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Wednesday 23 April 2025
Zuni Man Sentenced for Armed Standoff and Shootout with Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni Pueblo man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison following an armed standoff with law enforcement.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on July 6, 2024, law enforcement responded to a disturbance at a residence in Zuni, where Eric Bowannie, 28, barricaded himself inside his home and fired multiple rounds at responding Zuni Police Department officers. During the incident, Bowannie charged an officer with an ax, retrieved a shotgun and a rifle, and repeatedly fired at officers positioned outside the residence. FBI agents arrived on scene and also came under fire as they attempted to negotiate a peaceful surrender.
After a prolonged standoff and multiple exchanges of gunfire, Bowannie attempted to flee the area but was apprehended by local law enforcement without further incident. A subsequent search of the property recovered 57 spent casings and five spent shotgun shells.
On November 13, 2024, Bowannie pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and to using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
Upon his release from prison, Bowannie will be subject to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Assistant United States Attorney Kirk Williams are prosecuting the case.
White House ‘Border Czar’ Thomas Homan Visits USAO-DCRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. welcomed White House Executive Associate Director of Enforcement and Removal Operations Thomas Homan, on April 16, 2025, to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office was honored to welcome Executive Associate Director Homan to our space,” said U.S. Attorney Martin. “We had a productive conversation, he had the opportunity to brief our staff and take their questions, and it was great to have him here.”
Executive Associate Director Homan met today with members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to discuss immigration issues, crime, and President Donald J. Trump’s “Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful” initiative.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia handles a wide variety of federal crimes that include those committed by members of violent transnational criminal enterprises. For more information on the office and its work, go to https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc.
U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Executive Associate Director of Enforcement and Removal Thomas Homan align on strategies to enhance public safety in the district of Columbia. As the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Martin has unique responsibilities for cases in both Superior Court and District Court.
Von Ormy Tax Preparer Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A Von Ormy woman was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to two years in prison for aiding or assisting the filing of a false tax return.
According to court documents, Sandy Gonzalez, 44, operated at least two different tax preparation services in San Antonio—SV Tax and JNC Tax Professionals—between Jan. 1, 2018 and April 15, 2021. During that time period, Gonzalez knowingly and intentionally caused the submission of false tax returns to the IRS by preparing Forms 1040 for clients, which she was aware contained false and fraudulent information. Primarily, she reduced the amount of her clients’ reportable income by deducting losses on Schedule C for businesses that were either inflated or did not exist whatsoever. Her actions had the effect of improperly reducing the clients’ tax burden and/or increasing the amount of their tax refund.
Gonzalez was indicted for 10 counts on April 3, 2024, and pleaded guilty to one count in December 2024. In addition to her two-year imprisonment, Gonzalez was ordered to pay $297,777 in restitution.
Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Chung prosecuted the case.
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Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Ashburn, Va., man plead guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing just over a kilogram of cocaine while traveling by bus from Nevada to Virginia.
Kareem M. Strong, 33, plead guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes, to possessing cocaine to distribute.
On December 13, 2023, Strong was found in possession of a black backpack containing a heat-sealed brick of white powder with an imprint of “ROLEX” on it, while at the bus station. Strong was traveling from Nevada to Virginia when encountered by interdiction task force members and subsequently arrested. The brick, which was submitted to the Kansas City Police Crime Laboratory for testing, weighed 1,004.73 grams and contained cocaine, in the salt form.
Under federal statutes, Strong is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.
Vault Agrees to Pay $8 Million to Settle Allegations of Billing False Claims to the COVID-19 Uninsured Program for Patients with Health InsuranceRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Vault Medical Services, P.A. and Vault Medical Services of New Jersey, P.C. (collectively “Vault”), have agreed to pay the United States $8 million to resolve allegations that Vault violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting or causing the submission of false claims to the Health Resources & Services Administration COVID-19 Claims Reimbursement to Health Care Providers and Facilities for Testing, Treatment, and Vaccine Administration for the Uninsured Program (the “Uninsured Program”) for patients who had health insurance, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Between approximately May 2020 and April 2022, the Uninsured Program reimbursed eligible providers for COVID-19 tests, testing-related items and services, treatment, and vaccines performed on uninsured individuals. During the public health emergency, Vault provided various COVID-19 related services to patients across the country, including specimen collection services and vaccine administration. Vault provided these services via telehealth and at in-person testing sites, and specimens were sent to laboratories for processing. The settlement announced resolves allegations that Vault knowingly submitted or caused the submission of claims for these services to the Uninsured Program for patients who had active health insurance.
Specifically, the United States alleges Vault was aware of data integrity issues with patient information collected at the point of service but failed to substantively address those issues, and did not ensure the collection of complete patient information, including demographic and insurance information. The United States further alleges that Vault failed to properly confirm whether certain patients had health insurance coverage, and disregarded insurance information for individuals for whom Vault had valid insurance information on file, including confirmation through an insurance verification process, before submitting claims to the Uninsured Program.
“The Uninsured Program provided critical support for testing and treatment for uninsured Americans during the height of the pandemic. Our office will not tolerate the alleged fraud, abuse, and waste of these funds.”
- U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
“Individuals and entities that participate in the federal healthcare system are required by law to preserve the integrity of program funds,” stated Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “The settlement in this case involves a provider that knowingly sought reimbursement for federal funds to which they were not entitled, and by doing so jeopardized the provision of services for the uninsured.”
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey and the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, with assistance from HHS-OIG.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kruti Dharia of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit and Trial Attorneys Lindsay DeFrancesco, Elizabeth J. Kappakas, and James Nealon in the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section).
The government’s pursuit of these matters illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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vault.agreement.pdfUpstate Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Daniel Turner Widner, 26, of Roebuck, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for distributing child sexual abuse material. *
Evidence presented at the sentencing hearing established that Widner was the moderator of an online chat group focused on the trading of child sexual abuse material. An undercover law enforcement officer infiltrated the group and posed as an 11-year-old girl. Widner sent the officer multiple images of child sexual abuse material. Believing he was chatting with a minor, Widner asked the undercover officer to be his girlfriend and to send him compromising pictures.
Further investigation led authorities to discover Widner’s home address, and a search warrant was conducted. All of Widner’s electronic devices were seized and law enforcement found over 80,000 images of child sexual abuse material on his devices.
Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Cain sentenced Widner to 15 years' imprisonment and lifetime supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Watkins prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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NOTE: The term “child pornography” is currently used in federal statutes and is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a person less than 18 years old. While this phrase still appears in federal law, “child sexual abuse material” is preferred, as it better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the child. The Associated Press Stylebook also discourages the use of the phrase “child pornography.”
Union County Teacher Admits to Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man who was employed as a New Jersey high school teacher, admitted to producing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Michael Hamilton, 53, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn in Camden federal court to one count of producing child pornography.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Hamilton admitted to meeting a minor victim and engaging in sexual conduct with that victim, which Hamilton recorded on video. Law enforcement seized a copy of that video during the search of his home in October 2023. Hamilton also admitted to receiving and possessing sexually explicit messages, pictures, and videos of two other minor victims.
The charge of production of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for September 9, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited FBI Newark’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, with the investigation. U.S. Attorney Habba also thanked the Springfield Police Department and the Union County Prosecutor’s Office.
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 Rebecca Sussman and Robert Taj Moore of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Randy Davenport, Esq.
hamilton.information.pdfU.S. Online Marketplace Operator Charged with Trafficking Deadly Synthetic Opioids Stronger Than FentanylRead the Press Release
Today, an indictment was unsealed in the District of Columbia charging eWorldTrade LLC (eWorldTrade), a U.S. company, with conspiracy to distribute synthetic opioids for unlawful importation into the United States. Law enforcement authorities also seized eWorldTrade’s website domain, which was allegedly used to operate an online business-to-business marketplace that facilitated the distribution of synthetic opioids such as isotonitazene and carfentanyl, both significantly more potent than fentanyl.
According to the indictment, from March 2024 through March 2025, eWorldTrade conspired with others to distribute isotonitazene, a Schedule I controlled substance, and carfentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, knowing that the controlled substances would be imported into the United States.
eWorldTrade is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances for unlawful importation into the United States. If convicted, the company faces a maximum fine of $50,000,000.
On the same day of the unsealing of the indictment, law enforcement authorities seized eWorldTrade’s website and shut down its operation. The website now displays the following warning messages to the public.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville Office made the announcement.
The HSI Knoxville Office, in partnership with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Chattanooga Office, investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Jayce Born of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section is prosecuting the case. Former Trial Attorney Ann Daniels and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee provided valuable support.
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.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Men Responsible for Running Hawala Scheme Involving More Than $65 Million Sentenced to Three Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MOHANAD AL-ZUBAIDI and SHAKER SALEH MOHAMMED HAUTER were both sentenced to three years in prison for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business that was responsible for illicitly moving more than $65 million between the United States and countries in the Middle East, including Yemen, Turkey, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan. AL-ZUBAIDI and HAUTER previously pled guilty on January 15, 2025, before U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel, who imposed yesterday’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “Mohanad Al-Zubaidi and Shaker Saleh Mohammed Hauter ran an underground financial network that illegally transferred tens of millions of dollars between the United States and the Middle East. The sentences imposed yesterday send a clear message that those who operate these unlawful financing networks will be held accountable.”
According to the Indictment, plea agreements, and statements made in court:
Between in or about 2018 through at least in or about 2022, AL-ZUBAIDI and HAUTER operated an unlicensed money transfer business that was responsible for illicitly moving more than $65 million between the U.S. and countries in the Middle East. AL-ZUBAIDI and HAUTER facilitated hundreds of illicit money transfers, with each transfer ranging from thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. For the illicit transactions they completed, AL-ZUBAIDI and HAUTER typically earned a commission of between one and six percent of the total amount transferred. To facilitate these illicit transfers, AL-ZUBAIDI and HAUTER worked with other members of an international network of money brokers to transfer money through an informal money transmitting system known as “hawala,” which is frequently used by money launderers and other criminals to transfer criminal proceeds abroad.
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In addition to the prison terms, AL-ZUBAIDI, 37, of Piscataway, New Jersey, and HAUTER, 52, of the Bronx, New York, were both sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay forfeiture of $385,000 and $430,000, respectively.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Mr. Clayton also recognized the assistance of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J. King and Amanda C. Weingarten are in charge of the prosecution.
Three Prison Guards Plead Guilty to Violation of Rights Under Color of LawRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Brandon Montanari, age 34, Rohail Kahn, age 28, and Michael Williams, age 38, have each pled guilty to depriving an inmate at Mid-State Correctional Facility of his rights under color of law. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
In pleading guilty, Montanari, Kahn, and Williams admitted to assaulting an inmate at Mid-State Correctional Facility in April 2023, including punching and kicking him without cause, causing bodily injury. Each defendant admitted further that he agreed with the others to lie about the assault during an internal investigation.
At the sentencings scheduled for late July and August, each defendant faces a maximum imprisonment term of 10 years, a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to three years, and a maximum fine of $250,000.
FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Office of Special Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael F. Perry and Michael D. Gadarian are prosecuting the case.
Three Pittsburgh Residents Charged in Superseding Indictment with Conspiracy, Defacing and Damaging Religious Property, Making False Statements, and Possession of Destructive DevicesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh returned a Superseding Indictment against three residents of the Pittsburgh area on charges of conspiracy, defacing and damaging a religious building, making false statements in a matter within the jurisdiction of the Executive branch of the United States, and possession of destructive devices, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The nine-count Superseding Indictment named Mohamad Hamad, 23, of Coraopolis, Tayla A. Lubit, 24, of Pittsburgh, and Micaiah Collins, 22, of Pittsburgh, as defendants. Hamad and Lubit were previously indicted for their roles in defacing Jewish religious property with pro-Palestinian and anti-Zionist graffiti (read the Indictment news release here).
According to the Superseding Indictment, Hamad enlisted with the United States Air Force, Pennsylvania Air National Guard (PAANG) in 2023. Hamad was assigned to the 171st Maintenance Squadron of the PAANG, stationed in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, near the Pittsburgh International Airport. The 171st Maintenance Squadron is a part of the 171st Air Refueling Wing, the primary mission of which is to provide in-flight refueling to Department of Defense (DoD) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) aircraft.
In connection with his enlistment, Hamad sought a Top-Secret security clearance. The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) investigated Hamad to determine if he should be granted that clearance. Hamad had three in-person interviews as part of his background investigation and, as alleged in the Superseding Indictment, made a series of false statements as part of that process.
The Superseding Indictment also alleges that, during this same time period, Collins conspired with Hamad to manufacture and possess a destructive device, and discussed the potential uses for the devices that they were building and testing. After Hamad and Collins detonated a device, Hamad built additional destructive devices, including two pipe bombs, and detonated those as well.
“As alleged in the Superseding Indictment, Mohamad Hamad lied about his loyalty to the United States, among other false statements, in an attempt to obtain a Top-Secret security clearance,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Rivetti. “During that time, he openly expressed support for Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Hamas. In addition to his previously charged role in defacing Jewish religious property, he also conspired with others named in this Superseding Indictment to manufacture and detonate destructive devices. Our office remains resolute in its commitment to working alongside federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to investigate crimes like these and to safeguard both the Jewish community and the public at large.”
“Protecting the American people is spelled out in the Mission of the FBI. That includes all our communities,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek. “The FBI and our partners are committed to investigating and prosecuting individuals who reportedly choose to lie about being loyal to this country and instead engage in dangerous, menacing, and illegal activities.”
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of, for Hamad, 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine; for Collins, five years in prison and a $250,000 fine; and for Lubit, one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. 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 Attorneys Nicole Vasquez Schmitt and Carolyn J. Bloch are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government, with assistance from the Department of Justice National Security Division, Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the Superseding Indictment.
A Superseding Indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Three Members of the Highs Street Gang Convicted of RICO Conspiracy and Premeditated MurderRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Following a three-week trial, a federal jury in Minneapolis convicted three Minnesota men today of RICO Conspiracy and Premediated Murder for their involvement in the violent Minneapolis criminal street gang known as the Highs and the August 7, 2021, gang-related murder of Darryl Wells.
“Minneapolis criminal street gangs have inflicted devastating harm on our community for far too long. Three years ago, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced our federal violent crime initiative to address the skyrocketing and completely unacceptable rates of violent crime in Minnesota,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “Since then, we have brought large RICO cases against three criminal street gangs—charging them as the violent enterprises they are. Make no mistake: we will not stop. Criminal street gangs in Minneapolis will continue to see federal justice. The citizens of Minnesota—the many victims of these crimes—deserve no less.”
“These defendants participated in a senseless murder and other acts of violence that terrorized their community,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s conviction holds accountable members of a violent gang and shows the Department’s commitment to hold accountable criminal enterprises that use murder and intimidation to exert power. We remain steadfast in our commitment to dismantle violent gangs and secure justice for the victims and their loved ones.”
"This was cold-blooded, calculated violence meant to control through fear," said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. "They believed violence gave them power — but today’s conviction proves that justice is stronger. The FBI, together with our law enforcement partners, are committed to dismantling these criminal enterprises and holding violent offenders accountable."
“Today’s conviction sends a strong message that violent street gangs will not be tolerated in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Riddle, of the ATF St. Paul Field Division. “Through the power of the RICO statute, ATF agents, in partnership with federal, state, and local law enforcement, have been able to target the violent criminal activity of the Highs gang. This conviction is a direct result of the tireless work by our agents who are committed to dismantling these criminal organizations and ensuring that those who use violence to control neighborhoods are held accountable. ATF will continue to lead efforts to take down street gangs and protect the citizens of Minneapolis.”
“Minneapolis has seen a significant drop in violent crime, especially gun violence, thanks to the outstanding work of MPD officers and our law enforcement partners. Most notably, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has been instrumental in helping us target the small number of individuals driving violence, without causing harm to the broader communities we serve. Together, we're not just reducing crime — we're rebuilding trust,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara.
“Today’s verdict marks a decisive victory in the fight against violent criminal organizations,” said Ramsey E. Covington, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “Reducing violence in this community has required a change in tactics and IRS Criminal Investigation special agents are perfectly poised to support our law enforcement partners in this effort. Our agents will continue to apply their financial expertise and investigative skills to bring justice to those who endanger our communities and threaten our way of life.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Keon Pruitt, 22, Dantrell Johnson, 32, and Gregory Hamilton, 29, each of Minneapolis, were all members of various “cliques” or subsets, of the Highs—a criminal enterprise that controlled territory north of West Broadway Avenue in Minneapolis. Evidence at trial proved that members of the Highs committed murders, narcotics trafficking, weapons violations, burglaries, assaults, and robberies on behalf of the enterprise. As members of the Highs, the defendants were expected to retaliate against the rival Lows gang, which operated south of West Broadway Avenue.
Evidence produced at trial showed that, on August 7, 2021, a prominent Highs member was shot and killed by a Lows member at the Winner gas station, a Highs hangout. The following day, August 8, 2021, Highs members organized a memorial for the deceased member at the gas staF. App’x tion, where they distributed firearms and encouraged one another to retaliate against Lows members for the murder. Defendants Pruitt, Johnson, and Hamilton were all in attendance at the memorial.
Later that day, Johnson and Hamilton drove to a Lows hangout—Wally’s Foods—and shot a Lows associate, who survived his injuries. Approximately two hours later, Johnson, Hamilton, and Pruitt drove to Skyline Market, another known Lows hangout, to shoot another Lows member. They mistakenly believed Darryl Wells was a Lows member and the store’s cameras captured them shooting Wells inside the store. Wells ran from the store and into the street. Pruitt, who was driving two juveniles in a stolen Porsche, let the juveniles out of the car. They then chased Wells into a nearby alley and fired additional shots at him. All told, Wells was shot at least eight times.
The jury convicted Pruitt, Johnson, and Hamilton of Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Conspiracy and Using a Firearm to Cause Death. Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. Their sentencing hearings will be scheduled in the near future.
This is the first of several trials in this case, which charged a total of 28 defendants with RICO Conspiracy, narcotics trafficking, firearms offenses, and other charges related to their activities as members and associates of the Highs gang. Sixteen defendants are pending trial.
The ATF, FBI, Minneapolis Police Department, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and Minnesota Department of Corrections are investigating the cases, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, Dakota County Sheriff’s Office, St. Paul Police Department, and numerous other law enforcement agencies contributed to this investigation through reports or evidence control. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Lopez-Calhoun, Albania Concepcion, and Rebecca Kline of the District of Minnesota, and Trial Attorney Brian Lynch of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime & Racketeering Section, tried this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carla Baumel and Trial Attorney Alyssa Levey-Weinstein also worked on the investigation and trial.
Thoreau Woman Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter in Fatal Drunk Driving Incident on Navajo NationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Thoreau woman has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter after driving while intoxicated and fatally striking John Doe with her vehicle following an altercation.
According to court records, on the morning of May 28, 2023, Nora Abeita, 50, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, and several others, including the victim, John Doe, consumed alcohol together. After an altercation with John Doe, Abeita attempted to leave the residence with a friend. While driving away, Abeita struck John Doe with their vehicle. She did not immediately realize she had run over him until alerted by others. John Doe died from his injuries.
Abeita’s blood alcohol concentration was measured at .16 approximately five hours after the incident—more than double the legal limit in both New Mexico and the Navajo Nation.
At sentencing, Abeita faces up to eight years in prison. Upon her release from prison, Abeita will be subject to up to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Ellison and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
Syracuse Man Sentenced to Nearly 10 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Diquan Hall, age 26, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to 110 months in federal prison for distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea, Hall admitted that he repeatedly sold fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Syracuse area in January and February 2024. Senior United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also ordered Hall to serve a four-year term of supervised release following his release from prison.
This case was investigated by ATF, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Syracuse Police Department Intelligence Division, and the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Commandeur and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick prosecuted the case.
Syracuse Man Sentenced to 100 Months for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Ricardo Lane, age 43, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to 100 months in federal prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement.
As part of his prior guilty plea, Lane admitted that from April 2021 through July 2022 he conspired with others to distribute cocaine in Onondaga County. Lane had a prior 2007 federal conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base.
Senior United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also ordered Lane to serve a 5-year term of supervised release following his release from prison.
This case was investigated by the DEA, U.S. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), HSI, United States Postal Inspection Service, and Syracuse Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey Brown and Michael Gadarian prosecuted the case.
This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Suburban Chicago Police Officer Charged with Covid-Relief FraudRead the Press Release
CHICAGO – A suburban Chicago police officer has been indicted for allegedly fraudulently obtaining Covid-relief loans and concealing the proceeds in his bankruptcy case.
An indictment returned Monday in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges WILLIAM FREDERICK REED, 41, of Hazel Crest, Ill., with making false statements in U.S. Small Business Administration loan applications, bankruptcy fraud, and tax offenses. Arraignment in federal court has not yet been scheduled.
According to the indictment, Reed worked as a police officer in Dolton, Ill., and Robbins, Ill., and was also self-employed as a security guard. In 2020 and 2021, Reed applied for and obtained loans pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), which was created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) to provide financial relief for small businesses during the Covid pandemic. A PPP loan allowed the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spent a certain amount of the proceeds on essential expenses, such as payroll. The charges allege that Reed falsely represented in his applications that he was qualified to receive the loans based on inflated and falsified average monthly payrolls for his “off duty security” job. In all, Reed fraudulently obtained three loans, the indictment alleges.
In 2022, Reed filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Chicago. The indictment alleges that during the bankruptcy case, Reed made false statements and provided false documents to conceal his receipt of the PPP loans and submitted a fraudulent 2021 individual income tax return to cause the U.S. Trustee, the Chapter 7 Trustee, and his creditors not to inquire further into his financial affairs.
The tax charges accuse Reed of underreporting income and falsifying withholdings in his 2021 individual tax return and failing to file any individual returns in 2022 and 2023.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office, Sheldon Shoemaker, Deputy Inspector General of the SBA’s Office of Inspector General, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Ruth M. Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Trustee Program. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason A. Julien and Hayley L. Altabef, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Netols.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving Covid-19 can report it to the Department of Justice by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud at (866) 720-5721 or by filing an online complaint here.
reed_indictment.pdfSex Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation Offense, ThreatsRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GREGORY BUTTS, 54, formerly of Sprague, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 240 months of imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for a child exploitation offense and related threats.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in April 2016, Butts was convicted in Connecticut state court of illegal sexual contact with a child.
In November 2020, family and friends of two missing juveniles in Colorado posted information about the missing juveniles on social media pages and included a phone number asking the public to call with information. Butts, with his own phone number blocked, called the number and spoke to a female friend of the missing juveniles, who recorded the conversation. Butts stated that he was with the missing juveniles and had had sexual contact with them. He threatened to harm the missing juveniles if the conversation were recorded or if law enforcement were contacted, and threatened the female friend who answered the phone. He then said that he would return the missing juveniles if the female friend would have sexual intercourse with him. Shortly after the juveniles had been reported missing, they returned home. They were not harmed and had not been kidnapped.
Investigators determined that the call emanated from a lightly-populated area in Sprague, Connecticut, and that Butts was a registered sex offender living in the area who was on probation following a state conviction for illegal sexual contact with a minor. After a Connecticut probation officer identified Butts’ voice on the recording, probation officers searched Butts’ residence and another residence where he also had been staying and seized a computer, storage devices, multiple cell phones, and other items.
Forensic analysis of the seized items revealed more than 10,000 images and videos of child pornography, and downloaded conversations Butts had with minors on Snapchat and other social media applications. In the chats, Butts engaged in sexually explicit conversations, made numerous threats, and demanded, and sometimes received, sexually explicit photos.
Butts has been detained since March 4, 2022. On January 17, 2025, he pleaded guilty to possession of a child pornography.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New Haven, Connecticut and Loveland, Colorado, with the assistance of the Connecticut Office of Adult Probation, Connecticut State Police, and the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nancy V. Gifford and Daniel E. Cummings.
Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of New London for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com
Rhode Island Man Sentenced to Twenty Years in Prison in One of Rhode Island’s Largest Fentanyl SeizuresRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Jorge Pimentel, a/k/a “Big Head,” 36, of Cranston, has been sentenced to twenty years in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Pimentel previously admitted to a federal judge that he ran a highly productive drug lab and a stash house in Pawtucket from which 19,315 fentanyl-laced pills made to resemble pharmaceutical grade Percocet pills and nearly 9 kilograms of powder fentanyl were seized by law enforcement. The seizure of a combined total of over sixteen kilograms of fentanyl-laced pills and fentanyl powder, an industrial grade high-speed pill press, and twenty-eight thousand grams of cutting agents used in the manufacturer of the fake pill seized in September 2023, is among the largest seizures of fentanyl in Rhode Island.
The fentanyl powder and already cut mixture seized in this case represented the potential production of more than 633,000 fentanyl-laced pills.
Court documents detail that Pimentel was already a “well-established, large scale fentanyl trafficker” when, on multiple occasions between May 31, 2023, and September 29, 2023, he brokered sales of a total of approximately 34,000 fentanyl-laced pills for which he was paid $37,000.
Pimentel was sentenced on Tuesday by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 240 months of incarceration to be followed by five years of federal supervised release. He pleaded guilty in December 2024 as charged by indictment with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. No plea agreement was filed in this case.
The matter was investigated by the FBI’s Rhode Island Safe Streets Task Force. The Safe Streets Task Force consists of agents and law enforcement officers from the FBI, Rhode Island State Police, the Cranston, Woonsocket, Pawtucket, West Warwick, and Central Falls Police Departments, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections.
The United States Attorney’s Office thanks the Providence Police Department and the DEA for their partnership.
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.
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government_sentencing_memo.pdfRaytown Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Machine GunsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Raytown, Mo., man plead guilty in federal court today for possessing and transferring two machine gun conversion devices.
Darius R. Harris, also known as “D” and “D2,” 22, plead guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lajuana M. Counts, to two counts of illegally possessing machine guns.
On October 30, 2023, Harris sold a silver, Glock-type switch to an undercover agent for $350. On November 9, 2023, Harris sold a Glock 9mm handgun, Glock-type switch, extended magazine and twenty-three rounds of ammunition to an undercover agent for $960.
On April 1, 2025, Harris’ brother, Demetrius Harris, also known as “Meech,” 24, plead guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill A. Morris, to one count of illegally possessing machine guns. On Jan. 24, 2024, Demetrius Harris sold an AR-style firearm containing an auto sear, two additional auto sears, and ammunition to an undercover agent for $1,060. Demetrius Harris is awaiting sentencing.
Machine gun conversion devices, also known as “switches” or “auto sears,” are used to convert semi-automatic weapons into machine guns that fire multiple shots automatically through a single pull of the trigger, enabling more rapid and often less accurate gunfire. Whether or not they are attached to a firearm, these devices constitute machine guns under federal law. It is therefore illegal to possess, sell, or use machine gun conversion devices.
Under federal statutes, Harris is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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.
Randolph County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – William Durnal, 60, of Elkins, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 100 months in federal prison for methamphetamine possession and distribution.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Durnal was part of a drug trafficking organization that was distributing large amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in Morgantown, West Virginia. A search of his home recovered hundreds of grams of methamphetamine. Durnal has a criminal history that includes theft, forgery, burglary, battery, and passing counterfeit money.
Durnal will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley and Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
Investigative agencies include the Mon Metro Drug Task Force and the Mountain Region Task Force, both HIDTA-funded initiatives.
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.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Randolph County Man Admits to Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Nelson Cortes, age 50, of Beverly, West Virginia, has admitted to the distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Cortes was selling methamphetamine, sometimes from his home.
Cortes is facing up to 20 years in federal. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Mountain Region Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Putnam County Man Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining Unemployment and COVID-19 BenefitsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – James Lomax, 33, of Hurricane, pleaded guilty today to theft of public money, property or records. Lomax admitted that he fraudulently obtained $13,312 in unemployment benefits, including COVID-19 supplementary funds.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about March 24, 2020, Lomax applied for unemployment compensation after he was laid off as a sales manager at a St. Albans auto dealership when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Lomax legitimately received unemployment benefits until the week ending April 25, 2020, when he returned to work.
Lomax admitted that from at least April 25, 2020 through at least July 18, 2020, he continued to apply for unemployment benefits that he knew he was not entitled to because he had returned to work. Lomax fraudulently obtained approximately $13,312 in unemployment benefits, including supplementary funds provided by the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program (FPUC) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
WorkForce West Virginia administers the unemployment compensation program for the State of West Virginia. Lomax admitted that as part of his scheme, he falsely certified on the WorkForce West Virginia website for 13 consecutive weeks that he was entitled to unemployment benefits. Lomax submitted the false certification answers while using his personal electronic device in St. Albans.
Lomax admitted that he used the fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits to make purchases and pay his bills.
Lomax is scheduled to be sentenced on August 7, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Lomax also owes $13,312 in restitution.
Two of Lomax’s co-workers – his father Gary Lomax, 63, of Hurricane, and Christopher Grant, 41, of Buckhannon – previously pleaded guilty to similar pandemic-related unemployment compensation fraud schemes. Gary Lomax was sentenced on November 19, 2024, to five years of federal probation, including four months on home detention, and ordered to pay $29,592 in restitution for theft of public money, property or records. Grant was sentenced on November 25, 2024, to five years of federal probation, including four months on home detention, and ordered to pay $35,168 in restitution for conspiracy to steal public money, property or records.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the WorkForce West Virginia Integrity Section, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General (NASA OIG), the Litigation Financial Analyst with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI).
NASA OIG is an active member of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. This case was also supported by the PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys J. Parker Bazzle II and Andrew J. Tessman are prosecuting the case.
Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-57.
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Pontiac Man Pleads Guilty in $4M Identity Theft and Unemployment Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Pontiac man has pleaded guilty to committing aggravated identity theft and wire fraud as part of large-scale, multi-state Unemployment Insurance benefit fraud scheme in which he and co-conspirators fraudulently obtained debit cards loaded with more than $4 million in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance funds, Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck announced today.
Joining in the announcement were Megan Howell, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Special Agent-in-Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division, Charles Miller, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, Douglas Zloto, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Secret Service, Sean McStravick, Acting Inspector-in-Charge, U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, and Director Jason Palmer, State of Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency.
Terrance Calhoun, Jr., 36, of Pontiac, Michigan, pleaded guilty to committing aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and to possessing 15 or more unauthorized access devices, all in relation to acts of unemployment insurance fraud.
According to his plea agreement, Calhoun Jr., and others, used stolen personal identification and filed hundreds of false unemployment claims with state unemployment insurance agencies in Michigan, Arizona, and Maryland over a six-month period in the names of other individuals without their knowledge or consent. Those false claims resulted in hundreds of debit cards loaded with over $4 million in unemployment insurance funds being mailed to addresses controlled by Calhoun Jr. and his co-conspirators. Roughly $1.6 million dollars in purchases and cash withdrawals were then successfully made from the cards.
As described within a prior complaint, when agents executed search warrants at the principal mailing addresses used for the fraudulent unemployment insurance benefit claims, including the residence of Calhoun Jr., agents seized numerous documents containing the personal identification information of other individuals, multiple debit cards in the names of numerous other individuals, and firearms.
Calhoun now faces a possible sentence of up to 20-years’ imprisonment for each of the wire fraud counts to which he has pleaded guilty, a possible sentence of up to 10-years’ imprisonment for possessing 15 or more unauthorized access devices, and a mandatorily consecutive 2-year sentence for the aggravated identity theft charge to which he has pleaded guilty.
Sentencing is set for August 27, 2025 before United States District Court Judge Judith E. Levy.
“Taxpayer money diverted into the pockets of criminals means less money going to Michiganders who actually need help getting through difficult financial times and who follow the rules when seeking assistance,” said Acting US Attorney Beck. “These charges reflect our office’s ongoing commitment to the community by investigating such schemes and bringing those who commit these crimes to justice.”
“Terrance Calhoun Jr and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to defraud state workforce agencies in Michigan, Arizona, and Maryland by filing hundreds of fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) claims. As a result, Calhoun enriched himself by stealing taxpayer resources intended for unemployed American workers. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the UI program from those who seek to exploit it,” said Megan Howell, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
“Individuals who commit identity theft and unemployment insurance fraud of this magnitude deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law,” said Charles Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “Terrance Calhoun, Jr. and Jermaine Arnett demonstrated a blatant disregard of the integrity of the multiple states’ unemployment insurance systems and caused immeasurable hardship to innocent victims. IRS-CI remains committed to the pursuit of identity theft and financial fraud, and together with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we will hold those who engage in similar crimes accountable.”
"The FBI in Michigan, alongside our law enforcement partners, remains steadfast in protecting the community and investigating individuals who violate federal law,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “Today’s guilty plea by Terrance Calhoun, whose involvement in a multi-state fraud scheme, is a clear reminder that bad actors will be stopped, and we will ensure integrity will prevail.”
The case was jointly investigated by agents from the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General, and the State of Michigan -Unemployment Insurance Agency. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Carl D. Gilmer-Hill and Jessica A. Nathan.
Pittsburgh Man Charged with Hobbs Act Robbery and Firearm ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of Hobbs Act robbery and violating federal firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The three-count Indictment named Yamin A. Harris, 31, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on December 29, 2024, Harris committed a Hobbs Act robbery at a Monroeville, Pennsylvania, fast food restaurant, carrying and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of the robbery, and unlawfully possessing that firearm as a previously convicted felon. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 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 of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Monroeville Police Department, and Pitcairn Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
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.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Physician at Veterans Affairs Medical Center Arrested for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A physician employed at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Bedford, Mass. has been arrested and charged with receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Sven Knudsen Ljaamo, 70, is charged with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Ljaamo was arrested this morning and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, was ordered detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for April 29, 2025.
According to the charging documents, law enforcement received a CyberTip reporting that over 100 files of suspected CSAM files had allegedly been uploaded to Ljaamo’s Google account. When Ljaamo spoke to investigators, he allegedly admitted to viewing, downloading and saving pornographic material involving female minors. It is further alleged that several CSAM files, along with tens of thousands of pornography files, were found during a review of Ljaamo’s devices, including on a cell phone Ljaamo kept in his office at the VA Medical Center.
The charges of receipt and possession of child pornography each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. The charge of receipt, specifically, provides for a sentence of at least five years in prison and up to a lifetime 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; James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Billerica, Lowell and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Gonzalez Sanchez of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Philadelphia Businesswoman Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison for Multiple Fraud Schemes That Caused over $600,000 in LossesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Nyesha D. Paris, aka Nyesha D. Henderson and Nyesha D. Jackson, 47, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Joel H. Slomsky yesterday to 20 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for orchestrating a series of business fraud schemes. The Court also ordered Paris to pay victim restitution of $545,993 and a forfeiture money judgment of $84,008, and to complete 150 hours of community service.
Paris was indicted in February 2023 and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bank fraud, and health care fraud in January 2024.
Between at least 2018 and 2023, Paris engaged in multiple fraud schemes, which caused over $600,000 in losses to 15 different victims. In one scheme, Paris joined others in stealing over $40,000 in merchandise and gift cards from Lowe’s Home Improvement through use of a shell company and fraudulent business accounts.
In another scheme, Paris fraudulently obtained multiple pandemic assistance loans totaling over $120,000 through the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) by inflating payroll, submitting fake documents, and falsely certifying that her companies were in operation in February 2020, when they were not.
In a third scheme, Paris fraudulently billed Medicaid for nearly $150,000 in home health services allegedly provided by her business, but which were never actually provided.
In total, Paris committed more than a dozen fraud schemes, including some that took place after the FBI confronted her with evidence of fraud and informed Paris that she was under investigation.
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Ignall and Samuel Dalke.
Penn Hills Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Distributing Cocaine and FentanylRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 252 months in prison, to be followed by ten years of supervised release, on his convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Leon Ford, Sr., 58, stating that Ford’s conduct placed the “Greater Pittsburgh community at substantial risk of harm and that the community deserves to be protected.”
According to information presented to the Court, from in and around March 2021 to in and around September 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Ford conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Further, on or about September 16, 2021, Ford possessed with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Ford was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of cocaine and fentanyl that he distributed to others.
“Thanks to the diligent and collaborative efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, McKeesport Police Department, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and other local law enforcement, a recidivist trafficker of fentanyl—a lethal substance—has been removed from our streets for a significant period of time,” stated Acting United States Attorney Rivetti. “Our communities are much safer as a result.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Thomas Hodnett stated: “The sentencing of Leon Ford should send a powerful message: justice will prevail against those who threaten the safety and stability of our communities. This investigation was a testament to the commitment and collaboration between federal and local law enforcement.”
Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine Jordan and Jonathan Lusty prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. On September 23, 2024, following a jury trial, Ford was found guilty of all counts of the Superseding Indictment.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Drug Enforcement Administration and Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Ford. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the McKeesport Police Department, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Penn Hills Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Possessing Fentanyl and Cocaine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Jamill H. McDonald, 43, of Mayfield Heights, Ohio, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams, after a federal jury found him guilty of possessing distribution quantities of fentanyl and cocaine.
According to court documents, on Oct. 18, 2023, McDonald contacted law enforcement to report that someone was breaking into his apartment. When officers arrived, McDonald granted them entry into his residence. The defendant showed officers his cellphone to view the video footage from his external security camera. The videos showed a male attempting to break into McDonald’s apartment. Officers did not find any other occupants inside the defendant’s apartment. However, as officers continued to check the apartment for signs of intrusion, they found a package in one of the bedrooms which they suspected contained narcotics. The defendant was shown the package in question, and he then informed officers that he had never seen the package before and did not know what they contained. The defendant was subsequently detained by the officers.
During a search warrant execution of the defendant’s residence, authorities confiscated a number of suspicious items from the kitchen. They found baggies filled with various amounts of either marijuana or white powder, and a scale with residue. In the defendant’s bedroom, officers recovered three cellphones, a box with two large packages containing white powder, and two men’s jackets. In one jacket, investigators found three additional baggies that contained suspected narcotic pills. In the other jacket, investigators found $10,200 cash.
Laboratory tests conducted on the suspected narcotics found in McDonald’s residence were confirmed to be fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin. Collectively, the seized drugs weighed in at approximately 1 kilogram of cocaine, and 310 grams of fentanyl and heroin, and were calculated to have a street value of more than $30,000.
During the investigation, authorities discovered that McDonald had at least two prior felony convictions of either a crime of violence or controlled substance offenses. Because of the defendant’s significant criminal history, Judge Adams designated him as a career offender, therefore making him eligible to receive an enhanced penalty at sentencing.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Mayfield Heights Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasmine Makridis for the Northern District of Ohio.
Oakland Man Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Federal Prison for Unlawful Firearms and Ammunition PossessionRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Michael Tatum was sentenced yesterday to 70 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White handed down the sentence.
Tatum, 35, of Oakland, pleaded guilty on Jan. 23, 2024, to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). In pleading guilty, Tatum admitted that, during a search of his residence in February 2022, law enforcement found that he illegally possessed five loaded firearms, including two loaded assault rifle-style firearms, two firearms loaded with high-capacity magazines, and one stolen firearm, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Law enforcement also seized $148,531.05 in U.S. currency from Tatum’s residence. At the time, Tatum had a prior felony conviction.
Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King made the announcement.
In addition to the 70-month prison term, Judge White ordered Tatum to serve a three-year period of supervised release and to forfeit his interest in the recovered firearms, ammunition, and currency. The defendant will begin serving the sentence on July 22, 2025.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Dahlke and Charles Bisesto prosecuted this case with the assistance of Laurie Worthen and Amala James. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by HSI and California Highway Patrol.
Nigerian Man Pleads Guilty to $10 Million Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Nigerian man has pleaded guilty in connection with a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain at least $10 million in COVID-19 unemployment benefits.
Yomi Jones Olayeye, a/k/a “Sabbie,” 40, of Lagos, Nigeria, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy and one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Senior United States District Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for Aug. 13, 2025. Olayeye was arrested in August 2024 upon arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport and remains in federal custody.
Between March and July 2020, Olayeye and, allegedly others, defrauded three pandemic assistance programs administrated by the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and other states’ unemployment insurance agencies: traditional unemployment insurance (UI), Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC).
Olayeye, and allegedly his co-conspirators, used personally identifiable information (PII) they purchased over criminal internet forums to apply for UI, PUA and FPUC – falsely representing themselves to be eligible state residents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Olayeye and his co-conspirators allegedly used the same fraudulently obtained PII to open U.S. bank accounts and prepaid debit card accounts to receive the assistance payments. Olayeye, and allegedly his co-conspirators, recruited U.S.-based account holders to receive and transfer the fraud proceeds via cash transfer applications. Olayeye, and allegedly his co-conspirators, then used the fraudulent proceeds to purchase Bitcoin via online marketplaces. Olayeye, and allegedly his co-conspirators, concealed the conspiracy’s connection to Nigeria by leasing Internet Protocol addresses assigned to computers located in the United States for use in the fraudulent transactions.
In total, Olayeye and his co-conspirators allegedly applied for at least $10 million in fraudulent UI, PUA and FPUC from Massachusetts, Hawaii, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Montana, Maine, Ohio and Washington and received more than $1.5 million in assistance to which they were not entitled.
The charges of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, forfeiture and restitution. The charge of aggravated identity theft calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutive to any sentence imposed on the wire fraud charge. 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; Special Agent in Charge Randy Maloney of the U.S. Secret Service Boston Field Office; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth B. Kosto and Meghan C. Cleary of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New York Attorney and Administrative Officer Pleads Guilty to Attempted Smuggling of Firearms, Ammunition to HaitiRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On April 18, 2025, Marcel Pierre Denis, 58, pled guilty to a two-count information charging him with April 2022 and October 2022 attempts to smuggle firearms from Miami to Haiti.
In connection with the plea, Denis admitted that, in April 2022, law enforcement conducted an inspection of outbound cargo at a shipping warehouse in Miami-Dade County and discovered an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle, a rifle magazine, and rifle ammunition in a cargo box manifested for shipment to Haiti. Denis was listed as the shipper on a shipping invoice for the box. Employees of the shipping carrier otherwise identified and recognized Denis as a frequent customer who had previously submitted cargo for shipment to Haiti. In a May 2022 interview, Denis acknowledged that he had attempted to ship the firearm and ammunition for Haiti and that he had not obtained any export permit or license for the shipment.
In October 2022, law enforcement again conducted an inspection of outbound cargo at a shipping warehouse in Miami-Dade County. During this inspection, law enforcement encountered a cargo box manifested for shipment to Haiti that contained, among other items, a semiautomatic pistol that had been wrapped in duct tape and then concealed inside of a coffee container. Denis was again listed as the shipper on the shipping invoice for the box. Employees of the shipping carrier again identified Denis as the individual who had dropped off the cargo for shipment and filled out the shipping forms. Law enforcement conducted a trace and obtained purchase records for the pistol, which reflected that Denis had purchased the pistol from a retailer in the Southern District of Florida.
In a November 2022 interview, Denis acknowledged his interactions with law enforcement after the April 2022 shipment, acknowledged his purchase of the pistol concealed among the October 2022 shipment, and stated that he intended to ship the firearms to an associate in Haiti for protection of a retail business.
In connection with the plea, Denis admitted that he was aware of his need for an export license or permit to ship firearms or ammunition to Haiti, and that he was otherwise licensed to practice law and serving as an administrative hearing officer in the State of New York at the time of each shipment.
U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez is presiding over the case. Denis faces a maximum term of ten years’ imprisonment as to each count. The sentencing hearing has been set for July 7, 2025. Judge Martinez will sentence Denis after a review of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Division, announced the guilty plea.
HSI investigated the case. Customs and Border Protection provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sterling M. Paulson is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, 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.
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 25-cr- 20139.
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Monongalia County Man Sentenced for Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Todd Matthew Houston, 36, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 51 months in federal prison for to conspiring to straw purchase firearms.
According to court documents and statements made in court, officers were called to a home in Morgantown on a domestic violence incident involving Houston and a firearm. Officers later found Houston attempting to pawn more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition at a pawn shop. The vehicle Houston was driving was searched and officers found a pistol. Investigators determined the firearm had been purchased by someone else for Houston in exchange for heroin. Houston is prohibited from having firearms because of prior felony convictions that include domestic battery, drug trafficking, robbery, and grand larceny.
Houston will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Rhee prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Mingo County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Cameron Drake Newsome, 25, of Williamson, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, to be followed by 25 years of supervised release, for production of child pornography. Newsome must also pay $7,000 in restitution and register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about November 1, 2019, Newsome used a cell phone to take two photographs of an approximately 3-year-old child in Williamson while the child was naked from the waist down and with the child’s genitals as the focal point of the images. Newsome admitted to taking the photographs and to storing them on an online file storage account. By storing those images in the online file storage account, Newsome transported the images in and affecting interstate commerce via the internet. Newsome further admitted that he stored numerous other images and videos in his online file storage accounts depicting minors, including prepubescent children, engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police Crimes Against Children Unit.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s 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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-111.
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Mid-level manager of northern border smuggling ring sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A Santa Rosa, California resident, who is a citizen of India, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to five months in prison for Conspiracy to Bring in and Transport Certain Aliens for Profit, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Rajat Rajat, 27, and three others were indicted in connection with a scheme to smuggle non-citizens across the northern border for profit. The group was connected to two smuggling episodes in November and December 2023. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tana Lin noted that Rajat played a critical role in the smuggling conspiracy arranging travel and paying coconspirators. Judge Lin said that as someone who had been smuggled into the country, Mr. Rajat perpetuated the cycle of exploitation inherent in the smuggling process.
“Mr. Rajat was a mid-level manager of this smuggling scheme, directing noncitizens where and how to cross the border, and even fronting some travel costs for them and for coconspirators,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to stop the illegal border crossings that undermine U.S. security.”
According to records filed in the case, the two smuggling events described in this case involved eight different citizens of India. On November 27, 2023, surveillance technology caught multiple people jumping a fence near the Boundary Village Apartments in Blaine, Washington. The fence is a quarter mile east of Peace Arch Park. Border Patrol agents near the apartments saw five people run to a white minivan. The vehicle was stopped by Border Patrol. Five citizens of India were in the van with California resident Bobby Joe Green, 68, as the driver.
When questioned, three of the non-citizens told U.S. Border Patrol agents that they saw defendant Sushil Kumar at Peace Arch Park prior to crossing the border illegally. The investigation revealed that Kumar and Rajat Rajat, who was employed as a truck driver, directed the non-citizens on where and how to cross the border. Rajat paid Green to transport the non-citizens from the border. Rajat asked for monetary payments from the non-citizens for being smuggled into the U.S.
Similarly, in December 2023, Rajat met three citizens of India in Peace Arch Park and allegedly directed them how to cross through the park and get into a car parked near the border. The car was stopped, and the non-citizens were interviewed. They indicated they had promised to make monetary payments to be smuggled into the U.S. Rajat was picked up near the border.
In asking for a prison sentence, prosecutors wrote to the court, “This was an organized, coordinated, transnational scheme that operated repeatedly, over an extended period of time. Mr. Rajat’s role in the organization was not one that can be considered minor. Rather, he was essential to its function. Mr. Rajat acted as a middle-level manager in the smuggling organization, paying his co-conspirators for their involvement, and directing their roles. Mr. Rajat actively promoted the scheme by purchasing flights for his “customers” and communicating directly with them, advising noncitizens on how and when to clandestinely enter the United States.”
Judge Lin ordered Rajat to serve three years of supervised release following prison, however she noted that he will likely be deported following his prison term.
In March 2025, Sushil Kumar, 36, of Santa Rosa was sentenced to six months in prison and three years of supervised release. Bobby Joe Green was sentenced to four months in prison and three years of supervised release. The fourth defendant Sneha, 20, a citizen of India who is in the U.S. on a student visa and goes by just her last name, is scheduled to go to trial in January 2026.
The charges contained in the superseding indictment of Sneha are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) and the U.S. Border Patrol.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jin Kim and Mike Dion and Special Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Collins.
Mexican national caught mid-burglary sentenced for immigration violationRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas –A Mexican national has been sentenced for illegally reentering the United States, announced Eastern District of Texas Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Heladio Ruchon Rocha-Tellez, 31, pleaded guilty to illegal reentry after removal and was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on April 22, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on December 19, 2023, local law enforcement responded to a burglary in progress at a Beaumont laundry mat. When officers arrived, they encountered Rocha-Tellez hiding behind the counter of the laundry mat with a large amount of cash hanging out of his pocket. A check of immigration records revealed that Rocha-Tellez was a Mexican national who had been previously removed from the United States in 2015 and twice in 2022.
In addition to the immigration charges, Rocha-Tellez was convicted of a state burglary charge in Jefferson County court and sentenced to 12 months in prison on November 19, 2024. Judge Crone ordered that the sentences run consecutively, and Rocha-Tellez will begin his federal prison sentence after completing his state sentence.
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).
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tommy L. Coleman with the cooperation of the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office.
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Mexican National Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison After Attempting to Traffic over 38 Kilos of Methamphetamine in UtahRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Fermin Castro-Tovar, 26, a Mexican national, living in the United States illegally, was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment and three years’ supervised release, after he attempted to traffic over 38,000 grams of methamphetamine in the District of Utah and distributed approximately one pound of meth to undercover agents.The sentence, imposed by Senior U.S District Court Judge Ted Stewart comes after Castro-Tovar pleaded guilty on January 14, 2025, to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
According to court documents and statements made at Castro-Tovar’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, in May 2024, Castro-Tovar sold methamphetamine during a controlled purchase to agents with the Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force. On May 30, 2024, law enforcement seized 24,020 grams of methamphetamine at a storage unit associated to him. At Castro Tovar’s residence, agents seized approximately 3,401 grams of methamphetamine. At an apartment associated to Tovar, agents seized three additional bags of methamphetamine weighing approximately 4,388 grams, 4,139 grams and 2,890 grams. In total, Castro-Tovar possessed and intended to distribute 38,838 grams of methamphetamine. See prior release: Foreign National Accused of Attempting to Traffic Over 38 Kilos of Methamphetamine in Utah.
“Stopping deadly drugs from being distributed throughout our communities is a priority,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah. “We will continue to work with our state, local and federal partners to dismantle organizations that bring drugs into our country and threaten community safety.”
“The amount of methamphetamine in this case potentially amounts to hundreds of thousands of doses,” said Special Agent in Charge Mehtab Syed of the Salt Lake City FBI. “Illicit drugs have devastated too many lives in Utah. Public safety is at the forefront of everything we do, and the FBI's Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force will use every resource available to cut the supply at the highest levels.”
The case was investigated by the Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force, consisting of the FBI and the Davis Metro Narcotic Strike Force.
Assistant United States Attorney Seth Nielson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah 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 gun violence and other violent crime, 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.
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.
Mexican National Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Javier Velasquez-Aguilar (41, Mexico) with illegal reentry by a deported alien. If convicted, Velasquez-Aguilar faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on March 24, 2025, Velasquez-Aguilar was found to be in the United States after having previously been removed from on three prior occasions. Velasquez-Aguilar had not received consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission.
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 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO). 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).
Mexican National Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Esteban Lopez-Juarez (40, Mexico) with illegal reentry by a deported alien with a prior felony conviction. If convicted, Lopez-Juarez faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on March 16, 2025, Lopez-Juarez was found to be voluntarily in the United States after having previously been removed on five prior occasions. Lopez-Juarez had not received consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission. Additionally, Lopez-Juarez was previously convicted of illegal reentry in 2015 and 2016.
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 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO). 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).
Mexican National Arrested in Catoosa After Being Deported for Killing His BabyRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Mexican national who was residing in Catoosa was indicted for unlawfully reentering the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Carlos Ambriz Estrada, 53, is charged with Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien after having been previously removed in January 2006.
“After serving time in prison for killing his 38-day-old son, Ambriz Estrada was deported. That did not stop him from unlawfully returning to the United States and living in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Prosecutors are working in coordinated efforts with law enforcement to help keep the citizens in the Northern District safe from violent criminals like Ambriz Estrada.”
"This subject’s criminal record underscores the significant danger he represents to our community, particularly with the serious charge and conviction for killing his own child,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office acting Director Josh Johnson. “Our officers remain committed to enhancing public safety by apprehending and removing criminal aliens who violate immigration laws.”
According to court documents, in March, the Fugitive Operations Team with Immigration Customs Enforcement began investigating Ambriz Estrada due to his prior conviction of deliberate homicide in Montana and the possibility of him being present in the United States unlawfully. Law enforcement discovered that Ambriz Estrada was unlawfully living in Catoosa and that he did not have permission to re-enter the United States after being removed.
In 1994, Ambriz Estrada pleaded guilty to deliberate homicide. Montana law enforcement was dispatched to the hospital to investigate apparent child abuse. Ambriz Estrada and his wife brought their 36-day-old baby to the hospital for treatment.
The detective spoke with a doctor who confirmed that the baby had five broken ribs, detached retinas in both eyes, swelling of the head, bruises on the neck and abdomen, consistent with strangulation. The doctor reported that they believed the baby was strangled and without oxygen for some time, likely causing severe brain damage.
When being interviewed, Ambriz Estrada admitted that he was angry with his wife and took it out on the baby. That while the baby was crying, he squeezed the child’s throat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the baby lost consciousness. Afterward, he put the baby in a crib. The baby woke up crying one hour later, and Ambriz Estrada admitted to picking up the baby and shaking him. Ambriz Estrada told detectives the baby's breathing was irregular and appeared to have a seizure.
After two days in intensive care, the baby had no brain activity and was declared brain dead at 38 days old.
Ambriz Estrada was ordered to 40 years imprisonment and served nearly 10 years. After being released in 2006, Ambriz Estrada was deported.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ammon Brisolara is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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).
Mexican Citizen Charged with Illegal Re-entry of Removed AlienRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A citizen of Mexico has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of illegal re-entry of a removed alien, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Daniel Alejandro Benzor Mora, 31, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, on March 19, 2025, Benzor Mora was found in western Pennsylvania after having been removed from the United States on or about January 3, 2024.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to two 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 offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
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.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Memphis Woman Sentenced in Healthcare Fraud Scheme and Schemes to Defraud COVID-19 Relief ProgramRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A federal judge has sentenced Nakita Cannady, 49, to 14 months in federal prison to be followed by two years of supervised release for healthcare fraud and making false statements in connection with loan applications for the Covid-19 Relief Program. The final sentencing hearing was concluded on April 4, 2025, with the entry of an order by Senior United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr. directing the defendant to pay more than $500,000.00 dollars in restitution to the victims. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
According to the original federal indictment in the healthcare fraud case, Cannady owned and operated What About Us In-Home Healthcare, a home healthcare services business that purported to provide custodial healthcare services 24-hours a day, 7 days a week to mostly elderly patients. From May 29, 2017 through December 23, 2019, Cannady fraudulently billed Cigna Insurance for 24 hours a day of home healthcare when she knew the patients had only received 8 or 12 hours a day of home healthcare. Cannady was ordered to make restitution to Cigna Insurance in the amount of $193,508.10.
According to the second federal indictment, from June 17, 2020 through April 15, 2021, Cannady submitted six fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications for four purported businesses she controlled, specifically: What About Us Childcare, What About Us Foundation, What About Us Adult Daycare, and What About Us In-Home Healthcare. Cannady’s loan applications contained false information concerning the dates of operation, gross revenues, costs of goods sold, number of employees, and amount of payroll related to the businesses. Cannady was ordered to make restitution to the Small Business Administration in the amount of $346,882.13.
"Those who exploit health care programs for personal gain will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law," said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Nashville Field Office. "Health care fraud is a priority for the FBI, and we will continue to work with our partners to investigate those who prioritize greed over the well-being of others."
Interim United States Attorney Joseph C. Murphy, Jr. and Assistant United States Attorney Raney Irwin prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Cotten and former Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney Lewis and Murrell Foster also assisted in the prosecution of this case. The FBI Nashville Field Office – Memphis Resident Agency and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation investigated this case.
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For more information, please contact the media relations team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Memphis Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Possession of a Machinegun and Possession of 121 Grams of Fentanyl with the Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Christopher Young, aka Christopher Minnis, 35, has been sentenced to 132 months in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release for possession of a machinegun, possession of 121 grams of Fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
According to the information presented in court, on December 9, 2021, officers with the Memphis Police Department observed the defendant near Cottonwood Road and Cherry Road driving erratically in a Black Chevrolet Corvette with fraudulent tags that had expired on October 14, 2021. When Young parked the car, the officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but Young fled on foot. Police gave chase, and Young was apprehended in his neighbor’s back yard. At the time of his arrest, Young had 121.81 grams of Fentanyl and a Glock 9mm caliber pistol with an extended magazine in his possession. The Glock also had an attached Machinegun Conversion Device (commonly referred to as a “switch”), which made the gun fully automatic. The gun was loaded with 1 round in the chamber and 23 rounds in the extended magazine.
On January 6, 2025, Young pled guilty before United States District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker. Young was sentenced on April 10, 2025 to 132 months in federal prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal system.
Assistant United States Attorney Raney Irwin prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. The Memphis Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated this case.
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For more information, please contact the media relations team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Memphis Man Pleads Guilty to Charges Related to 2024 CarjackingRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A Memphis man recently pled guilty to charges brought against him related to a carjacking committed in Memphis, Tennessee in May of 2024. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the guilty plea today.
According to the information presented in court, on May 16, 2024, Jaylen Simpson, 23, hid in a Memphis resident’s backyard and confronted the resident when he was outside his home. Simpson almost immediately shot the victim in the stomach before taking his car keys and driving off in the victim’s 2017 Kia Cadenza which had been parked in the driveway of the residence.
After the carjacking, officers with the Memphis Police Department located Simpson and the stolen vehicle and gave chase. Simpson eventually abandoned the Kia Cadenza and fled on foot. The MPD officers then apprehended Simpson and found a loaded semi-automatic pistol in his backpack.
On April 15, 2025, after a day of jury selection, Simpson pled guilty to the federal crime of carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury and of the separate crime of using a firearm during a crime of violence. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 16, 2025 and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years for the discharge of the firearm up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, 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.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Memphis Police Department Violent Crime Unit investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Ashleigh Atasoy, of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hall, of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee, prosecuted the case.
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For more information, please contact the media relations team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Massachusetts Woman Agrees to Plead Guilty to $19 Million Bank Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Feeding Hills, Mass. woman has agreed to plead guilty in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud commercial lenders by providing false and fraudulent rent rolls and forged lease agreements for properties located in Springfield, Mass.; East Longmeadow, Mass.; and Enfield, Conn.
Christine Gendron, 61, has agreed to plead guilty to an Information charging her with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. In a related case, on April 22, 2025, Louis R. Masaschi pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud. United States Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled Masaschi’s sentencing for July 23, 2025.
According to court filings, Gendron was a certified public accountant who worked as the Financial Manager for JLL Realty Developers, LLC (JLLRD), a limited liability company for which her sister, Jeannette Norman, and brother-in-law, Masaschi, served as partners. Masaschi and, allegedly Norman, were partners in dozens of limited liability companies, including JLLRD, through which they owned primarily commercial and some residential property in Western Massachusetts, Connecticut and elsewhere. It is alleged that Gendron conspired with Masaschi and Norman to defraud various financial institutions and a commercial lender.
Specifically, Masaschi and, allegedly, Gendron and Norman provided materially false, fictitious and fraudulent financial information – including false rent rolls and forged lease agreements – to obtain loans for their companies. After receiving the loans, Masaschi, Norman and their companies allegedly made some or no payments and ultimately defaulted on the loans, causing substantial losses to the financial institutions and commercial lenders.
According to Gendron’s plea agreement, between May 2016 and November 2018, Masaschi, and allegedly Norman, fraudulently obtained or sought to obtain approximately $60,123,000 in loans and caused a total loss of $19,305,473.
The charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million or twice the gross gain or loss. 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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Maryland Man Admits to Leading Drug Trafficking Operation in Eastern PanhandleRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Lenin Erasmo Luna Mota, 52, of Hagerstown, Maryland, has admitted to leading a drug trafficking organization that sold large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in Berkeley County.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Luna Mota, also known as “Papi,” was one of the leaders of the drug trafficking conspiracy, using his business located in Hagerstown, Maryland, as a central hub for the drug sales.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The FBI; the U.S. Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative (agencies included are the West Virginia State Police, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department, Jefferson County Sherriff’s Department, Ranson Police Department, Charles Town Police Department, and Martinsburg City Police Department); West Virginia State Police; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the Hagerstown Police Department; the National Resources Police Department; FBI-New York Safe Streets Task Force; the New York Police Department; the New Jersey State Police; the Washington County (Maryland) Drug Task Force; the Maryland State Police; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania investigated.
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.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Man guilty of seven-year tax fraudRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A local man has admitted to filing fraudulent and false statements on his federal tax returns causing a quarter of a million in losses, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Joseph Patrick Butler admitted that between 2013 to 2020, he filed false joint Form 1040 U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns and received inflated tax refunds to which he was not entitled. As part of the plea, Butler acknowledged creating shell companies that issued W-2 forms to himself, falsely reporting hundreds of thousands of dollars in wages and significant tax withholdings each year.
In reality, he earned no such wages, and no taxes had been withheld. Butler’s scheme resulted in a total tax loss of over $260,000 in fraudulent refunds.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake will impose sentencing July 18. At that time, Butler faces up to three years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad Gray and Shirin Hakimzadeh are prosecuting the case.
Long Island Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison Following Conviction at Trial for Defrauding Cryptocurrency Investors and Others of More Than $12 MillionRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that EUGENE WILLIAM AUSTIN, JR., a/k/a “Hugh Austin” (“AUSTIN”) was sentenced today to 18 years in prison. AUSTIN was convicted following a jury trial in September 2024 of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property. The defendant’s son, BRANDON AUSTIN (“BRANDON”), was previously sentenced to four years in prison in connection with his role in the scheme. U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel imposed both sentences.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “For years, Hugh Austin was the leader of a fraud and money laundering scheme that stole more than $12 million from more than two dozen victims. Austin involved his own son in his crimes, working with him to rip off victims and spending investor money on personal expenses, like luxury hotels. Thanks to the work of the career prosecutors of this Office and our law enforcement partners, Austin will now be held accountable for the harm he caused to individual investors and others.”
As reflected in the evidence presented at trial and other public filings:
AUSTIN was the leader of a scheme with his son BRANDON and others to steal money from entrepreneurs, investors, and other victims by fraudulently offering to, among other things: serve as a broker for sales of large quantities of cryptocurrency; provide short-term investments in cryptocurrency for purportedly high returns; and secure investors for startups and other small businesses from their network of high net worth individuals. AUSTIN also frequently sought personal loans from friends and acquaintances in connection with AUSTIN’s purported cryptocurrency and investment businesses, falsely promising to pay lenders back with interest. In each instance, investors and lenders lost their money. AUSTIN and BRANDON frequently spent investors’ funds on personal expenses, including airline travel, luxury hotels, restaurants, shopping, as well as nominal payments to victims to prolong the scheme. In total, AUSTIN and BRANDON have caused more than $12 million in losses to more than two dozen victims.
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In addition to the prison term, AUSTIN, 62, of Port Jefferson, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $6,062,564 and pay restitution in the amount of $12,662,564.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of Homeland Security Investigations.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Olga I. Zverovich, Matthew Weinberg, and Andrew K. Chan are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Chanel-Ashley Foster, Frank Mastroianni, and Christine Woods.
Lee’s Summit Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Lee’s Summit, Mo., man plead guilty in federal court today for illegally possessing three shotguns.
Jacob A. Stockbridge, 31, plead guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lajuana M. Counts, to one count of being a felon in possession of firearms.
On November 20, 2022, Stockbridge was driving a Ford F150 truck when he struck another motorist at the intersection of W. 23rd Street and S. Crysler Avenue, Independence, Missouri. Stockbridge, as seen by witnesses and surveillance video, fled the wrecked F150 truck before emergency personnel arrived. Stockbridge left behind his wallet, containing his Missouri driver’s license, and his cell phone in the F150.
Police investigating the crash found in the F150’s backseat three shotguns: two Winchester Model 97, 12-gauge shotguns and a Beretta A391 Extrema 2, 12-gauge shotgun. All three shotguns were stolen. Prior to November 20th, Stockbridge had been found guilty of 10 felony offenses in the State of Missouri.
Under federal statutes, Stockbridge is subject to a sentence of up to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Independence, Missouri 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.
Kansas City Man Indicted for Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for illegally possessing a firearm.
Marcus J. Porras, 31, was charged in a single-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas, City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal complaint that was filed against Porras on April 14, 2025.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, on April 13, 2025, officers of the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department were dispatched to the area of Westport Road and Broadway Boulevard to meet private security officers who had detained Porras for fighting.
A security officer reported he was flagged down by patrons of the entertainment district regarding a fight inside an establishment within the Westport Entertainment District. The security officer reportedly observed multiple females and two males physically fighting. The females dispersed, and the two males continued to fight with one another. One of the males pointed at Porras indicating that Porras had a firearm.
Porras was taken into custody. The security officer retrieved a Glock 43, 9mm pistol near the area of the incident. The Glock 43 was loaded with one live 9mm round in the chamber. The security officer also recovered a magazine loaded with six live 9mm rounds.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Porras has prior felony convictions for robbery, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon, and resisting an arrest, detention, or stop.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo. Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Justice Department Reaches Settlement with California Towing Company for Illegally Auctioning a Navy Lieutenant’s Car While He Was Deployed at SeaRead the Press Release
Note: View settlement here.
The Justice Department today announced that it reached an agreement with California towing company Tony’s Auto Center to resolve allegations that it illegally auctioned a deployed Navy Lieutenant’s car, in violation of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). Under the settlement agreement, U.S. Navy Lieutenant Jonathan Liongson will receive $7,500 in damages. The United States will also receive a $2,000 civil penalty, and Tony’s Auto Center must implement new policies to prevent future violations of the SCRA.
According to the United States’ complaint, in November 2022, before leaving for deployment aboard the USS Bunker Hill, Lieutenant Liongson placed personal items in his 2011 Mazda 6 and parked it at a friend’s house. While he was deployed at sea, Tony’s Auto Center towed the car and, about two months later, sold it at auction without first obtaining a court order, as is required by the SCRA.
“Members of our armed forces should not have to worry about their cars being auctioned off while they are deployed on missions defending our freedoms, liberties, and rights,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division. “This settlement should send a strong message to other towing companies that they should not take advantage of our servicemembers while they are keeping Americans safe.”
“The SCRA protects the rights of the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces, which allows them to devote their full attention to defending our country,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California. “While Lieutenant Liongson was at sea, he understood that his ship’s mission and the duration of their deployment could change at any moment. He accepted that reality in the fulfillment of his solemn oath. In turn, the SCRA provides grace and understanding about certain personal affairs. Lieutenant Liongson’s car should not have been auctioned off in his absence. We hope this settlement encourages all towing companies to review and improve their policies and ensure that the rights of all servicemembers are honored and respected.”
The SCRA is a federal law that provides a variety of financial and housing protections to members of the U.S. military. The law prohibits a towing company from auctioning off a vehicle owned by a servicemember unless it first obtains an order from a court allowing it to do so.
Servicemembers and their dependents who believe their SCRA rights have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations can be found at http://legalassistance.law.af.mil/.
The Justice Department’s enforcement of the SCRA is conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section and U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country. Since 2011, the Department has obtained over $481 million in monetary relief for over 147,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. Additional information on the Department’s enforcement of the SCRA and other laws protecting servicemembers is available at www.servicemembers.gov.