls to local law enforcement in the areas where the victims lived. These reports or calls were intended to elicit an emergency police response to the victim’s residence. The conspirators then accessed without authorization the victims’ Ring devices and transmitted the audio and video from those devices on social media during the police response. They also taunted responding police officers and victims through the Ring devices during several of the incidents.
For example, on November 8, 2020, Nelson and a co-conspirator accessed without authorization Yahoo! and Ring accounts belonging to a victim in West Covina. A hoax telephone call was placed to the West Covina Police Department purporting to originate from the victim’s residence and posing as a minor child reporting her parents drinking and shooting guns inside the residence. The caller claimed that her parents had multiple firearms and had fired approximately seven gunshots inside the house. Based on this hoax call, West Covina Police Department officers made an emergency response to the house and cleared the residents from the home at gunpoint.
During the police response, Nelson accessed the Ring doorbell camera located at the West Covina residence and used it to verbally threaten and taunt the police officers who responded to the reported incident.
In another incident, on November 11, 2020, Nelson illegally possessed the Yahoo! and Ring login credentials of a victim living in Oxnard. Nelson then used those credentials to access the victim’s Ring account. Nelson or a co-conspirator made a hoax call to the Oxnard Police Department purporting to be coming from inside the victim’s home.
The caller told the police that they were a child whose father was wielding a handgun inside the residence. Nelson made a second hoax call to Oxnard Police to report hearing shots fired at the victim’s residence. Based on these hoax calls, Oxnard Police officers made an emergency response to the house and cleared the residents from the home at gunpoint.
Nelson accessed the Ring doorbell camera located at the Oxnard residence and used it to threaten and taunt the police officers who had responded to the reported incident.
“[Nelson] and his co-conspirators went on a digital crime spree, terrorizing innocent people around the country from behind their keyboards,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “While [Nelson] was safe behind his keyboard, he subjected others to real danger.”
One of Nelson’s indicted co-conspirators, James Thomas Andrew McCarty, 22, of Kayenta, Arizona, was sentenced in June 2024 to seven years in federal prison both for his role in this case, and on additional charges in the District of Arizona. In connection with the Ring swatting incidents, McCarty pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy as Nelson.
McCarty further admitted to illegally accessing a victim’s Ring camera in Florida and making a call to the North Port Florida Police Department, in which he purported to be the victim’s husband who had just killed her, was holding a hostage, and had rigged explosives at the residence. McCarty then livestreamed the law enforcement response and posted a message on social media taking credit for the swatting incident and stating that he thought it was amusing.
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Khaldoun Shobaki of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section prosecuted this case.
Wedowee Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Montgomery, AL. – On April 30, 2025, a federal judge sentenced Robert Aaron Sheppard, 33, of Wedowee, Alabama, to 108 months (9 years) in federal prison for possession of child sexual abuse materials and multiple firearms violations, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson. Following his release, Sheppard will be subject to five years of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, in May 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a tip about the online upload of child sexual abuse materials, including images of nude young females. The tip was referred to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) Child Exploitation Unit, which identified Sheppard as the source of the uploads.
A search warrant was executed at Sheppard’s residence in Wedowee, where agents examined multiple electronic devices. Forensic analysis revealed numerous images of child sexual abuse materials stored on those devices.
In addition to the digital evidence, law enforcement officers discovered a handgun equipped with a machinegun conversion device (MCD)—a component that turns a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic weapon. Under federal law, MCDs are classified as machineguns regardless of whether they are installed. Officers also recovered an unmarked and unregistered silencer, which is illegal under federal firearms regulations.
On October 8, 2024, Sheppard pleaded guilty to possession of child sexual abuse materials and to the possession of a machinegun and silencer.
This case was investigated by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s State Bureau of Investigation (ALEA-SBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from NCMEC. Assistant United States Attorneys Tara S. Ratz and Michelle R. Turner prosecuted the case.
Washington Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Donald Eugene Griffin, Jr., age 43, to 144 months in prison on charges of distributing child sexual abuse material. Judge Rice also imposed a lifetime of supervised release. Griffin will also be required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and information presented in the sentencing hearing, in November 2019, the FBI developed information that Griffin was in possession of images of children being sexually abused.
In March 2020, the FBI executed a warrant at Griffin’s home and seized Griffin’s electronic devices. Investigators found multiple images of child sexual abuse material on those devices, and Griffin admitted to using online platforms to access and obtain child sexual abuse material. Griffin also admitted to discussing having sex with a child and to distributing and receiving images of children being sexually abused.
Agents investigated Griffin’s online accounts and uncovered chats between Griffin and individuals who appeared younger than 18. On several occasions, Griffin sent child sexual abuse material or solicited it, from those individuals. Griffin also consistently spoke to others about having sex with minors.
In early 2024, a civilian contacted investigators and said they had been posing as an 11-year-old girl on Instagram and chatting with Griffin. Griffin sent naked photos of himself to this person he believed was a child and discussed having sex with her.
“Mr. Griffin’s conduct was predatory and depraved. He not only trafficked in images of children being sexually abused – he actively sought out opportunities to engage with minors online in ways that were both explicit and dangerous,” said Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker. “I’m grateful to the FBI and AUSA Rebecca Perez for their outstanding work on this case and for bringing Mr. Griffin to justice.”
“Not only did Mr. Griffin possess and distribute disturbing images depicting child sexual assault, but he was even engaging in sexually explicit chats with someone he believed to be a minor.” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “It is apt this sentence is being handed down on the final day of Child Abuse Prevention Month. Protecting and finding justice for child victims remains a priority of the FBI, both in the State of Washington and nationwide.”
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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca R. Perez.
2:24-cr-00065-TOR
Vero Beach Meth Dealer Sentenced to 12 years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On April 30, Denzil Olajuwon Stewart, 30, was sentenced to 144 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks, for selling 276.7 grams of pure methamphetamine.
On Dec. 28, 2023, law enforcement officers observed Stewart drive away from his Vero Beach home in a white Porsche SUV, arrive at another residence about 30 minutes away, and sell what they later discovered was 276.7 grams of pure methamphetamine. The methamphetamine was packaged in a plastic shopping bag, which bore Stewart’s fingerprints.
A jury found Stewart guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine actual, and distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine actual.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the DEA, Miami Field Division, and Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers made the announcement.
DEA Port Saint Lucie and the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Hudock and Michael Porter prosecuted it.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-14058.
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United States Files Complaint Against Several National Health Insurance Companies and Brokers Alleging Unlawful Kickbacks and Discrimination Against Disabled AmericansRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The United States has filed a complaint against three of the nation’s largest health insurance companies: Aetna, Inc. and affiliates; Elevance Health, Inc. (formerly known as Anthem); and Humana Inc., and three large insurance broker organizations: eHealth, Inc. and an affiliate; GoHealth, Inc.; and SelectQuote, Inc. The United States alleges that from at least 2016 through at least 2021, the defendant insurers paid hundreds of millions of dollars in illegal kickbacks to the defendant brokers in exchange for enrollments into the insurers’ Medicare Advantage plans.
Under the Medicare Advantage (MA) Program, also known as Medicare Part C, Medicare beneficiaries may choose to enroll in health care plans (MA plans) offered by private insurance companies, such as defendants Aetna, Anthem and Humana. Many Medicare beneficiaries rely on insurance brokers to help them choose an MA plan that best meets their individual needs. Rather than acting as unbiased stewards, the defendant brokers allegedly directed Medicare beneficiaries to plans offered by insurers that paid brokers the most in kickbacks, regardless of the suitability for the beneficiary. According to the complaint, the broker organizations incentivized their employees and agents to sell plans based on the insurers’ kickbacks, set up teams of insurance agents who could sell only those plans, and at times refused to sell MA plans of insurers who did not pay sufficient kickbacks.
The United States further alleges that Aetna and Humana each conspired with the broker defendants to discriminate against Medicare beneficiaries with disabilities whom they perceived to be less profitable. Aetna and Humana did so by allegedly threatening to withhold kickbacks to pressure brokers to enroll fewer disabled Medicare beneficiaries in their plans. The United States alleges that, in response to these financial incentives from Aetna and Humana, the defendant brokers, or their agents, rejected referrals of disabled beneficiaries and strategically directed disabled beneficiaries away from Aetna and Humana plans.
“It is concerning, to say the least, that Medicare beneficiaries were allegedly steered towards plans that were not necessarily in their best interest – but rather in the best interest of the health insurance companies. The alleged efforts to drive beneficiaries away specifically because their disabilities might make them less profitable to health insurance companies are even more unconscionable. Profit and greed over beneficiary interest is something we will continue to investigate and prosecute aggressively,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “This office will continue to take decisive action to protect the rights of Medicare beneficiaries and vulnerable Americans.”
“Health care companies that attempt to profit from kickbacks will be held accountable,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Granston of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We are committed to rooting out illegal practices by Medicare Advantage insurers and insurance brokers that undermine the interests of federal health care programs and the patients they serve.”
The lawsuit was originally filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act (FCA). Under the FCA, private parties can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of the recovery. The FCA permits the United States to intervene in and take over the action, as it has done here. If a defendant is found liable for violating the FCA, the United States may recover three times the amount of its losses plus applicable penalties.
U.S. Attorney Foley and AAG Granston made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles B. Weinograd and Julien M. Mundele of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit are handling the matter along with Trial Attorneys David G. Miller, Anna H. Jugo, Diana E. Curtis and Sara B. Hanson of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
The claims asserted in the complaint are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Union County Teacher Charged with Possession of Child Pornography and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey man was charged with possessing images of child sexual abuse and for enticing a minor to engage in sexual acts and produce child pornography, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced today.
Jack Wilder, 26, of Somerville, New Jersey, was charged by complaint with one count of possession of child pornography and two counts of enticement of a minor. He made his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer in Newark federal court and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In or around February 2024, Wilder, a history teacher at a school in Plainfield, New Jersey, communicated with a minor victim using a mobile payment application through which Wilder advised he would pay the minor victim to engage in sexual activity. The minor victim also sent Wilder sexually explicit pictures. Thereafter, on or about July 23, 2024, Wilder returned from an international trip aboard a flight that landed in New York. Law enforcement subsequently lawfully searched Wilder’s cell phone and found a video depicting child sexual abuse material and sexually explicit conversations between Wilder and other individuals who identified themselves as minors.
“These charges are the most recent example of this office’s dedication to protecting children in our community. We are tirelessly committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure that individuals who victimize and prey on the vulnerable are brought to justice.”
- U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
“Our children are the most innocent members of society and they should never be victimized by anyone, particularly by those in positions of trust such as teachers,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “In partnership with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, every child has our unwavering commitment to bring to justice those that would heinously abuse them for their own profit and perverse self-gratification. No child should have to face a lifetime of trauma caused by a predator. We will continue to make combatting child sexual exploitation a priority, and will always strive to put an end to these disturbing acts from happening around the world.”
The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charges of enticement of a minor each carry a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited the work of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, with the investigation leading to the charges.
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 (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey S. Smith of the Criminal Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Candace Hom, Esq.
wilder.complaint.pdfUkrainian National Extradited from Spain to Face Conspiracy to Use Ransomware ChargeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, a superseding indictment was unsealed charging Artem Stryzhak with conspiracy to commit fraud and related activity, including extortion, in connection with computers, for his role in a series of international attacks using the Nefilim ransomware. Stryzhak, a Ukrainian citizen, was arrested in Spain in June 2024 and extradited to the United States on April 30, 2025. The arraignment will be held later today before United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Christopher J.S. Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield, Illinois Field Office (FBI), announced the charges.
“As alleged, the defendant was part of an international ransomware scheme in which he conspired to target high-revenue companies in the United States, steal data, and hold data hostage in exchange for payment. If victims did not pay, the criminals then leaked the data online,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “The criminals who carry out these malicious cyber-attacks often do so from abroad in the belief that American justice cannot reach them. The extradition of the defendant and today’s charges prove that they are wrong.”
Mr. Durham also thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the FBI’s New York Field Office and the Government of Spain for their crucial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition from Spain of Stryzhak.
“The FBI has long recognized that combating international ransomware schemes requires strong partnerships,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnson. “The successful extradition of the defendant is a significant achievement in that ongoing collaboration and it sends a clear message: those who attempt to hide behind international borders to target American citizens will face justice.”
As alleged in the superseding indictment, Nefilim ransomware was deployed to encrypt computer networks in countries around the world, including in the Eastern District of New York. These ransomware attacks caused millions of dollars in losses, both from ransomware payments and damage to victim computer systems. The perpetrators of Nefilim typically customized the ransomware executable file for each victim, creating a unique decryption key and customized ransom notes. If the victims paid the ransom demand, the perpetrators sent the decryption key, enabling the victims to decrypt the computer files locked by the ransomware program.
In June 2021, Nefilim administrators gave Stryzhak access to the Nefilim ransomware code in exchange for 20 percent of his ransom proceeds. He operated the ransomware through his account on the online Nefilim platform, known as the “panel.” When he first obtained access to the panel, Stryzhak asked a co‑conspirator whether he should choose a different username from the one he used in other criminal activities in case the panel “gets hacked into by the feds.”
Nefilim’s preferred ransomware targets were companies located in the United States, Canada, or Australia with more than $100 million in annual revenue. Stryzhak and others researched the companies to which they gained unauthorized access, including by using online databases to gather information about the victim companies’ net worth, size, and contact information. In one exchange with Stryzhak in or about July 2021, a Nefilim administrator encouraged him to target companies in these countries with more than $200 million in annual revenue.
After gaining sufficient access to the victims’ networks, Stryzhak and his co‑conspirators stole data in furtherance of their scheme to extort ransom payments from them. Nefilim ransom notes typically threatened the victims that unless they came to an agreement with the ransomware actors, the stolen data would be published on publicly accessible “Corporate Leaks” websites, which were maintained by Nefilim administrators.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the charge, Stryzhak faces up to five years’ imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander F. Mindlin and Ellen H. Sise of the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Brian Mund of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Rebecca Roth.
The Defendant:
ARTEM ALEKSANDROVYCH STRYZHAK
stryzhak_superseding_indictment_redacted.pdf
Age: 35
Barcelona, Spain
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-324 (PKC)U.S. Attorney Office to present senior fraud prevention seminar in Du QuoinRead the Press Release
DU QUOIN, Ill. – To educate seniors in southern Illinois on the latest scams targeting them online and over the phone, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with the Du Quoin Public Library to host a fraud prevention seminar.
“Fraudsters are inundating our phones and computers with calls, texts and emails making deceitful claims like posing as federal agents to manipulate seniors and scare them into handing over their money,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Unfortunately, in southern Illinois, we’ve prosecuted scammers who have defrauded seniors out of most of their life savings. To educate the public on the current fraud schemes and tips to avoid becoming a victim, prosecutors with experience charging these scammers will be in Du Quoin to give an interactive and informational presentation.”
The presentation highlights information on online scams, fraud schemes targeting seniors and details on federal cases prosecuted in the Southern District of Illinois. The event will start at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 15 at the Du Quoin Public Library, located at 28 S. Washington St. in Du Quoin.
Attendees will receive tips to help detect scams and advice on how to contact law enforcement if they feel like they have been victimized by a scam.
The event is free and open to the public.
U.S. Attorney Charges Newburgh Man for Using Discord Platform to Extort Sexually Explicit Material from A Minor VictimRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and Christopher G. Raia, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging CARSEN MANSFIELD with extortionate interstate communications. MANSFIELD was arrested on Tuesday, April 29 in Newburgh, New York, and was presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy in White Plains federal court.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “As alleged Carsen Mansfield used Discord to track down and exploit the minor female victim. Protecting our children is central to our mission, and we will prosecute those who victimize them to the fullest extent of the law.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: “Carsen Mansfield allegedly extorted and threatened a minor in another state to provide sexually explicit images. Mansfield’s alleged actions violated a vulnerable victim’s privacy to satiate his personal disturbing desires. The FBI remains committed to protecting any minor from those who wish to inflict sexual harm, regardless of where they are located.”
As alleged in the Complaint:[1]
On or about August 4, 2024, MANSFIELD, using the communication platform Discord, contacted a minor female victim (“Victim-1”) and sent her a series of photographs that Victim-1 recognized as nude photographs of her that she had taken previously. MANSFIELD proceeded to threaten to send the nude photographs of Victim-1 to her friends and family if she did not send him more nude or otherwise sexually explicit materials, writing “Well I have these pictures and if you don’t send me more I’m going to send them to your friends and family . . . Your [sic] my slut now Andy [sic] failure to make me happy will end up exposed to your friends and family.”
Any individuals with information concerning CARSEN MANSFIELD and any individuals who may have encountered someone using the Discord username “noname45.#0” or the X (formerly Twitter) username “expogirlsss” please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or https://tips.fbi.gov.
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MANSFIELD, 23, of Newburgh, New York, is charged with one count of extortionate interstate communications, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of two years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force and Detroit Field Office, as well as the Town of Newburgh Police Department.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret N. Vasu is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
u.s._v._mansfield_complaint.pdf
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
U.S. Attorney Announces Prosecution of Title 50 Charges Following Joint Visit to New Mexico National Defense AreaRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison today announced the filing of 82 new Title 50 charges for unauthorized entry into the newly-designated National Defense Area along New Mexico’s southern border, following a high-level visit with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks.
The charges mark the first large-scale use of a novel criminal statute targeting unauthorized entry onto federally protected military defense property, a move enabled by the recent transfer of control over a 170-mile stretch of borderland-known as the Roosevelt Reservation-from the Department of the Interior to the Department of Defense. This corridor, now treated as an extension of U.S. Army Garrison Fort Huachuca, is subject to enhanced military patrols and surveillance, with U.S. troops authorized to temporarily detain and transfer individuals to federal law enforcement for prosecution.
The newly filed Title 50 charges carry potential penalties of up to one year in prison, supplementing existing immigration-related offenses. The Justice Department’s actions underscore a coordinated federal response to border security, leveraging expanded military and prosecutorial authority to deter unlawful crossings.
“The Department of Justice will work hand in glove with the Department of Defense and Border Patrol to gain 100% operational control of New Mexico’s 170-mile border with Mexico,” U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison reiterated following the meeting. “Trespassers into the National Defense Area will be Federally prosecuted—no exceptions.”
(left to right) Defense Secretary Hegseth, U.S. Border Patrol Chief Banks, USA EllisonThe U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico will continue to aggressively prosecute all violations within the National Defense Area, in close partnership with the Department of Defense and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Two Owners of Roofing Companies Indicted for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two roofing company owners were indicted for their failure to file tax returns and pay tax on income, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
The Indictment charges Steve Mitchell, also known as “Sonny Mitchell,” of Edison, New Jersey, and Samuel Mitchell of Bohemia, New York with four counts each of tax evasion.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Steve Mitchell, Samuel Mitchell, and others operated roofing businesses under several different names. Despite earning approximately $881,730.26 and $1,397,960.21, respectively, in income from roofing customers from 2018 through 2021, Steve Mitchell and Samuel Mitchell failed to file tax returns with the IRS and pay tax on their income. Instead, Steve Mitchell and Samuel Mitchell took affirmative steps to conceal their income from the IRS, including by providing false social security numbers to check cashing businesses that they used to convert customers’ checks to cash, which prevented the check cashing businesses from reporting the cashed checks to the IRS as required by law.
In addition to the income from the roofing customers, Steve Mitchell also received income from an elderly individual for what the elderly individual thought was an investment in a COVID mask-making business. In 2020 and 2021, Steve Mitchell converted over $4.2 million in checks from the elderly individual into cash.
The tax evasion counts each carry a maximum potentially penalty of five years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U. S. Attorney Casey S. Smith of the Criminal Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel:
Steve Mitchell: Michael A. Baldassare, Esq.
Samuel Mitchell: Robert Scrivo, Esq.
Two Jacksonville Men Indicted for Their Alleged Roles in A Series of Armed Robberies Across FloridaRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Nathaniel Cox (34, Jacksonville) and Ahli Fields (33, Jacksonville) for their respective roles in a series of armed robberies and attempted robberies from commercial business locations throughout the Middle District of Florida. If convicted on all counts, each faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Cox, who has a prior conviction for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence in 2015, faces a minimum penalty of 75 years’ imprisonment. Fields faces a minimum penalty of 7 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on June 9, 2020, Cox and Fields conspired to commit and committed an armed robbery of a grocery store in Ormond Beach, during which they brandished a firearm. A few months later, Cox committed two additional robberies and brandished a firearm on each occasion. During the same timeframe, Cox attempted three additional robberies. Cox is also charged with possessing ammunition as a convicted felon on two occasions in September 2020. As a convicted felon, Cox is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Ormond Beach Police Department, the Titusville Police Department, the Palmetto Police Department, and the Ocala Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang.
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).
Two Florida Men Charged in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Involving Shipping Methamphetamine and Fentanyl from California to FloridaRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Clarence Black, Jr. (49, Tampa) and Jarrek Fabrion Myrick (39, Fort Myers) with drug trafficking conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
According to court documents, between January 25 and February 4, 2025, Black and Myrick traveled to California and shipped methamphetamine and fentanyl to Tampa and areas in southwest Florida. The drug-laden parcels were intercepted and the total quantity of methamphetamine and fentanyl was approximately more than 90 pounds. Black has a prior federal conviction for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, and Myrick has a prior conviction for second-degree murder.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Tampa Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.
Turkish Citizen Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Illegal Reentry After Prior Removal for Aggravated Felony ConvictionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A citizen of Turkey pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of illegal reentry of a removed alien and was sentenced to 60 days of imprisonment and removal from the United States on his conviction, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed the sentence on Izzet Kurt, 60.
According to information presented to the Court, Kurt was previously convicted of conspiracy to smuggle aliens, an aggravated felony, in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and was subsequently removed from the United States on March 15, 2018, pursuant to an immigration judge’s order. In 2022, Kurt paid $12,000 to be smuggled back into the United States across the Mexican border. Approximately three years later, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received a tip that Kurt had returned to the United States and was living in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. A records check revealed that Kurt did not have permission or consent to reenter the United States. Through its investigation, HSI developed information corroborating the tip and, on February 25, 2025, while conducting surveillance, an HSI agent positively identified Kurt as a passenger in a vehicle within the Western District of Pennsylvania. Kurt has been in custody since his arrest and will be returned to immigration custody for his removal from the U.S., to which Kurt agreed as part of his plea and sentence.
Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Kurt.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, combat illegal immigration, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Three North Carolina Men Arrested on Child Sex Abuse Material–Related ChargesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Wilmington man and a Bolivia man were arrested Tuesday on separate charges of child sex trafficking and producing child sexual abuse material. A Louisburg man, William Justin Lewis, was arrested today on child sexual abuse material charges.
John Matthew Miller, 35, is charged with sex trafficking of a minor; enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual conduct; and producing, distributing, receiving, and possessing child sexual abuse material. Miller was previously convicted of sexual battery and was a registered sex offender at the time of the offense. Miller faces at least 25 years and up to life in prison if convicted on all counts.
Jesse Lonzo Teal, 72, also known as “Lonnie” and “Mark,” is charged with sex trafficking of a minor, enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual conduct, producing child sexual abuse material, and using the internet to promote an illegal prostitution business enterprise. He faces at least ten years and up to life imprisonment if convicted on all counts.
William Justin Lewis, 54, is charged with distributing child sexual abuse material and possessing child sexual abuse material. He faces at least five years’ imprisonment and up to twenty years’ imprisonment on each distribution count and up to twenty years’ imprisonment on the possession count.
“These important cases reflect the unwavering commitment of our office and our justice system to protect the most vulnerable members of our community—our children. Wewill continue to work closely with the FBI and our other law enforcement partners to ensure that those who commit such heinous acts are held accountable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. “There is no place in our community for those who prey on children, and we will do everything we can to not only seek justice for the victims, but to prevent additional child exploitation crimes.”
“Producing and exchanging child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is a sickening reality in our world and it's not just happening on the dark web. Pedophiles use the same platforms your family and friends use. No matter where this crime is occurring the FBI will find you. The Violent Crimes Against Children (VCAC) program is uniquely positioned to work complex global and multijurisdictional crimes against children with he capacity to counter threats of abuse and exploitation of children,” said Robert M. DeWitt, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, and Robert M. DeWitt, FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge, made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office, Wilmington Police Department, Onslow County Sheriff’s Office, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation are investigating the cases and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charity L. Wilson and Erin C. Blondel are prosecuting the cases.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case Nos.7:25-CR-46-D-RN, 7:25-CR-47-UA-RJ, and 5:25-CR-94-D-KS.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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Three Naples Men Indicted in A Murder-For-Hire PlotRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Jesus Pujol Hernandez (41), Miguel Marquez Romero (29), and Paulo Sabon Montero (54), all of Naples, Florida, with conspiracy to use a facility of interstate commerce to commit murder-for-hire and use of a facility of interstate commerce with intent to commit murder-for-hire. If convicted, each faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment and evidence presented in court, between April 16 and 17, 2025, Marquez Romero and Sabon Montero discussed over the phone killing an individual that Hernandez had identified for up to $30,000. Hernandez had been hired by the intended victims’ brother to carry out the plot. Marquez Romero, Sabon Montero, and Hernandez exchanged phone calls and organized a meeting to discuss the murder. On April 17, 2025, the conspirators met in a grocery store parking lot in Naples before being apprehended by law enforcement.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Patrick L. Darcey.
Three Members of a Prolific Chinese Money Laundering Organization Plead Guilty to Laundering Tens of Millions of Dollars in Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
Two Chinese nationals and a California man, all members of a prolific Chinese money laundering organization (CMLO), pleaded guilty yesterday to money laundering charges involving drug trafficking proceeds.
According to court documents, Maoxuan Xia, 29, of China, Shao Neng Lin, 58, of Baldwin Park, California, and Zhou Yu, 42, of China, were members of the CMLO that laundered over $92 million in illicit funds, including proceeds from the importation and distribution of illegal drugs into the United States, primarily through Mexico. Xia was one of the most active members of the Organization, traveling throughout the United States to collect drug trafficking proceeds from U.S.-based drug traffickers and deposit those illicit funds, using both real and fake identities, into shell company bank accounts registered by other members of the CMLO, such as Lin and Yu.
Xia and Yu each pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy, one count of money laundering to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the illicit proceeds, and one count of monetary transactions involving criminally derived property greater than $10,000. Lin pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy, two counts of money laundering to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the illicit proceeds, and two counts of monetary transactions involving criminally derived property greater than $10,000. Pursuant to his plea agreement, Xia admitted that he was personally responsible for laundering more than $30 million of illicit funds, including drug trafficking proceeds, in less than two years. Xia further admitted that he knew funds laundered in the conspiracy included drug trafficking proceeds or funds intended to promote drug trafficking. Pursuant to their respective plea agreements, Lin and Yu both admitted that they each received, through the shell company bank accounts that they created and operated for the CMLO, approximately $20 million in illicit funds, including drug trafficking proceeds. Lin and Yu both admitted that the total amount of illicit funds laundered in the conspiracy for which they had actual knowledge and involvement was approximately $40 million.
The defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the conspiracy and money laundering counts and a maximum of 10 years in prison on each of the monetary transactions counts. A federal district court judge will determine their respective sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina, Acting Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta Division, and Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Charlotte Field Office made the announcement.
The DEA Charlotte District Office and the IRS-CI Charlotte Field Office are investigating the case.
Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Mingda Hang, Acting Deputy Chief Melanie Alsworth, and Trial Attorney Jayce Born of the Justice Department’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alfredo De La Rosa and Seth Johnson for the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Three Members of A Prolific Chinese Money Laundering Organization Plead Guilty to Laundering Tens of Millions of Dollars in Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two Chinese nationals and a California man, all members of a prolific Chinese money laundering organization (CMLO), have pleaded guilty to money laundering charges involving drug trafficking proceeds, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Atlanta Division, and Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Charlotte Field Office, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.
According to court documents, Maoxuan Xia, 29, of China, Shao Neng Lin, 58, of Baldwin Park, California, and Zhou Yu, 42, of China, were members of the CMLO that laundered over $92 million in illicit funds, including proceeds from the importation and distribution of illegal drugs into the United States, primarily through Mexico. Xia was one of the most active members of the Organization, traveling throughout the United States to collect drug trafficking proceeds from U.S.-based drug traffickers and deposit those illicit funds, using both real and fake identities, into shell company bank accounts registered by other members of the CMLO, such as Lin and Yu.
Xia and Yu each pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy, one count of money laundering to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the illicit proceeds, and one count of monetary transactions involving criminally derived property greater than $10,000. Lin pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy, two counts of money laundering to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the illicit proceeds, and two counts of monetary transactions involving criminally derived property greater than $10,000. Pursuant to his plea agreement, Xia admitted that he was personally responsible for laundering more than $30 million of illicit funds, including drug trafficking proceeds, in less than two years. Xia further admitted that he knew funds laundered in the conspiracy included drug trafficking proceeds or funds intended to promote drug trafficking. Pursuant to their respective plea agreements, Lin and Yu both admitted that they each received, through the shell company bank accounts that they created and operated for the CMLO, approximately $20 million in illicit funds, including drug trafficking proceeds. Lin and Yu both admitted that the total amount of illicit funds laundered in the conspiracy for which they had actual knowledge and involvement was approximately $40 million.
“Let this case be a warning to foreign money launderers and drug traffickers,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “We will work day and night to dismantle criminal operations that exploit our robust financial system to fund criminal networks, fuel addiction in our communities, and spread violence in our streets.”
“DEA strives every day to keep the American public safe from criminal organizations who threaten our communities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Chung. “This case demonstrates our ability to leverage every tool to attack and dismantle dangerous drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.”
“IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to going after money laundering networks attempting to move cash made from the sale of drugs in the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Eakins. “Our special agents will continue to use their financial expertise to follow the money trail while working alongside partner agencies to stop those who profit from drug sales in the United States.”
The defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the conspiracy and money laundering counts and a maximum of 10 years in prison on each of the monetary transactions counts. A federal district court judge will determine their respective sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The DEA and IRS-CI are investigating the case.
Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Mingda Hang and Trial Attorney Jayce Born of the Justice Department’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alfredo De La Rosa and Seth Johnson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina 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 (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
The United States Files False Claims Act Complaint Against Three National Health Insurance Companies and Three Brokers Alleging Unlawful Kickbacks and Discrimination Against Disabled AmericansRead the Press Release
The United States filed a complaint today under the False Claims Act (FCA) against three of the nation’s largest health insurance companies — Aetna Inc. and affiliates, Elevance Health Inc. (formerly known as Anthem), and Humana Inc. — and three large insurance broker organizations — eHealth, Inc. and an affiliate, GoHealth, Inc., and SelectQuote Inc. The United States alleges that from 2016 through at least 2021, the defendant insurers paid hundreds of millions of dollars in illegal kickbacks to the defendant brokers in exchange for enrollments into the insurers’ Medicare Advantage plans.
Under the Medicare Advantage (MA) Program, also known as Medicare Part C, Medicare beneficiaries may choose to enroll in health care plans (MA plans) offered by private insurance companies, such as defendants Aetna, Anthem, and Humana. Many Medicare beneficiaries rely on insurance brokers to help them choose an MA plan that best meets their individual needs. Rather than acting as unbiased stewards, the defendant brokers allegedly directed Medicare beneficiaries to the plans offered by insurers that paid brokers the most in kickbacks, regardless of the suitability of the MA plans for the beneficiaries. According to the complaint, the broker organizations incentivized their employees and agents to sell plans based on the insurers’ kickbacks, set up teams of insurance agents who could sell only those plans, and at times refused to sell MA plans of insurers who did not pay sufficient kickbacks.
The United States further alleges that Aetna and Humana each conspired with the broker defendants to discriminate against Medicare beneficiaries with disabilities whom they perceived to be less profitable. Aetna and Humana allegedly did so by threatening to withhold kickbacks to pressure brokers to enroll fewer disabled Medicare beneficiaries in their plans. The United States alleges that, in response to these financial incentives from Aetna and Humana, the defendant brokers or their agents rejected referrals of disabled beneficiaries and strategically directed disabled beneficiaries away from Aetna and Humana plans.
“Health care companies that attempt to profit from kickbacks will be held accountable,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Granston of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We are committed to rooting out illegal practices by Medicare Advantage insurers and insurance brokers that undermine the interests of federal health care programs and the patients they serve.”
“It is concerning, to say the least, that Medicare beneficiaries were allegedly steered towards plans that were not necessarily in their best interest – but rather in the best interest of the health insurance companies,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts. “The alleged efforts to drive beneficiaries away specifically because their disabilities might make them less profitable to health insurance companies are even more unconscionable. Profit and greed over beneficiary interest is something we will continue to investigate and prosecute aggressively. This office will continue to take decisive action to protect the rights of Medicare beneficiaries and vulnerable Americans.”
The lawsuit was originally filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the FCA. Under the FCA, private parties can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of the recovery. The FCA permits the United States to intervene in and take over the action, as it has done here. If a defendant is found liable for violating the FCA, the United States may recover three times the amount of its losses plus applicable penalties.
The Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts are handling the matter, with valuable assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General and the FBI. The case is captioned United States ex rel. Shea v. eHealth, et al., No. 21-cv-11777.
Trial Attorneys David G. Miller, Anna H. Jugo, Diana E. Curtis, and Sara B. Hanson of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Weinograd and Julien Mundele for the District of Massachusetts are handling the matter.
The investigation and prosecution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the FCA. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The claims asserted in the complaint are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Note: Read the complaint here
The Department of Justice Files Complaint Against Illinois for Encroaching on Federal Immigration AuthorityRead the Press Release
The United States has filed a complaint against the state of Illinois, the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL), Jane Flanagan, Director of IDOL, and Kwame Raoul, the Attorney General for the state of Illinois, alleging that the implementation of SB0508, which amended Illinois’s “Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act,” infringes on federal immigration authority. By imposing confusing rules during the employment verification process and threatening employers with penalties if they do not comply, SB0508 discourages and complicates the use of E-Verify and Form I-9 inspection requirements. E-Verify allows any U.S. employer to electronically confirm the employment eligibility of newly hired employees and Form I-9 is used to verify the identity and employment authorization of individuals.
“This Department of Justice is committed to protecting American workers, employers, and enforcing federal immigration law,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Any state that incentivizes illegal immigration and makes it harder for federal authorities to do their job will face legal consequences from this Administration.”
On day one, President Trump declared a “national emergency” at the southern border from the unprecedented illegal entry of aliens into the country. To stop this illegal immigration crisis, President Trump instructed the federal government to ensure “that employment authorization is not provided to any unauthorized alien in the United States.” In the wake of this national crisis, “[e]nforcing our Nation’s immigration laws” is paramount.
Based on its enumerated constitutional and sovereign powers to conduct relations with foreign nations, the Federal Government has broad authority to establish immigration laws, the execution of which States cannot obstruct or take discriminatory actions against. Despite these prohibitions, the employment of unauthorized aliens by United States employers remains a substantial problem and encourages illegal entry into the country. Indeed, employment is one of the primary reasons aliens choose to enter the country illegally.
The United States’ complaint alleges SB0508 violates the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, along with laws enacted by Congress to combat the employment of illegal aliens, including the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which prohibits employers from knowingly hiring, recruiting, referring, or employing aliens without appropriate work authorization.
Moreover, SB0508 imposes additional notification requirements on employers (at times delineating the time, place, and manner in which notification must be provided) and prohibitions that go beyond federal law. SB0508 also imposes sanctions on employers for failure to adhere to those requirements with civil fines as high as $10,000. Not only are these fines inconsistent with federal law, but such advance notice requirements could prompt an alien employee to not show up to work on the day of inspection or avoid detection by immigration authorities.
The case is United States v. State of Illinois et al., No. 1:25-cv-04811 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
The claims asserted by the United States are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Sun Prairie Man Sentenced to 4 Years for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Curtis White III, 21, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 4 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. White pleaded guilty to the firearm charge on February 13, 2025.
On September 30, 2024, police in Fitchburg, Wisconsin, received a telephone call from a person who reported that White was in possession of a gun. Officers responded to the caller’s apartment complex in Fitchburg and immediately searched the area around the apartment complex for White. Officers found him a few blocks away.
After he was arrested, White admitted that he possessed a firearm when he approached the caller’s apartment and that his fingerprints would be on the gun. White further stated that he wrapped up the firearm in a sweatshirt and falsely claimed he tossed it in the vicinity of Williamsburg Way and Whitney Way in Fitchburg.
The following day, October 1, 2024, officers reviewed White’s jail calls and heard him provide a person with directions on where to find the firearm. Based on his directions, officers found a loaded black Sarsilmaz 9mm handgun wrapped in a black sweatshirt in a stairwell in the basement of an apartment building in Fitchburg.
At the time of his offense, White had previously been convicted of eight felony offenses in Dane County, including burglary and bail jumping.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Peterson stated that White was a very dangerous person who had displayed an “unrelenting pattern” of criminal behavior. Judge Peterson noted that White made his situation worse by lying to officers about the firearm’s location after he was arrested and recently assaulting two inmates while in jail awaiting sentencing. Judge Peterson concluded that a 4-year sentence was necessary to protect the public from White’s violent and unpredictable conduct.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
The charge against White was the result of an investigation conducted by the Fitchburg Police Department. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force also assisted with the case. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner prosecuted the case.
Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Cyberstalking Victim He Met OnlineRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for cyberstalking a victim he met on an online dating platform.
KEVIN CRUZ met the victim in 2021 on the dating application Grindr. While the pair communicated about a potential intimate relationship, the victim sent Cruz explicit photographs of himself. Cruz and the victim met in person on several occasions, but while Cruz expressed an interest in pursuing a romantic relationship, the victim did not.
From December 2021 to mid-2023, Cruz engaged in a course of harassing and intimidating conduct toward the victim. Cruz created numerous profiles on Grindr and other dating applications in which he impersonated the victim. Cruz, pretending to be the victim, arranged for men to travel to the victim’s home for sexual encounters. In some instances, Cruz, pretending to be the victim, instructed the men to enter the victim’s residence and attempt to have sex with the victim even if he resisted, as Cruz said the resistance would be part of a role-playing scenario. Numerous men arrived at the victim’s residence seeking sex as a result of their communications with Cruz.
Cruz also sent the victim’s explicit photographs to the victim’s family members, including his mother, brother, and cousins. In a text message sent by Cruz to the victim’s mother from a spoofed phone number, Cruz falsely suggested that the victim had committed suicide.
Cruz, 34, of Oak Park, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to a federal cyberstalking charge. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger on Wednesday ordered Cruz to pay $17,313.18 in restitution to the victim.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.
“Defendant’s conduct shocks the conscience,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan L. Shih argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “He created significant risks that the victim would be hurt, injured, and raped.”
St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 130 Months in Prison for Violent St. Louis CarjackingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Thursday sentenced a man who committed a violent 2023 carjacking to 130 months in prison.
On May 8, 2023, Ahdaejay Britton, now 20, of Bel-Ridge, and a juvenile accomplice watched the victim drive a Mazda 3 into a parking garage in the 3800 block of Lindell Boulevard and decided to steal it. Britton waited for the victim to reach the bottom of a stairwell, grabbed him from behind and then threw him to the ground before pointing a handgun in his face. Britton demanded the victim’s keys, cell phone and wallet. He then passed the keys to the juvenile, who went to the car. Both later fled in the stolen car.
Police located the car in the 10000 block of New Halls Ferry Road. The juvenile was in the driver’s seat. Britton was in a nearby business. Officers found the victim’s phone and a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol in the Mazda.
Britton pleaded guilty last year in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of carjacking and one count of possession and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
South Bend Man Sentenced to 82 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Johnny Daniels, 44 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Daniels was sentenced to 82 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in April 2024 Daniels illegally possessed a loaded firearm while he assaulted and threatened the life of another person during the course of stealing items from a residence. Daniels’ prior convictions include numerous felony offenses, any one of which make it unlawful for him to possess the firearm in this case, including a robbery in which the victim was shot and killed.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the South Bend Police Department and the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph P. Falvey.
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.
Sioux City Man Who Fled Traffic Stop with Stolen Firearm Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who attempted to flee a traffic stop was sentenced April 25, 2025, to more than 9 years in federal prison consecutive to his state sentence.
Alpacino Lewis Jr., age 24, from Sioux City, received the prison term after a January 10, 2025, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Lewis’ criminal possession of a stolen, loaded, semiautomatic firearm was discovered on February 14, 2024, after he attempted to flee from a traffic stop. He struck a police cruiser, drove over a parking meter, and sped away at a high rate of speed. He ultimately lost control of his vehicle and unsuccessfully attempted to escape on foot. During a search and further investigation, officers located a grinder with marijuana residue on Lewis’ person, the loaded firearm in his flight path, and three jars of THC Wax weighing a total of 112 grams and 4-THC vapes at a home he was sharing with another. Lewis has a criminal history including possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance – marijuana and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance – methamphetamine.
Lewis was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 110 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 1-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. This is consecutive to the independent state sentence Lewis is already serving.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Lewis is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by Sioux City Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4019.
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Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Priest Morris, 21, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty May 1, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City to possession of child pornography.
At the plea hearing, Morris admitted that from January 2024, through August 2024, he used the Discord, Twitter, Telegram, and Snapchat applications to receive, distribute, and possess visual depictions of child pornography including materials involving a prepubescent minor or minor under the age of 12. The Sioux City Police Department received two CyberTips from the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about a Snapchat account uploading child pornography. Law enforcement connected the account back to Morris and obtained a search warrant for his electronics. During the execution of the search warrant, Morris admitted he had received and possessed child pornography, and it would be located on his phone and iPad. Forensic analysis of his electronics showed that Morris possessed over 1,500 images and 6 videos of child pornography including materials that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct as well as infants and toddlers.
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.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Morris remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Morris faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4086.
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Seven Romanian nationals charged with immigration offensesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – Seven Romanian nationals accused of crossing illegally from Canada into Montana appeared yesterday for arraignment, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Two defendants, Ionut Gheorghe, 27, and Adi Marinescu Gheorghe, 32, pleaded not guilty to transporting illegal aliens, which, if convicted, carries a maximum punishment of five years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Adi Marinescu Gheorghe was also charged with illegal reentry of a removed alien, which is punishable by two years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
The other five defendants, Mihai Mahaela, 40, Sorin Sandu, 45, Conte Nicolae, 19, Alin Amadeus Musuroi, 23, and Lacrimoara Nicolae, 51, each pleaded not guilty to illegal entry of an alien. If convicted, they could be sentenced to up to six months in prison, fined $100,000, and placed on supervised release for one year.
Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston presided. All seven defendants were detailed pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that Ionut Gheorghe and Adi Marinescu Gheorghe were each driving a van on April 25, 2025. The other defendants were passengers in the vans, which the U.S. Border Patrol detected illegally crossing into the United States at approximately 2:30 a.m. Law enforcement located the vans traveling south on I-15, stopped the vehicles, took the occupants into custody, and transported them to the Sweetgrass Border Patrol Station for further investigation and processing. In total, the two vans contained 21 men, women, and children.
The United States Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case, and the United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
PACER case references: 25-50, 25-51, 25-52, 25-53, 25-54, 25-55, 25-56.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
Sapulpa Woman Sentenced for Second Degree MurderRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Sapulpa woman was sentenced today for Second Degree Murder in Indian Country, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Christin Brianna Kelley, 35, to 240 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.
Shortly after 4:00 a.m. on the morning of January 9th, 2024, Kelley and the victim, Isaac Smith, were sitting in a car in the parking lot of a gas station in Sand Springs. Kelley shot Isaac Smith several times, killing him. Law enforcement recovered the loaded pistol Kelley used in a trash can near the car.
Kelley is a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI, the Sand Springs Police Department, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric O. Johnston and Stephen Flynn prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Santa Clarita Man Agrees to Plead Guilty to Hacking Disney Employee’s Computer, Downloading Confidential Data from CompanyRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Santa Clarita man has agreed to plead guilty to hacking the personal computer of an employee of The Walt Disney Company last year, obtaining login information, and using that information to illegally download confidential data from the Burbank-based mass media and entertainment conglomerate via the employee’s Slack online communications account.
Ryan Mitchell Kramer, 25, has agreed to plead guilty to an information charging him with one count of accessing a computer and obtaining information and one count of threatening to damage a protected computer.
In addition to the information, prosecutors today filed a plea agreement in which Kramer agreed to plead guilty to the two felony charges, which each carry a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
Kramer is expected to make his initial appearance in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles in the coming weeks.
According to his plea agreement, in early 2024, Kramer posted a computer program on various online platforms, including GitHub, that purported to be computer program that could be used to create A.I.-generated art. In fact, the program contained a malicious file that enabled Kramer to gain access to victims’ computers.
Sometime in April and May of 2024, a victim downloaded the malicious file Kramer posted online, giving Kramer access to the victim’s personal computer, including an online account where the victim stored login credentials and passwords for the victim’s personal and work accounts.
After gaining unauthorized access to the victim’s computer and online accounts, Kramer accessed a Slack online communications account that the victim used as a Disney employee, gaining access to non-public Disney Slack channels. In May 2024, Kramer downloaded approximately 1.1 terabytes of confidential data from thousands of Disney Slack channels.
In July 2024, Kramer contacted the victim via email and the online messaging platform Discord, pretending to be a member of a fake Russia-based hacktivist group called “NullBulge.” The emails and Discord message contained threats to leak the victim’s personal information and Disney’s Slack data.
On July 12, 2024, after the victim did not respond to Kramer’s threats, Kramer publicly released the stolen Disney Slack files, as well as the victim’s bank, medical, and personal information on multiple online platforms.
Kramer admitted in his plea agreement that, in addition to the victim, at least two other victims downloaded Kramer’s malicious file, and that Kramer was able to gain unauthorized access to their computers and accounts.
The FBI is investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Restrepo and Maxwell Coll, both of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section, are prosecuting this case.
Rockford Man Sentenced to Eleven Years in Prison for Attempting to Import More Than Half a Kilogram of FentanylRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Rockford man was sentenced today to eleven years in federal prison for attempting to import more than half a kilogram of fentanyl into the United States from Mexico.
BENIGNO SANCHEZ, 47, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of attempting to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed the sentence during a hearing in federal court in Rockford.
Sanchez admitted that in March 2023 he expected a package containing controlled substances to be delivered to him at an address in Rockford via FedEx from Mexico. Law enforcement agents intercepted the package, which contained more than 500 grams of fentanyl pressed into pills (designed to imitate opioid pills) that were hidden inside a wooden tortilla press. After detecting the fentanyl inside the package, law enforcement agents removed the drugs and delivered the package to Sanchez. Once delivered, Sanchez took custody of the package, drove it to another location, and opened it to take possession of what he believed to be the drugs.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.
Rochester man pleads guilty to stealing $168-thousand dollars from his employerRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Michael Torres, 37, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy to financial institution fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas A. C. Penrose, who is handling the case, stated that between September 2021 and February 2022, Torres was employed as a Relationship Manager at Financial Institution 1. While in this position, he misused his position to apply for loans through Financial Institution 1 in the names of individuals without their knowledge or authorization. Torres applied for 19 loans for a total of $168,000, which was deposited into bank accounts that he controlled.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
Rochester man going to prison for 15 years on gun and drug chargesRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Shawnle McClary, 49, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, was sentenced to serve 180 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Marangola, who handled the case, stated that between 2021 and January 17, 2024, McClary conspired with Timothy Jackson, Jr. a/k/a T a/k/a T-Rock, Gary Fuller a/k/a G, Felicia Collins a/k/a Keisha and others to sell cocaine and fentanyl. McClary regularly packaged cocaine for sale, and transported quantities of cocaine and fentanyl from a stash location at residences on Forester Street to stash and/or sale locations on Angle Street in Rochester. On January 17, 2024, law enforcement searched numerous locations in Rochester utilized by members of the conspiracy as well as McClary’s Mobile Drive residence in the Town of Greece. During the searches, approximately 805 grams of cocaine, 210 grams of fentanyl, 223 grams of cocaine, $7,682 in cash, seven loaded firearms, and drug paraphernalia were seized.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller, and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith.
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Ringleader of Bank Fraud Conspiracy Case Receives Lengthy Federal Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Destane Glass, 24, of Shreveport, has been sentenced by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 135 months in prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Glass was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $539,578. In addition, Judge Hicks ordered that Glass’s sentence run consecutive to a 37-month federal prison sentence she is currently serving for Payment Protection Program fraud, making her sentence a total of 172 months (14 years, 4 months).
According to evidence presented in court, beginning on or about January 1, 2021, and continuing through October 31, 2022, Glass and her co-conspirators conspired to commit bank fraud from USAA Savings Bank (USAA Bank), Navy Federal Credit Union, and JP Morgan Chase Bank. Glass was the ringleader of this conspiracy and directed and recruited others to participate in the scheme to defraud the banks. Glass was indicted, along with 20 other defendants, in April 2024 in connection with this federal bank fraud scheme.
USAA Bank was a financial institution whose deposits were insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Teleperformance was a multinational company that provided a wide variety of business services including operating a call center in Shreveport, Louisiana. The call center provided customer service for USAA Bank. Teleperformance employees had access to USAA Bank customer information including, but not limited to, customer names, the age of customers, account balances, and account numbers. Glass was not an employee of Teleperformance but conspired with others who were to execute a scheme to defraud USAA Bank.
As part of the conspiracy, Glass worked with her co-defendants to improperly obtain account holder information so that the information could be used by Glass to create counterfeit USAA Bank checks. She instructed her co-defendants to target elderly bank customers whose bank accounts held high account balances as they would be less likely to regularly check their accounts. Glass created counterfeit checks on USAA Bank totaling $2,149,621 from accounts accessed by her co-defendants. After she created the checks, Glass used social media and other methods to recruit individuals in the Shreveport area with bank accounts to use their accounts to deposit the counterfeit checks.
Once the counterfeit checks were deposited into the accounts, Glass and others, worked to withdraw the funds at various locations to include area casinos. Glass and her co-conspirators would share the proceeds generated from negotiating the counterfeit checks.
ZarRajah Z. Watkins, 23, of Shreveport, who also participated in this scheme and was charged as a defendant in this case was sentenced today. Watkins pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and was sentenced to 37 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $397,930.
All of the other defendants charged in this case have now pleaded guilty and received their sentences.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisiana State Police and Shreveport Police Department and was prosecuted by Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook.
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Raytheon Companies and Nightwing Group to Pay $8.4M to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Non-Compliance with Cybersecurity Requirements in Federal ContractsRead the Press Release
Raytheon Company (Raytheon), RTX Corporation, and Nightwing Group LLC, and Nightwing Intelligence Solutions LLC (collectively, Nightwing), have agreed to pay $8.4 million to resolve allegations that Raytheon violated the False Claims Act by failing to comply with cybersecurity requirements in contracts or subcontracts involving the Department of Defense (DoD). Raytheon is a subsidiary of Arlington, Virginia-based defense contractor RTX Corporation (formerly known as Raytheon Technologies Corporation). In March 2024, RTX Corporation sold its Cybersecurity, Intelligence, and Services business, which since became part of Dulles, Virginia-based Nightwing. The settlement resolves conduct that allegedly occurred between 2015 and 2021, prior to Nightwing’s acquisition of the business.
The settlement was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service Cyber Field Office, Special Agent in Charge William W. Richards of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), Special Agent in Charge Keith K. Kelly of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Fraud Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross, NCIS Economic Crimes Field Office.
“Cyber threats have grown in size and reach in recent years, leaving no room for complacency among those in the public sector, private sector, or even among private citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia. “Government contractors must comply with the cybersecurity rules that govern their performance and be candid about their compliance. This settlement reflects the Government’s commitment to pursue contractors that fail to live up to those expectations.”
“As cyber threats continue to evolve, it is critical that defense contractors take the required steps to protect sensitive government information from bad actors,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth of the Justice Department's Civil Division. “We will continue our efforts to hold contractors accountable when they fail to honor their DoD cybersecurity commitments.”
The settlement resolves allegations that Raytheon and its then-subsidiary Raytheon Cyber Solutions, Inc. (RCSI), failed to implement required cybersecurity controls on an internal development system that was used to perform unclassified work on certain DoD contracts. The United States alleged that Raytheon and RCSI failed to develop and implement a system security plan for the system, as required by DoD cybersecurity regulations, and failed to ensure that the system complied with other cybersecurity requirements contained in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 252.204-7012 and Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.204-21. FAR 52.204-21 requires federal contractors to apply basic safeguarding requirements to information systems that process or store federal contract information. DFARS 252.204-7012 requires contractors to provide adequate security for information systems that process or store covered defense information. The settlement resolved allegations that Raytheon used its noncompliant internal system to develop, use, or store covered defense information and federal contract information during its performance on 29 DoD contracts and subcontracts.
“The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the law enforcement arm of the DoD Office of Inspector General, is steadfastly committed to upholding the integrity of all business systems used to process and store defense information,” said Special Agent in Charge DeChellis of the DCIS Cyber Field Office. “DCIS, along with our investigative partners, will continue to protect our service members and military technological edge by ensuring defense contractors strictly adhere to their cyber security contractual obligations.”
“Failure to implement cybersecurity requirements can have devastating consequences, leaving sensitive DoD data vulnerable to cyber threats and malicious actors,” said Special Agent in Charge William Richards of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations Procurement Fraud Office, Andrew AFB, Md. “AFOSI, alongside our investigative partners and the Department of Justice, will continue to combat fraud affecting the Department of the Air Force and hold those accountable that fail to properly safeguard sensitive defense information.”
“This settlement further demonstrates the resolve of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and our law enforcement partners to protect and defend the assets of the United States Army,” said Special Agent in Charge Keith K. Kelly of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Fraud Field Office.”
“Strict compliance with contractual cybersecurity requirements is of dire importance to adequately safeguard sensitive information from sophisticated adversaries, assure the safety of our warfighters, and maintain our military’s competitive edge,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross, NCIS Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS and our federal partners remain committed to investigating entities that do not responsibly protect critical information entrusted to them.”
The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the government when they believe that a defendant has submitted false claims for government funds and receive a share of any recovery. The settlement in this case provides for the whistleblower, Branson Kenneth Fowler, Sr., a former Director of Engineering with Raytheon, to receive a $1,512,000 share of the settlement amount. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Doe v. Raytheon Co. et al., No. 21-cv-2343 (D.D.C.).
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from the Air Force Materiel Command, AFOSI, DCIS, NCIS, and Army Criminal Investigation Division.
The matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Darrell Valdez of the District of Columbia and Senior Trial Counsel Kimberly Friday of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Raytheon Companies and Nightwing Group to Pay $8.4 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Non-Compliance with Cybersecurity Requirements in Federal ContractsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Raytheon Company (Raytheon), RTX Corporation, and Nightwing Group, LLC, and Nightwing Intelligence Solutions, LLC (collectively, Nightwing), have agreed to pay $8.4 million to resolve allegations that Raytheon violated the False Claims Act by failing to comply with cybersecurity requirements in contracts or subcontracts involving the Department of Defense (DoD). Raytheon is a subsidiary of Arlington, Virginia-based defense contractor RTX Corporation (formerly known as Raytheon Technologies Corporation). In March 2024, RTX Corporation sold its Cybersecurity, Intelligence, and Services business, which since became part of Dulles, Virginia-based Nightwing. The settlement resolves conduct that allegedly occurred between 2015 and 2021, prior to Nightwing’s acquisition of the business.
The settlement was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service Cyber Field Office, Special Agent in Charge William W. Richards of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), Special Agent in Charge Keith K. Kelly of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Fraud Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross, NCIS Economic Crimes Field Office.
“Cyber threats have grown in size and reach in recent years, leaving no room for complacency among those in the public sector, private sector, or even among private citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Martin. “Government contractors must comply with the cybersecurity rules that govern their performance and be candid about their compliance. This settlement reflects the Government’s commitment to pursue contractors that fail to live up to those expectations.”
“As cyber threats continue to evolve, it is critical that defense contractors take the required steps to protect sensitive government information from bad actors,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Roth. “We will continue our efforts to hold contractors accountable when they fail to honor their DoD cybersecurity commitments.”
The settlement resolves allegations that Raytheon and its then-subsidiary Raytheon Cyber Solutions, Inc. (RCSI), failed to implement required cybersecurity controls on an internal development system that was used to perform unclassified work on certain DoD contracts. The United States alleged that Raytheon and RCSI failed to develop and implement a system security plan for the system, as required by DoD cybersecurity regulations, and failed to ensure that the system complied with other cybersecurity requirements contained in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 252.204-7012 and Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.204-21. FAR 52.204-21 requires federal contractors to apply basic safeguarding requirements to information systems that process or store federal contract information. DFARS 252.204-7012 requires contractors to provide adequate security for information systems that process or store covered defense information. The settlement resolved allegations that Raytheon used its noncompliant internal system to develop, use, or store covered defense information and federal contract information during its performance on 29 DoD contracts and subcontracts.
“The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the law enforcement arm of the DoD Office of Inspector General, is steadfastly committed to upholding the integrity of all business systems used to process and store defense information,” said DCIS Cyber Field Office Special Agent in Charge DeChellis. “DCIS, along with our investigative partners, will continue to protect our service members and military technological edge by ensuring defense contractors strictly adhere to their cyber security contractual obligations.”
“Failure to implement cybersecurity requirements can have devastating consequences, leaving sensitive DoD data vulnerable to cyber threats and malicious actors,” said Special Agent in Charge William Richards of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations Procurement Fraud Office, Andrew AFB, Md. “AFOSI, alongside our investigative partners and the Department of Justice, will continue to combat fraud affecting the Department of the Air Force and hold those accountable that fail to properly safeguard sensitive defense information.”
“This settlement further demonstrates the resolve of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and our law enforcement partners to protect and defend the assets of the United States Army,” said Special Agent in Charge Keith K. Kelly of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Fraud Field Office.”
“Strict compliance with contractual cybersecurity requirements is of dire importance to adequately safeguard sensitive information from sophisticated adversaries, assure the safety of our warfighters, and maintain our military’s competitive edge,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross, NCIS Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS and our federal partners remain committed to investigating entities that do not responsibly protect critical information entrusted to them.”
The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the government when they believe that a defendant has submitted false claims for government funds and receive a share of any recovery. The settlement in this case provides for the whistleblower, Branson Kenneth Fowler, Sr., a former Director of Engineering with Raytheon, to receive a $1,512,000 share of the settlement amount. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Doe v. Raytheon Co., et al., No. 21-cv-2343 (D.D.C.).
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from the Air Force Materiel Command, AFOSI, DCIS, NCIS, and Army Criminal Investigation Division.
The matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Darrell Valdez of the District of Columbia and Senior Trial Counsel Kimberly Friday of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.