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28 May 2025
Freight Forwarding Company Executive Arrested on Federal Indictment Alleging Massive Scheme to Avoid Customs Duties PaymentsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The chief financial officer (CFO) at a Downtown Los Angeles-based shipping company has been arrested on a 22-count federal grand jury indictment charging him and the company’s CEO with using fraudulent documents, shell companies, bribes to public officials, and kickbacks to Mexican drug cartels to smuggle billions of dollars’ worth of goods from the United States into Mexico, repeatedly lying to U.S. customs officials and defrauding Mexico out of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of duties owed, the Justice Department announced today.
Ralph Olarte, 55, of Glendale, the CFO of Sport LA Inc., was arrested late last night at Los Angeles International Airport. He is expected to make his initial appearance and be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
Also charged in the indictment is Humberto Lopez Belmonte, 53, of Mexico City, who was arrested and arraigned on Tuesday in Los Angeles federal court. Lopez pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and a July 21 trial date was scheduled. A federal magistrate judge ordered Lopez released on $100,000 bond.
Olarte and Lopez are charged with one count of conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States. Both defendants and their company, Sport LA Inc., also are charged with one count of smuggling goods from the United States, three counts of knowingly submitting false and misleading export information, five counts of wire fraud for false information submitted to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud against Mexico, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and seven counts of international promotional and concealment money laundering.
Sport LA is charged with three counts of making false statements to a government agency. The other defendant companies – H&R Logistics Inc. and Olarte Transport Service Inc. – are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to the indictment returned on April 30 and unsealed Tuesday, Olarte and Lopez, from at least 2013 to the present, operated a lucrative international shipping enterprise. Through shipping companies they controlled, Olarte and Lopez smuggled billions of dollars’ worth of goods from and through the United States into Mexico. Many times, they concealed the nature of the shipped goods, some of which contained contraband.
The companies allegedly submitted millions of false and misleading statements to U.S. customs officials, used shell companies in Mexico to shield their true customers, and created and presented false documents – including sham certificates for paid Mexican import taxes. They also bribed Mexican customs officials, paid kickbacks to drug cartels – including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) – to operate the scheme and smuggled bulk cash into the U.S. to avoid reporting requirements.
Olarte and Lopez then laundered the proceeds of their scheme back from the true Mexican customers, through the shell companies, and ultimately into the companies’ U.S. bank accounts.
As a result of the conspiracy, Olarte and Lopez personally received millions of dollars in illicit proceeds.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Olarte and Lopez would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud- and money laundering-related count, up to five years in federal prison for each smuggling- and false statements-related count, and up to two years in federal prison for each count of knowingly submitting false and misleading export information.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), CBP, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration are investigating this matter.
The cases announced today were investigated by HSI’s El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, a multi-agency task force that includes federal and state investigators who are focused on financial crimes in Southern California.
The Transnational Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.
Founder of Haitian Orphanage Sentenced to 210 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing Boys in His CareRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On May 23, a Colorado man was sentenced to 210 years in prison for sexually abusing numerous children at the orphanage he founded and directed in Haiti.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Michael Karl Geilenfeld, 73, most recently of Littleton, founded St. Joseph’s Home for Boys — a home for orphaned, impoverished, and otherwise vulnerable children in Haiti — in 1985 and operated it for more than two decades. During this time, Geilenfeld repeatedly traveled from the United States to Haiti, where he sexually abused the boys entrusted to his care. He also physically and emotionally abused the children in the home, including through physical assault and other forms of punishment.
In February 2025, a federal jury convicted Geilenfeld of one count of traveling in foreign commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct and six counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place between 2005 and 2010. Each of the six counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct relates to a separate victim who was a child at the time of the offense.
At trial, these six victims testified about the sexual abuse they suffered at the hands of Geilenfeld and the devastating impact it had on them, as did other victims — now adults — who were not the subject of the charged offenses. Victims and witnesses also described the physical abuse Geilenfeld inflicted on his victims and the manipulation that he employed to keep his operation running and financially supported by others.
U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and FBI investigated the case.
Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Lacee Monk for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Jessica L. Urban and Eduardo Palomo of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20008.
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Former NYCHA Superintendent Sentenced to One Year in Prison After Trial Conviction for Bribery and Extortion OffensesRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that COREY GILMORE, a former superintendent for the New York City Housing Authority (“NYCHA”), was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison for soliciting and accepting approximately $32,000 in bribes from contractors in exchange for awarding repair contracts or approving repair work worth at least approximately $215,000. GILMORE’s sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman, who also presided over a one-week trial at which GILMORE was convicted of bribery and extortion under color of official right.
“Corey Gilmore abused his position at NYCHA to demand bribes from contractors for his personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “The women and men of this Office are committed to pursuing those who abuse the public’s trust.”
According to the Indictment, public court filings, statements made in court, and evidence presented during trial:
NYCHA is the largest public housing authority in the country, providing housing to New Yorkers across the City and receiving over $1.5 billion in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) every year. When repairs or construction work at NYCHA housing require the use of outside contractors, services must typically be purchased via a bidding process. However, when the value of a contract was under a certain threshold, designated staff at NYCHA developments, including superintendents, could hire a contractor of their choosing without soliciting multiple bids.
GILMORE, who held multiple superintendent positions at NYCHA developments in the Bronx between 2016 and 2023, demanded and accepted cash in exchange for NYCHA contracts. He required contractors to pay bribes in order to be awarded the contracts. GILMORE typically demanded approximately $1,000—between 10% or 20% of the contract value—depending on the size of the contract. In total, GILMORE demanded and accepted approximately $32,000 dollars in bribes in exchange for awarding no-bid contracts or approving payment on previously awarded contracts worth approximately $215,000.
Of the 70 individual NYCHA employees charged with bribery and extortion offenses who were arrested in February 2024, 63 have pled guilty, and three have been convicted after trial. GILMORE is the third of the NYCHA employees convicted after trial to be sentenced. The cases of the four remaining defendants, who are each presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty, remain pending.
If you believe you have information related to bribery, extortion, or any other illegal conduct by NYCHA employees, please contact [email protected] or (212) 306-3356. If you were involved in such conduct, please consider self-disclosing through the SDNY Whistleblower Pilot Program at [email protected].
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In addition to the prison term, GILMORE, 47, of West Haverstraw, New York, was sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $32,000 and forfeit $32,000.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Department of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), the HUD Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, which work together collaboratively as part of the HSI Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force, as well as the Special Agents and Task Force Officers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (“OCDETF”) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob R. Fiddelman, Catherine Ghosh, Emily Deininger, and Matthew King are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Braden Florczyk.
Former Deputy Superintendent of the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office Arrested and Charged with ExtortionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former Deputy Superintendent at the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) has been arrested and charged in connection with an alleged extortion scheme to force subordinate employees to perform free labor at his residence.
Thomas Brady, 53, of Norwood, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on four counts of extortion and three counts of use of interstate facilities to commit bribery and extortion. Brady was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston later today.
According to the charging documents, from 2021 through May 2023, Brady served as the Assistant Deputy Superintendent (ADS) for Jail Operations at NCSO. Brady was promoted in May 2023 to Deputy Superintendent. It is alleged that, between December 2021 and mid-November 2022, Brady utilized his official position and authority as an ADS to order two NCSO maintenance officers (Maintenance Officers A and B), who were subordinate in position to Brady, to perform home repairs at his residence during and after work hours.
During the first instance, in late 2021, Brady allegedly ordered Maintenance Officer A to install a new showerhead at Brady’s residence. Because of Brady’s position and authority as an ADS at the NCSO, Maintenance Officer A feared that if they refused Brady’s request, Brady would use his official position and authority to negatively affect Maintenance Officer A’s job position at NCSO – including the possibility of causing Maintenance Officer A to lose their preferred shift schedule, position and/or employment at the NCSO.
It is alleged that Maintenance Officer A complied with Brady’s order and Brady drove Maintenance Officer A to his residence to install the showerhead, during NCSO work hours. Brady then allegedly drove Maintenance Officer A back to NCSO to continue their workday.
During the second instance, on or about Feb. 13, 2022, which was a Sunday, Brady allegedly contacted Maintenance Officer A to fix his water heater. It is alleged that Maintenance Officer A was unavailable that day; however, the following morning, Maintenance Officer A allegedly drove to Brady’s residence, instead of going to work at NCSO, to fix Brady’s water heater. Specifically, after arriving at Brady’s residence, Maintenance Officer A allegedly disconnected the existing water heater in Brady’s basement, carried the water heater to their truck and drove the water heater and Brady to Home Depot. There, Brady allegedly purchased a new 50-gallon water heater, which Maintenance Officer A carried to their truck, drove back to Brady’s residence, carried the into Brady’s residence and connected. Afterwards, Maintenance Officer A allegedly drove to NCSO to finish their shift.
It is further alleged that, between October 2022 and mid-November 2022, Brady ordered Maintenance Officer B to his residence to fix the heating system. Because of Brady’s official position and authority as an ADS at the NCSO, Maintenance Officer B allegedly feared that if Maintenance Officer B refused Brady’s request to help fix the heating system, Brady would use his official position and authority to negatively affect Maintenance Officer B’s job position at NCSO – including the possibility of causing Maintenance Officer B to lose their preferred shift schedule, position and/or employment at the NCSO.
Maintenance Officer B allegedly complied with the order, and on or about Oct. 6, 2022, drove to Brady’s residence to troubleshoot his heating system during NCSO work hours.
It is alleged that, after Brady had subsequent problems with his heating system and contacted Maintenance Officer B to replace the circulator pump. On or about Oct. 15, 2022, Maintenance Officer C allegedly learned that Brady was looking for Maintenance Officer B and the two exchanged the following text messages:
On two occasions between Nov. 1, 2022 and Nov. 2, 2022, Maintenance Officer B allegedly returned to Brady’s residence – with Maintenance Officer C assisting – where they drained the hot water system, removed the old circulator pump and installed the new circulator pump
The charge of extortion provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charge of use of interstate facilities to commit bribery and extortion provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. 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 Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucy Sun of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Coach and Child Predator Sentenced for Sexual Crimes Against Three Minor ChildrenRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Brandon Earl Presley, 30, of Bixby, for two counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country, two counts of Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor in Indian Country, and one count each of Production of Child Pornography, and Possession of Child Pornography. Judge Hill ordered Presley to serve 264 months imprisonment, followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Upon his release, Presley will also be required to register as a sex offender.
“Presley is a child predator who used his position as a coach to groom and seek out minor children through social media. His actions were undetected until someone had the courage to report him,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “I want to encourage parents and teens to learn about the dangers of social media.”
Law enforcement began investigating a tip that Presley had sex with a 14-year-old on a college campus during a high school track meet. The tip included a photo of Presley from social media and described how Presley would often hang out in his car or help at high school track practice or meets.
While investigating the tip, law enforcement discovered a photo Presley took while sexually abusing an unknown minor child. Law enforcement found the location of the minor child and discovered that the child was only 13 years old. Presley chatted with the minor child through social media. When the minor child was at home alone, Presley showed the minor child pornography for “education,” coerced the minor child to engage in sexual activity, and photographed it. Court records show that Presley admitted to sexually abusing the minor child, taking a photo of the sexual abuse, and keeping the photo.
During the investigation, law enforcement discovered that Presley had other minor victims.
In the summer of 2022, Presley found another 13-year-old minor victim online through social media. He lied to the minor victim, stating he was 18 years old. Presley attempted to coerce the minor child to engage in sexually explicit activity. Court records show that Presley admitted to abusive sexual contact with the minor child.
Presley further admitted to abusive sexual contact and sexual abuse of a 15-year-old minor victim in 2019, which led to his termination as an assistant football coach. He approached the minor at school, groomed and coerced her using social media. When Presley convinced the minor child to meet, he showed her a video of himself engaging in sexual activity to “teach” the minor. He repeatedly told the minor not to tell anyone.
Presley is a citizen of the Muscogee Creek Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Bixby Police Department, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Norman Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Brandon, Alicia Hockenbury, and Elliot Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Former Alabama Police Officer Sentenced for Civil Rights Violation and Child Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
A former Killen, Alabama, Police Department (KPD) officer was sentenced today in the Northern District of Alabama to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman while on duty and for receiving sexually explicit photos of a minor.
According to documents filed in connection with this case, on Nov. 12, 2023, KPD Officer Jarrod Gailen Webster violated the civil rights of a woman after initiating a traffic stop on the woman’s vehicle. Webster asked the woman to step out of her vehicle and asked her what she wanted to do to “get out of this.” When the woman told Webster that she was not going to do anything for him, Webster handcuffed the woman and sexually assaulted her.
Further, between June 2016 and October 2018, Webster communicated with a minor by phone, and he asked the minor to produce and send him sexually explicit images. The minor victim sent multiple photos to Webster at his request, at least one of which constituted child sexual abuse material.
Webster pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of sexual exploitation of children on March 4, 2025.
“Jarrod Webster forcibly assaulted a woman after a traffic stop, and exploited a minor to receive sexually explicit images,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This was a gross abuse of his authority as a police officer and a betrayal of the public trust. I am proud of our DOJ Civil Rights team for holding him accountable.”
“This sentence sends a clear message that such criminal conduct will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama. “I commend the dedication of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors to ensure that Webster was held accountable for his actions.”
“Law enforcement officers are entrusted with significant responsibility and are therefore held to a higher standard,” said Special Agent in Charge David R. Fitzgibbons of the FBI Birmingham Field Office. “Today's sentencing clearly demonstrates there are serious consequences when someone tarnishes the badge by breaking the law. Jerrod Webster brought shame to the badge by committing the horrific crimes of sexually assaulting a woman in his care and receiving sexually explicit images of a minor. His sentencing confirms that the FBI has zero tolerance for officials who prey on the citizens they are sworn to protect.”
The FBI Birmingham Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Royster for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Sarah Howard of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Five New Jersey Pharmacies Agree to Pay $1.935 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations of Billing for Drugs Not DispensedRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Five pharmacies located in Jersey City, Bayonne, and Elizabeth have agreed to pay $1,935,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly billing federal health care programs for medications that they never dispensed, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced today.
According to the contentions of the United States in the settlement agreements, inventory records showed that the below listed pharmacies did not purchase enough medications from wholesalers to fill the prescriptions billed to the federal health care programs.
- 2818 JFK Pharmacy LLC agreed to pay $1,000,000 to resolve allegations that from January 2, 2020, through January 24, 2022, it caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries.
- 518 Summit Care Pharmacy LLC agreed to pay $600,000 to resolve allegations that from January 2, 2020, through March 28, 2022, it caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries.
- 1850 Greenville Pharmacy LLC agreed to pay $133,000 to resolve allegations that from January 2, 2020, through April 11, 2022, it caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries.
- 327 Alexandria Pharmacy LLC agreed to pay $101,000 to resolve allegations that from March 26, 2020, through April 2, 2022, it caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries.
- 516 Broadway Care Pharmacy LLC agreed to pay $101,000 to resolve allegations that from January 2, 2020, through April 4, 2022, it caused the submission of claims for reimbursement to the Medicare Part D Program and the New Jersey Medicaid Program for drugs that were never dispensed to beneficiaries.
“All pharmacies that bill federal programs must ensure accurate billing and may not bill for medications they never dispensed. The Office will continue to pursue entities that fail in their essential responsibilities and engage in fraud, waste, or abuse.”
- U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
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.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kruti Dharia and Robert Toll of the Health Care Fraud & Opioids Abuse Unit and Senior Trial Counsel Jennifer Cihon 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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alexandria.agreement_0.pdf broadwaycare.agreement.pdf greenville.agreement.pdf jfk.agreement.pdf summitpharmacy.agreement.pdfFive Members of Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced for Federal Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that five Oklahoma residents were sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in violation of federal law.
The leader of the drug trafficking organization, Christopher Adam Banschbach, age 39, of Holdenville, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 360 months in prison for one count of Drug Conspiracy on February 22, 2024. Banschbach’s four co-defendants each pleaded guilty to one count of drug conspiracy and one count of possession with intent to distribute and were sentenced at hearings held between July 11, 2024, and May 22, 2025.
- Ricky Edward Hall, age 30, of Covington, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 324 months for each count, to be served concurrently.
- Joshua Levi Kendrick, age 43, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 235 months for each count, to be served concurrently.
- Brittany Marie Cagle, age 35, of Wagoner, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 168 months for each count, to be served concurrently.
- Christina Gail Pool, age 43, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 46 months for each count, to be served concurrently.
According to investigators, between March 2022 and November 2022, while serving time on state charges at the Davis Correctional Facility in Holdenville, Oklahoma, Banschbach coordinated and directed the distribution of approximately forty-five kilograms of methamphetamine. Non-incarcerated members of the conspiracy obtained the methamphetamine from various locations and distributed it in Muskogee and other locations.
The charges arose from an investigation led by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, with assistance from the Muskogee Police Department and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office.
The Honorable Eric F. Melgren, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, sitting by designation, the Honorable Keith Starrett, Senior U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, sitting by designation, and the Honorable William P. Johnson, Senior U.S. District Judge for the District of New Mexico, sitting by designation, presided over the hearings. All defendants are in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve non-paroleable sentences of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Cornell represented the United States.
Father and Son Plead Guilty to Defrauding Sports Park BondholdersRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that RANDY MILLER and CHAD MILLER pled guilty to securities fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with their scheme to defraud municipal bond investors. The defendants pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky and will be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan at a later date.
“Randy and Chad Miller’s fraudulent actions resulted in nearly total losses for investors,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “As today’s guilty pleas make clear, this Office remains committed to protecting the integrity of the public finance system and holding accountable those who exploit investors’ trust. This case demonstrates the strength of our partnership with the FBI, whose diligent investigation uncovered the defendants’ fraud.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, the Superseding Information, public filings, and statements made in court:
RANDY MILLER and CHAD MILLER defrauded investors in municipal bonds used to fund the development of a major sports complex in Mesa, Arizona called Legacy Park. In connection with the initial $250 million bond offering in August 2020 and supplemental bond offering in June 2021, the defendants lied to potential investors about the interest sports organizations and other potential customers had in using or relocating to Legacy Park. The defendants and their associates forged and altered purported “binding” letters of intent and other documents from those potential customers to make it appear that the customers were committing to holding many events at Legacy Park, with a significant number of spectators, and agreeing to pay large fees – all far beyond what the organizations were considering, if they were considering Legacy Park at all. In some instances, RANDY MILLER and CHAD MILLER signed and directed others to sign customers’ names without the customers’ knowledge or permission. At other times, the defendants copied and directed others to copy the signatures of other customers onto the fabricated letters, again without the customers’ knowledge or permission. As part of their scheme, the defendants forged documents on behalf of numerous persons and organizations, including an organization that promotes sports for disabled athletes.
RANDY MILLER and CHAD MILLER presented the fraudulent documents to prospective bond investors and incorporated them into their solicitation materials by claiming that Legacy Park would be 100% occupied at opening and would generate nearly $100 million in revenue in its first year of operations, more than enough to cover the bond payments.
After the Legacy Park bonds were sold to investors, RANDY MILLER and CHAD MILLER profited personally from the bond proceeds raised. Legacy Park opened in 2022 and failed shortly thereafter, defaulting on its bonds in October 2022 and filing for bankruptcy in May 2023. The project was later sold in bankruptcy for less than $26 million. Of those proceeds, less than $2.5 million went to repay the approximately $284 million owed to Legacy Park bondholders.
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RANDY MILLER, 70, and CHAD MILLER, 41, both of Phoenix, Arizona, pled guilty to one count of securities offering fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in prison. As part of their guilty pleas, money judgments in the amounts of $7,289,134.89 and $4,798,980.19 were entered against RANDY MILLER and CHAD MILLER, respectively.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Clayton also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which has filed a parallel civil action.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew R. Shahabian and Courtney L. Heavey are in charge of the prosecution.
us_v._randy_miller_and_chad_miller_superseding_information.pdfFairfield Man Indicted for Failure to Pay over $2 Million in Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 41-count indictment against Warren Soto Delfin, 54, of Fairfield, charging him with failure to pay more than $2 million in trust fund taxes to the IRS, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, between January 2018 and December 2022, Delfin owned and operated five home health care businesses that accumulated more than $2 million in employment taxes. The employment tax liabilities stem from amounts Delfin withheld from his employee’s paychecks. Instead of paying the employee withholdings to the IRS as required under the law, Delfin retained them and made purchases of luxury items including a Lamborghini, jewelry, and real estate.
This case is the product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nchekube Onyima is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Delfin faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each charged count. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Evansville Duo Sentenced to Federal Prison for Death of a Toddler and Non-Fatal Overdose of an InfantRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE – Arcinial Montreal Watt, 36, and Jazmynn Alaina Brown, 27, both of Evansville, have been sentenced for their roles in a fentanyl dealing operation that resulted in the death of a three-year-old girl.
Watt has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death. Watt has also been ordered to pay $6,007 in restitution.
Brown has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents and evidence presented during Brown’s sentencing hearing, between August and October of 2021, Watt obtained at least 400 grams of fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills and stored them in a bedroom he shared with his girlfriend, Jazmynn Brown. Brown sub-leased the room in a shared residence on East Sycamore Street in Evansville, where she lived with two other women and their four children—ages 4, 3, 18 months, and 2 months. Pills were sold and divided for sale by Brown inside the residence.
On October 26, 2021, the three older children accessed the bedroom where the pills were stored and removed a plastic bag containing fentanyl pills prepared for sale. The pills spilled, exposing the children to direct contact. Although Brown recovered some of the pills, several remained unaccounted for.
The three-year-old girl who came into contact with the pills was pronounced dead the following morning as a result of fentanyl poising. The 18-month-old girl was taken to the hospital, where she was placed on a NARCAN drip and survived her fentanyl poisoning.
During the investigation, agents seized over 5,750 fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills marked M30, more than $25,000 in cash, and a firearm. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, as little as 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal, depending on a person’s body size, tolerance, and past usage. One kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people.
“This heartbreaking case underscores the devastating consequences of fentanyl trafficking—not just for those who use these drugs, but for innocent children caught in the crossfire,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “The loss of a young life is a tragedy that no family should endure, and those who recklessly endanger others by distributing these deadly substances must be held fully accountable. We remain unwavering in our commitment to protecting our communities and pursuing justice for the most vulnerable among us.”
“The sentencings of Mr. Watt and Ms. Brown are righteous. This case is a heartbreaking example of individuals who recklessly stored Thousands of illicit fentanyl pills in their residence, leading to the tragic poisoning death of one child and the overdose of another. The victims in this case were innocent children. The DEA, alongside our law enforcement partners, remains committed to keeping our communities safe and holding drug traffickers fully accountable,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge J. Michael Gannon.
The Evansville Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case. The Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office Cyber Crime Task Force also provided invaluable assistance. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge Matthew P. Brookman.
Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy Kemper, Lauren Wheatley, and Todd S. Shellenbarger, as well as former Assistant U.S. Attorney, Kristian R. Mukoski, who prosecuted this case.
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Estacada Man Faces Federal Charges for Trafficking 270 Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— An Estacada, Oregon, man is facing federal charges today after he was caught transporting 270 pounds of methamphetamine from Southern California to Oregon.
Anthony Barrera, 29, has been charged by criminal complaint with possessing methamphetamine and cocaine with the intent to distribute.
According to court documents, during an investigation of an alleged drug trafficker, later identified as Barrera, investigators learned Barrera rented a vehicle and traveled to California to pick up large quantities of drugs to distribute and sell in Oregon.
On May 24, 2025, officers located Barrera driving the rental vehicle northbound on Interstate 5 and followed him to a rest area near Roseburg, Oregon, where Barrera was arrested without incident. Agents executed a federal search warrant on the rental vehicle and seized 270 pounds of methamphetamine and two pounds of cocaine, which were concealed in the backseat and cargo area of the vehicle. Later the same day, investigators executed a federal search warrant on Barrera’s residence where they seized two firearms hidden under the floor of a closet.
Barrera made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Multnomah County Dangerous Drug Team (DDT). It is being prosecuted by Charlotte Kelley, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
The Multnomah County DDT is supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) and is composed of members from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Multnomah County Parole and Probation, Gresham Police Department, the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS).
The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Ecuadorian National Charged with Illegally Reentering U.S. after Sex Assault ConvictionRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ROBERTO MUY, 35, a citizen of Ecuador, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in February 2006, Muy was admitted to the U.S. using a fraudulent visitor visa under the alias of a Peruvian citizen. In June 2012, Muy was convicted in Connecticut Superior Court in Torrington of sexual assault of a minor in the second degree, and was sentenced to 10 years of incarceration, suspended after 15 months, and 25 years of probation. In June 2013, Muy was removed to Ecuador.
It is further alleged that Muy illegally reentered the U.S. and, on November 9, 2024, was arrested by the Torrington Police Department and charged with illegal operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol/drug. On March 18, 2025, he was sentenced in state court to two years of incarceration for violating his state probation related to his 2012 conviction, and a concurrent two days of incarceration for the 2024 motor vehicle offense. He is currently in state custody.
If convicted of illegal reentry, Muy faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary G. Vitale.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Department of Justice Takes Action to Enforce Title IX in California to Protect Girls’ SportsRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – The Justice Department today sent letters of legal notice to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, Jurupa Unified School District, and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) that it is opening an investigation to determine whether Title IX, a landmark federal civil rights law, is being violated by AB 1266, a state law permitting males to participate on female sports teams at state schools.
The investigation is to determine whether California, its senior legal, educational, and athletic organizations, and the school district are engaging in a pattern or practice of discrimination on the basis of sex.
The letters of legal notice were sent at the time the Justice Department filed a statement of interest in federal court in support of a lawsuit filed by and on behalf of girls’ athletes to advance the appropriate interpretation of Title IX to ensure equal educational opportunities and prevent discrimination based on sex in federally funded schools and athletic programs.
The statement of interest is part of a national effort by the President, the Attorney General, and the Justice Department to oppose the deprivation of women and girls of fair athletic opportunities.
“Title IX exists to protect women and girls in education. It is perverse to allow males to compete against girls, invade their private spaces, and take their trophies,” said Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. “This Division will aggressively defend women’s hard-fought rights to equal educational opportunities.”
“The law is clear: Discrimination on the basis of sex is illegal and immoral,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “My office and the rest of the Department of Justice will work tirelessly to protect girls’ sports and stop anyone – public officials included – from violating women’s civil rights.”
According to the allegations in the lawsuit, Save Girls’ Sports, et al. v. Thurmond, et al., AB 1266 – passed by the California State Legislature and codified in the California Education Code – conflicts with Title IX. AB 1266 unlawfully permits males to participate on female sports teams and to use female spaces, resulting in unfair and unsafe environments for women and girls.
The lawsuit alleges that this California statute “is harming hundreds – if not thousands – of female students by removing opportunities for female athletes to be champions in their own sports, robbing them of podium positions and awards, and creating unsafe and intimidating environments in their bathrooms and locker rooms.”
The plaintiffs include K.S., a ninth-grade female cross-country athlete and T.S., an 11th-grade female cross-country athlete and team captain, both of whom attend Martin Luther King High School in Riverside.
T.S. was removed from her position of the girls’ varsity cross-country team to make room for a biological male athlete who did not consistently attend practices and failed to satisfy many of the team’s varsity eligibility requirements. As a result, T.S. missed the opportunity to compete at a high-profile meet, lost the right to compete on the varsity level, and missed the opportunity to compete with elite fellow athletes to be recruited by universities and receive other forms of recognition.
The biological male who replaced T.S. on the girls’ varsity cross-country team recently had transferred from another local high school after breaking that school’s all-time cross-country record for the girls’ cross-country team.
The lawsuit further alleges that the Riverside Unified School District, Martin Luther King High School’s principal, and its assistant principal and athletic director violated the constitutional rights of T.S. and K.S. when it ordered them to stop wearing t-shirts protesting T.S.’s removal from the team.
The plaintiffs are seeking declaratory and injunctive relief related to the defendants’ speech policy and rules governing participating in girls’ sports.
Assistant United States Attorney Richard Park of the Civil Division’s Civil Rights Section is handling this matter.
To learn more about the Civil Rights Division visit www.justice.gov/crt, and to report possible violations of federal civil rights laws go to www.civilrights.justice.gov or call toll-free at (800) 253-3931.
DC Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Mail and Bank Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Dajuan Taylor, 24, of Washington, DC, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and bank fraud in federal court.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Postal Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Washington Division.
According to the guilty plea, between July 2018 and November 2021, Taylor and his co-conspirators stole, altered, and fraudulently negotiated approximately 53 checks. Through the scheme, Taylor and his co-conspirators attempted to steal at least $497,766.80 from the victims. Taylor used various social media platforms — such as Instagram — to recruit individuals to give him their account information to advance this conspiracy.
Some people knowingly participated in the scheme while others were unaware that the co-conspirators were using their bank accounts to negotiate the stolen checks. Taylor then used information and paraphernalia associated with the fraudulent transactions to recruit additional bank-account holders to further this scheme.
Taylor faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison for each count. Sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday, September 2, at 11:30 a.m.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended USPIS for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney LaShanta Harris who is prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Court appoints Ganjei as U.S. AttorneyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Nicholas J. Ganjei has taken the oath of office to remain as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX).
Former acting Attorney General James McHenry named Ganjei as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas Jan. 29.
Pursuant to the Vacancy Reform Act, the Attorney General has the authority to name a U.S. Attorney to serve on an interim basis for up to 120 days. After that time, the district court will appoint a U.S. Attorney to serve until the confirmation of his or her eventual successor. Ganjei recently received the unanimous vote of the judges of the Southern District of Texas, re-appointing him as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District.
“I am honored by the district court’s vote of confidence in my leadership of this great office,” said Ganjei. “There is much unfinished business for SDTX to address, from leading the fight to secure our southern border, to ensuring our streets are safe from drugs and violent crime. I am grateful to remain at the helm of the Southern District as we continue to deliver for the American people.”
Chief Judge Randy Crane recently administered the oath of office in front of an audience of U.S. Attorney’s Office staff and court personnel.
Ganjei is a former longtime federal prosecutor who previously served as acting U.S. Attorney and First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas. He joined the Department of Justice in 2008 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) on the U.S. – Mexico border. As an AUSA, Ganjei prosecuted organized crime, immigration, narcotics and human trafficking cases as well as fraud, public corruption and white-collar matters.
Before joining the department, Ganjei clerked for the Honorable Richard Allen Griffin and Ralph R. Erickson and has taught on the subjects of civil, criminal and constitutional law at both the collegiate and law school levels.
Immediately prior to his SDTX service, Ganjei was chief counsel to U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution where he oversaw all legal matters related to criminal justice, border security, judicial nominations, antitrust, intellectual property and religious liberty.
As U.S. Attorney, Ganjei has been and will continue to be chief law enforcement officer for one of the busiest districts in the United States.
Under Ganjei’s leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
Convicted Felon Who Fired Gun Outside Crowded S.F. Bar Sentenced to Three Years and Nine Months for Unlawful Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Fernando Aguilera was sentenced yesterday to 45 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition. Senior U.S. District Judge William Alsup handed down the sentence.
Aguilera, 37, a national of Honduras, was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 18, 2023. On Feb. 12, 2025, Judge Alsup found Aguilera guilty of being a felon in possession of ammunition in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) after a bench trial. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Aguilera took a gun out of his waistband on two occasions at a crowded bar in San Francisco. He then left the bar and fired into the air two separate times with people and cars nearby. When law enforcement arrived, Aguilera fled from the police before being apprehended in the garden area of a nearby residence. Law enforcement found a firearm with the wrong caliber bullet stuck in the chamber next to Aguilera and ammunition in his bag. At the time of his arrest, Aguilera had four prior felony convictions for being an accessory, being a prohibited person with ammunition, and second-degree burglary.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani made the announcement.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Alsup also sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release. The defendant has been in custody since the offense.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelsey Davidson and Sophia Cooper prosecuted the case with the assistance of Kevin Costello and Marina Ponomarchuk. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and San Francisco Police Department.
Construction Manager Sentenced to Prison for Multimillion-Dollar Embezzlement and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that JOSE GARCIA was sentenced to 27 months in prison for committing two lengthy fraud crimes—a $4.5 million embezzlement crime and a $2.1 million tax evasion crime. In the embezzlement scheme, GARCIA had a lucrative no-show job with a technology company from 2012 to 2019. GARCIA did no work for the technology company, but GARCIA’s co-conspirator, a technology executive, approved millions in payments to GARCIA and GARCIA’s shell entities. In the tax evasion scheme, GARCIA neither filed tax returns nor paid income taxes from 2011 through 2019. GARCIA previously pled guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and tax evasion before U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho, who imposed today’s sentence. Three other members of the embezzlement conspiracy have also pled guilty to date.
“Jose Garcia engaged in a lengthy embezzlement scheme that involved a no-show job, fraudulent billings, and largescale cash kickbacks,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Garcia then doubled-down and sought to conceal his embezzlement activities by committing another crime – tax evasion. In all, Garcia stole millions at the expense of hard-working, tax-paying Americans. He then used the proceeds of his frauds to fund a lavish lifestyle. For these brazen crimes, Garcia has been sentenced to prison.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, the Superseding Information to which GARCIA pled guilty, and statements made in public filings and in public court proceedings:
The Embezzlement Scheme
From approximately May 2010 through February 2019, GARCIA’s co-defendant, Mark Angarola, spearheaded a large fraud scheme to unlawfully enrich himself and his co-conspirators (the “Conspirators”) by submitting and causing to be submitted fraudulent invoices and expenses to an information technology (“IT”) services company (the “Contractor”), at which Angarola was employed in a senior position. In total, the embezzlement scheme caused a loss of more than $7 million. GARCIA received the majority of the scheme’s fraud proceeds: $4,554,950.
Angarola was a New York-based Global Account General Manager at the Contractor. He was responsible for managing the Contractor’s relationship with a particular client, which was a subsidiary of a global financial institution (the “Client”). The Contractor had a service contract with the Client, pursuant to which the Contractor provided IT support services to the Client at locations across the U.S. The Contractor subcontracted certain of this work to a technology solutions company (the “Subcontractor”). Pursuant to the agreement between the Contractor and the Subcontractor (the “Subcontract”), the Subcontractor provided certain IT support services directly to the Client in the place of the Contractor. Angarola was responsible for oversight of the Subcontractor’s performance on the Subcontract, which included approving payment to the Subcontractor on invoices submitted for work purportedly performed and expenses purportedly incurred in the Subcontractor’s performance on the Subcontract.
Angarola abused his position to fraudulently enrich himself, his family, and his friends. For instance, he arranged for the Subcontractor to hire certain of his family members, friends, and subordinates, despite the fact that these individuals lacked apparent qualifications to perform deskside IT work. He arranged for the Subcontractor to hire, among others, his wife (a homemaker); his former college roommate (a police sergeant); and his close friends, including GARCIA (a construction manager) and GARCIA’s wife (a schoolteacher). Thereafter, various Conspirators falsely reported to the Subcontractor that they had performed work under the Subcontract and incurred business expenses. The Subcontractor submitted invoices to the Contractor for the hours purportedly worked and business expenses purportedly incurred by several of the Conspirators, and Angarola, in turn, caused the Contractor to pay the Subcontractor on these fraudulent invoices. The purported business expenses incurred by several Conspirators, and ultimately paid for by the Contractor at the direction of Angarola, included restaurant meals, hotel stays, transportation fees, a cruise, and gentlemen’s clubs. In fact, the expenses were personal expenses and were not reimbursable under the Contractor’s policy.
GARCIA was a central beneficiary of the embezzlement scheme and received the majority of the fraud proceeds. These fraud proceeds were paid in part to GARCIA personally, and in part to his shell entities. GARCIA did no work whatsoever for the Contractor or Subcontractor, but invoiced the Subcontractor, month after month, requesting payment for purported “Management Fees.” For instance, at different points in the scheme, GARCIA requested monthly payment of $36,000, $45,000, $51,000, or $60,000. Angarola approved these payments to GARCIA on behalf of his employer, the Contractor. In return, GARCIA paid Angarola cash kickbacks exceeding $1 million. GARCIA participated in the embezzlement scheme despite having fulltime, gainful employment elsewhere as a consultant and project manager in the construction industry.
Financial records reveal that GARCIA spent fraud proceeds on, among other things, private school tuition, rent, luxury travel, luxury items, gym memberships, and sports memorabilia. For instance, GARCIA paid for stays at luxury hotels such as the Ritz Carlton (in four different cities), the Waldorf Astoria, and the Plaza. And GARCIA spent more than $50,000 on luxury items, including expensive purchases at Cartier, Hermes, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, Burberry, Bianca Jewelers, a glass blower in Venice, and a violin shop specializing in Stradivarius models.
Tax Evasion
From 2011 through 2019, GARCIA also committed tax evasion, resulting in a tax loss to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) of approximately $2,116,605. For this nine-year period, GARCIA neither filed tax returns nor paid income taxes. As such, GARCIA failed to report to the IRS the income he derived from the embezzlement scheme as well as the income he derived from other business interests and sources. GARCIA used shell entities to conceal his receipt of income, including by creating such entities, diverting income to such entities, and using entity bank accounts to pay for his personal expenses.
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In addition to his prison term, GARCIA, 53, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. GARCIA was also ordered to forfeit $4,554,950 and pay restitution in the amount of $7,007,055.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office; the IRS-Criminal Investigation, New York Field Office; and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, Northeast Regional Office.
This matter is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit, along with the Justice Department’s Tax Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Neff, Timothy V. Capozzi, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jorge Almonte of the Tax Division are in charge of the prosecution.
Columbus woman sentenced to 23 years in prison for sexually exploiting 3-year-old victimRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Becky Gillespie, 29, of Columbus, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 276 months in prison for sexually assaulting a 3-year-old victim, recording the abuse and distributing it to other exploiters.
Specifically, Gillespie was sentenced for sexual exploitation of a minor and distribution of child pornography.
According to court documents, on numerous dates in December 2023, Gillespie sent Snapchat videos or offered to send videos to other users that depicted Gillespie engaged in sex acts or sexually explicit conduct with the 3-year-old victim.
Law enforcement also discovered a photo of a second young victim, who was posed on Gillespie’s nude breasts in an image on her electronic devices.
One user with whom Gillespie communicated was under investigation in Australia for numerous child pornography related offenses. Gillespie and the other Snapchat user traded sexually explicit videos including the content Gillespie created of the 3-year-old.
As a result of information obtained by Australian Federal Police, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Canberra and the South Australian Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team, local HSI initiated an investigation into Gillespie.
Gillespie was charged in January 2024 and pleaded guilty in December 2024.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Jared Murphey, acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit, announced the sentence imposed on May 27 by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Rausch and Emily Czerniejewski are representing the United States in this case.
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Cocaine distributer sentenced to over 10 years in federal prisonRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 36-year-old man has been sentenced for possession with intent to distribute 28.6 kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jesus Cedillo pleaded guilty Feb. 25.
U.S. District Judge David Morales has now ordered Cedillo to serve 126 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.
On Oct. 28, 2024, Cedillo approached the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint near Falfurrias. Following a K-9 alert, authorities conducted a search of the vehicle and found multiple bundles of cocaine, totaling 28.6 kilograms, hidden in the speaker boxes in his trunk.
Cedillo admitted an ex-co worker recruited him to transport the cocaine to Houston for $6,000.
The Drug Enforcement Administration along with BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bird prosecuted the case.
Charleston Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Weapon ViolationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Jacob Murrell Wilson, 24, of Charleston, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence presented to the court established that on Nov.10, 2023, Charleston Police Department officers encountered Wilson while patrolling a high-crime apartment complex. The officers recognized Wilson and were aware that he had an active arrest warrant. When they attempted to approach him, Wilson immediately ran from the officers.
During the chase, officers observed Wilson reaching for a loaded pistol equipped with a 24-round extended magazine and an illegal machine gun conversion device – commonly known as a switch. Wilson stopped, pulled out the gun, and pointed it in the direction of the pursuing officers, then threw the firearm over a fence and continued to run.
When officers apprehended Wilson, they found 6.8 grams of crack cocaine, 8.98 grams of cocaine, 36.35 grams of marijuana, and 187 grams of promethazine in Wilson’s possession. Officers recovered the firearm nearby.
Wilson has a prior felony conviction for attempted armed robbery and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Wilson to 106 months imprisonment to be followed by give years of court ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Charleston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Lietzow is prosecuting the case.
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Browning man sentenced to prison for sexually abusing a childRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Browning man who sexually assaulted a minor was sentenced yesterday to 30 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Delbert Dwayne Mowitch, 23, pleaded guilty in January 2025 to one count of sexual abuse of a minor.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in January 2024, Mowitch met 12-year-old Jane Doe. In April 2024, a witness reported to law enforcement that Mowitch and Doe were in a sexual relationship.
Doe was interviewed and confirmed she and Mowitch had been together, and that she would stay at his house with him. She reported that when they were together they would drink alcohol and smoke dabs. She confirmed that during the time she stayed with Mowitch, they had sex twice. She said the first time it happened Mowitch was drunk, he took off her pants, and she just froze. He started penetrating her vagina with his penis and she described it hurting a great deal. She reported that during a second encounter, she remembered Mowitch asking her for sex and telling him no. She blacked out and when she woke up, she was in pain and had cramps. She saw a used condom she believed had been used on her. She reported Mowitch showed her a video from the night before purporting to show her consenting to the sexual act. Doe provided law enforcement screenshots of messages between her and Mowitch consistent with an ongoing relationship.
A second witness told law enforcement that Mowitch admitted in February 2024 that he had engaged in sexual intercourse with Doe. The witness reported Mowitch knew Doe’s age at the time they started talking.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Bronx Woman Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Laundering over $2 Million for African Romance ScammersRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that NADINE JAZIMNE WADE was sentenced to 63 months in prison for laundering more than $2 million in fraud proceeds acquired from the victims of romance fraud schemes. WADE’s sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla who also presided over a two-week trial at which WADE was convicted of money laundering and bank fraud charges.
“Nadine Wade used lies and deception to launder over two million dollars for scam artists in Nigeria and South Africa,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Those funds were stolen from our most vulnerable – elderly men and women — as part of a cruel romance scam. Today’s sentence should be a reminder that this Office will pursue all persons who participate in online scams targeting our elderly.”
According to the Indictment, statements made in public court proceedings and filings, and the evidence at trial:
From in or about 2016 through in or about 2021, co-conspirators of WADE based in Nigeria and South Africa committed a series of romance scams against individuals located across the U.S. Those co-conspirators used aliases, including the names “Diego Francisco” and “Richard Francisco” (the “Francisco Alias”), to meet victims on various dating websites. After engaging in romantic conversations with the victims via phone, text, and email, those co-conspirators, posing as the Francisco Alias, asked victims for money. The Francisco Alias then instructed the victims to transfer funds to bank accounts controlled by WADE and others.
WADE received fraud proceeds from victims of the Francisco Alias in personal bank accounts and business bank accounts for her shell company Royal Treasure Chest LLC, a company purportedly involved in, among other things, the sale of women’s clothing and accessories. Once WADE received fraud proceeds, she rapidly depleted her bank accounts of those funds through cash withdrawals, cashier’s checks, and the purchase of vehicles, among other means. After taking her own cut of the money, WADE transferred the bulk of the funds to other members of the scheme.
From in or about 2016 through in or about 2021, WADE controlled more than 18 bank accounts that had deposits totaling over $2 million. Most of those deposits consisted of wire transfers and check or cash deposits from U.S.-based individuals who were victims of the romance fraud scam described above.
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In addition to the prison term, WADE, 30, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,772,618 and forfeit $2,261,791.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the U.S. Secret Service and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Micah F. Fergenson, Matthew J. King, and Dina McLeod are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Jayda Foote.
Bloods Gang Member Sentenced to Life Sentence Plus 20 Years for Racketeering (RICO) and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Bloods gang member, Desean Solomon, was sentenced to a life sentence plus 20 years after a federal jury trial found him guilty of racketeer influenced corrupt organization (RICO) and two counts of using and carrying a firearm in furtherance of murder, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
“Three years ago—as violent crime raged out of control—the U.S. Attorney’s Office made a decision to use every tool at our disposal to go after the gangs. Together with our federal and state partners, we brought RICO charges against major Minneapolis street gangs. The first of those cases was the Bloods RICO. Defendant Solomon—who committed murder for the benefit of the gang—was the first RICO trial defendant to be sentenced. We hope that today’s sentence—life in prison plus twenty years—sends a message in the strongest possible terms. If you are a Minneapolis gang member, the feds are coming for you. Get out and choose a different path before it is too late.”
“Solomon chose violence as a way of life — trafficking in fear, intimidation, and death to exert power, feed criminal ambition and expand the Blood’s grip on the streets,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “Today’s sentence reflects the gravity of the crimes committed. The FBI, alongside our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our mission to protect our communities from violent crime and will relentlessly pursue those who believe bloodshed is the path to power.”
According to court documents, Desean James Solomon, aka Black, 34, was found guilty of numerous crimes in October 2024 at trial, along with two other individuals. Evidence presented at trial proved that Solomon affiliated and associated with the Minneapolis Bloods street gang since at least 2020. Solomon has been a career criminal throughout his adulthood, committing violent crimes for the benefit of the Bloods gang which included two premeditated murders within a two-year span. Historically, the gang’s territory is located on the south side of Minneapolis, near Chicago Avenue South and 38th Street East.
According to evidence presented at trial, Solomon and other Bloods gang members went to a nightclub in north Minneapolis in June of 2020. They assaulted a rival gang member in the men’s bathroom. Following the assault, a gun battle broke out outside the nightclub. Solomon and another Bloods member fired their weapons multiple times, resulting in the murder of a rival gang member.
According to evidence presented at trial, on April 23, 2022, Solomon and other Bloods gang members went to a bar in the Uptown neighborhood of south Minneapolis and started a large fight between members of the Bloods and members of a rival gang. Within several minutes, the Bloods members, including Solomon, left the bar and shot and killed a rival gang member.
Solomon was sentenced to life plus twenty years todayin U.S. District Court before Judge Susan R. Nelson. In imposing sentence, Judge Nelson explained, “I was searching for a kernel of hope that you could be trusted to not be a danger to society” but that “based on your utter and complete disregard for human life, the brutality of the Bloods gang, your lack of remorse through every stage of this case . . . I am left with the certainty that you will always be a threat to public safety.” Judge Nelson said, “My hope is this sentence sends a strong message to the Bloods gang and other thriving gangs that ruthlessly terrorize this city.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian Weir represented the government at the sentencing hearing.
Bloods Gang Leader Convicted of Narcotics Distribution Resulting in Three OverdosesRead the Press Release
A federal jury yesterday in Central Islip convicted Gary Johnson, a Bloods gang leader, on 22 counts of a second superseding indictment charging him with narcotics distribution, including distribution that resulted in three non-fatal overdoses, as well as a firearms-related crime. The verdict followed a four-week trial before United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack. When sentenced, Johnson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and up to life in prison.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Kevin Catalina, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the verdict.
“Johnson peddled his potentially lethal drugs across Long Island while lining his pockets with profits, causing life threatening injuries to several members of our community in the process,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “This Office, along with our law enforcement partners, remains committed to finding, arresting, and prosecuting the drug traffickers and gang members who seek to profit from the ongoing opioid crisis and stopping all of the devastating effects these narcotics have brought with them.”
“For years, Gary Johnson, a Bloods gang leader, carelessly supplied potentially lethal quantities of heroin and fentanyl to turn a profit,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “By distributing highly addictive narcotics, Johnson demonstrated a disregard to communal health and endangered countless residents, even causing three individuals to overdose. With the assistance from our law enforcement partners, the FBI will never cease its mission to disrupt all criminal enterprises poisoning our communities with dangerous drugs.”
“While nothing can take away the suffering of those who experienced life-threatening impacts caused by Johnson’s greed, let this sentence bring some solace that his crimes will not go unpunished,” stated SCPD Commissioner Catalina. “We will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to ensure narcotics trafficking is ceased.”
As proven at trial and set forth in court filings, between June 2013 and November 2020, Johnson, a leader in the G-Shine set of the Bloods based in Suffolk County, sold fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin throughout Long Island. The drugs the defendant sold resulted in multiple victims experiencing overdoses, including three overdoses in March and May 2020. The jury returned a verdict convicting Johnson of multiple counts of distributing heroin, cocaine, and/or fentanyl. In connection with the overdoses, Johnson was convicted of three counts of narcotics distribution resulting in serious bodily injury.
Johnson was also convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. This charge arose from evidence recovered from Johnson’s residence when law enforcement executed a search warrant and recovered a semi-automatic firearm.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Meredith A. Arfa, Stephen Petraeus and Mark E. Misorek are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Dejah Turla, Rebecca Roth, and Adam Bernard, as well as Victim Witness Specialist Stephanie Marroquin.
The Defendant:
GARY JOHNSON
Age: 41
Bellport, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-518 (S-2) (JMA)
Atoka Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Tax ChargeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Hanna Jera Davidson, age 41, of Atoka, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to a one-count Information charging her with Failure to Collect or Pay Over Tax, punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.00.
The Information alleged Davidson, who exercised control over the financial affairs of Fomby & Sons Towing and Recovery, willfully failed to collect, truthfully account for, and pay over trust fund taxes of $13,273.57 due and owing to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on behalf of the employees of Fomby & Sons Towing and Recovery for the second quarter of the year ending in 2020.
In addition, as part of the plea agreement and during the plea hearing, Davidson admitted that between March 2015 and December 2020, Davidson willfully chose not to pay over to the IRS $158,527.00 in taxes collected from employees and that Davidson willfully chose not to pay over to the IRS $72,665.82, which represented Fomby & Sons Towing and Recovery’s portion of the employment taxes owed.
The charge arose from an investigation by IRS-Criminal Investigations.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Davidson was released on bond pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kara Traster represented the United States.
Ardmore Resident Sentenced for Felony AssaultRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Richard Alan Chastain, age 53, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Do Bodily Harm in Indian Country.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Ardmore Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On December 16, 2024, Chastain pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on July 17, 2024, Chastain attacked an individual at his encampment in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Chastain chased the victim beyond the boundaries of the encampment, striking the victim multiple times with a machete. The victim fled but sustained serious injuries, including severe cuts to his limbs and a severed thumb. Law enforcement responding to an emergency call found the victim unconscious near the railroad tracks and a trail of blood leading back to the encampment. The crime occurred in Carter County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Eric F. Melgren, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing. Chastain will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
Ardmore Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Nezjoneil Nikkolo Marris, age 28, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Use, Carry, Brandish, and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, punishable by 10 years to life in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.
The Indictment alleged that on March 26, 2022, Marris knowingly used, carried, brandished, and discharged a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The crime occurred in Carter County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Ardmore Police Department.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Marris will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Dean Burris, T. Cameron McEwen, and Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
Amtrak Employees Admit Participating in $11 Million Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Five Amtrak employees recently admitted participating in a health care fraud scheme to defraud Amtrak, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Kevin Frink, 53, of Willingboro, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to an Indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Michael Toal, 35, of Hazlet, New Jersey, David McBrien, 37, of Levittown, Pennsylvania, Damany Walker, 41, of Irvington, New Jersey, and David Lonergan, 65, of Rockaway Park, New York, in recent weeks also pleaded guilty before Judge Arleo in Newark federal court to the Indictment charging conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
The Indictment also charges four other co-conspirators in connection with the scheme: Quinton Johnson, 53, of Irvington, New Jersey; Gregory Richardson, 35, of Roosevelt, New York; Timothy Bogen, 59, of Hamden, Connecticut; and Dion Jacob, 50, of Brooklyn, New York. Defendant Rodolfo Rivera, 41, of Clayton, Delaware, previously pleaded guilty to the Indictment, and co-conspirator Anthony Saloka, 44, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty to an Information.
“The defendants admitted to colluding with corrupt health care providers in a scheme to defraud Amtrak’s health care plan for personal financial gain. My office is committed to holding accountable those who profit from health care scams, like this one, that harm the public and the health care system.”
- U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From January 2019 through June 2022, Frink, Toal, McBrien, Walker, Lonergan, and their co-conspirators—who were also Amtrak employees—engaged in a scheme to obtain cash kickbacks from health care providers in return for their agreement to allow their health insurance plan to be billed for services that were never provided and were not medically necessary. In total, as a result of the conspiracy, the Amtrak health care plan paid over $11 million in fraudulent claims associated with providers connected to the scheme.
Each defendant received thousands of dollars in cash kickbacks from health care providers in return for their participation in the scheme, including from Punson Figueroa, an acupuncturist. Defendants Frink, McBrien, Walker, and Lonergan also received cash kickbacks from Michael DeNicola, a podiatrist. Figueroa previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and was sentenced on September 24, 2024 to 34 months in prison. DeNicola previously pleaded guilty on June 29, 2022 to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, among other offenses. His sentencing remains pending.
The health care fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Walker’s and McBrien’s sentencings are scheduled for July 24, 2025. Lonergan’s sentencing is scheduled for August 20, 2025. Toal’s sentencing is scheduled for October 23, 2025. Frink’s sentencing is scheduled for October 9, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Waters, the Amtrak Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Sam Dotson, and special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III in New York, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica R. Ecker and Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud and Opioid Abuse Prevention Unit, and Senior Trial Counsel Barbara Ward of the Bank Integrity, Recovery, and Money Laundering Unit, in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the Indictment against Johnson, Richardson, Bogen, and Jacob are merely accusations, and they are each presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Sarah Sulkowski, Esq. (for Kevin Frink)
Michael Chazen, Esq. (for Michael Toal)
Michael V. Calabro, Esq. (for David McBrien)
Michael Rosas, Esq. (for Damany Walker)
Bruce S. Rosen, Esq. and Sarah Fehm Stewart, Esq. (for David Lonergan)
Albanian National and American Wife Charged with Making False Statements and Marriage FraudRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Albanian national was charged with marriage fraud, and he and his wife, an American citizen, were both charged with making false statements on forms submitted to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”), U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Elvis Harizaj, 25, of Cherry Hill, and Natasha Flores, 27, of Newark, were both charged with making false statements to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”).
According to documents filed in these cases and statements made in Court:
Harizaj is a citizen of Albania and entered into a sham marriage with Flores for the purpose of obtaining permanent residence in the United States. On forms submitted to USCIS, Harizaj falsely stated that he lived with Flores and Flores falsely stated that she had never been married before. Flores, in fact, had previously been married to a Brazilian national who obtained U.S. citizenship based on his marriage to Flores. In addition, Harizaj was charged with marriage fraud.
The counts of false statements and marriage fraud both have a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph McFarlane in Camden.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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harizaj.complaint.pdf flores.complaint.pdf18 Charged with Violent, Gun, or Immigration Crimes as Part of Operation Take Back AmericaRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has filed separate criminal charges against 18 defendants as part of Operation Take Back America, for violations that include straw purchasing of firearms, bank robbery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, illegal reentry, and failure to notify a change of address.
The 18 defendants charged last week and the alleged offenses include:
Walter Adonai Rivera Chinchilla, 24, of Charlotte, and Fausto Odalis Reyes Guevara, 27, of Honduras, are charged via a superseding indictment of conspiracy to provide a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. Guevara is also charged with possession of a firearm by a person unlawfully in the United States. According to the superseding indictment, on October 12, 2024, Guevara messaged Chinchilla that Guevara needed a “17” and a white Beretta for a good price. Two days later, Chinchilla allegedly purchased a Beretta 92FS pistol from Guns Too, a licensed firearms dealer located in Caldwell County. When he purchased the firearm from Guns Too, Chinchilla allegedly lied on the forms, falsely attesting that he was the actual buyer of the firearm when he was in fact buying it for Guevara. The indictment further alleges that on the same day Chinchilla purchased a second firearm, a Glock 45 pistol, from Foothills Jewelry & Loan, a licensed firearms dealer in Catawba County. It is further alleged that Chinchilla lied again on the forms falsely attesting that he was the actual buyer of the firearm when he knew he was buying it for Guevara. Chinchilla is also facing additional charges including trafficking in firearms, making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm, and dealing in firearms without a license.
Jose Francisco Meraz-Villatoro, 31, of Mexico, is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien and illegal reentry by an alien. It is alleged that Meraz-Villatoro unlawfully possessed two firearms: a Glock 43 9mm handgun and a Girsan Regard MC 9mm handgun. Meraz-Villatoro was previously deported from the United States three times: in September 2013, in July 2014, and again in November 2022.
Carlos Sarmiento-Ochoa, 20, of Honduras, is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien and illegal reentry by an alien. It is alleged in the indictment that Sarmiento-Ochoa unlawfully possessed a Glock 23, 40 caliber handgun, and that he was previously deported from the United States in May 2018 and again in October 2019.
Gial Obed Rodas-Hernandez, 20, of Honduras, is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien and illegal reentry by an alien. The indictment alleges that Rodas-Hernandez unlawfully possessed a Taurus PT709 handgun, 9mm, and that he was previously deported from the United States in February 2021.
Jose Alberto Velazquez-Trejo, 41, of Mexico, is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien and illegal reentry by an alien. The indictment alleges that Velazquez-Trejo unlawfully possessed a Sig Sauer P226 handgun. Velazquez-Trejo was also previously deported from the United States in May 2008.
Norman Enrique Lopez-Santamaria, 42, of Honduras, is charged with illegally reentering into the United States and failure to notify of a change of address. Lopez-Santamaria was previously deported from the United States four times: in October 2002, in July 2009, in August 2010, and again in May 2014.
Rogelio Hernandez-Flores, 50, of Mexico, is charged with illegally reentering the United States and failure to notify of a change of address. Hernandez-Flores was previously deported from the United States three times: in August 1997, July 2003, and again in November 2007.
Luis Zamora-Cruz, 47, of Mexico, is charged with illegally reentering the United States and failure to notify of a change of address. Zamora-Cruz was previously deported from the United States in July 2010 and again in May 2017.
Christian Emanuel Valladares-Sierra, 25, of Honduras, is charged with illegally reentering the United States and failure to notify of a change of address. Valladares-Sierra was previously deported from the United States in September 2018.
Josue Oveniel Martinez-Avalo, 31, of Honduras, is charged with illegally reentering into the United States and failure to notify of a change of address. Martinez-Avalo was previously deported from the United States in June 2014.
Luis Alfredo Navarrete Pastrana, 32, of Mexico, is charged with illegal reentry into the United States. Pastrana was previously deported from the United States in October 2021.
Bryan Flowers, 53, of Hickory, N.C., is charged with bank robbery. According to the indictment, on April 17, 2025, Flowers allegedly robbed the Peoples Bank located in Lincolnton, N.C., by force, violence, and intimidation.
Dwayne Furlow Chaney, 40, of Charlotte, is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. Chaney allegedly illegally possessed a Smith & Wesson M&P, .40 caliber pistol, and did so knowing he was prohibited from possessing a firearm following a prior criminal conviction.
Marshall Demetrius Rice, 45, of Charlotte, is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. The indictment alleges that Rice illegally possessed a Smith & Wesson, model SD9VE, 9mm pistol, and did so knowing he was prohibited from possessing a firearm following a prior criminal conviction.
Damiyus Diamonte Fowler, 28, of Charlotte, is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. Fowler allegedly illegally possessed a Glock 19, Gen 5 9mm caliber pistol, and did so knowing he was prohibited from possessing a firearm following a prior criminal conviction.
Aaron Deondre Conway, 41, of Charlotte, is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. The indictment alleges that Conway illegally possessed a Walther, Model PPK/S .380 caliber pistol, and did so knowing he was prohibited from possessing a firearm following a prior criminal conviction.
Jamil Omire Ali, 31, of Charlotte, is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. Ali allegedly illegally possessed a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield, .40 caliber pistol, and did so knowing he was prohibited from possessing a firearm following a prior criminal conviction.
Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The charges in the indictments are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson credited Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Removal Operations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for their investigations that led to the charges. U.S. Attorney Ferguson also commended the local law enforcement agencies that assisted in the investigation and apprehension of the defendants.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys with the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the cases.
14 Arrested on Complaints Alleging More Than $25 Million in COVID-19 Relief and Small Business Loans Were Fraudulently ObtainedRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Fourteen defendants – including San Fernando Valley and Glendale residents – were arrested on two federal criminal complaints alleging they fraudulently obtained more than $25 million in taxpayer-funded COVID-19 relief funds and federally-guaranteed small business loans.
The 18 total defendants named in the complaints – four defendants are believed to be in Armenia – are charged with conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to claims; false, fictitious, or fraudulent claims; wire fraud and attempted wire fraud; bank fraud and attempted bank fraud; money laundering conspiracy; laundering of monetary instruments; engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity; and/or structuring financial transactions to evade reporting requirements.
The defendants arrested today include:
- Vahe Margaryan, a.k.a. “William McGrayan,” 42, of Tujunga, who allegedly orchestrated a scheme to defraud numerous banks and the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Preferred Lender Program, a program designed to help small businesses that otherwise might not obtain financing. McGrayan allegedly directed owners of sham corporations to open bank accounts, make false statements, and concoct documents, including phony resumes and financial statements, to support loan applications to buy other sham corporations. McGrayan allegedly paid for phony tax returns that falsely reported millions in revenue and tens of thousands in tax due and owing. McGrayan, whose alleged criminal activity lasted from 2018 until January 2025, then directed the laundering of millions in fraud proceeds through various bank accounts.
- Sarkis Gareginovich Sarkisyan, 37, a.k.a. “Samuel Shaw,” of Glendale, who allegedly, among other offenses, submitted a false application and bogus documents to obtain a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which provided low-interest, forgivable loans to help small businesses retain their workforce and cover expenses. Sarkisyan allegedly applied in April 2021 on behalf of a fake business that received more than $700,000 in PPP funds.
- Mery Babayan, 32, a.k.a. “Mery Diamondz,” of Van Nuys, together with co-defendants Margaryan and Hovannes Hovannisyan, 48, a.k.a. “John Harvard,” of Panorama City, in May 2021 allegedly defrauded a bank by representing the nonexistent sale of a sham business to another sham company to obtain an approximately $3 million federally guaranteed loan through the SBA’s Preferred Lending Program.
- Felix Parker, 77, of North Hollywood, who in January 2023 allegedly made false statements and submitted fraudulent documents, including fake tax returns that falsely reported that his shell company, Canmar Promo, earned millions of dollars annually and owed tens of thousands in federal income taxes. Parker allegedly obtained more than $2 million in government-guaranteed funds earmarked to help small businesses.
- Axsel Markaryan, 47, a.k.a. “Axel Mark,” of Pacoima, who in June 2023 allegedly fraudulently obtained more than $5 million in SBA loans via the submission of false statements and the submission of fake documents, including bogus tax returns. After the loans were obtained, Markaryan and his co-schemers in November 2023 laundered the money, including sending at least $100,000 to a co-schemer in Armenia.
As a result of today’s takedown, law enforcement seized approximately $20,000 in cash, two money-counting machines, paper cash bands or currency straps in denominations of $2,000 and $10,000, multiple cell phones, multiple laptops, two loaded semi-automatic 9mm handguns, and boxes of 9mm ammunition.
“Today’s enforcement action is intended to send a message to all criminals who take advantage of government programs designed to help those who need them most,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “If you took COVID-19 or SBA money you weren’t entitled to, your door could be the next one we visit. Together with our law enforcement partners, my office will aggressively prosecute individuals who cheat the system meant to protect and support law-abiding citizens.”
“Scheming to fraudulently obtain federal funds that were meant to provide assistance to the nation’s small businesses is unacceptable,” said the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) Western Region Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Huang. “OIG will continue to ardently investigate fraudulently obtained SBA program funds, including COVID-19 pandemic-related loans, to protect taxpayers from fraud, waste, and abuse. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of justice.”
“This transnational criminal network sought to defraud the government of millions of dollars and almost succeeded,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles Acting Special Agent in Charge John Pasciucco. “Through the diligent work of the El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force and our federal partners, HSI is continuing to identify these criminal groups looking to profit from the pandemic and will use all available resources to criminally prosecute or remove them from the country.”
“Today, 14 individuals were arrested in connection with a fraudulent loan scheme in which they allegedly obtained in excess of $25 million through the SBA Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loan programs, and other federal funding programs,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, Los Angeles Field Office. “These programs were established to assist individuals and businesses in need of financial assistance and instead were pilfered by the named defendants. IRS-CI is dedicated to identifying and dismantling criminal organizations that prey on assistance programs set up for the benefit of our law-abiding citizens.”
A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, each defendant would face a statutory maximum sentence of decades in federal prison.
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 bolster efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Central and Eastern Districts of California to jointly head one of the three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
SBA-OIG, IRS Criminal Investigation, and HSI are investigating these matters.
The cases announced today were investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, a multi-agency task force that includes federal and state investigators who are focused on financial crimes in Southern California.
Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Aveis and Gregg Marmaro of the Major Frauds Section and Maxwell Coll of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section are prosecuting these cases.
27 May 2025
Waterbury Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking RingRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TOMMY FIGUEROA, also known as “Coco,” 31, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 66 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in a Waterbury drug trafficking ring.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task Force and other law enforcement agencies investigated two drug trafficking organizations based in the city of Waterbury. One organization operated in the area of William Street and the other operated in the area of Maple Avenue. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, video surveillance, GPS tracking of vehicles, and numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that the two organizations distributed cocaine, crack, and fentanyl through a network of sellers. The organizations shared sources of supply and worked together to further their operations.
Figueroa worked as a shift-boss for the Maple Street organization, ensuring that street-level distributors were selling narcotics, primarily crack cocaine, around the clock. During the investigation, investigators made several controlled purchases of narcotics from Figueroa. Investigators also determined that Figueroa had acquired two firearms for protection.
Figueroa was arrested on related state charges on September 25, 2023, and the two firearms were seized. While detained in state custody, he continued his involvement in narcotics trafficking through his then girlfriend, Neysa Vazquez-Ferrer.
Seventeen individuals were charged with federal offenses as a result of the investigation.
On January 28, 2025, Figueroa pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Vazquez-Ferrer pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking offense and, on May 22, 2025, was sentenced to 36 months of imprisonment.
The FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task includes members from the FBI, the Waterbury Police Department, the Naugatuck Police Department, and the Connecticut Department of Correction. The DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Connecticut State Police, Wolcott Police Department, and Meriden Police Department have assisted the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth and Shan Patel through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the Waterbury State Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.
Virginia Woman Pleads Guilty to Committing Murder at a National ParkRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – An Alexandria, Virginia woman has pleaded guilty to driving more than 300 miles across state lines after she arranged to meet a victim, whom she shot and killed at a national park in Northeast Ohio.
According to court documents, Chelsea Perkins, 35, traveled to Ohio to meet the victim, Matthew Dunmire, whom she knew previously. On March 6, 2021, they visited the Terra Vista Natural Study Area, a hiking trail located in Valley View, Ohio, within the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. While hiking off-trail into a wooded area of the park, Perkins used a loaded firearm she brought with her to shoot the victim in the back of the head, killing him.
Criminal investigators found evidence linking Perkins to the shooting through GPS data, DNA, social media and phone records, and ballistics analysis. During a federal search warrant execution at her Virginia residence, federal agents found three 9mm pistols, including one recovered from a woman’s purse that also contained Perkins’ identification.
On May 27, 2025, Chelsea Perkins pleaded guilty to murder in the second degree and using or carrying and discharging a firearm during, and in relation to, a crime of violence on federal property. If the Court accepts the plea agreement at sentencing, Perkins faces between 20 and 25 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine her sentence after considering the plea agreement, U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other statutory factors.
Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 9, 2025.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, National Park Service Investigative Branch, Valley View Police Department, and Cuyahoga Valley National Park Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Scott Zarzycki, Margaret A. Kane, and Adam J. Joines.
Two Salinas Acosta Plaza Norteño Gang Members Plead Guilty to Racketeering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Gil Vasquez, aka “Rhino,” and Jose Mexicano, aka “Armani,” two members of the Salinas Acosta Plaza (SAP) Norteño criminal street gang based in Salinas, Calif., pleaded guilty in federal court today to racketeering conspiracy.
Vasquez, 37, and Mexicano, 26, both of Salinas, were indicted by a federal grand jury on April 18, 2024, along with multiple other defendants, on one count of racketeering conspiracy. According to court documents, the SAP Norteños is a street gang that originated in a Salinas apartment complex by the same name. The group is now recognized as a clique within the larger collection of Norteño criminal street gangs. As described in the indictment, members of the street gang “meet and work together” to carry out crimes for the benefit of the street gang, its members, the larger Norteño organization, and the Nuestra Familia prison gang. Gang members perpetrate crimes to protect and uphold the gang’s power, territory, and profits, and gang members are expected to engage in shootings, robberies, drug sales, and other criminal conduct to gain entry into, and improve a member’s status in, the gang.
In his plea agreement, Vasquez pleaded guilty to the sole count and admitted his personal involvement in the armed robbery of a bystander in July 2014, the attempted murder of a suspected rival gang member in February 2016, drug trafficking of fentanyl in 2023, and firearms trafficking in 2023. Vasquez also admitted to holding a leadership role within the gang.
In his plea agreement, Mexicano pleaded guilty to the sole count and admitted his personal involvement in drug trafficking of fentanyl and cocaine from 2021 to 2023, firearms trafficking from 2022 to 2023, and three violent assaults in 2024 and 2025. Mexicano also admitted to conducting two of those assaults while he was on federal pretrial release.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King made the announcement.
The indictment also charged nine other SAP Norteño gang members with racketeering conspiracy. Those cases remain pending. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and those nine defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Both Vasquez and Mexicano are currently in federal custody. The sentencing hearings for Vasquez and Mexicano are scheduled for Aug. 26, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Beth L. Freeman. Each defendant faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Hageman, Leif Dautch, Amani Floyd, and Jared Buszin of the Violent Crime Strike Force are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Lakisha Holliman and Tina Rosenbaum. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by HSI and the Salinas Police Department, with assistance from the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.
Texas man pleads guilty to employment tax fraudRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A Harris County resident has admitted to failing to report and pay employment taxes, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Joseth “Joe” Limon owned and operated Platinum Employment Group Inc. which supplied laborers to businesses in the Houston area. From 2013 through 2018, Platinum failed to file employment tax returns and, according to its payroll records, more than $8.8 million in taxes.
After closing Platinum, he set up another labor-staffing company, Rockwell Staffing LLC, in the name of his then 18-year-old daughter. When he discovered the IRS was attempting to collect Rockwell’s employment taxes, he caused his daughter to submit an affidavit that falsely claimed Rockwell had been a victim of identity theft and had no employment-tax liability.
U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal will impose sentencing Aug. 6. At that time, Limon faces up to five years in prison and a possible fine of at least $250,000.
Limon was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shirin Hakimzadeh and Trial Attorney Curtis Weidler of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Employment Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
A Texas man pleaded guilty today before Magistrate Judge Richard W. Bennett for the Southern District of Texas to not reporting and paying over employment taxes that his company withheld from its employees’ paychecks. The plea must be accepted by a U.S. district court judge.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Joseth “Joe” Limon, of Harris County, owned and operated Platinum Employment Group Inc., a company that supplied laborers to businesses in the Houston area. From 2013 through 2018, Platinum did not file employment-tax returns, and, according to its payroll records, did not pay more than $8.8 million in employment taxes. The timely payment of these taxes is critical to the functioning of the U.S. government, because, for example, they are the primary source of funding for Social Security and Medicare. The federal income taxes that are withheld from employees’ wages also account for a significant portion of all federal income taxes collected each year.
After closing Platinum, he set up another labor-staffing company, Rockwell Staffing LLC, in the name of his then 18-year-old daughter. When he later found out that the IRS was attempting to collect Rockwell’s unpaid employment taxes, he caused his daughter to submit an affidavit to the IRS that falsely claimed that Rockwell had been a victim of identity theft and had no employment tax liability.
Limon is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 6. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison as well as a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Curtis Weidler of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shirin Hakimzadeh for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
Tampa Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Receipt and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Almando Sapp, Jr. (39, Tampa) to eight years in federal prison for receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Sapp will also have to register as a sex offender and forfeit a cellphone used in the commission of the offense. Sapp pleaded guilty on January 9, 2025. A restitution hearing is scheduled for July 8, 2025.
According to court documents, through digital payment systems, Sapp purchased CSAM over a social media application. Law enforcement recovered online communications between Sapp and individuals over the app where Sapp admitted to spending hundreds of dollars to purchase CSAM and stated his desire for “real cp” and images or videos containing “intercourse.” Through a search of Sapp’s cellphone, agents recovered hundreds of images and videos of CSAM.
“This is another clear message that those who traffic in child sexual abuse material will be held accountable,” said Homeland Security Investigations Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kristopher Pagitt. “Homeland Security Investigations remains committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community by ensuring justice is served.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.
St. Louis Tax Preparer Sentenced for Preparing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Tuesday sentenced a St. Louis tax preparer to five years of probation and ordered her to pay restitution of $230,000 for preparing fraudulent tax returns.
Shasherese M. Reed prepared at least 41 false tax returns for 13 different taxpayers, costing the IRS at least $312,192. Reed “made up businesses out of thin air and claimed tens of thousands of dollars in false business expenses, false medical and dental expenses, mortgage interest, state and local taxes, and deductible employee expenses, all for the purpose of inflating the refunds her clients would receive from the IRS, often by thousands of dollars per return,” a sentencing memorandum filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow says.
Reed falsely identified her daughter as the paid tax preparer on the returns and filed the returns under her daughter’s tax preparation business, Majac Money. She did so because the IRS had revoked the Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) assigned to Reed and her business, Sha-Sha Taxes, in 2015 after the IRS determined Reed had submitted false tax returns.
“(R)ather than be deterred by the previous IRS investigation, Defendant doubled down on her illegal acts,” the sentencing memo says.
During the investigation, Reed prepared a fraudulent tax return for an undercover agent with IRS Criminal Investigation. Without ever asking if the agent had a business, Reed prepared a return that included a false Schedule C showing $26,242 in business expenses, Reed’s plea agreement says.
Reed charged clients hundreds of dollars for preparing returns, making about $378,026 in fees for the 2017-2021 tax years.
Reed, 53, pleaded guilty in February to two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false and fraudulent tax returns.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Nonprofit Executive Admits $2.3 Million Dollar Student Meal FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – The owner of a nonprofit on Tuesday admitted fraudulently obtaining more than $2 million in funds intended to feed low-income Missouri children, both before and during the coronavirus pandemic.
Cymone McClellan, 32, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She admitted that she and Terra Davis, 43, submitted $2.3 million worth of false and fraudulent meal reimbursement claims to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services from about January 2019 to June 2022, on behalf of their nonprofit, Sister of Lavender Rose (S.O.L.R.). Davis was McClellan’s second-in-command at S.O.L.R.
McClellan and Davis submitted false reimbursement claims for a total of 860,876 meals that they purportedly supplied to Missouri children. But McClellan actually only purchased enough food and milk to serve fewer than a quarter of those meals, her plea agreement says.
McClellan provided bogus sign-in sheets to DHSS falsely claiming to have taken the attendance of meal recipients at certain food distribution locations. S.O.L.R. submitted management plans to DHSS falsely asserting that state meal reimbursement dollars were spent only in connection with the provision of meals to low-income children, and that the nonprofit did not use meal money to make purchases over $5,000. McClellan’s management plans also falsely claimed that all checks were signed by her finance director, who was not a signor on S.O.L.R.’s account.
McClellan admitted spending $60,000 of the money that was to be used for feeding children for the down payment on a house in Collinsville, Illinois. She spent another $86,172 on a house in Florissant, Missouri, and almost $135,000 more to buy five vehicles: a 2021 Chevrolet Traverse, a 2012 Chevrolet Express G3500 van, a 2020 Mercedes-Benz Metris van, a 2012 Ford E350 box truck and a 2018 Lexus RX SUV.
As part of her plea, McClellan has agreed to forfeit the vehicles and houses. At her sentencing, now set for August 26, she will be ordered to repay the rest of the money.
Davis pleaded guilty in December to the same wire fraud conspiracy charge. She is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about pandemic fraud should call the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or report via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Springfield Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to illegally possessing firearms.
Aaron Wayne Williams, 34, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool, to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Under federal law it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Williams has previous felony convictions for domestic assault in the third degree, attempted burglary in the first degree, property damage motivated by discrimination in the second degree, possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful use of a weapon.
Williams admitted to possessing several firearms which were seized by Springfield, Mo., Police Department officers on Jan. 8, 2025, after an officer observed Williams sleeping in his running vehicle in the parking lot of the Kum & Go located at 2963 East Division Street. Officers observed a Ruger, Mini 14, semiautomatic rifle beside Williams as he slept. Officers found three additional firearms on Williams and in the vehicle: a Taurus, G2S, 9mm pistol; an HS Produkt, XD, .40 caliber pistol; and a Star, 9mm pistol.
Under federal statutes, Williams 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 Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Slidell Doctor Convicted of Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that ROBERT TASSIN, M.D. (“TASSIN”), age 64, of Slidell, Louisiana, pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1347 and 1349, in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary cancer genetic (“CGx”) tests.
According to court documents, TASSIN worked for several purported telemedicine companies. From approximately February through September of 2019, TASSIN, through the purported telemedicine companies, signed doctors’ orders for CGx tests for Medicare beneficiaries he never saw, spoke to, or otherwise treated. As a result, TASSIN’s orders resulted in over $6.6 million in false and fraudulent claims submitted to Medicare, of which Medicare reimbursed over $2 million. To conceal and perpetuate the fraud, TASSIN made several false and fraudulent statements in support of the orders he submitted, including falsely certifying in medical records that the CGx tests were medically necessary for the patients’ treatment. In exchange for electronically reviewing patient charts and ordering CGx tests, TASSIN was paid a set fee per doctor’s order, typically $30. Under the terms of his plea agreement, TASSIN agreed to forfeit the $106,757 that he received and to pay restitution of over $2 million to Medicare.
The Honorable Barry W. Ashe set sentencing for August 28, 2025. At sentencing, TASSIN faces up to ten years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain to TASSIN or the gross loss to Medicare, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. Trial Attorney Kelly Walters of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Moses, Healthcare Fraud Coordinator for the Eastern District of Louisiana, are prosecuting the case.
Roanoke Man, Who Posed as Baseball Prospect, Pleads Guilty to Failure to Register, False Statement ChargesRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke, Virginia man, who used burner phones to pose as officials from both Major and Minor League baseball teams, pled guilty today in federal court to failing to register as a convicted sex offender and making false statements.
Janike Dunbar Holt, 29, a.k.a. “Nike,” a.k.a. “Janike Tagovailoa” a.k.a. “Keanu Tagovailoa,” a.k.a. “Trey Tagovailoa,” pled guilty today to one count of failure to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act and one count of making a false statement to law enforcement.
According to court documents, in August 2018, Holt was convicted of four counts of taking indecent liberties with a child in North Carolina after he had sexual relations with a fifteen-year-old. Holt was released from custody in October of 2018 and, after initially complying with his required sex offender registration requirements, Holt failed to report an address change in June 2022.
In March 2022, Holt began dating a woman (Individual 1) who had a minor child (Minor A). Holt was not the father of Minor A, but he told others that he was. In addition, Holt was asking several other women for money that he claimed was to support Minor A, to visit Minor A, or to help obtain custody of Minor A. However, Holt did not actually use the money for these stated purposes or otherwise provide this money to Individual A or Minor A.
Around October 2022, Holt began dating Individual 2. Holt falsely told Individual 2 that he had a child (Minor A) and got Individual 2 to give him $65 for diapers for the child and for gas to go visit her. Individual 2 gave Holt access to her bank accounts, and Holt stole $5,000 from her. Individual 2 was able recover this money from her bank.
At other times in 2022, Holt also dated Individual 3 and Individual 5. While living with Individual 3, Holt stole at least three checks from her, which he subsequently made out to himself. Holt filled out one of these checks and asked Individual 5 to cash it for him. Holt made out another of these stolen checks for $225,000, with the memo line reading “Lawsuit Refund.” The check was never cashed. Holt later made out another of these stolen checks for $75,000, with the memo line reading “Law-suit settlement.” He asked Individuals 7 and 8 to cash this check for him, but they refused.
On February 6, 2023, Holt asked a friend to drive him from North Carolina to Virginia, where he was planning to move. Holt lived with his brother in Roanoke for a few days before moving in with a new girlfriend, Individual 6. Holt continued living with his new girlfriend until March 14, 2023. While living in Roanoke, Holt never registered as a sex offender in Virginia, despite being required to under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Despite living with Individual 6, Holt also spent a significant amount of time at a house where the mother of two of his brother’s children (Individual 7) lived with her mother (Individual 8). Holt falsely told his brother, Individual 7, and Individual 8 that he had been recruited to play for a Major League Baseball team. Holt used burner phones to send text messages to his brother, Individual 7, and Individual 8 while pretending to be actual individuals affiliated with a Major League Baseball team and a Minor League Baseball team. Holt used the names of these individuals without their knowledge.
Holt told his brother, Individual 6, Individual 7, and Individual 8 that they would all be moving as a result of his purported Major League Baseball career. In preparation, and at Holt’s urging, Individual 7 and Individual 8 sold some of their vehicles and gave Holt the proceeds. Holt also attempted to sell Individual 6’s vehicle without her knowledge.
On March 14, 2023, Holt was arrested on a warrant out of North Carolina. While being interviewed by a deputy marshal, Holt made several false statements, including that he had a child (Minor A), that he had not been living in Roanoke, Virginia but had been driving back and forth between Roanoke and North Carolina every other day, and that his probation officer was aware that he was habitually traveling between Roanoke and North Carolina.
The United States Marshals Service is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Scheff is prosecuting the case.
Raleigh County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Joshua Mason Trotter, 44, of Crab Orchard, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 1, 2024, Trotter possessed a Glock model 21 .45-caliber pistol and a CBC model 817 .17-caliber rifle. Trotter admitted to possessing the firearms and further admitted to possessing a 26-round high-capacity magazine for .45-caliber ammunition, approximately 10.51 grams of methamphetamine, and a total of 25.95 grams of para-fluorofentanyl, a synthetic opioid, in several packages.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Trotter knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for conspiracy to commit possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine in Kanawha County Circuit Court on November 29, 2017.
Trotter is scheduled to be sentenced on September 26, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-cr-22.
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Passaic County Correctional Officer Admits Civil Rights Violation and Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice in Connection with an Assault of a Pretrial DetaineeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County Correctional Officer admitted his role in assaulting a pretrial detainee and conspiring to obstruct justice, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Sergeant Donald Vinales, 39, pleaded guilty on May 21, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz in Newark federal court to a two-count indictment charging him with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On January 22, 2021, a pretrial detainee at the Passaic County Jail (“PCJ”) squirted a mixture containing urine onto a correctional officer. The following day, on January 23, 2021, Sergeant Vinales admitted that he, along with Sergeant Jose Gonzalez, and Correctional Officer Lorenzo Bowden, who were also charged in this case, transported the detainee through an area of the PCJ that does not have a video surveillance camera, which Correctional Officers and inmates at the PCJ have referred to as a “blind spot.” While in that “blind spot,” Sergeant Vinales admitted that he and Sgt. Gonzalez assaulted the detainee, while he was handcuffed, when they knocked him to the ground and struck him multiple times. One day after the assault, the detainee was taken to a local hospital, which documented injuries from the assault.
The defendants were required to submit documentation regarding their use of force. None of them submitted any such reports.
In April 2022, after receiving federal grand jury subpoenas in connection with this investigation, Sergeant Gonzalez, Sergeant Vinales, Officer Bowden, among others, met to discuss the federal investigation. During that meeting, the group agreed not to cooperate with the federal investigation and also agreed to say that nothing had happened to the detainee (referring to the assault). Thereafter, during an interview with federal investigators in October 2022, Bowden falsely stated that the detainee had not been assaulted and that there had not been any meeting or communication among those who participated in or witnessed the assault.
Officer Bowden pleaded guilty on April 18, 2024, before Judge Farbiarz to an information charging him with conspiracy to obstruct justice and is awaiting sentencing.
The charge of deprivation of rights under color of law carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and the charge of conspiracy to obstruct justice carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Both charges carry a fine of up to $250,000. Vinales’s sentencing is scheduled for September 30, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark; and the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office Division of Internal Affairs, under the direction of Sheriff Thomas Adamo.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin, Chief of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit in Newark, and R. Joseph Gribko, Senior Trial Counsel in Trenton.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment against Sergeant Gonzalez are still pending, are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense Counsel:
Eric V. Kleiner, Esq., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
vinales.indictment.pdfOrange County felon sentenced to federal prison for firearms violationRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas –An Orange, Texas man has been sentenced for illegally possessing a firearm in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
John Marion LeBlanc, 45, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 162 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on May 27, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on October 29, 2023, law enforcement responded to the Orange Boat Ramp on Pier Road in Orange in reference to a large disturbance with shots fired. Upon arrival, officers could see a large crowd with numerous vehicles in the boat ramp parking lot. As officers approached the scene, they heard several gunshots and observed muzzle flashes. One person had been shot in the arm. Video surveillance footage shows LeBlanc arrive at the boat ramp parking lot and fire a pistol in the crowd. Other individuals also fired shots, and as police arrived on scene, video footage shows LeBlanc throwing a firearm in the grass where it was later recovered.
Further investigation revealed LeBlanc has previously been convicted of eight felony convictions, including two prior federal drug trafficking convictions. Federal law prohibits convicted felons from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.
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 Orange Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Quinn.
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Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax Returns for Failing to Report Business EarningsRead the Press Release
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio − Sidney L. Glover, Jr., 36, of Warren, Ohio, has pleaded guilty to failing to report three years’ worth of business earnings to the IRS.
According to court documents, Glover was the sole owner of Teaching Excellence, LLC, a business dedicated to providing home healthcare services for individuals with disabilities. Because it specialized in serving clients with special needs, most of the company’s income was generated from the Ohio Department of Disabilities, which receives its funding through Ohio Medicaid.
IRS records analysis confirmed that the defendant did not file income tax returns for calendar years 2015 and 2016, but he eventually prepared and filed those documents two years later in April 2018. At that time, he also submitted the filing for the 2017 tax year. During the investigation, authorities learned that Glover’s Teaching Excellence business, had in fact, generated more than $1 million in gross receipts for 2015, 2016, and 2017 combined, and that he did not report those earnings in his tax filings for those years. Investigators also found that Glover had spent some of the unreported business earnings on various personal expenses.
In total, the defendant’s failure to report business income resulted in a loss of approximately $155,000 in unpaid taxes owed to the United States Treasury.
On May 21, 2025, Glover pleaded guilty to making and subscribing false tax returns for which he faces a maximum of up to three years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is yet to be scheduled.
The investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI). IRS-CI is the criminal investigative arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money-laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. IRS-CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a 90% federal conviction rate. The agency has 20 field offices located across the U.S. and 14 attaché posts abroad.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian M. McDonough and Brenna L. Fasko prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.
Newark Man Admits Role in Armed Robbery of a U.S. Postal Service Employee and Firearms and Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark, New Jersey man admitted his role in an armed robbery of a U.S. Postal Service employee as well as firearms and drug trafficking offenses, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Troy D. Corbett, Jr., 29, of Newark, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to one count of conspiring to interfere with commerce by robbery, one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Sentencing is scheduled for October 8, 2025.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In November 2023, four individuals – including Corbett – conspired to rob a U.S. Postal Service employee at gunpoint in Newark, New Jersey. The assailants stole the victim’s cell phone, keys, and wallet – including a credit card and debit card. The robbery impeded the victim from delivering mail, which interfered with interstate commerce. Following the robbery, Corbett attempted to use the employee’s stolen property to make purchases.
On January 18, 2024, in Newark, New Jersey, Corbett – who was convicted of a felony offense in 2018 – possessed a Polymer80, Inc. Model PF940V2 9mm caliber privately made pistol, bearing no identifiable serial number, loaded with 16 rounds of 9mm Luger ammunition that was manufactured outside of New Jersey. Corbett possessed at the same time approximately 162 pills of methamphetamine, which he intended to distribute.
The count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. The count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in prison, which term must run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment that Corbett is ordered to serve, and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited postal inspectors with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Christopher A. Nielsen, with the investigation. She also thanked special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, deputies of the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of United States Marshal Juan Mattos Jr., police officers and detectives of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda, officers of the New Jersey State Parole Board, under the direction of Chairman Samuel J. Plumeri, Jr., and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks, Jr.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli Jacobs of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: John J. McMahon, West Orange, New Jersey
Naugatuck Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking NarcoticsRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that HUSANI FOOTE, 30, of Naugatuck, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation determined that Foote was trafficking narcotics in and around Waterbury. Foote was arrested on related state charges on April 13, 2023. On that date, a court-authorized search of his Aetna Street residence and his vehicle parked in front of the residence revealed more than 34,000 baggies containing a mixture of fentanyl, heroin, and xylazine; approximately 160 grams of crack cocaine and six grams of powder cocaine; items used to process and package narcotics; a loaded 9mm handgun; and more than $122,000 in cash.
Foote has been detained since his federal arrest on June 12, 2023. On May 13, 2024, he pleaded guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
This investigation was conducted by the DEA New Haven Task Force, the Waterbury Police Department, the Naugatuck Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth.
Minnesota Man Indicted for Attempted Arson of Memorial U.S. Army Tank with A Molotov CocktailRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Trang Johnny Nha Phan (25, Minnesota) with attempted arson of federal property, possessing a Molotov cocktail as a convicted felon, and using a Molotov cocktail in furtherance of a crime of violence. If convicted on all counts, Phan faces a minimum penalty of 35 years, up to 65, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Phan that the United States intends to forfeit assets that are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.
According to the indictment, on February 14, 2025, Phan attempted to set fire using a Molotov cocktail to a M-60 A-3 tank owned by the U.S. Army. At the time, Phan had been convicted for threats of violence and possessing three grams or more of heroin.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Sarasota Police Department, and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam W. McCall.