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27 May 2025
Mexican national sentenced to federal prison for firearms violationRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas –A Mexican national has been sentenced for illegally possessing a firearm in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Maria Magdalena Chavez, 41, illegally residing in Port Arthur, pleaded guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on May 27, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on September 11, 2024, Chavez was in a vehicle stopped for a traffic violation in Nederland. During the stop, it was determined that Chavez had a firearm concealed in her bra. Further investigation revealed Chavez was a Mexican national who had been previously removed from the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, the Nederland Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tommy L. Coleman.
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Mexican National with Two Prior Deportations and Three Prior Felony Convictions Charged for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national made his initial court appearance today to face charges of illegally reentering the United States after previously being removed from the country.
Jesus Carreno-Serrano, 40, is charged with one count of deported alien found in the United States. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 10, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Maximiliano D. Couvillier, III.
According to allegations contained in the criminal complaint and statements made during court proceedings, Carreno-Serrano is a citizen and national of Mexico who was previously deported and removed from the United States on July 23, 2018, and May 21, 2020, and reentered the United States illegally.
On May 11, 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) learned that Carreno-Serrano had been arrested by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police for Driving Under the Influence. On May 11, 2025, Carreno-Serrano was remanded to ICE custody from the Clark County Detention Center, based on an immigration detainer. Carreno-Serrano has three prior felony convictions: one for Aggravated Driving Under the Influence, a second for Drug Paraphernalia Possess/Use, and a third for Illegal Reentry After Deportation.
If convicted, Carreno-Serrano faces the maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a one-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Field Office Director Michael Bernacke made the announcement.
The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is prosecuting the case.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
A complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Mexican National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Edson Aregullin has been sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison for unlawfully purchasing firearms for transport from Georgia to Mexico.
“Illegal firearms trafficking wreaks havoc in communities within and outside our district,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “We are proud to stand alongside our federal law enforcement partners in helping to stem the unlawful flow of firearms to criminals.”
“Every illegal firearm that crosses our border becomes a weapon of destruction in the wrong hands,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “ATF is committed to shutting down these criminal pipelines with precision and force. Our communities – here and abroad – deserve nothing less.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Edson Aregullin conspired with several individuals in Mexico to purchase more than 150 firearms from various firearms dealers in the Northern District of Georgia. Those firearms included 9mm pistols and AR-style rifles. Aregullin’s contacts in Mexico sent him detailed instructions concerning the makes and models of the firearms to buy. Aregullin bought the firearms with funds received from the actual buyer in Mexico and then facilitated transportation of the weapons to Mexico.
The guns Areguillin purchased illegally were used to commit violent crimes. For example, on April 21, 2022, Aregullin bought a .223 caliber rifle that law enforcement officers in Guanajuato, Mexico recovered just a few months later after a deadly encounter between municipal police and armed combatants. During the ensuing melee, eight people were killed, and four were injured.
On May 22, 2025, United States District Judge Steven D. Grimberg sentenced Edson Aregullin, 47, a Mexican national previously residing in Atlanta, Georgia, to 71 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. On November 19, 2024, Aregullin pled guilty to Conspiracy to Traffic in Firearms, three counts of Trafficking in Firearms, and three counts of False Statements to a Federal Firearms Licensee.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Gabay-Smith prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Medical Equipment Business Owner Sentenced to Federal Prison and Ordered to Pay over $6 Million in Restitution for a Conspiracy to Commit Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A former Kentucky resident was sentenced last week to 2 years and 9 months in federal prison for engaging in a conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with durable medical equipment businesses.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Kelly J. Blackmon of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), made the announcement.
According to court documents, Pedro Reyes, 54, formerly of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Reyes, through multiple Kentucky companies, executed a scheme in which he fraudulently billed Medicare for durable medical equipment (orthopedic equipment, to including back, knee, and shoulder braces) that was medically unnecessary, unwanted by patients, and not prescribed by the patients’ medical providers.
“I commend the tenacious work of the HHS-OIG and the prosecution team in this matter,” said U.S. Attorney Bennett. “Let this case serve as notice to those who plan to cheat the system. You will be identified, aggressively prosecuted, spend time in federal prison, and, in the end, pay back your ill-gotten gains.”
“The defendant’s exploitation of the Medicare program and its enrollees for unlawful financial gain constitutes a serious breach of trust and a misappropriation of resources for the public,” said Special Agent in Charge Blackmon. “HHS-OIG is unwavering in our commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the Medicare and other federal healthcare programs.”
There is no parole in the federal system.
Reyes was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $6,004,916.
This case was investigated by HHS-OIG.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Tieke prosecuted the case, with assistance from healthcare fraud investigator Bob Masterson.
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McKees Rocks Resident Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Coerce Minor for Sex and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity and possession of child sexual abuse material, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Ryan Peters, 35, pleaded guilty to two counts before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on August 6, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant for Peters’ residence based on tips reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children regarding online activity involving child sexual abuse material. During the search, investigators located and seized numerous electronic devices, including a cell phone found in a cat litterbox in the hallway as well as Peters’ laptop. A forensic review of these devices revealed child sexual abuse material, including five videos and 11 images that involved the use of minors, including prepubescent minors and minors who had not attained 12 years of age, engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
A few weeks later, Peters used a social networking and dating application to contact and attempt to persuade and entice an individual he believed was a 12-year-old girl from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to engage in sexual activity. The purported minor was in fact an undercover FBI agent. During their online conversations over the following weeks, Peters discussed sex with the purported child and solicited the minor to send him sexually explicit images of herself. Peters then suggested they meet in person and, following a failed attempt to do so in late-August, again arranged to meet the purported minor on September 13, 2021. Peters was arrested upon his arrival at the predetermined meeting place.
Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for November 12, 2025. The law provides for a total maximum sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the Court ordered that Peters remain detained.
Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Allegheny County Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Peters.
Mayville man convicted of sex trafficking a minor going to prison for lifeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that William A. Quinones, 51, of Mayville, NY, who was convicted by a federal jury of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and sex trafficking of a minor, was sentenced to serve life in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron J. Mango and Franz M. Wright, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that in July 2021, the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office received a complaint that Quinones had been sexually abusing two children over the past eight years. A subsequent investigation identified a total of four minor victims. During interviews with investigators, the victims stated that Quinones raped or attempted to rape and sexually abused them. Quinones threatened them with violence or threatened to hurt their families if they disclosed what he was doing. Quinones had regular sexual contact with one minor victim, referred to in the indictment, beginning when she was eight years old, as often as three to four times each week. The minor victim told investigators that Quinones started paying her in exchange for sexual contact, beginning when she was 13 years old until age 16 years old. On one occasion, Quinones took her to Erie, PA, to pick up drugs. Prior to returning home, Quinones stopped at a motel to engage in sexual intercourse. During the course of the sexual abuse, Quinones repeatedly raped and physically abused her.
The sentencing is a result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone.
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Manatee County Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Images and VideosRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced Capers Scott Hammond (35, Bradenton) to 5 years in federal prison for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Hammond was also ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution, a $30,000 fine, and will be required to register as a sex offender. The court also ordered Hammond to forfeit an iPad, three thumb drives, a MacBook, a custom PC tower, and an iPhone, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. Hammond entered a guilty plea on February 13, 2025.
According to court documents, Hammond used a file-sharing network to distribute and receive CSAM. Pursuant to a search warrant, law enforcement searched Hammond’s apartment, seized various electronics, and determined he had received and possessed seven images and four videos of CSAM.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abigail K. King.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.
Lynchburg Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms and Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
LYNCHBURG, Va. – A Lynchburg, Virginia man, implicated in a series of incidents involving the illegal possession of a firearm and conspiring to access protected computer systems, pled guilty today to firearm and conspiracy charges.
Brendon Cole Webber, 28, was arrested in May 2024 for being a convicted felon illegally in possession of a firearm. Webber pled guilty today to one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon and two counts of conspiracy against the United States.
According to court documents, beginning in 2022, Webber was being supervised by the Lynchburg Community Corrections & Pretrial Services Department (LCCPS). In 2023, Jennifer Leigh Peters assumed the role of Acting Director of the LCCPS. Starting in approximately August 2023, Webber and Peters began a romantic relationship. Peters directly or indirectly supervised Webber’s probation throughout his LCCPS supervision. Peters, because of her role with LCCPS, had access to certain non-public, law enforcement materials, including the Lynchburg Police Department’s Records Management System (RMS). The RMS was a protected computer system that housed confidential non-public, law enforcement material.
Between November 11, 2023 and January 9, 2024, Webber and Peters conspired to have Webber access RMS information without authorization. Specifically, Peters provided Webber with access to non-public confidential material on RMS, and Webber disseminated that non-public information to others.
On November 30, 2023, Webber was charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm in violation of Virginia law and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Webber and Peters knew there was an active warrant for Webber’s arrest and knew there was an active U.S. Marshal’s fugitive manhunt for Webber’s apprehension.
Around December 19, 2023, at Webber’s instruction, Peters drove Webber from Lynchburg, Virginia to Hughestown, Pennsylvania with the purpose of obstructing the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive mission. Weber further directed Peters to book a hotel room during the drive. Webber was arrested in Hughestown, Pennsylvania on January 9, 2024.
Webber previously pled guilty to state charges of conspiracy to commit computer fraud and conspiracy to obstruct justice, as well as to unlawfully possessing a firearm.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers were flagged down by a citizen on Fifth Street in Lynchburg after the citizen reported seeing a man fall out of a moving vehicle then shoot a firearm in the direction of the same departing vehicle. The citizen told police the man who shot at the vehicle- ultimately identified as Webber- then ran toward the Family Dollar on Federal Street in downtown Lynchburg.
Two other individuals driving past the incident witnessed Webber fall out of the vehicle. Webber asked the witnesses for a ride and attempted to enter their vehicle as law enforcement arrived on scene. Police officers searched the vehicle and found a loaded 9 mm handgun, a white bag containing suspected methamphetamine, and a wallet belonging to an unidentified individual in the back seat where Webber had been sitting.
Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the City of Lynchburg Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Vito Iaia is prosecuting the case.
Loxahatchee Man Convicted at Trial of Conspiring to Traffic CocaineRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that a federal jury has found Wilmer Sanchez Aquino (36, Loxahatchee) guilty of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and attempting to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute it. Sanchez Aquino faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 27, 2025.
On May 1, 2025, co-defendant Luis Garcia-Serrano (36) pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering offenses. He faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. A third co-defendant, Antonio Gonzalez Prado (49), pleaded guilty on May 13, 2025, to cocaine trafficking. He faces a minimum of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison.
According to evidence presented at trial, in September 2021, Sanchez Aquino received a package containing two kilograms of cocaine on behalf of Garcia-Serrano. In November 2021, investigators intercepted a kilogram of cocaine intended for an address in the Middle District of Florida and replaced the cocaine with a block of wood. Garcia-Serrano and Sanchez Aquino discussed the block of wood inside the package and how Sanchez Aquino already had a buyer lined up to buy the kilogram. Financial records from Sanchez Aquino’s checking account showed cash deposits going into the account during the conspiracy. Sanchez Aquino testified in his defense at trial and claimed that he was not the person in certain phone calls despite his phone number being used in those calls and being referred to in one call as “Wilmer.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza. The forfeiture is being handled by AUSA Suzanne Nebesky.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Local Rapper Sentenced for Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Keynon Frazier, a/k/a “Green Eyez,” 29, of Shreveport, has been sentenced by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 78 months followed by 3 years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $25,000 fine.
Frazier a/k/a “Green Eyez” was found guilty by a jury on January 15, 2025, for Felon in Possession of Firearm. On April 15, 2024, officers with the Shreveport Police Department attempted to stop a vehicle being driven by Frazier in the downtown Shreveport area, which ended with his vehicle crashing into a telephone pole and another vehicle. Officers approached the crashed vehicle and found Frazier, who was the sole occupant and driver of the vehicle. Also, inside the vehicle on the front passenger floorboard, officers found two firearms, a Glock 17 firearm, and a Glock 45 firearm, along with an expended shell casing stuck within the chamber of the Glock 45. In addition, there was a bullet-size hole found in the front driver’s side windshield of the vehicle.
Officers determined that Frazier had prior felony convictions for aggravated battery and second degree robbery, and he was arrested at the scene and taken into custody. As a convicted felon, Frazier was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Shreveport Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Aaron Crawford and Cheyenne Wilson.
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Knife-Wielding Passenger Charged in Random Stabbing on Metro BusRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ankintola Olowofoyeku, 43, of Hyattsville, Maryland, was indicted for threatening to kill two strangers and stabbing one of them on a metro bus in July 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Michael Anzallo, of the Metro Transit Police Department.
View copy of indictment here.
A Superior Court grand jury indicted Olowofoyeku on May 21, 2025, on two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, one count of assault with significant bodily injury while armed, and two counts of felony threats.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 21, 2024, Olowofoyeku was aboard a 70 route bus, in the vicinity of Georgia Avenue NW and Jefferson Street NW, when he began screaming at two strangers and demanding that they exit the bus. Olowofoyeku threatened to kill the two victims while holding a knife behind his back and forcing the victims to retreat into a corner of the bus. Olowofoyeku struck one of the victims and a struggle ensued. During the struggle, Olowofoyeku stabbed one of the victims in his leg, arm, and hand. Eventually, Olowofoyeku was forced off the bus, where he continued to brandish the knife and threaten to kill. Subsequently, Olowofoyeku fled the area and was arrested on February 7, 2025.
Trial is scheduled for June 16, 2025, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before the Honorable Andrea Hertzfeld.
This case is being investigated by the Metro Transit Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Dal Lago.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Kanawha County Man Sentenced for Withholding Information in Bankruptcy CaseRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – James Eugene Wells, 73, of Marmet, was sentenced today to one year of federal probation for withholding records relating to the property or financial affairs of a debtor in bankruptcy from an officer of the court or a United States Trustee entitled to its possession.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2022, a Charleston business solely owned by Wells’ wife filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Wells helped with the business’ day-to-day management, including by overseeing many of its financial affairs, but was never an employee of the business or a registered owner or manager. As part of his guilty plea, Wells admitted that he applied for and obtained five loans in the business’ name from February 2023 through February 2024, knowing that the business had filed for bankruptcy protection. Wells further admitted that he did not disclose the existence of the loans to the United States Trustee, who oversees the administration of bankruptcy cases in the Southern District of West Virginia.
On January 31, 2024, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court held a hearing on the U.S. Trustee’s motion to dismiss the business’ bankruptcy case. That day, the bankruptcy lawyer for the business informed the U.S. Trustee of the existence of one of the four loans that Wells had obtained by that time in the business’ name. When the bankruptcy court confronted Wells about the loan, Wells lied under oath about the circumstances surrounding its origins. As part of his guilty plea, Wells admitted that he did not disclose the existence of the other three active loans while the bankruptcy judge questioned him under oath. Wells further admitted that the fifth loan, obtained on February 8, 2024, was not approved by the bankruptcy court or disclosed to the U.S. Trustee. On February 21, 2024, the bankruptcy court dismissed the business’ bankruptcy case.
A total of $68,000 was obtained in proceeds from the five loans and used for the business’ operations or to pay down debt. The lender charged the business $9,750 in fees. Wells’ agreement with the lender gave the lender priority status over other creditors, including by granting the undisclosed lender direct access to the business’ bank account. This arrangement allowed the lender to withdraw funds directly from the business’ account without court oversight.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The United States Trustee’s Charleston field office, which serves West Virginia, made the criminal referral of this case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The United States Trustee Program is a component of the Department of Justice whose mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-7.
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Justice Department Files Help America Vote Act Lawsuit Against North Carolina for Inaccurate Voter ListRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against the State of North Carolina and the North Carolina State Board of Elections for failure to maintain an accurate voter list in violation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).
The lawsuit alleges that the State of North Carolina, in violation of HAVA’s mandate and clear Congressional intent, used a State voter registration form that did not require a voter to provide identifying information such as a driver’s license or last four digits of a social security number. Voters were then added to the State’s voter registration roll without the required information, and many of these voters remain on the registration rolls without it.
On March 25, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14248 entitled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections” to ensure that elections are being held in compliance with federal laws that guard against illegal voting, unlawful discrimination, and other forms of fraud, error, or suspicion. The election integrity issues raised in this action are a core component of the Federal election laws that Congress has statutorily charged the Attorney General of the United States, through the Civil Rights Division, to enforce.
“Accurate voter registration rolls are critical to ensure that elections in North Carolina are conducted fairly, accurately, and without fraud,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice will not hesitate to file suit against jurisdictions that maintain inaccurate voter registration rolls in violation of federal voting laws.”
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the integrity of the vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting. Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.
Juniata County Woman Sentenced to Six Months’ Home Confinement for Social Security and Housing Choice Voucher Program FraudRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Doris Santana, age 54, of Thompsontown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on May 22, 2025, to six months’ home confinement by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for social security fraud and theft of public money related to her theft of social security and federal housing funds.
According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, between February 2008 and December 2021, Santana was a participant in the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP), which provided rental assistance to eligible recipients. Between May 2018 and September 2024, Santana also received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) from the Social Security Administration (SSA). In April 2011, Santana married Individual 1. However, Santana concealed the marriage from the SSA and HUD. Santana’s marriage to, cohabitation with, and receipt of income from Individual 1 rendered Santana ineligible to receive SSI and Housing Choice Voucher Program funds.
Judge Wilson also ordered Santana to pay $141,055.10 in restitution.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General and Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney David C. Williams prosecuted the case.
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Judgment Entered Against Bakersfield and Van Nuys Men for Sexual Harassment Against Bakersfield TenantRead the Press Release
The United States has obtained a default judgment against Bakersfield residents Juvenal Salazar and Javier Salazar Sr. and Van Nuys resident Ricardo Covarrubias, a maintenance worker, manager, and owner, respectively, of rental properties in Bakersfield, in a case brought by the United States alleging sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of the Fair Housing Act, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
The lawsuit alleged that from December 2018 through March 2019, Juvenal Salazar sexually harassed a female tenant by repeatedly asking her to engage in sexual acts with him, describing the sexual acts he wished to engage in with her, and persistently commenting on her appearance. According to the complaint, on two occasions, Juvenal Salazar touched the tenant’s body without her consent, and he surreptitiously took photographs of framed pictures of her and her daughter. The tenant reported the man’s conduct to Salazar Sr., who is both the property manager and Juvenal Salazar’s father. After the tenant reported the harassment and threatened to contact a lawyer or the police if it continued, the Salazars refused to fix a leaking gas line in her dwelling, causing her to go without heat for one month and consequently forcing her to move out. The complaint also alleged that Covarrubias, the property owner, was liable for the Salazars’ conduct because they were his agents when they engaged in sexual harassment and retaliation.
After the defendants failed to respond to the complaint or oppose the motion for default judgment, U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston entered judgment for the United States and ordered the Salazars and Covarrubias to pay the tenant $45,000 in damages, to attend a training on the requirements of the Fair Housing Act, and to adopt a written policy against sexual harassment. The order also prohibits Juvenal Salazar from working in property management or maintenance for a period of 10 years.
“For four months, this tenant refused the repeated sexual advances by the maintenance worker at her home, and when she reported the sexual harassment, she faced retaliation,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Beckwith. “The wrongful actions of the Salazars and Covarrubias caused her significant harm and distress. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to use its available resources to investigate landlords who enable or engage in sexual harassment or retaliation in violation of the Fair Housing Act.”
If you believe you are a victim of sexual harassment by a landlord, or if you have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, email the Justice Department at [email protected], or submit a report online. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
You may also make a report by contacting the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online.
The Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative is led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. The initiative seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers, and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative in October 2017, the department has filed 47 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered nearly $17 million for victims of such harassment.
This case was a joint effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California and the Civil Rights Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Fuentes handled this case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Jasper County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Carthage, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to charges related to the sexual exploitation of a child.
Uriah Behl, 40, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool, to one count of sexual exploitation of children. By pleading guilty today, Behl admitted to secretly recording a naked juvenile in the shower.
The investigation began when the Jasper County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) received a call reporting that a camera had been found in a community shower room in Carthage, Mo. Witnesses found a cell phone in the cabinet under the bathroom sink, recording through a crack in the open cabinet door. Several videos were found on the phone, containing multiple victims, including a juvenile.
In a post-Miranda interview, Behl admitted to JCSO officers that he had set the phone up to record the whole room, including the shower, when motion was detected. Behl claimed that he did not intend to record the juvenile victim; however, clips from the videos focused on portions of the video depicting the juvenile victim naked, with their genitals exposed.
Behl gave JCSO officers consent to search the phone he was using to record and the cell phone he used for calls and texting. A forensic search of the phones found over an hour of videos from the shower room, several clips from those videos containing the naked juvenile victim, multiple searches for child pornography, as well as 161 images depicting child pornography downloaded from the internet.
Under federal statutes, Behl is subject to a sentence of at least 15 and up to 30 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.
Behl will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Jasper County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Iranian Man Pleaded Guilty to Role in Robbinhood RansomwareRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – An Iranian national pleaded guilty today to participating in an international ransomware and extortion scheme involving the Robbinhood ransomware.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Sina Gholinejad, 37, and his co-conspirators compromised the computer networks of cities, corporations, health care organizations, and other entities around the United States, and encrypted files on these victim networks with the Robbinhood ransomware variant to extort ransom payments. These cyber-attacks caused significant disruptions and tens of millions in losses, including to the City of Greenville, North Carolina, and the City of Baltimore, Maryland. Baltimore lost more than $19 million from the damage caused to their computer networks and the resulting disruption to several essential city services, including online services for processing property taxes, water bills, parking citations, and other revenue-generating functions, which lasted many months. The conspirators used the damage they caused these cities to threaten subsequent victims.
“Gholinejad and his co-conspirators — all of whom were overseas — caused tens of millions of dollars in losses and disrupted essential public services by deploying the Robbinhood ransomware against U.S. cities, health care organizations, and businesses,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The ransomware attack against the City of Baltimore forced the city to take hundreds of computers offline and prevented the city from performing basic functions for months. Gholinejad’s conviction reflects the Criminal Division’s commitment to bringing cybercriminals who target our cities, healthcare system, and businesses to justice no matter where they are located. There will be no impunity for these destructive attacks.”
“Cybercrime is not a victimless offense—it is a direct attack on our communities, as seen in this case. Gholinejad and his co-conspirators orchestrated a ransomware scheme that disrupted lives, businesses, and local governments, and resulted in losses of tens of millions of dollars from unsuspecting victims and institutions,” said acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. “The announcement today marks a significant step towards justice for the countless victims impacted by the defendant’s malicious scheme. Cases like these act as a reminder that cybercriminals who seek to exploit our digital infrastructure for personal gain will be identified, prosecuted, and held accountable.”
“These ransomware actors leveraged sophisticated tools and tradecraft to harm innocent victims in the United States, all while believing they could conduct their illegal activities safely from overseas,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. of the FBI. “This case demonstrates the capability and resolve of the FBI and our partners to find and impose consequences on cybercriminals no matter where they attempt to hide.”
Beginning in January 2019, Gholinejad and others gained and maintained unauthorized access to victim computer networks and then copied information from the infected victim networks to virtual private servers controlled by the conspirators. The conspirators also deployed Robbinhood ransomware to encrypt the victims’ files and extort Bitcoin from victims in exchange for the private key required to decrypt the victims’ computer files.
Gholinejad and his co-conspirators attempted to launder the ransom payments through cryptocurrency mixing services and by moving assets between different types of cryptocurrencies, a practice known as chain-hopping. They also hid their identities and activities through a number of technical methods, including the use of virtual private networks and servers that they operated. The indictment identifies multiple additional victims of Robbinhood ransomware, including, but not limited to, the City of Gresham, Oregon and the City of Yonkers, New York.
Gholinejad pleaded guilty to one count of computer fraud and abuse and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison when sentenced later this year.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II accepted the plea. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad DeVoe, Senior Counsels Aarash Haghighat and Ryan R.J. Dickey of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case with valuable assistance from Trial Attorney Alexandra Cooper-Ponte of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Deputy Chief Matthew Anzaldi of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided substantial assistance in the collection of evidence. Additional details on protecting networks against ransomware are available at StopRansomware.gov.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-CR-16.
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Iranian Man Pleaded Guilty to Role in Robbinhood RansomwareRead the Press Release
Note: see indictment here.
An Iranian national pleaded guilty today to participating in an international ransomware and extortion scheme involving the Robbinhood ransomware.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Sina Gholinejad, 37, and his co-conspirators compromised the computer networks of cities, corporations, health care organizations, and other entities around the United States, and encrypted files on these victim networks with the Robbinhood ransomware variant to extort ransom payments. These cyber attacks caused significant disruptions and tens of millions in losses, including to the City of Greenville, North Carolina, and the City of Baltimore, Maryland. Baltimore lost more than $19 million from the damage caused to their computer networks and the resulting disruption to several essential city services, including online services for processing property taxes, water bills, parking citations, and other revenue-generating functions, which lasted many months. The conspirators used the damage they caused these cities to threaten subsequent victims.
“Gholinejad and his co-conspirators — all of whom were overseas — caused tens of millions of dollars in losses and disrupted essential public services by deploying the Robbinhood ransomware against U. S. cities, health care organizations, and businesses,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The ransomware attack against the City of Baltimore forced the city to take hundreds of computers offline and prevented the city from performing basic functions for months. Gholinejad’s conviction reflects the Criminal Division’s commitment to bringing cybercriminals who target our cities, healthcare system, and businesses to justice no matter where they are located. There will be no impunity for these destructive attacks.”
“Cybercrime is not a victimless offense — it is a direct attack on our communities, as seen in this case. Gholinejad and his co-conspirators orchestrated a ransomware scheme that disrupted lives, businesses, and local governments, and resulted in losses of tens of millions of dollars from unsuspecting victims and institutions,” said acting U. S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar for the Eastern District of North Carolina. “The announcement today marks a significant step towards justice for the countless victims impacted by the defendant’s malicious scheme. Cases like these act as a reminder that cybercriminals who seek to exploit our digital infrastructure for personal gain will be identified, prosecuted, and held accountable.”
“These ransomware actors leveraged sophisticated tools and tradecraft to harm innocent victims in the United States, all while believing they could conduct their illegal activities safely from overseas,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. of the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office. “This case demonstrates the capability and resolve of the FBI and our partners to find and impose consequences on cybercriminals no matter where they attempt to hide.”
Beginning in January 2019, Gholinejad and others gained and maintained unauthorized access to victim computer networks and then copied information from the infected victim networks to virtual private servers controlled by the conspirators. The conspirators also deployed Robbinhood ransomware to encrypt the victims’ files and extort Bitcoin from victims in exchange for the private key required to decrypt the victims’ computer files.
Gholinejad and his co-conspirators attempted to launder the ransom payments through cryptocurrency mixing services and by moving assets between different types of cryptocurrencies, a practice known as chain-hopping. They also hid their identities and activities through a number of technical methods, including the use of virtual private networks and servers that they operated. The indictment identifies multiple additional victims of Robbinhood ransomware, including, but not limited to, the City of Gresham, Oregon and the City of Yonkers, New York.
Gholinejad pleaded guilty to one count of computer fraud and abuse and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced in August. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Charlotte Field Office investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the FBI Baltimore Field Office. The Justice Department extends its thanks to international judicial and law enforcement partners in Bulgaria for providing valuable assistance with the collection of evidence.
Senior Counsels Aarash A. Haghighat and Ryan K. J. Dickey of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U. S. Attorney Bradford DeVoe for the Eastern District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance from Trial Attorney Alexandra Cooper-Ponte of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Deputy Chief Matthew Anzaldi of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided substantial assistance in the collection of evidence.
Additional details on protecting networks against ransomware are available at StopRansomware. gov.
Illegal Immigrant Sentenced for Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Guatemalan national was sentenced on May 23, 2025, for illegally reentering the United States after previously having been deported.
According to court documents, Maynor Tecum-Tecum, 42, was encountered by deputies from the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office for a traffic violation in Mobile County. The deputies suspected that Tecum-Tecum might not be a United States citizen, so they contacted law enforcement personnel from the United States Border Patrol (USBP). USBP confirmed that Tecum-Tecum had been previously removed from the United States in 2010. He had also been convicted of Illegal Entry that same year.
At sentencing, Judge Dubose imposed a time-served sentence and a 1-year term of supervised release upon his future release. Tecum-Tecum had been in custody since his arrest on February 18, 2025. Upon his release from prison, Tecum-Tecum is to be referred to immigration officials for deportation proceedings. Tecum-Tecum was ordered to pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The United States Border Patrol and Mobile County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmy L. Thomas prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Illegal Alien from Mexico Previously Convicted of Sexual Battery on a Minor, Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal grand jury in Miami has charged Juan Perez Santis, 40, a Mexican national previously convicted of sexual battery on a minor, with unlawfully entering the United States after deportation. Perez Santis made his initial appearance in federal court today.
According to the indictment, Perez Santis was removed from the United States on three separate occasions: March 21, 2002; June 20, 2007; and October 2, 2007. Law enforcement discovered Perez Santis had reentered the country without authorization on or about January 2, 2022.
Court documents further show that in 2024, after his prior removals and alleged reentry, Perez Santis was convicted in the state of Florida for sexual battery on a minor under the age of 12 and three related charges. Perez Santis is currently serving a 10-year sentence in state prison.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and acting Field Office Director Juan Agudelo of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) Prosecutions Unit Miami made the announcement.
ICE-ERO investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Audrey Pence Tomanelli and Andrea Montes are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20080.
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Husband and Wife Each Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Covid FraudRead the Press Release
TRENTON N.J. – A New Jersey and Florida husband and wife were sentenced to 12 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining approximately $790,000 in federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) loans, U.S. Alina Habba announced.
Diana Valteri, 42, and Edmond Haxhillari, 43, of Sparta, New Jersey, and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, previously plead guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch to informations charging the couple with wire fraud and money laundering. Judge Kirsch imposed the sentences in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From in or around June 2020 through August 2020, Valteri and Haxhillari participated in a fraudulent scheme to receive $790,000 in COVID-19 emergency relief loans and cash advances meant for distressed small businesses under the EIDL program. Valteri and Haxhillari submitted fraudulent loan applications on behalf of several businesses that purported to have employees and revenue but were actually shell companies with no business operations. After receiving the EIDL funds based on their fraud, Valteri and Haxhillari diverted the proceeds for their own personal gain.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Field Office under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Terrence G. Reilly; special agents of Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan; special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Boston-New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amy Connelly, and special agents from the Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Eastern Regional Office, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fatime Meka Cano and Aja Espinosa of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Defense counsel: William Tunkey, Esq. and Joseph Nascimento, Esq.
Hartford, Connecticut Gang Member Sentenced to 10½ Years’ Imprisonment for Drug and Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on May 23, 2025, Linoshka Barbosa, 25, formerly of Hartford, Connecticut, was sentenced by United States District Judge William K. Sessions III to a term of 126 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Barbosa previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, crack cocaine and powder cocaine, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. She has been detained since her October 15, 2024, guilty plea.
According to court records, between March 2020 and October 2023, Linoshka Barbosa, also known as “Lily,” and “Lilz,” was one of the leaders of a drug distribution conspiracy in the Brattleboro, Vermont area, involving cocaine, cocaine base, fentanyl, and numerous firearms. Barbosa, a member of a violent gang in Hartford, Connecticut, called “GMS,” was trafficking large quantities of drugs to Brattleboro, often using a driver from a ride-hailing company to transport the controlled substances. Barbosa enlisted several other gang members from Connecticut to assist her in Vermont and the group dealt drugs from various locations in Brattleboro including, 33 Oak Street #4, 14 Birge Street, 135 Elliot Street, and 84 Linden Street. Barbosa also hired numerous people in Vermont to help her sell the drugs. During the conspiracy, Barbosa and her associates traded drugs for guns, and some of those guns were used in shootings in Hartford, Connecticut, including a double homicide in August 2023. Also, on March 30, 2023, a man was shot during a drug dispute at 14 Birge Street in Brattleboro. Investigation later revealed that Elias Lopez, a member of the conspiracy along with Barbosa, was involved in the shooting. Lopez has since pleaded guilty in state court for his role in the shooting, and will be sentenced in federal court on June 2, 2025 for his role in the drug conspiracy.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Vermont State Police, the Brattleboro Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.
"Linoshka Barbosa utilized firearms to protect her drug operations and fueled violence in our neighborhoods. Her narcotics trafficking and illegal firearm activities posed a serious threat to public safety” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Boston Field Division. “This case highlights the dangers of illegal firearm and narcotics trafficking. We will continue to stand united with our law enforcement partners to investigate these matters and hold offenders accountable.”
“This prosecution has removed a dangerous offender from our streets and sent a strong message that Vermont does not tolerate those who prey upon our communities and place them at risk,” said Col. Matthew T. Birmingham, director of the Vermont State Police. “Thanks to a united effort from federal, state and local law enforcement to stop the trafficking of narcotics and firearms, Vermont is a safer place.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy L. Fuller. Barbosa was represented by David Sleigh, Esq.
Halifax County Felon Sentenced to More Than 5 Years for Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Sakwon Artavas Bowser, age 29, was sentenced on Friday to 5.5 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Bowser pleaded guilty to the charge on February 18, 2025.
According to court records and evidence presented at sentencing, in June 2024, Bowser was wanted on outstanding warrants for common law robbery by the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO). On June 6, 2024, law enforcement saw Bowser exit a local mobile home park and attempted a traffic stop. Instead of stopping, Bowser drove through a restaurant parking lot and then accelerated at a high rate of speed. The officer pursued Bowser as he drove recklessly, passing a vehicle at a stop sign, traveling in the center lane, and reaching speeds of 60 mph in a 35-mph zone. Bowser continued driving through residential yards of a mobile home park before he jumped from the moving vehicle and continued to flee on foot. HCSO noticed that Bowser had a backpack in his possession when he jumped out of the car, which he dropped in a wooded area during the foot pursuit. HCSO found Bowser hiding inside one of the mobile homes. A subsequent search of Bowser’s backpack revealed multiple baggies of marijuana packaged individually for distribution, a loaded Glock 17 handgun, a digital scale, and U.S. currency.
Bowser has a criminal history that spans a decade and includes a prior felony conviction from 2018 for conspiracy to obtain property by false pretenses.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. Agencies involved in the investigation include the Halifax County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Dixon prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-CR-00074.
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Guatemalan National Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara has sentenced Dodi Garcia Flores (45, Guatemala) to two years in federal prison for illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. Garcia Flores pleaded guilty on March 3, 2025.
According to court documents, Garcia Flores is a native and citizen of Guatemala. He was previously removed from the United States on three occasions—October 15, 2008, May 15, 2009, and February 5, 2020. Prior to these removals, Garcia Flores was convicted of two felony offenses: (1) resisting an officer with violence and assault in the second degree, and (2) intent to cause physical injury with a weapon.
This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lindsey Schmidt.
Gang Member Sentenced to 14 Years for Involvement in Cross-Country Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh gang member was sentenced on Thursday to 14 years in prison for conspiring to traffic fentanyl pills in the Eastern District of North Carolina. Shakeim Weeks, age 30, pled guilty on February 27, 2025, to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Four Hundred Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, law enforcement determined that Weeks, a validated member of the United Blood Nation gang, was part of a drug trafficking organization that was obtaining fentanyl pills in California and Arizona and transporting them to the Raleigh area for distribution. On June 7, 2024, Weeks was arrested when law enforcement found approximately 100,000 fentanyl pills, weighing approximately 11 kilograms, in Weeks' suitcase when he returned to North Carolina from a resupply trip to Arizona. The fentanyl pills Weeks brought to North Carolina were packaged in Lego boxes, consistent with other seizures of fentanyl pills from this drug trafficking organization.
This investigation was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Raleigh Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Durham Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey L. Peaden prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-200-D-006.
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Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 60 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Melvin Green, 35 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Green was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.According to documents in the case, Green sold fentanyl to undercover officers on seven occasions beginning in March of 2022. In July of 2022, Green was apprehended on his way to sell additional fentanyl. A search of Green’s residence recovered more drugs, firearms, and ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin C. Sheridan.
Former Tacoma attorney pleads guilty to stealing from disabled clientRead the Press Release
Seattle – A former Tacoma lawyer pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to wire fraud for his embezzlement from a vulnerable client’s trust account, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Colby Parks, 65, stole more than $530,000 from a client who received about$1.66 million due to significant permanent injuries she suffered as a passenger in a motorcycle accident. Prosecutors will recommend Parks serve no more than 33 months in prison when he is sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones on August 29, 2025.
According to records filed in the case, in 2010 Parks became the trustee for a living trust designed to pay the victim’s expenses after she was severely injured as a passenger on a motorcycle. Initially, the victim’s trust account contained approximately $1.66 million. However, over the first seven years that Parks was the trustee, he siphoned the funds for his own personal use in such large amounts that only $20,000 was left. In 2018, Parks had the victim take out a reverse mortgage on her home and used the proceeds to fund the trust account. He continued to make transfers from the account for his own use. Records from the account show that Parks repeatedly transferred funds to his own bank accounts and then, on the same day or soon thereafter, Parks would make a payment for a personal credit card for the same amount as the transfer. In all Parks made more than 600 transfers of the victim’s funds to accounts he controlled. In October 2017 he made 13 different transfers from the victim’s account to the ones he controlled.
In all, over ten years, Parks transferred more than $880,000 from the victim’s accounts to ones he controlled. He paid himself at least $530,000 more than he was entitled to receive as his fees for trustee services.
By the end of 2019, the victim’s accounts held only $15. She was forced to sell her home. And even then, Parks diverted proceeds from the sale by claiming the victim owed him money he had advanced to her.
Parks repeatedly told the defendant she was spending too much money, when in fact, the amount that the victim received as cash disbursements was a fraction of the amount that Parks secretly siphoned for himself.
When Washington State’s Adult Protective Services investigated Parks’ representation of the victim, Parks initially claimed he was only paid a flat rate of $24,000 per year. After Adult Protective Services requested supporting documentation, Parks revised his statement and said he was paid varying amounts that averaged over $54,000 per year. However, Parks collected well over $80,000 per year from the victim.
The Washington State Bar also investigated the matter, and Parks resigned his law license instead of discipline, which could have been disbarment.
The case was investigated by the FBI with cooperation from the Washington State Bar and Adult Protective Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cindy Chang.
Former President of Local Oilfield Consulting Service Business Sentenced in Federal Court for Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Brian T. Owen, 52, of Caddo Parish, Louisiana, has been sentenced for money laundering. United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced Owen to 30 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, $100,000 fine, and ordered him to pay $1,157,154.39 in restitution.
Owen pleaded guilty in October 2024 to a Bill of Information charging him with one count of money laundering in connection with his unlawful activities as president of an oilfield consulting service business headquartered in Bossier City. According to information introduced in court, in June 2020, the company filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Louisiana.
In January 2021, as part of the company’s bankruptcy plan of reorganization, a Distribution Trust was established to pay back creditors, and Owen executed a Distribution Trust Agreement in his role as president of the company. According to this plan, if Owen received any additional compensation from the company, he was required to pay 30% of that directly to the Distribution Trust.
In 2021, the company began applying for Employee Retention Credits (“ERCs”), which are a refundable tax credit for certain eligible businesses and tax-exempt organizations that had employees and were affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Owen then devised a scheme to defraud the Distribution Trust by intercepting the physical U.S. Department of Treasury Checks before they were deposited into the company’s working accounts. Unbeknownst to other senior leadership at the company, Owen had opened a bank account in the name of the company while it was still in bankruptcy. As part of the scheme, he deposited a total of $3.8 million in ERC funds for himself as additional compensation. Owen did not pay the Distribution Trust the 30% as he had agreed, but instead used the money for his own personal expenses, including to pay off gambling debts.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Louisiana State Police and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth D. Reeg.
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Former Greeley Man and Parker Woman Indicted for Defrauding COVID-19 Relief ProgramsRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Robert Crust, age 46, formerly of Greeley, Colorado, and Bethany Williams, age 44, of Parker, Colorado, were indicted by a federal grand jury in Colorado. Robert Crust has been charged with five counts of wire fraud and six counts of money laundering. Bethany Williams has been charged with two counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.
According to the indictment, Crust and Williams participated in a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration and lenders to obtain emergency COVID-19 relief funds. Crust made or caused the submission of loan applications and documents that contained material misrepresentations, all in furtherance of fraudulently obtaining loans on behalf of three Colorado businesses that he owned or managed. Crust also submitted fabricated documents to lenders, including tax forms and a payroll report that Crust manipulated to falsely inflate the number of employees and payroll. Williams also made materially false statements in connection with two loan applications on behalf of one of the businesses. The three businesses collectively received nearly $1 million in loan proceeds.
Despite representing in the loan documents that the funds would be used for legitimate business expenses, the indictment alleges that Crust and Williams used the funds for personal expenses, including airline travel and hotel accommodations while vacationing in Las Vegas. Crust used loan proceeds to purchase a 2012 BMW X5 vehicle, a Jaguar E-PACE vehicle, and a boat.
On May 20, 2025, Williams made her initial appearance in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Cyrus Y. Chung. On May 21, 2025, Crust was arrested in Tampa, Florida, and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Natalie Hirt Adams the following day.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation’s Denver Field Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Theodore O’Brien and Craig Fansler.
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
Case Number: 1:25-cr-00133-NYW
Five Individuals Indicted in Insider Trading SchemeRead the Press Release
Five individuals were charged in a 19-count indictment for their participation in a scheme to trade securities on the basis of material nonpublic information about the merger between two companies that resulted in profits of over $600,000, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
According to court documents, between May and June 2023, Rouzbeh “Ross” Haghighat, 61, of West Newbury, Massachusetts, Behrouz “Bruce” Haghighat, 60, of Laguna Niguel, California, Kirstyn Pearl, 35, of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, Seyedfarbod “Fabio” Sabzevari, 31, of North Hollywood, California, and James Roberge, 70, of Westford, Massachusetts, allegedly profited more than $600,000 by unlawfully purchasing the securities of a biopharmaceutical company in Seattle, Washington (Company-1), where Ross Haghighat served as a director. As alleged, the defendants traded securities based on material nonpublic information about another pharmaceutical company’s (Company-2) proposed acquisition of Company-1. The indictment alleges that, in May 2023, Company-2 madea confidential proposal to acquire Company-1 at a price per share above the then current market value. The two companies then negotiated an agreement for the acquisition, which was announced in June 2023, causing the share price to spike.
“Our office is committed to protecting the integrity of the market and holding accountable those who attempt to gain unfair advantages through trading on insider information.”
- U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
“The defendants were charged for allegedly trading on inside information and reaping hundreds of thousands in illicit profits,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Securities fraud and insider trading distort our financial markets and disadvantage Americans who play by the rules. These charges demonstrate that the Criminal Division is committed to maintaining the integrity of markets by holding accountable all those who defraud investors.”
“This case makes one thing clear: if you think you can game the system using insider information, think again,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Criminal Investigations Group. “Ross Haghighat and his associates thought they were above the law and colored outside the lines for financial gain, but the indictment proves no one is above the law. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will not hesitate to pursue and bring to justice anyone who tries to corrupt the integrity of our financial markets.”
In his position as a director on the board of Company-1, Ross Haghighat allegedly obtained material nonpublic inside information about its acquisition, including sensitive deal terms. He then purchased securities, and tipped others — including Bruce Haghighat, Pearl, Sabzevari, and Roberge — for personal benefit with the expectation that they would purchase securities, which the defendants allegedly did.
Ross Haghighat was charged with one count of securities fraud, 16 counts of insider trading, and two counts of conspiracy. He was previously charged with one count of conspiracy to commit insider trading.
Bruce Haghighat was charged with one count of securities fraud, one count of insider trading, and one count of conspiracy.
Pearl was charged with one count of securities fraud, one count of insider trading, and one count of conspiracy.
Sabzevari and Roberge were both charged with one count of securities fraud and seven counts of insider trading.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison on the securities fraud charge and 20 years in prison on each of the insider-trading charges. If convicted of conspiracy, Ross Haghighat, Bruce Haghighat, and Pearl face a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney John J. Liolos of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Mezzanotte for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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haghighat.indictment.pdfFederal Jury Finds St. Paul Man Guilty of Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury found Noel Hall of St. Paul guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to evidence presented at trial, Noel Debra Hall, 47, drunkenly brandished a firearm inside a St. Paul apartment at approximately 5:30 a.m. on July 7, 2024. The St. Paul Police Department responded to the apartment complex and engaged in a multi-hour standoff with Hall, who was barricaded inside. Hall surrendered to police after the St. Paul SWAT team deployed a drone inside the apartment. Law enforcement ultimately discovered a semiautomatic pistol and a loaded magazine concealed in a box spring within the apartment.
According to court documents, Hall is a former federal defendant convicted in 2019 of possession with the intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl. He was on supervised release for that conviction when he committed this offense of unlawfully possessing a firearm.
“As a convicted felon, Noel Hall was prohibited from possessing a firearm, and his conduct underlying his conviction in this case shows precisely why that was—he was a clear and present danger to the public. St. Paul is a safer place as a result of the jury’s verdict,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the St. Paul Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Raphael B. Coburn tried the case.
Federal Felon Arrested in Connection with Months-Long Armed Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Terry Lewis Burston, a multi-convicted felon who was released from prison last year, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Regina D. Cannon on May 22, 2025, following his arrest on charges of postal robbery, aggravated assault on a federal employee, Hobbs Act Robbery, and using a firearm during a crime of violence. Burston was arrested on May 17, 2025, pursuant to a criminal complaint obtained by the United States Postal Inspection Service.
“Burston is a violent repeat offender who allegedly terrorized the citizens of DeKalb County by assaulting federal employees and robbing local business operators at gunpoint,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “We are grateful to our federal and local law enforcement partners whose coordinated investigation resulted in Burston’s arrest and prevented him from committing additional violent crimes.”
“This is another example of Postal Inspectors and local agencies collaborating to remove an armed and dangerous individual from our community,” said Rodney M. Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division. “We are grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting the violent and callous actions committed by this defendant against postal service employees and other businesses.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On December 14, 2024, Burston allegedly robbed an auto parts store in Decatur, Georgia. During the robbery, Burston allegedly brandished a black handgun, tapped it on the store counter, and demanded money from an employee. Burston fled after confiscating the cash.
Six days later, on December 20, 2024, Burston allegedly waited outside a Scottdale, Georgia, post office. He forced his way inside after the last customer departed, pointed a gun at a postal employee, demanded money, obtained cash from the register, and fled.
Later, on January 17, 2025, Burston allegedly attempted to rob a gas station in Decatur when he pointed a black handgun at an employee and demanded money.
Four months later, on May 17, 2025, Burston allegedly attempted to rob a Lithonia, Georgia, Post Office but fled after postal employees began alerting their co-workers. Postal inspectors who responded to the attempted robbery found Burston changing his clothes behind a nearby restaurant. They recovered a firearm lying at Burston’s feet and arrested him after a brief chase.
At the time of these alleged offenses, Burston was subject to federal supervision following his 2013 conviction for armed bank robbery. In a separate case, Burston was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment for robbing an Atlanta bank and post office in 1995.
Members of the public are reminded that the complaint only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service with valuable assistance from the DeKalb County Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Schechtman is prosecuting this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Elizabeth City Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Quantity of FentanylRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – An Elizabeth City man was sentenced Thursday to 6.5 years in prison after he ran from law enforcement during a traffic stop and was found in possession of 29.66 grams of fentanyl. Rashawn M. Baum, 29, pled guilty to Possession With the Intent to Distribute a Quantity of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl on February 27, 2025.
According to court records, officers with the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement and Elizabeth City Police Department observed Baum driving erratically at a high rate of speed. When officers tried to initiate a traffic stop, Baum sped off. After a short pursuit, Baum collided with two separate cars before coming to a stop near a local family restaurant. Baum and one of the passengers in the car attempted to flee on foot but were caught quickly.
In Baum’s vehicle, law enforcement found a green Crown Royal bag on the driver’s side floorboard. It contained a plastic bag and ten bindles containing various quantities of a white substance. Tests of that substance confirmed it to be approximately an ounce of fentanyl. Law enforcement also recovered a .357 semi-automatic pistol from the scene.
U.S. District Court Judge James C. Dever, III, imposed the sentence and stated that “fentanyl is destroying thousands of lives.” Judge Dever explained the sentence was, in part, because the defendant would rather poison members of his community than seek legitimate employment. The 78-month sentence will commence after Baum finishes an unrelated state sentence in 2031.
Elizabeth City Chief of Police Eddie Graham echoed the District Court and stated that “drugs ruin people’s lives, break up families, and have a disastrous effect on our community.” Chief Graham asserted that such conduct “will no longer be tolerated.”
“Communities across North Carolina have been ravaged by the spread of fentanyl and other opioids, which can lead to overdose deaths,” Acting United States Attorney Daniel P. Bubar said today. “When individuals bring this poison into our communities, this United States Attorney’s Office, along with our partners in law enforcement, will act to prosecute those offenders in order to protect the community.”
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement, and Elizabeth City Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phil Aubart and Logan Liles prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:24-CR-182.
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El Salvador National Charged with Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An El Salvador national was arrested and charged with possessing firearms as an illegal alien, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Jose Manuel Menjivar Viera, a/k/a Jose Manuel Mejiva, 35, a citizen and national of El Salvador and most recently of Long Branch, New Jersey, was charged by complaint with one count of being an illegal alien in possession of firearms. Viera made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Brendan Day in Trenton federal court and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On December 11, 2024, at approximately 3:00 a.m., law enforcement officers in Long Branch responded to multiple calls for service regarding gunshots fired in a suburban neighborhood. Shortly after officers arrived, they observed an individual, later identified as Jose Manuel Menjivar Viera, riding a bicycle and carrying a large black bag. Officers followed Viera before he dismounted from the bike and fled into the exterior property of a nearby residence. Officers searched the area where Viera fled and eventually recovered his bicycle and the bag he was carrying. The bag contained two firearms, a semiautomatic rifle and a loaded handgun, firearm magazines, ammunition, and a machete. A short time later, officers discovered Viera hiding in the truck-bed of a pickup truck parked in the driveway next to the residence. Viera was subsequently identified by agents with the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as being an El Salvador national and citizen and without any legal status to be in the United States.
The alien in possession of a firearm charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited deportation officers of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations Newark, under the direction of Field Office Director John Tsoukaris, with the investigation leading to the charges. She also thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, the Long Branch Police Department, under the direction of Officer-in-Charge Jorge Silverio, and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago, for their assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Benjamin West, Federal Public Defenders
viera.complaint.pdfDunklin County Woman Sentenced for Aiding $565,000 FraudRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge on Tuesday sentenced a money mule to fifteen months imprisonment for moving $565,000 in stolen funds.
Sheri L. Reeves acted as a money courier or “money mule,” transferring money obtained by fraud to others. On June 9, 2020, Reeves opened an account at a Bank of America branch in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and later added the name of the fraud victim to the account. Reeves’ co-conspirators used fraudulently obtained account information to access the victim’s account and transfer a total of $565,000 to Reeves’ account. She then sent the money to others using cashier’s checks obtained in Tennessee and Arkansas and via a CoinFlip cryptocurrency ATM in Dunklin County. She also sent her account information to others and withdrew or attempted to withdraw the proceeds in cash or by check, her plea agreement says.
Despite being warned by the FBI, Reeves continued to assist in the commission of financial crimes.
Reeves, 55, of Kennett, in Dunklin County, pleaded guilty in November in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count of aiding and abetting bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and one count of wire fraud. In addition to the sentence of fifteen months imprisonment, Reeves was ordered to pay $565,000 in restitution to the Bank of America, and to serve a term of five years supervised release upon her release from imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Hahn prosecuted the case.
If you believe you are participating in a money mule scheme or a victim of one, please contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaints Center at ic3.gov or contact your local FBI office.
Drug Dealer from Fort Hall Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Walker Dean Cates, 39, of Fort Hall, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today.
According to court records, Cates sold methamphetamine and fentanyl to an individual on three occasions at his residence at Fort Hall. On April 11, 2024, Cates sold 3.58 grams of methamphetamine. On July 22, 2024, Cates and his co-defendant, Mariah Dawn Russell, sold 10.92 grams of fentanyl. On August 21, 2024, Cates and co-defendant Russell sold 505.7 grams of fentanyl.
On October 9, 2024, officers traveled to Cates home to arrest him pursuant to the federal arrest warrant. Cates fled from police officers in his vehicle at a high rate of speed. Officers from multiple law enforcement agencies pursued Cates through the residential area and the backroads of Fort Hall. Officers subsequently arrested Cates after he crashed his vehicle in a rural area of Fort Hall.
Cates was held accountable for a total of 516.62 grams of fentanyl and 3.58 grams of methamphetamine that he sold to the individual.
Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Cates to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Cates pleaded guilty to the charge in February 2025. On December 16, 2024, codefendant Russell pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Russell is scheduled for sentencing on July 17, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the work of the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Hall Police Department and the BADGES Task Force, which is a HIDTA-funded task force that includes the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pocatello Police Department, the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office, the Idaho State Police, and the Chubbuck Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoie Laggis prosecuted this case.
These cases were investigated through the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. HIDTA is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multiagency drug enforcement initiatives, including the BADGES Task Force.
The BADGES Task Force is a collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that focuses primarily on drug trafficking in Bannock County and throughout the region.
This case was handled by the U.S. Attorney Office’s specially deputized Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA), funded by the Eastern Idaho Partnership (EIP) and the State of Idaho. The EIP is a coalition of local city and county officials in eastern Idaho as well as the Idaho Department of Correction.
The EIP SAUSA program allows law enforcement to utilize the federal criminal justice system – through the EIP SAUSA – to prosecute, convict, and sentence violent, armed criminals and drug traffickers. These criminals often receive stiffer penalties than they might in state courts.
This program was created in January 2016. Since that time, approximately 200 defendants have been indicted by the EIP SAUSA. Of these defendants, 175 have been indicted on drug trafficking charges. The defendants indicted under the program have been sentenced to 11,144 months (approximately 928.66 years) in federal prison, representing an average prison sentence of 77.4 months (6.45 years). Defendants indicted for drug trafficking offenses serve, on average, approximately 64.19 months (5.35 years) in federal prison.
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Dracut Man Sentenced for Fraud Scheme Involving Online Sales of CosmeticsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dracut man was sentenced on May 21, 2025 in federal court in Boston for carrying out a scheme to obtain products from an online cosmetics company through fraud and then reselling those products on Amazon and eBay for a profit.
Nika Ashtar-Zadeh, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick to two months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. Ashtar-Zadeh was also ordered to pay $115,037 in restitution and forfeiture of $67,000. Ashtar-Zadeh was charged in September 2024 along with his brother, Nick Ashtar-Zadeh, and pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in October 2024.
Between 2019 and 2021, Ashtar-Zadeh and his brother operated Amazon and eBay “stores” that offered various products for sale, including the products of a cosmetics company in Texas. The Ashtar-Zadehs offered the company’s products on these platforms to buyers for one-time payments that were typically equal to or below the company’s list prices for the same products. The Ashtar-Zadehs then enrolled these Amazon and eBay buyers in the company’s 30-day trial program for the same products. The brothers entered the buyers’ information on the company’s website, without the customers’ knowledge or consent, and caused the company to ship its products to those buyers for a trial period. For these orders, the Ashtar-Zadehs presented the company with forms of payment that fulfilled initial charges of $19.95 but were declined when the company attempted to charge later installments, after buyers had kept the products past 30 days. The brothers sold the company’s products in this manner to hundreds of buyers on Amazon and eBay, each time pocketing the difference between what the buyers paid them and the initial $19.95 upfront payment to the company. As a result of the conduct, the Ashtar-Zadehs cost the cosmetics company hundreds of thousands of dollars.
In March 2025, Nick Ashtar-Zadeh, 23, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick to six months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Nick Ashtar-Zadeh was also ordered to pay $181,806 in restitution and forfeiture of $111,156.
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 David M. Holcomb of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Defendants Convicted on Charges Related to Hate Crime HoaxRead the Press Release
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Derrick Bernard Jr., 36, and Ashley Blackcloud, 40, were convicted by a federal jury for conspiring to threaten or convey false information about a threat when they burned a cross in front of a Black political candidate’s campaign sign defaced with a racial slur and publicized their threatening activity. The cross burning took place on April 23, 2023, just over three weeks before the Colorado Springs mayoral runoff election held on May 16, 2023.
Evidence presented at the five-day trial showed that ten days before the cross burning, Bernard sent a message to the threatened candidate in which he explained he was “mobilizing my squad in defense. Black ops style big brother” and then immediately texted Blackcloud, “I got a plan.” After the burning occurred, Bernard and Blackcloud then worked together to send an email to the candidate, media outlets, and other local, state, and national organizations. Attached to the email was a short video of the cross burning and a still photograph. The email falsely blamed the candidate’s political opponent for the crime. The defendants then worked together to maliciously convey false information about the cross burning via social media platforms.
The conspiracy was uncovered when the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) gathered surveillance footage around the scene of the cross burning. The CSPD’s extensive review of the footage revealed three people prowling through the darkness between 2:30 and 3:30 in the morning to stage the crime. Additional investigative work by the CSPD and exhaustive efforts by the FBI ultimately identified Bernard and Blackcloud, self-declared activists and social media personalities, as two of the culprits.
Sentencing for Derrick Bernard is scheduled for September 11, 2025. Sentencing for Ashley Blackcloud is scheduled for September 17, 2025. Co-defendant Deanna West previously pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 4, 2025.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with substantial assistance from the Colorado Springs Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bryan Fields and Candyce Cline.
CASE NUMBER: 24-cr-00320-RMR
Craig H. Missakian Sworn in as United States Attorney for the Northern District of CaliforniaRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Craig H. Missakian was sworn in this morning as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of California. Chief U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg administered the oath of office.
Mr. Missakian was appointed as United States Attorney by Attorney General Pam Bondi pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 546.
“It is an immense honor to serve as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of California. I’m humbled to have this opportunity to return to public service and to work on behalf of the residents of this remarkable district, and I thank Attorney General Bondi. I am committed to working with the talented men and women of this Office and our law enforcement partners to protect public safety, tackle violent crime, including crimes committed by violent offenders in the country illegally, combat investment and elder fraud, safeguard the district’s technology and critical infrastructure, and uphold the rule of law,” said United States Attorney Missakian. “I also want to thank Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick Robbins for his leadership and his service.”
Mr. Missakian has extensive experience as a federal and state prosecutor, having served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Central District of California from 2001 to 2010 and as a Deputy District Attorney with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office from 1994 to 1997. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mr. Missakian handled multiple high-profile public corruption, organized crime, and cybercrime cases. Mr. Missakian and his co-counsel secured a conviction and multiple guilty pleas in United States v. Chi Mak, an espionage case involving an engineer who over several decades stole classified and highly sensitive U.S. military secrets for the People’s Republic of China. He received the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service for his work on the case. Mr. Missakian also led a multi-year investigation into a nationwide health care fraud scheme involving over $100 million in fraudulent Medicare claims.
From 2014 to 2016, Mr. Missakian worked as Deputy Chief Counsel on the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on Benghazi’s investigation into the 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya that killed four Americans.
In addition to Mr. Missakian’s long career in public service, he worked in private practice in the areas of complex commercial litigation, qui tam litigation, employment, real estate, and entertainment.
United States Attorney Missakian earned a bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from the University of Southern California and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.
Convicted Felon Indicted for Possession of A MachinegunRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Edward Anderson (44, Bradenton) with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a machinegun. If convicted, Anderson faces up to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and up to 10 years in federal prison for the machinegun offense.
According to the indictment, Anderson was previously convicted of nine felonies, including two prior firearms offenses. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. Beginning on an unknown date and continuing through July 30, 2024, Anderson possessed a Glock pistol that had been modified with a replacement slide cover plate, making the handgun capable of firing as a fully automatic weapon.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman.
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 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).
Colorado Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced in Alpine to 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ALPINE, Texas – A Colorado man was sentenced in a federal court in Alpine to 240 months in prison for distributing fentanyl to a Texas resident.
According to court documents, Douglas Christopher Steele, 54, of Denver, engaged in a text message conversation with a man living Alpine on Jan. 29, 2024. Steele agreed to mail 20 fentanyl pills to the man’s work address. Steele notified the man that he’d mailed the package of fentanyl on Feb. 2 and, on Feb. 5, the man’s co-worker received the FedEx delivery. Through additional text message exchanges, Steele and the man discussed how strong the fentanyl was and, just after midnight on Feb. 6, 2024, the man messaged Steele telling him that he nearly overdosed. Later that morning, the man was found unresponsive in the restroom at this place of work. He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
A Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Texas Department of Public Safety (TX DPS) Criminal Investigation Division (CID) investigation revealed the envelopes at the man’s residence that had been mailed from Steele’s Colorado residence, and eventually the cell phone messages between the man and Steele.
Steele was indicted on May 9, 2024 in Pecos for two counts related to fentanyl distribution and was arrested in Denver on May 11. He pleaded guilty Nov. 18, 2024.
Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
HSI and TX DPS CID investigated the case with assistance from the Alpine Police Department, Brewster County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Greenbaum prosecuted the case.
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Clearwater Man Sentenced to 20 Years’ Imprisonment for Role in Fatal Fentanyl OverdoseRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Dennis Jackson (36, Clearwater), a/k/a “Miami,” to 20 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl resulting in death. Jackson pleaded guilty on November 30, 2022.
According to court documents, Jackson was a distributor of fentanyl. On the night of April 1, 2020, first responders found M.B. dead from an apparent overdose at a residence in Clearwater. Evidence of opioid use was found near the body and the autopsy and toxicology results confirmed that there was a lethal level of fentanyl in M.B.’s body. Eyewitness information identified Jackson as the supplier. Two days later, Jackson appeared for a voluntary interview at the Clearwater Police Department. During that interview, Jackson admitted to his involvement in the overdose.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Clearwater Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Chula Vista Man Pleads Guilty in $51 Million Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Chula Vista resident and businessowner Fernando Valenzuela Ayub pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he conspired with others to launder millions of dollars of health care fraud proceeds and paid unlawful kickbacks.
According to his plea agreement, Valenzuela and co-conspirators owned and operated multiple durable medical equipment (DME) companies, which sold orthotics – including back, wrist, and knee braces – to Medicare beneficiaries. Valenzuela admitted that in operating the DME companies, he and co-conspirators paid unlawful kickback payments to sham marketing companies who provided bogus prescriptions for DME. In total, Valenzuela paid $3.7 million in kickbacks.
Valenzuela admitted that he used his DME companies to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare. Once Valenzuela’s DME companies were suspended from billing Medicare, Valenzuela conspired to put DME companies in the names of nominee owners while he maintained control of the companies and the monies received from Medicare. In total, Valenzuela billed Medicare approximately $51 million and was paid approximately $20 million, and ultimately laundered at least $14 million dollars of Medicare proceeds. As part of his guilty plea, Valenzuela agreed to forfeit $7,101,320.
Valenzuela’s sentencing is scheduled for August 15, 2025.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blanca Quintero of the Southern District of California.
DEFENDANT Case Number 25cr2488-DMS
Fernando Valenzuela Ayub Age: 48 Chula Vista, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Money Laundering Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(h)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $500,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG)
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Chilean Nationals Indicted for Immigration Crimes and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Hernan Nicolas Fuentes Alfaro (44, Chile) and Eduardo Luis Portilla Romero (19, Chile) with possessing fraudulent Peruvian passports and aggravated identity theft. The indictment also charges Fuentes Alfaro with illegally reentering the United States after deportation. If convicted on all counts, Fuentes Alfaro and Portilla Romero face a maximum penalty of 12 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Fuentes Alfaro and Portilla Romero that the United States intends to forfeit assets alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.
According to court records, on April 2, 2025, Fuentes Alfaro and Portilla Romero were found with fraudulent Peruvian passports. Both fraudulent passports contained identifying information belonging to real individuals. Fuentes Alfaro was previously deported from the United States on March 3, 2020.
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 Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam W. McCall.
Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 19 Years in Prison for Selling Heroin and Fentanyl That Killed New York ActivistRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, United States District Judge Brian M. Cogan sentenced Michael Kuilan to 19 years’ imprisonment for selling fentanyl and heroin that caused the fatal overdose of LGBTQ activist Cecilia Gentili. As part of the sentence, Kuilan was ordered to pay $24,482 in restitution and forfeit $30,000 and a seized firearm. The defendant was also sentenced to serve 15 years concurrently for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon. Kuilan has three prior state felony convictions for drug offenses relating to the sale of heroin. He pleaded guilty to the federal charges on September 23, 2024.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Frank A. Tarentino, III, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the plea.
“Cecilia Gentili was tragically poisoned from fentanyl-laced heroin. Today, the perpetrators who sold the deadly drugs to Gentili are being held accountable,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “This Office will be relentless in prosecuting fentanyl dealers.”
"Michael Kuilan sold the lethal drugs that took the life of LGBTQIA+ activist and leader Cecilia Gentili, and now, he is being held accountable for this horrible crime," said NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “While we can sadly never bring Cecilia back, today, some semblance of justice is finally being served. I thank the NYPD investigators, the DEA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their work in delivering justice in this case.”
According to court documents and facts presented in court, on February 6, 2024, Gentili was found dead in her bedroom in Brooklyn. Gentili died due to the combined effect of controlled substances, including fentanyl, xylazine, cocaine, and heroin. Text messages and other evidence revealed that co-defendant Antonio Venti sold the fentanyl and heroin mixture to Gentili on February 5, 2024, and that Kuilan supplied Venti with those lethal narcotics. When law enforcement searched an apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn belonging to Kuilan, they found hundreds of baggies of fentanyl, a handgun, and ammunition.
On February 12, 2025, Judge Cogan sentenced Venti to five years’ imprisonment for the same drug offense.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorney Adam Amir is in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Samuel Ronchetti.
The Defendant:
MICHAEL KUILAN
Age: 45
Brooklyn, New YorkPreviously Sentenced Defendant:
ANTONIO VENTI
Age: 53
West Babylon, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-130 (BMC)
Brooklyn Man Charged with Distribution of Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont - The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Antwvan Baker, 36, of Brooklyn, New York, has been charged by a two-count indictment with distribution of controlled substances in Burlington, Vermont in 2023 and 2024.
Baker was arrested pursuant to an arrest warrant at John F. Kennedy Airport in Queens, New York on May 13, 2025. Baker made his initial appearance in the Eastern District of New York before United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy that same day. On May 14, 2025, Baker again appeared in the Eastern District of New York and United States Magistrate Judge James R. Cho released Baker on an unsecured bond. Baker entered a plea of not guilty to the charges during an arraignment on May 27, 2025 before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle in the District of Vermont. Judge Doyle ordered that Baker be released pending trial on the same conditions of the previously entered unsecured bond.
According to court records, Baker sold drugs to individuals who were working at the direction of law enforcement. Specifically, on July 12, 2023, Baker provided cocaine base to another person in exchange for money. That drug sale took place in Burlington, Vermont. On January 25, 2024, Baker sold cocaine base to another person. That drug sale also took place in Burlington, Vermont. In August 2024, law enforcement obtained an arrest warrant for Baker. On May 13, 2025, Baker was arrested at JFK Airport as he attempted to board a flight to Belize with his girlfriend. At the time of his arrest, Baker had approximately $2,989 in cash which was seized by law enforcement.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the indictment contains allegations only and that Baker is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Baker faces up to twenty years of imprisonment for each count, if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Vermont State Police and the Burlington Police Department.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Zachary B. Stendig. Baker is represented by Michael J. Straub, Esq.
Broken Arrow Residents Sentenced for Massive Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Brad William Ritter, age 51, and Toby Le Mills, age 51, both of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, were sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud. Ritter was sentenced to 41 months of incarceration. Mills was sentenced to 33 months of incarceration. As part of sentencing, the Court ordered the defendants to pay $3,797,500.00 in restitution. In addition, the Court entered a money judgment against Mills in the amount of $1,059,958.00, ordered forfeiture of $697,863.67 in funds seized from Ritter, and entered a forfeiture money judgment against Ritter in the amount of $2,029,678.33.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Ritter and Mills each pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Wire fraud on April 3, 2024.
According to investigators, beginning in at least 2018 and continuing until January 2022, Ritter and Mills conspired to defraud an employee-owned business operating in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Ritter, who worked as an executive for the company, used his position to submit false invoices on behalf of a business set up in Mills’s name. The invoices billed the business for services that Mills’s company never performed, resulting in $3,797,500.00 in fraudulent payments made to Ritter and Mills during that time.
“The sentence imposed on these two defendants should serve as a stark reminder that criminal activity motivated by greed comes at a price,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater. “The FBI is committed to ensuring those who engage in fraudulent activity are held accountable through the justice system.”
“Ritter and Mills went to great lengths to disguise a years-long scheme to siphon millions from an unsuspecting employer, using false invoices, shell companies, and layered financial lies,” said Christopher J. Altemus Jr., IRS-CI special agent in charge of the Dallas Field Office. “Let this case serve as a warning: complex fraud schemes may be layered in lies and paperwork, but they are never beyond the reach of IRS Criminal Investigation special agents. IRS-CI will aggressively track illicit financial activity and dismantle criminal enterprises, no matter how sophisticated. Those who think they can get away with defrauding businesses or taxpayers should think again.”
“The wounds may not be physical, but the harm caused by fraudsters is still very real. I commend the investigators and prosecutors who worked tirelessly to ensure that the defendants answered for their crime,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Ritter and Mills were allowed to remain on previous bond with conditions of release and will self-report into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility by June 23, 2025, to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kara Traster, Joshua Satter, and Clay Compton represented the United States.
Brandywine Man Sentenced for Federal Identity Theft and Bank, Wire, and Passport Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, United States District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Llyod Linwood Comer, 63, of Brandywine, Maryland, to 41 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release — with the first seven months on home detention — for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, passport fraud, identity theft, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Acting Assistant Director of Investigations Joseph Jung, U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), and Acting Special Agent in Charge Colleen Lawlor, Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG) – Philadelphia Field Division.
According to Comer’s guilty plea, from 2019 to 2021, Comer and his co-conspirator, Doreen Gilmore, aka Doreen Flummerfelt, 57, conspired to engage in a series of fraudulent schemes involving stolen identities. The defendants used the names and identifying information of victims to purchase vehicles, and open or attempt to open, bank accounts and obtain bank cards.
Vehicles that the defendants acquired by using stolen identities included a 2017 Ford Explorer, fraudulently financed in the amount of $34,710; a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, fraudulently financed in the amount of $20,320; a second 2016 Harley Davidson motorcycle, fraudulently financed in the amount of $29,612; and a 2017 Coachmen Leprechaun RV fraudulently financed in the amount of $60,250. Comer and Gilmore also submitted a mortgage application in Gilmore’s mother’s name, in the amount of $433,200, to purchase a residence in Brandywine, Maryland.
Comer and Gilmore sent multiple iterations of the loan application document to the lender over a few weeks, and sent a final, signed application of the loan on May 26, 2020. They eventually secured a loan, based on the application, to purchase the home in Brandywine. Ultimately, the lender approved the loan, relying on the false and fraudulent information and documents that Comer and Gilmore submitted.
In addition, Comer obtained a fraudulent United States passport by using identifying information from Gilmore’s deceased brother. Then on December 13, 2019, Comer used the fraudulently obtained passport to travel to Jamaica for a wedding.
On June 1, 2021, law-enforcement agencies executed a federal search warrant at the Brandywine residence. During the search, authorities found numerous identification-related documents bearing the names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and/or other identifying information belonging to various victims. Among other items, authorities found identity documents bearing identification information from Gilmore’s mother and various victims in the residence.
During the June 1 search, law-enforcement agents also recovered 13 firearms and more than 6,600 rounds of ammunition. Comer knowingly possessed the firearms and ammunition. Authorities proved Comer possessed the firearms and ammunition through digital videos on electronic devices that they recovered during the search.
Videos show Comer holding and apparently firing some of the firearms at the Brandywine residence. The firearms and ammunition were “firearms” and “ammunition” as defined by federal law and were manufactured outside the state of Maryland. Prior to possessing the firearms and ammunition on June 1, Comer was convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, his civil rights had not been restored, and he knew this status when he possessed the firearms and ammunition.
Gilmore was previously sentenced to time served followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, passport fraud, and identity theft. The court also ordered the defendants to pay $52,355 in restitution to various victim businesses.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended DSS and SSA-OIG for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael C. Hanlon who prosecuted 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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Boston Woman Sentenced for Using Stolen Identity to Rent Apartments Used for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston woman was sentenced on May 22, 2025, for committing access device fraud and for participating in a conspiracy to fraudulently rent two apartments, subsequently used for drug trafficking, under a stolen identity.
Ashley Roostaie, a/k/a “Lola,” a/k/a “dropdeadlola,” 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to two years’ probation. The defendant was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and $1,000 in restitution. In February 2025, Roostaie pleaded guilty to one count of access device fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. Roostaie was charged in April 2023, along with co-conspirator Terrence Pyrtle.
Roostaie and Pyrtle utilized the personal identification information (including Social Security number) of another individual to apply for and enter into lease agreements for two apartments in Braintree and Somerville, respectively. As part of their conspiracy, Roostaie and Pyrtle created an email account under the name of the individual’s identity that they had submitted in connection with the apartments. They also transmitted a counterfeit driver’s license to the apartment complexes, which contained the individual’s name and some of their personal identification information but depicted a different individual’s photograph. By placing the apartment leases and corresponding utility and insurance contracts under another individual’s personal identification information, Roostaie and Pyrtle were able to conceal their connection to and use of the apartments, which Pyrtle used to participate in a drug conspiracy involving distribution quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and methamphetamine.
Roostaie and Pyrtle also used the victim’s personal identification information (including Social Security number) to obtain and use a prepaid debit card to make payments associated with each of the apartments.
Pyrtle pleaded guilty to his involvement in these offenses, as well as to aggravated identity theft, drug conspiracy and multiple counts of drug distribution, in April 2025 and is awaiting sentencing.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston, Brockton, East Bridgewater, Bridgewater and Westport Police Departments; and the Bristol County and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin R. O’Donnell of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Cutshall of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Bloomfield Resident Admits Role in Opioid Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bloomfield resident admitted participating in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute opioids, as well as unlawful distribution of opioids, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Danielle Molinari, 51, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to an information charging her with one count of drug conspiracy and one count of distribution of, and possession with intent to distribute, oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between February 2019 and March 2023, Molinari participated in a conspiracy to obtain medically unnecessary prescriptions for oxycodone, an opioid pain medication. Once Molinari obtained the oxycodone through a prescription, she then sold the oxycodone to another individual in exchange for money. Over the course of the conspiracy, Molinari unlawfully distributed approximately 4,665 oxycodone pills.
The two charges of drug conspiracy and distribution of oxycodone each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for November 4, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chelsea D. Coleman and Jenny Chung of the Health Care Fraud and Opioids Abuse Prevention Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Joel Silberman, Esq., Jersey City, New Jersey
molinari.information.pdf