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9 May 2025
Oil Rig Worker Guilty of Assault on the High SeasRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JAMES MAGEE (“MAGEE”), age 51 of Mississippi, pleaded guilty on May 8, 2025 to assaulting his co-worker on an oil platform, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 113(a)(4).
According to court documents, MAGEE attacked a co-worker while the two men were working. MAGEE punched and kicked the victim, before the two men could be broken up. The victim was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Morgan City where he was treated for his injuries, including orbital fractures around his eye, bruising to his left eye socket, bruising to his upper side torso, and a chipped tooth.
MAGEE faces a maximum penalty of one year of imprisonment, up to one year of supervised release, a fine of up to $100,000, and a mandatory $25 special assessment fee.
The case was investigated by the Coast Guard Investigative Services. Assistant United States Attorney Christine Calogero and Duane A. Evans of the General Crimes Unit are in charge of the prosecution.
Ohio Man Charged with Threatening State Public OfficialsRead the Press Release
A New Albany, Ohio, man has been charged with federal crimes related to sending at least 65 letters and emails to 34 victims, including state public officials, a local TV station and law enforcement, threatening to kill Ohio public officials. Many of the letters included a white powder and one letter included a bullet etched with the victim’s last name.
Ronald Lidderdale, 39, appeared in federal court in Columbus this afternoon. He is charged with making interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure, mailing threatening communications, false information and hoaxes, and cyberstalking.
According to charging documents, Lidderdale allegedly sent the threatening communications to publicly elected officials holding statewide office in Ohio, elected officials holding office in the federal government, and individuals involved in Ohio politics.
It is alleged that Lidderdale sent at least 49 letters containing suspicious white powders, which at times the sender claimed to be Ricin. To date, 29 victims received the white powder letters.
One letter contained a 9mm bullet with the last name of the public official etched on it.
For example, between July and early August 2024, it is alleged that Lidderdale sent a dozen threatening letters via the mail in five different mailings. The return labels on the letters contained mailing information for individuals who were either currently or previously employed by the targeted public official.
Lidderdale allegedly threatened violence against the letter recipients in each of the letters, including language like, “I will kill you for your ignorant loyalty to your pedophilic party” and “I will kill you for the good of The People. Your death will come when you least expect it.”
Last week, Lidderdale allegedly sent letters to eight victims containing a hitlist of eight individuals he said he would kill in the month of May.
Court documents allege that Lidderdale sent a letter to a local TV station and emails to federal and local law enforcement outlining his plans.
It is further alleged that Lidderdale sent threatening emails to public officials stating, “Each [victim] will receive the gift of their names etched onto a single bullet. Their skull is the target the bullet is the gift.”
On May 8, Lidderdale allegedly told FBI agents that he had sent the letters and emails with the intent to incite fear, including the fear of bodily injury, and to make threats with the goal of changing behavior.
Mailing threatening communications carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison. Making interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure, mailing threatening communications, conveying false information and hoaxes, and cyberstalking are all federal crimes punishable by up to five years in prison.
Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio; Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola of the FBI Cincinnati Field Office; and Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); as well as the U.S. Capitol Police, Ohio State Highway Patrol and several Ohio police departments announced the charges filed today.
Deputy Criminal Chief Brian J. Martinez and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Damoun Delaviz and Jessica W. Knight for the Southern District of Ohio, and Trial Attorney James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Norwalk Dentists Pay More than $600K to Settle False Claims AllegationsRead the Press Release
Two Connecticut dental providers have entered into civil settlement agreements with the federal and state governments to resolve allegations of violations of the federal and state False Claims Acts. The settlements stem from a larger investigation into fraudulent activity by health care providers who submit kickback-tainted claims to the Connecticut Medical Assistance Program (“CTMAP”) for services rendered to Connecticut Medicaid patients referred by third-party “patient recruiting” companies.
It is alleged that, in violation of their CTMAP provider agreements and the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, Advanced Dental Center PC, a dental practice based in Norwalk, and its owners, Tal Yossefi, DMD and Elad Yossefi, DDS, submitted claims to the CTMAP, which includes the state’s Medicaid program, related to dental services rendered to Connecticut Medicaid patients referred to the business by a third-party patient recruiting company. Advanced Dental Center paid a patient recruiter for each Connecticut Medicaid patient the recruiter referred to the practice. With each submitted claim, Advanced Dental Center and its owners impliedly certified that the conditions of receiving payment were met, including, but not limited to, that they did not pay kickbacks or violate any terms or provisions of the Connecticut Dental Health Partnership (“CTDHP”) provider manual concerning the submitted claim.
The CTDHP provider manual, which is an addendum to both the CTMAP provider agreement and the CTMAP provider manual, expressly prohibits per-patient compensation for individuals referred to CMAP providers.
To resolve the allegations under the federal and state False Claims Acts, Advanced Dental Center and the Yossefis paid $495,721.24 to reimburse the Medicaid program for conduct occurring from July 1, 2018, through December 31, 2018.
In addition, Nazneen Jaffri, DDS, a dental provider formerly licensed in Connecticut who operated a practice in Norwalk, agreed to reimburse the Medicaid program $150,000 for conduct occurring from January 1, 2019, through April 24, 2021, to resolve allegations that she violated the False Claims Act by submitting or causing to be submitted claims to the CTMAP for dental services rendered to Connecticut Medicaid patients referred to her business by a third-party patient recruiting company.
In entering into their respective civil settlement agreements, the providers and their practices did not admit liability.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General; the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office; and the Connecticut Department of Social Services. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Thidemann and Assistant Attorney General Joshua L. Jackson of the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
New York tax preparer sentenced to two years in prison for submitting fraudulent pandemic relief applicationsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A New York man was sentenced today to two years in prison for making false statements on loan applications he submitted on behalf of his clients through a pandemic relief program.
According to court documents, Baltej Singh Brar, 42, of South Richmond Hill, New York, owned and operated Aspire Tax & Accounting Services Inc., a tax preparation, accounting, and consulting firm where Brar was an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) registered tax preparer. In 2021, Brar began filing loan applications on behalf of other individuals through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a COVID-19 relief program intended to provide loans backed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) to certain businesses, nonprofit organizations, and others to help them remain afloat during the pandemic.
Brar advertised, including on TikTok, that he would file PPP loan applications on behalf of clients in exchange for a flat up-front fee paired with 10% of the loan value after the loan was approved. Brar instructed prospective PPP applicants to provide him with their Social Security number, a copy of their driver’s license, email address, prior bank statements, 2019 tax return, and a void check to be used as supporting documentation on applications.
Most of Brar’s clients were sole proprietors, including taxi drivers, truck drivers, and construction workers. Where clients’ prior year incomes fell below the threshold to receive the maximum PPP loan amount of $20,833, Brar falsely inflated the income amounts in the PPP applications to trigger the maximum loan amount. Brar generated and submitted false and fabricated IRS forms as supporting documentation. Brar certified on each application that the information provided in the applications and supporting documents and forms was “true and accurate in all material respects.”
Many of Brar’s clients were eligible to receive PPP loans, though not in the inflated amounts of the PPP loan applications that Brar prepared. Others were not entitled to receive PPP loans at all. Across the hundreds of PPP loan applications that Brar falsified, Brar caused the SBA at least $550,000 in actual losses.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Patricia Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, New York Field Office; Harry Chavis, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York Field Office; Edward Gallashaw, Acting Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service, New York Division; Brian Tucker, Special Agent in Charge of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Office of Inspector General, Eastern Region; Patrick J. Freaney, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, New York Field Office; and Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge for the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi Panth prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-148.
New Orleans Woman Guilty of Cares Act FraudRead the Press Release
Correction: NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT GUILTY OF CARES ACT FRAUD. JARROW also faces up to ten years in prison for the theft of government funds count.
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that BRANDON JARROW (“JARROW”) (aka Brandi Jarrow), age 33, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on May 8, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to theft of government funds and to making false statements, related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
On March 27, 2020, the President of the United States signed into law the CARES Act, which provided emergency assistance, administered by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), to small business owners affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The two primary sources of funding for small businesses were the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) program.
According to the charging documents, on or about June 20, 2020, JARROW, on behalf of a business, submitted a false application for a EIDL to the SBA. This resulted in a theft of government funds in the amount of $95,000. On or about February 4, 2021, JARROW made false statements to an approved lender for another sham business to obtain a $20,833 PPP loan.
Sentencing will be on August 13, 2025. At sentencing, JARROW faces up to five years in prison for the false statement counts. She also faces up to ten years in prison for the theft of government funds count. All of the counts carry a penalty of up to $250,000 in fines, up to three years of supervised release and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. 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.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration - Office of Inspector General in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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New Jersey Woman Sentenced to Prison for Forced Labor and Other Federal CrimesRead the Press Release
A New Jersey woman was sentenced on Wednesday to 45 months in prison for forced labor and other crimes related to her coercive scheme to compel two victims to perform domestic labor and childcare in her home.
Bolaji Bolarinwa, 51, of Moorestown, previously was found guilty of two counts of forced labor, one count of alien harboring for financial gain and two counts of document servitude following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court. Judge Williams imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial, from December 2015 to October 2016, Bolarinwa — originally from Nigeria, but living in New Jersey as a U.S. citizen — recruited two victims to come to the United States and then coerced them to perform domestic labor and childcare services for her children through physical harm, threats of physical harm, isolation, constant surveillance and psychological abuse. The defendant engaged in this conduct knowing that one of the victims was out of lawful immigration status while working in her home.
Once the first victim arrived in the United States in December 2015, Bolarinwa confiscated her passport and coerced her through threats of physical harm to her and her daughter, verbal abuse, isolation and constant surveillance to compel her to work every day, around-the-clock for nearly a year. Bolarinwa then recruited a second victim to come to the United States on a student visa. When the second victim arrived in the United States in April 2016, Bolarinwa similarly confiscated her passport and coerced her to perform household work and childcare but relied more heavily on physical abuse. The two victims lived and worked in Bolarinwa’s home until October 2016, when the second victim notified a professor at her college, who reported the information to the FBI.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Williams sentenced Bolarinwa to three years of supervised release, imposed a $35,000 fine, and ordered Bolarinwa to pay $87,518.72 in restitution to the victims of her offenses.
“The defendant exploited her relationship with the victims to lure them to the United States with false promises,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The defendant confiscated the victims’ immigration documents and subjected them to threats, physical force, and mental abuse to coerce them to work long hours for minimal pay. This prosecution should send a strong message that such forced labor will not be tolerated in our communities. The Justice Department is committed to fully enforcing our federal human trafficking statutes to vindicate the rights of survivors and hold human traffickers accountable for such shameful exploitation of vulnerable victims.”
“Today’s sentence vindicates the rights of two vulnerable women who the defendant subjected to grueling hours and coercive abuse in her home,” said U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for District of New Jersey. “Forced labor and human trafficking are atrocious crimes that have no place in our society. My office and the entire Department of Justice is committed to standing up for vulnerable human trafficking victims and holding their traffickers accountable.”
“Human nature is generally good. There are situations though that prove some people display more cruel and inhumane behavior,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Newark Field Office. “Bolarinwa lured women with false promises, held them captive, and forced them clean her home and care for her children. Then took it a sickening step further by physically abusing them. Luckily, one of the victims had the courage to tell someone. We ask anyone who notices an odd situation, something that doesn't look or feel right, to please call us so we can help victims that may be hiding in plain sight.”
U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for the District of New Jersey credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentence.
This case was prosecuted as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey’s Human Trafficking Task Force, which was formed in 2025. The Task Force brings together federal and state agencies to collaborate and dedicate resources to combat human trafficking and prosecute human trafficking offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The Human Trafficking Task Force is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service, and the New Jersey Office of Attorney General.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney Elizabeth Hutson of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
New Jersey Woman Sentenced to Prison for Forced Labor and Other Federal CrimesRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Burlington County woman was sentenced to 45 months in prison for forced labor and other crimes related to her coercive scheme to compel two victims to perform domestic labor and childcare in her home, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced.
Bolaji Bolarinwa, 51, of Moorestown, previously was found guilty of two counts of forced labor, one count of alien harboring for financial gain and two counts of document servitude following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court. Judge Williams imposed the sentence in Camden federal court.
“This sentence vindicates the rights of two vulnerable women who the defendant subjected to grueling hours and coercive abuse in her home. Forced labor and human trafficking are atrocious crimes that have no place in our society. My office and the entire Department of Justice is committed to standing up for vulnerable human trafficking victims and holding their traffickers accountable.”
- U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
“The defendant exploited her relationship with the victims to lure them to the United States with false promises,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The defendant confiscated the victims’ immigration documents and subjected them to threats, physical force, and mental abuse to coerce them to work long hours for minimal pay. This prosecution should send a strong message that such forced labor will not be tolerated in our communities. The Justice Department is committed to fully enforcing our federal human trafficking statutes to vindicate the rights of survivors and hold human traffickers accountable for such shameful exploitation of vulnerable victims.”
“Human nature is generally good. There are situations though that prove some people display more cruel and inhumane behavior,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Newark Field Office. “Bolarinwa lured women with false promises, held them captive, and forced them clean her home and care for her children. Then took it a sickening step further by physically abusing them. Luckily, one of the victims had the courage to tell someone. We ask anyone who notices an odd situation, something that doesn't look or feel right, to please call us so we can help victims that may be hiding in plain sight.”
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
From December 2015 to October 2016, Bolarinwa – originally from Nigeria, but living in New Jersey as a U.S. citizen – recruited two victims to come to the United States and then coerced them to perform domestic labor and childcare services for her children through physical harm, threats of physical harm, isolation, constant surveillance and psychological abuse. The defendant engaged in this conduct knowing that one of the victims was out of lawful status while working in her home.
Once the first victim arrived in the United States in December 2015, Bolarinwa confiscated her passport and coerced her through threats of physical harm to her and her daughter, verbal abuse, isolation and constant surveillance to compel her to work every day, around-the-clock for nearly a year. Bolarinwa then recruited a second victim to come to the United States on a student visa. When the second victim arrived in the United States in April 2016, Bolarinwa similarly confiscated her passport and coerced her to perform household work and childcare but relied more heavily on physical abuse. The two victims lived and worked in Bolarinwa’s home until October 2016, when the second victim notified a professor at her college, who reported the information to the FBI.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Williams sentenced Bolarinwa to 3 years of supervised release, imposed a $35,000 fine, and ordered Bolarinwa to pay $87,518.72 in restitution to the victims of her offenses.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation leading to this sentence.
This case was prosecuted as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey’s Human Trafficking Task Force, which was formed in 2025. The Task Force brings together federal and state agencies to collaborate and dedicate resources to combat human trafficking and prosecute human trafficking offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The Human Trafficking Task Force is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service, and the New Jersey Office of Attorney General.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney Elizabeth Hutson of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
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Defense counsel: Jeffrey Zucker, Esq.
bolarinwa.indictment.pdfNew Albany man charged with threatening public officialsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A New Albany man has been charged with federal crimes related to sending at least 65 threatening letters and electronic communications to approximately 34 victims, including public officials, a local TV station and law enforcement. Many of the letters included a white powder and one letter included a bullet etched with the victim’s last name.
“Perpetrators who violate federal law by sending such serious threats in the mail or online will not remain anonymous. Actual or threatened political violence in any form must be condemned,” said Acting United States Attorney Kelly A. Norris. “We will work with our law enforcement partners to identify these bad actors and prosecute them.”
“Targeting public officials with threatening messages and substances is a serious federal crime that won’t go unpunished,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola. “FBI agents have worked closely with our local, state, and federal partners to investigate these incidents and arrest the suspected offender.”
Ronald Lidderdale, 39, appeared in federal court in Columbus this afternoon. He is charged with making interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure, mailing threatening communications, false information and hoaxes, and cyberstalking.
According to charging documents, Lidderdale allegedly sent the threatening communications to publicly elected officials holding statewide office in Ohio, elected officials holding office in the federal government, and individuals involved in Ohio politics.
It is alleged that Lidderdale sent at least 49 letters containing suspicious white powders, which at times the sender claimed to be Ricin. To date, 29 victims received the white powder letters.
One letter contained a 9mm bullet with the last name of the public official etched on it.
For example, between July and early August 2024, it is alleged that Lidderdale sent a dozen threatening letters via the mail in five different mailings. The return labels on the letters contained mailing information for individuals who were either currently or previously employed by the targeted public official.
In the letters, Lidderdale allegedly threatened violence against the letter recipients, including language like, “I will kill you for your ignorant loyalty to your pedophilic party” and “I will kill you for the good of The People. Your death will come when you least expect it.”
Last week, Lidderdale allegedly sent letters to eight victims containing a hitlist of eight individuals he said he would kill in the month of May.
Court documents allege that Lidderdale sent a letter to a local TV station and emails to federal and local law enforcement outlining his plans.
It is further alleged that Lidderdale sent threatening emails to public officials stating, “Each [victim] will receive the gift of their names etched onto a single bullet. Their skull is the target the bullet is the gift.”
On May 8, Lidderdale allegedly told FBI agents that he had sent the letters and emails with the intent to incite fear, including the fear of bodily injury, and to make threats with the goal of changing behavior.
Mailing threatening communications carries a potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison. Making interstate communications with a threat to kidnap or injure, conveying false information and hoaxes, and cyberstalking are all federal crimes punishable by up to five years in prison.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); as well as the U.S. Capitol Police, Ohio State Highway Patrol and several Ohio police departments; announced the charges filed today. Deputy Criminal Chief Brian J. Martinez and Assistant United States Attorneys Damoun Delaviz and Jessica W. Knight, National Security Division Counterterrorism Section Trial Attorney James Donnelly and Trial Attorney Aaron L. Jennen of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Murray Man Sentenced for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Michael Scott, 60, of Murray, Nebraska, was sentenced on May 8, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for Distribution of Child Pornography. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Scott to 300 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Scott’s release from prison, he will begin a 10-year term of supervised release. Scott was also ordered to pay $69,000 in restitution.
The Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) received a cybertip from Discord reporting a user had uploaded two files depicting alleged child pornography. An Investigator with NSP was able to view the images and confirm they were child pornography.
The Investigator confirmed the phone number from the cybertip belonged to Scott at his address in Murray. A search warrant was executed for the Discord account from the cybertip. A review of the contents found the distribution of additional child pornography. There were at least seven images of child pornography uploaded to the Discord account, at least one of which was included in the cybertip.
During a search of Scott’s residence, Investigators recovered 14 electronic devices. During a review of Scott’s cellphone, Investigators found a total of 19,807 photos of child pornography and 5,126 videos of child pornography. Among the other devices, Investigators found 200 additional photos of child pornography. Investigators also found a conversation on Discord where Scott sent at least one image of child pornography to another user on January 9, 2024. Investigators also located at least four files of child pornography that were uploaded to Discord on January 17, 2024.
In a consensual interview at the residence, Scott confirmed the Discord account and username, phone number and email address all belonged to him. Scott admitted to using his cell phone for viewing and trading child pornography.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Omaha FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and the Nebraska State Patrol.
Monongalia County Woman Sentenced for Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Stephanie Ann Allen, 34, West Virginia, was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, officers observed Allen engaged in suspicious activity while in a parking lot in Morgantown. A search of her vehicle resulted in the seizure of 73 grams of methamphetamine and 7 grams of fentanyl. Allen has a criminal history that includes burglary, robbery, and drug possession.
Allen will serve three years of supervised release following her sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Mobile Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – Michael Jerome Elder, age 50, was sentenced today to 180 months in prison after entering a guilty plea to a count of Distribution of Child Pornography. Elder entered his guilty plea on January 16, 2025.
According to court documents, a Mobile County Sheriff’s Office deputy was conducting an investigation to identify individuals in the Southern District of Alabama who demonstrate a sexual interest in children. To do so, he utilized law enforcement software to investigate users sharing files of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) via a file-sharing network. The investigator located an IP address that was involved in the sharing of numerous files of CSAM. He was able to identify Elder as a resident at the residential address associated with the IP address. The investigator obtained a search warrant and located Elder in the home, and a search team was able to discover a cell phone that Elder had hidden in a vent. The cell phone was examined and found to contain CSAM.
Elder had previously been convicted of five counts of Being in Possession of Obscene Material of Minors, violations of Alabama Code 13-A-012-0192(B), in the Circuit Court of Mobile County. He had been released from custody on that offense on November 15, 2022, less than a year before the MCSO investigator discovered him distributing child pornography.
At sentencing, Judge DuBose imposed the 180-month sentence of incarceration and a 15-year term of supervised release upon his future release. During his term of imprisonment, Elder will be subject to sex offender treatment, substance abuse testing and treatment, and mental health treatment. Elder will be required to register as a sex offender and is to have no contact with minors. Elder was ordered to pay $5,100 in special assessments.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations and Mobile County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kacey Chappelear and Tandice Blackwood prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
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 https://www.justice.gov/psc/publications-resources
Mobile Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a MachinegunRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced to 18 months in prison for illegally possessing a machinegun.
According to court documents, Ty’Juan De’Andre Barnes, 21, was arrested by Mobile police during the execution of a narcotics search warrant at a house in Prichard in May 2024. Officers searched Barnes’s person and found 14 fentanyl pills in his pants pocket. Throughout the house, officers found several extended firearm magazines, ammunition, and drug paraphernalia. Barnes admitted to police that he hid a loaded .40 caliber Glock pistol in a bathroom trash can. Police recovered the Glock pistol, which was equipped with an illegal machinegun-conversion device, commonly referred to as a “Glock switch.” Barnes admitted that he knew the Glock switch converted the pistol into a fully automatic machinegun, which he claimed he needed for protection due to being the victim of a prior robbery in Prichard.
Agents seized and searched Barnes’s cell phone. In the phone, agents found numerous text messages that Barnes sent in which he discussed possessing and shooting weapons equipped with Glock switches. Barnes also texted various individuals about illegally selling Glock switches for profit.
In addition to the 18-month prison term, United States District Judge Kristi K. DuBose ordered Barnes to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will be subject to drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge DuBose ordered Barnes to pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit justice.gov/PSN.
Michigan City Man Sentenced to 210 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Yesterday, Timothy Hampton, 50 years old, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to distributing methamphetamine, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Hampton was sentenced to 210 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in August and September 2024 Hampton distributed high-purity methamphetamine to buyers. A search warrant executed at Hampton’s home resulted in the recovery of additional methamphetamine along with scales and other drug paraphernalia.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration including the DEA North Central Laboratory with assistance from the LaPorte County Drug Task Force, the Michigan City Police Department, and the LaPorte County Prosecutor’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lydia T. Lucius.
Mexican National Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Drug Conspiracy and Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Jesus Alejandro Bojorquez-Moreno, 37, of Mexico, was sentenced on May 6, 2025, by United States District Court Judge Angela M. Martinez to 120 months in prison. Bojorquez-Moreno previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin and Fentanyl, Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, and Reentry of a Removed Alien.
Between June and September of 2022, Bojorquez-Moreno set up five separate deals involving distribution-sized amounts of heroin and fentanyl with undercover federal agents. Bojorquez-Moreno negotiated the amounts and prices of the drugs and directed other members of the conspiracy to deliver the drugs to locations in Tucson and Indianapolis, Indiana. Agents seized a total of 10 kilograms of heroin and 100,000 fentanyl pills before Bojorquez-Moreno stopped communicating with the undercover agents.
On June 3, 2023, Bojorquez-Moreno was arrested by United States Border Patrol agents near Douglas, Arizona, for illegally reentering the United States. He had previously been deported in 2019 and had not received legal authorization to return to the United States.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR 23-00922-TUC-AMM, CR 23-01558-TUC-AMM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-075_Bojorquez-Moreno# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Mescalero Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Sexual Assault of MinorRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man was sentenced to 48 months in prison for sexually assaulting a teen 20 years his junior.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on September 27, 2024, Thomas Lee Chaffins, 35, an enrolled member of Mescalero Apache Tribe, sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation
Upon his release from prison, Chaffins will be subject to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Phillip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Alyson Hehr is prosecuting the case.
Memphis Men Sentenced to Federal Imprisonment for Participation in 2021 Business RobberyRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Three Memphis men have been sentenced to a total of over 30 years in federal prison after being convicted of a business robbery that occurred in the fall of 2021. Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentences today.
According to the information presented in court, Anthony Lewis, 36, Kyle Walker, 22, and Aramis Smith, 34, participated in an armed robbery in the early morning of November 10, 2021. Walker and Lewis entered a gas station on Summer Avenue in Memphis, while Smith waited outside in the getaway car. Walker and Lewis approached the lone clerk as she was stocking the shelves. Walker grabbed her and brandished a firearm as he made threats and pushed her to the registers. Lewis moved to the doorway and stood as a lookout as Walker forced the clerk to empty the register. The trio fled with approximately $100.
Unbeknownst to the robbers, a good Samaritan saw the robbery in progress, called 911 and provided a description of the getaway vehicle. Dispatchers relayed the robbery in progress call to Memphis Police Department officers; and undercover officers with the Violent Crime Unit (VCU) observed the suspect vehicle fleeing the scene. VCU officers followed the suspect vehicle on I-240 as they coordinated additional units to arrive and make a traffic stop. When marked units were in place, officers attempted to stop the suspect vehicle with lights and sirens; but the vehicle fled. Ultimately, the suspect vehicle wrecked on the off-ramp immediately before the Hernando DeSoto Bridge; and officers engaged in a brief foot pursuit with two of the suspects before they were all taken into custody.
All three men pled guilty to one count of business robbery. Walker and Lewis also pled guilty to one count of aiding and abetting the brandishing of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Senior United States District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr. sentenced Walker to 125 months of imprisonment on August 31, 2023, and Smith to 120 months of imprisonment on February 21, 2024. Lewis was sentenced to 147 months on May 1, 2025 by United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit Judge Andre B. Mathis. Additionally, on May 8, 2025, Judge Fowlkes sentenced Lewis to an additional 24 months in federal prison as a result of his Supervised Release Violation based on this case and a prior federal conviction. There is no parole in the federal system.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Memphis Police Department investigated this case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Greg Wagner and Lynn Crum prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Former Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Lewis also assisted in prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
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For more information, please contact the media relations team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Maryland Man Indicted for Wire Fraud, Theft of Government Property, and Failure to Disclose an EventRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted Andrew Langford, 49, of Ft. Washington, Maryland, charging him with wire fraud, theft of government property, and failure to disclose an event.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Colleen Lawlor, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG) – Philadelphia Field Division, and Special Agent in Charge Andrew McKay, Mid-Atlantic Field Division of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).
According to the indictment, Langford applied for SSA disability benefits in November 2008, reporting that he was unable to work due to a disabling condition. Then in May 2009, Langford applied for child/auxiliary benefits for his minor children. Later in 2009, SSA notified Langford that he was eligible for and would begin receiving disability benefit payments. SSA also notified Langford of his responsibilities to notify the agency if he returned to work or if his health improved. After he was granted benefits, Langford returned to work, but did not notify SSA as required.
Langford received more than $270,000 in disability benefits from January 2014 through May 2021, that he allegedly was not entitled to. He allegedly defrauded SSA by providing false information — namely, concealing his ownership and operation of NDA Cleaning Services in Maryland and CK Janitors, Inc., in Virginia — to continue receiving disability payments. Langford utilized an Internal Revenue Service system to apply for Employer Identification Numbers for his businesses associated with the alleged fraud.
If convicted, Langford faces up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud, 10 years for theft of government property, and five years for failure to disclose an event. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the SSA-OIG and TIGTA for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kertisha Dixon who is prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Man Who Sold Fentanyl that Killed Twins Sentenced to 14 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Friday sentenced a man who sold the fentanyl that killed two twin brothers in St. Charles County in 2023 to 14 years in prison.
Jesse Charleston, 35, of Florissant, pleaded guilty in January in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two counts of distribution of fentanyl and one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
Charleston admitted as part of his plea that on March 21, 2023, he supplied the fentanyl that killed the men. He admitted giving one of the men four capsules for free as “testers.” The victims were discovered dead in their apartment in St. Charles County the next evening of acute fentanyl intoxication. Investigators found fentanyl and drug paraphernalia, and text messages with Charleston on one victim’s phone on March 21 discussing a drug transaction. Early the next morning, Charleston texted, “Did you like it.”
A detective with the St. Charles County Regional Drug Task Force began responding to texts to that victim’s phone from Charles. The detective supplied the name of an undercover officer when Charleston asked if he knew anyone else who “likes what the defendant has,” the plea agreement says. The undercover officer purchased 12 capsules containing para-fluorofentanyl and fentanyl from Charleston for $100 on March 27, 2023, at a gas station in St. Charles County. Charleston took those 12 capsules from a bag of about 30 more. He was arrested later that day.
“This case exemplifies the dangerousness of fentanyl,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerome McDonald wrote in a sentencing memo. “In recent years fentanyl and fentanyl analogues have caused far too many overdose deaths in the St. Louis community and across this country, including the two overdose deaths in this case.”
“This case is just one example that highlights St. Charles County’s regional law enforcement working together with our federal partners to combat serious crime that affects families across the area,” said St. Charles County Police Chief Kurt Frisz.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the St. Charles County Police and St. Charles County Regional Drug Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerome McDonald prosecuted the case.
Members of a Local Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney April M. Leon announced the sentencing of five individuals by U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick in connection with an extensive federal, state, and local investigation by the Middle District Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) aimed at a large-scale cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine trafficking network based in Iberville Parish.
Barold Raven, age 47, of St. Gabriel, Louisiana, was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment in federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The Court further sentenced Raven to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
Dedrick Ambeau, age 44, of St. Gabriel, Louisiana, was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment in federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and distribution of heroin. The Court further sentenced Ambeau to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
Jake Henry Gordon III, age 46, of Greenwell Springs, Louisiana, was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment in federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to distribute heroin, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The Court further sentenced Gordon to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
Leo Sternfels, age 65, of Gonzales, Louisiana, was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day imprisonment in federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine. The Court further sentenced Sternfels to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
In a separate, but related case, Charles J. Alexander, Jr., age 40, of St. Gabriel, Louisiana, was sentenced to 180 months imprisonment in federal prison following his conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. The Court further sentenced Alexander to serve 3 years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
Through their pleas, the defendants admitted involvement in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine between February 2019 and October 2019. During that time, the defendants worked in concert with each other to distribute drugs throughout Iberville, Ascension, East Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana parishes.
This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office, Gonzales Police Department, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, Baton Rouge Police Department, and Louisiana State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William K. Morris.
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.
Lebanese National Sentenced to Fourteen Years in Prison for Running a Ponzi-SchemeRead the Press Release
Note: See the factual proffer here.
MIAMI – On May 8, 2025, Henry Abdo, 48, of Lebanon, was sentenced to 168 months in prison and ordered to pay a $300,000 fine and $375,479 in restitution by United States District Court Judge William P. Dimitrouleas.
Abdo pled guilty in federal court to orchestrating a fraudulent scheme that solicited over $6 million from investors under false pretenses. According to court records, Abdo’s company, Titanium Capital LLC, purported to operate a foreign exchange platform that guaranteed fixed returns for investors. In reality, Titanium Capital had no such platform, and Abdo used investor funds to pay off earlier investors and finance his personal lifestyle.
Beginning in July 2014, Abdo falsely claimed that Titanium Capital was a “zero-risk” investment fund that generated profits from fees on foreign currency transactions. Abdo further deceived investors by claiming Titanium Capital was part of a multibillion-dollar holding company, had developed proprietary software, and was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. None of these claims were true.
Court documents indicate that Abdo solicited investments through in-person meetings, emails, video conferences, and phone calls. Abdo directed potential investors to websites and promotional materials that falsely depicted Titanium Capital as a legitimate enterprise. In truth, Titanium operated as a classic Ponzi scheme, using funds from new investors to pay earlier investors while diverting large sums of money for Abdo’s personal use, including international travel and other expenses.
In addition to fraudulent investment claims, court records reveal that Abdo attempted to bolster his credibility by falsely associating himself with various charitable and educational organizations. Abdo also falsely claimed that Titanium Capital’s profits were donated to assist the blind and handicapped.
After soliciting millions from over 200 investors, Abdo’s scheme unraveled. Many victims were financially devastated. Several victims reported losing retirement accounts and personal savings that they had relied on for basic living expenses, such as food and medication.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
FBI Miami’s Palm Beach Resident Agency investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Bailyn and Justin Chapman in West Palm Beach, Florida, prosecuted it.
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 23-cr-80209.
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Leader of drug trafficking ring connected to Aryan prison gangs sentenced to more than 17 years in prisonRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A co-leader of a drug distribution ring selling fentanyl pills, methamphetamine, and heroin throughout the Puget Sound region was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 17 and a half years in prison for his role in the conspiracy to distribute narcotics, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and for possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Bryson Gill, 32, most recently of Buckeye, Arizona, attempted to evade law enforcement by moving the headquarters of his drug distribution ring to Arizona after the Shelton, Washington, stash house he and his co-conspirators operated was raided in December 2022. When law enforcement moved in on the multi-faceted drug conspiracy in March 2023, Gill was arrested in Arizona.
At today’s sentencing hearing Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said, “The seriousness of these offenses cannot be understated. There are so many people out there that become addicted on these drugs or suffer overdoses and are no longer with us.”
“Make no mistake, Gill’s drug ring used violence and threats of violence as their stock in trade. Gill was heard on the wiretap plotting to kidnap another drug dealer and expressing a desire to murder a law enforcement officer,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. ““With the more than $1 million he laundered, Gill bragged that he was going to set up a compound with an airfield in Arizona to further his drug trafficking. This conviction and sentence successfully ended those plans.”
According to records filed in the case, this drug organization was one branch of three investigated for dealing substantial amounts of drugs in the Puget Sound region. Participants in the drug rings have ties to Aryan prison gangs in the Washington State Department of Correction.
In the fall of 2022, Gill was in touch with his right-hand man, Michael Slocumb, as the latter made multiple trips to Arizona to pick up and transport narcotics to a stash house in Shelton. Gill instructed Slocumb and other coconspirators about using two pill presses to manufacture fentanyl pills. When Gill’s home and the stash house property was searched on December 9, 2022, law enforcement seized more than 640,000 pills containing fentanyl, as well as a kilogram of fentanyl powder and 12 kilograms of methamphetamine, along with more than $81,000 in cash proceeds from drug trafficking.
The stash house property also contained 23 firearms, including a shotgun kept where the drugs were stored, and the pills manufactured.
During this conspiracy, law enforcement intercepted Gill and Slocumb discussing kidnapping another drug dealer who was also under investigation by federal authorities. Slocumb was surveilling the target’s apartment when law enforcement made a show of being in the vicinity to get Slocumb to leave and ward off any violence.
Following the stash house raid, Gill and Slocumb were heard on the wiretap discussing plans to move drug operations to Arizona. Gill discussed with his mother his plan to acquire property in Arizona in her name and talked with an incarcerated friend about coming to work for him as a pilot when the man got out of prison. Gill had said he planned to put in an airfield on the property in Arizona where the conspirators had relocated their drug trafficking organization.
Gill and Slocumb remained in Arizona until they were arrested in March 2023. When law enforcement searched the Arizona property Gill and Slocum had purchased, they seized approximately 70 illegally possessed firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
From May of 2021 until December 2022, Gill laundered at least $927,059 through bank accounts set up to appear to be for a dog training business. The money was used for things such as luxury cars, expensive jewelry, airline tickets and Seattle Seahawks tickets. Over $81,000 in cash seized from Gill and his conspirators at various locations was forfeited to the government.
In asking for a 17.5-year sentence, prosecutors wrote to the court, “Gill played a leadership role in purchasing, processing, and distributing massive quantities of fentanyl pills, fentanyl powder, and methamphetamine. He directed his fellow co-conspirators to transport narcotics from Arizona to Washington, use pill presses to manufacture fake OxyCodone pills laced with fentanyl, and distribute large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl pills throughout the Western District of Washington. … (Washington State Department of Health) data shows the number of drug overdose deaths occurring annually in the state more than doubled from 2019 to 2023. “
Bryson Gill pleaded guilty on February 7, 2025.
Law enforcement made two dozen arrests on federal charges on March 22, 2023. The coordinated takedown involved ten swat teams and more than 350 law enforcement officers. On that day law enforcement seized 177 firearms, more than ten kilos of methamphetamine, 11 kilos of fentanyl pills and more than a kilo of fentanyl powder, three kilos of heroin, and more than $330,000 in cash from eighteen locations in Washington and Arizona. Earlier in the investigation law enforcement seized 830,000 fentanyl pills, 5.5 pounds of fentanyl powder, 223 pounds of methamphetamine, 3.5 pounds of heroin, 5 pounds of cocaine, $388,000 in cash, and 48 firearms.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This investigation was led by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington State Department of Corrections and significant local assistance from the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, led by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Throughout this investigation the following agencies assisted the primary investigators: Washington State Patrol, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Lakewood Police Department, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon, Max Shiner, and Jehiel Baer.
Laurel man sentenced to 3 years in prison for possessing stolen firearm after breaking into law enforcement vehiclesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Laurel man who broke into law enforcement vehicles and possessed a stolen firearm was sentenced today to 36 months in prison to be followed by3 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Jacob Charles Berger, 28, pleaded guilty in December 2024 to possession of a stolen firearm.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that beginning on March 5, 2024, and continuing until March 15, 2024, an unknown male vandalized five different law enforcement vehicles. The suspect stole multiple items from inside the vehicles, including medical kits; body armor; and, on one occasion, a 12-gauge shotgun and ammunition. The Billings Police Department began investigating the thefts.
Law enforcement officers obtained home surveillance footage from one of the thefts which showed the suspect was wearing black “skater” shoes and was riding a black and red bicycle with skinny tires. The bicycle appeared to have been wrapped in black electrical tape. Investigators recovered the bicycle on March 15, and processed it for fingerprints. Three latent fingerprints on the bicycle were identified as Berger’s.
On March 20, 2024, law enforcement arrested Berger on an unrelated warrant. He admitted to breaking into police vehicles and taking body armor, medical supplies, and a shotgun. Investigators searched Berger’s garage and seized the shotgun, as well as eight other firearms that had been reported stolen between July 2023 and March 2024. They also located the medical kits and body armor Berger stole from the police vehicles.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Yerger prosecuted the case, and the investigation was conducted by the ATF and Billings Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Last of Five Defendants Pleads Guilty in Pawn Shop Break-In, Theft of Arsenal of FirearmsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – CyJuan Hemsley, 18, of District Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in connection with the December 2023 break-in and burglary of 34 firearms from a Maryland pawn shop.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Hemsley, pleaded guilty May 7, 2025, to conspiracy to commit theft from a firearms licensee and to one count of possession of stolen firearms.
Others who pleaded guilty in the conspiracy include District residents Tyjuan McNeal, 28, Vincent Alston 23, Niquan Odumn 23, and Juwon Anderson, 22.
U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson scheduled Hemsley’s sentencing hearing for August 6, 2025.
According to court documents, on Dec. 13, 2023, the co-conspirators drove from Washington, D.C. to the A&D Pawn Shop, a Federal Firearms Licensee, in Glen Burnie, Maryland.
At the pawn shop, one of the co-conspirators used a portable saw to cut the locks on a pull-down security gate. Another co-conspirator then used a crowbar-type tool to pry open the main door. Inside, the quintet grabbed an array of rifles, shotguns, and pistols from the shelves and display racks. They fled with at least 34 of the firearms.
The co-conspirators later used social media to advertise the sale of the stolen firearms. Hemsley was arrested on March 22, 2024, and has been detained since. To date, law enforcement has recovered 17 of the stolen guns.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division and the Metropolitan Police Department, with assistance from the ATF Baltimore Field Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Lipes.
23cr452
Las Vegas Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and CocaineRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man was sentenced today by United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy to sell methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine.
According to court documents, from about December 11, 2023, to May 16, 2024, Abel Puebla conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine in Las Vegas. As part of the conspiracy, on January 24, 2024, Puebla sold one pound of methamphetamine; on February 14, 2024, he sold three pounds of methamphetamine and a bag containing cocaine; and on March 28, 2024, Puebla sold an ounce of heroin.
Puebla pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine.
United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Brister prosecuted the case.
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KC Man Sentenced to Three Years for ‘Swatting’ Phone Call That Targeted IRS Employee, Led to LockdownRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court on Wednesday, May 7, to making a hoax telephone call that led to an IRS employee being detained and the IRS office on Pershing Road being locked down.
Anthony M. Alford, 46, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Stephen R. Bough to three years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Alford to serve supervised release for three years following his incarceration.
On Sept. 10, 2024, Alford placed a hoax telephone call to 911 in Kansas City, Missouri, claiming falsely that an individual identified in court documents as “Victim One” was armed with a firearm and was threatening to shoot up the Internal Revenue Service Building at 333 W. Pershing Road in Kansas City, Missouri. Victim One is an employee of the IRS.
Kansas City police officers were dispatched to the building, where they contacted IRS security and Federal Protective Service officers. Victim One had been detained and searched for weapons based on the 911 call. Following the 911 call, the B-Wing of the IRS building was locked down. The IRS announced that there was an active shooter in the building and told those in the B-Wing to stay locked down.
Victim One, though, was unarmed and had no intent to harm anyone. Victim One told investigators she had been dating Alford for about a month and was trying to break up with him. Alford had never been violent, she said, but had exhibited controlling, possessive, and jealous behavior. Alford had repeatedly called and messaged her the previous night, she said, and earlier that morning sent her messages threatening to involve the police. Alford messaged Victim One saying he was “[o]n the phone with IRS police have fun when you get there” and later he said “… just wait until you get to work.”
Alford was arrested on Sept. 25, 2024. Alford told investigators that Victim One did not threaten to shoot up the IRS Building, as he had said in the 911 call. He said he had been drinking alcohol and was upset when he made the false 911 call.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. Foley. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
Justice Department and City of Albuquerque Seek Termination of Consent Decree Covering the Albuquerque Police DepartmentRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – The Justice Department and the City of Albuquerque filed a joint motion today seeking U.S. District Court approval to terminate the federal consent decree covering the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) since 2015. The joint motion follows a long record of findings that APD has maintained full compliance with the decree.
“This consent decree has run its course successfully,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We are proud to stand by the men and women of the Albuquerque Police Department and ask the court to terminate this consent decree. Albuquerque Police operates constitutionally. It is now appropriate to end federal oversight and return full control of local law enforcement to the city.”
“The Albuquerque Police Department has made tremendous progress toward constitutional policing and a culture of accountability,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico. “This progress builds on nearly a decade of hard work and partnership with the community, laying a strong foundation for the future and opening the door to a new chapter of local control of law enforcement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will stand shoulder to shoulder with the men and women of the APD to make Albuquerque a safer place to live, work, raise a family, and run a business.”
The CASA, originally implemented to address concerns over excessive force and accountability within APD, allows for termination once the City demonstrates “sustained and continuing improvement” across specific outcome measures, including use of force, crisis response, officer training, supervision, and internal investigations.
Recent data from 2022 and beyond confirm that APD has met those requirements. Notably:
- Use of Force: APD has significantly reduced the frequency and severity of force. In 2022, force incidents declined 18% from the previous year, and over 60% involved only low-level force. Only 4% of force cases were found out of policy, and each was met with appropriate corrective action.
- Crisis Response: Less than 1% of behavioral health and suicide-related calls involved force, and the City’s Albuquerque Community Safety department has diverted tens of thousands of calls away from police to civilian responders.
- Accountability and Oversight: APD reviews every use of force, sustains misconduct findings when appropriate, and has strengthened its internal and civilian oversight systems.
- Training and Culture: Officers are receiving consistent, CASA-aligned training, and data shows a shift toward a culture of self-correction and accountability.
This progress marks a turning point for the APD. With sustained improvements across every core area of the agreement, the Justice Department and the City are confident that APD is ready to move forward independently, continuing its commitment to constitutional policing.
Justice Department and City of Albuquerque Seek Termination of Consent Decree Covering the Albuquerque Police DepartmentRead the Press Release
Note: View joint motion here.
The Justice Department and the City of Albuquerque filed a joint motion today seeking U.S. District Court approval to terminate the federal consent decree covering the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) since 2015. The joint motion follows a long record of findings that APD has maintained full compliance with the decree.
“This consent decree has run its course successfully,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We are proud to stand by the men and women of the Albuquerque Police Department and ask the court to terminate this consent decree. Albuquerque Police operates constitutionally. It is now appropriate to end federal oversight and return full control of local law enforcement to the city.”
“The Albuquerque Police Department has made meaningful progress toward constitutional policing and a culture of accountability,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico. “This progress builds on nearly a decade of hard work and partnership with the community, laying a strong foundation for the future and opening the door to a new chapter. This chapter demands leadership that listens, a community that stays engaged, and a department committed to doing what is right, even when it is difficult, in service of a safer, more just Albuquerque for all.”
Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore JusticeRead the Press Release
[May 9, 2025] – On Wednesday this week, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”
“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”
“I am proud of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, who work tirelessly to bring to justice those that exploit children,” said Acting United States Attorney Chad Meacham. “United with their efforts, this Office will continue to aggressively prosecute these offenders.”
“Criminals who prey on children threaten the sanctity of our communities, and this operation highlights the FBI’s efforts to dismantle the threat,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The strength of each member of the North Texas Child Exploitation Task Force is crucial to protecting the most vulnerable, and together we will pursue offenders to the fullest extent of the law.”
Those arrested by the FBI and charged in the Northern District of Texas as part of Operation Restore Justice include:
Angel Ramirez Flores, arrested in Lamesa, Texas by the FBI with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety. Flores has been charged in the Northern District of Texas with Attempted Transfer of Obscene Material to Minors. If convicted, he faces up to ten years in federal prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jen Schrauth is prosecuting the case.
Michael Huffman, arrested in Fort Worth, Texas by the FBI with assistance from the Fort Worth Police Department. Huffman has been charged in the Northern District of Texas with Distribution of Child Pornography. If convicted, he faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. According to court documents, agents discovered Huffman sitting in his driveway with his laptop logged into one of the platforms used to view sexually explicit images of minors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aisha Saleem is prosecuting the case.
Otho Earl London, arrested in Azle, Texas by the FBI with assistance of the FBI Dallas SWAT. London has been charged in the Northern District of Texas with Possession of Child Pornography. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aisha Saleem is prosecuting the case.
Harold Lee Hill, arrested in Rockwall, Texas by the FBI with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety, Rockwall Police Department, Dallas County (Arkansas) Sheriff’s Office, and Arkansas State Patrol. Hill has been charged in the Northern District of Texas with Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity. If convicted, he faces up to life in federal prison. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle A. Winters and Claire Demers are prosecuting the case.
Jose Lizandro Trevino Rodriguez, arrested in Dallas by the FBI with the assistance of the Dallas Police Department. Rodriguez has been charged in the Northern District of Texas with Distribution of Child Pornography. If convicted, he faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandie Wade is prosecuting the case.
Emmanuel Jacobo Reyes, of Raleigh, North Carolina, arrested in Raleigh, NC by the FBI and the Raleigh Police Department. Reyes has been charged in the Northern District of Texas with Production of Child Pornography. If convicted, he faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allyson Monte is prosecuting the case.
Robert Rayel, of Benbrook, Texas, arrested in Florida by FBI Tampa - Pinellas County Resident Agency. Rayel has been charged in the Northern District of Texas with Attempted Sexual Exploitation, which carries a penalty of imprisonment from 15 to 30 years; Possession of Child Pornography, for which he faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment; and Receipt of Child Pornography, with an imprisonment range of five to 20 years in federal prison, if convicted. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aisha Saleem is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendants mentioned above are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Like those charged in the Northern District of Texas, others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.
In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.
This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.- Jury Finds Sioux Falls Man Guilty of Carjacking and Carrying and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence
Ivorian Men Arrested for International “Sextortion” and Money Laundering Scheme Resulting in Minor’s DeathRead the Press Release
Four men in Côte d’Ivoire have been arrested on criminal charges relating to their role in an international “sextortion” scheme that targeted thousands of victims, including minors, throughout the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Italy.
In February 2022, Ryan Last, a 17-year-old high school senior from San Jose, California committed suicide hours after being sextorted online by an individual pretending to be a 20-year-old woman. Through a lengthy, coordinated investigation involving U.S. and Ivorian law enforcement, the evidence ultimately led law enforcement to identify Alfred Kassi, an Ivorian citizen living in Côte d’Ivoire, as the individual allegedly conducting the sextortion. On April 29, Kassi was arrested by Ivorian law enforcement. At the time of his arrest, Kassi allegedly still had the sextortion messages he sent to the 17-year-old victim in February 2022 on his phone.
Additionally, the investigation identified several alleged money laundering accomplices who helped Kassi move the money he received from the 17-year-old victim, who had paid $150 in order to prevent his intimate images from being disseminated. One of those alleged money launderers is Oumarou Ouedraogo, who was arrested by Ivorian law enforcement on April 25. In addition, Ivorian law enforcement arrested two other individuals, Moussa Diaby and Oumar Cisse. Both Diaby and Cisse were part of Kassi’s alleged sextortion network and admitted to their own sextortion crimes. A U.S.-based accomplice, Jonathan Kassi (unrelated to Alfred Kassi), was convicted in 2023 in a California State Court and sentenced to 18 months in jail.
The government of Côte d’Ivoire does not extradite its own citizens, so these defendants will be prosecuted in their own country under Ivorian cybercrime statutes.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Robbins for the Northern District of California, and Acting Assistant Director Darren Cox of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case, with substantial assistance from the San Jose Police Department, the U.S. Embassy in Abidjan, and Meta, which provided critical information that assisted with the identification of the offenders. The government of Côte d’Ivoire, specifically the Anti-Terrorist Operational Intelligence Center (CROAT), conducted the investigation and arrests in Côte d’Ivoire.
Trial Attorney Austin M. Berry of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marissa Harris for the Northern District of California provided legal support throughout the investigation, including compiling and presenting the evidence to Ivorian authorities.
If you, your child, or someone you know is being exploited via sextortion, contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or report it online at the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Additional resources can found at Financially Motivated Sextortion — FBI
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Iowa City Man Sentenced to 200 Months in Federal Prison for Receipt and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – An Iowa City man was sentenced yesterday to 200 months in federal prison for receiving child pornography and distribution of child pornography.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Evan Robert Steinberg, 26, received and distributed files containing child sexual abuse material. In December 2021, local law enforcement seized electronic devices during a search of Steinberg’s Iowa City residence. A forensic examination of the seized electronic devices showed that Steinberg used the devices to solicit, receive, and distribute images and videos containing child sexual abuse material. Defendant’s five devices contained hundreds of images and videos of child pornography, including prepubescent males, as young as under 1 year old, engaging in sex acts with adults.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Steinberg will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Steinberg was also ordered to pay $8,000 in assessments.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the University of Iowa Police Department and the Joint Forensic Analysis Cyber Team.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Investigation into Black-Market Marijuana Operation Leads to 10 Defendants being Sentenced to Serve More Than 38 Years Collectively in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Approximately 3,500 Pounds of Marijuana and More than $400,000 Seized During Investigation
OKLAHOMA CITY – NAIQING LIN, 37, a Chinese national living in New York, has been sentenced to serve 37 months in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to possess and distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana and 1,000 or more marijuana plants, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
The sentencing is the culmination of a four year-long investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, involving ten defendants sentenced to serve 463 months collectively in federal prison.
On July 5, 2023, a federal Grand Jury returned a 47-count Indictment against Naiqing and several co-defendants, charging them for their roles in a major black-market marijuana drug trafficking organization (DTO). According to public record, from January 2019 through May 10, 2023, co-conspirators FEI XIE, 36, and NAIGANG LIN, 38, operated as business partners who directed the DTO, of which Naiqing worked as one of the marijuana distributors. The DTO originally operated out of Michigan, where it specialized in the cultivation, brokering, and distribution of black-market marijuana across the country, and relied on a network of individuals, black-market marijuana grows, and stash houses for its operation. In early 2022, after several law enforcement actions in Michigan, the DTO relocated to the Western District of Oklahoma and established a black-market marijuana grow in Ada, Oklahoma. Just as in Michigan, the DTO relied on a network of stash houses in Oklahoma City to store bulk amounts of marijuana prior to it being transported to customers out of state. During the period of the conspiracy, the DTO used a variety of monetary instruments and financial transactions in an effort to launder their criminally derived proceeds, including wire transfers, funnel and straw bank accounts, vehicle purchases, and the purchase of cashier’s checks and real estate.
All told, during the investigation, law enforcement seized:
- approximately 3,500 pounds of marijuana;
- approximately 5,000 marijuana plants;
- $409,883.04 in U.S. currency;
- $4,669,671.64 in real property (10 properties); and
- 10 vehicles.
On August 23, 2024, following a three-day trial, a federal jury found both Naiqing and Xie guilty of drug conspiracy.
At the sentencing hearing on April 29, 2025, U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton sentenced Naiqing to serve 37 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge Heaton noted that the Defendant played an active role in what was a significant drug trafficking operation.
“This criminal organization exploited Oklahoma to expand their illicit large-scale black-market marijuana and money laundering operation across the country,” said United States Attorney Robert J. Troester. “The closure of this case is yet another example of law enforcement’s persistent, coordinated efforts by investigators and prosecutors and demonstrates the government’s continued, relentless pursuit of these criminal enterprises.”
“Defendants like these who attempt to run illegal drug trafficking organizations will eventually account for their criminal activity,“ said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Dallas Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard. “The collective sentences imposed should serve as a stern reminder that money laundering and drug trafficking schemes will be thoroughly investigated by HSI and our law enforcement partners.”
“This sentencing marks the end of a years-long investigation that dismantled a sophisticated black-market drug and money laundering operation,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “HSI special agents, working closely with partners across multiple states, exposed an illicit network that exploited communities and abused financial systems to fuel their criminal enterprise.”
The other defendants charged in this case have been sentenced as follows:
- Naigang Lin, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced to serve 120 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for drug conspiracy and monetary transaction in criminally derived property;
- Naiyang Lin, 36, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced to serve 32 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for drug conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy;
- Fei Xie, 36, of Kirkland, Washington, was sentenced to serve 120 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for drug conspiracy;
- Li Jin Yang, 60, a Chinese national living in Oklahoma City, was sentenced to serve six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release for drug conspiracy;
- Chang-Hui Chen, 46, a Chinese national living in Michigan, was sentenced to serve 37 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for drug conspiracy;
- Meiyan Xiao, 34, a Chinese national living in New York, was sentenced to serve 16 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for drug conspiracy;
- Daniel Walsh, 35, of Savannah, Georgia, was sentenced to serve four months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for drug conspiracy;
- Terrance Jamahl Allen, 43, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was sentenced to serve 46 months in federal prison for drug conspiracy;
- Ahmed Salim Harrold, 46, of Wyoming, Michigan, was sentenced to serve 22 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for drug conspiracy; and
- Juan Lyu, 35, a Chinese national living in Oklahoma City, was sentenced to serve 60 months of supervised release for money laundering conspiracy.
This case is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations. It is also a 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 using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nick Coffey, Travis Leverett, Danielle M. Connolly, and Thomas Snyder prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Indian citizen charged in multi-million-dollar health care fraud schemeRead the Press Release
Seattle – An Indian national indicted for health care fraud will make his initial appearance today in U.S. District Court in Seattle, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Mohammed Asif, 34, was arrested on April 10, 2025, at Chicago O’Hare International Airport while attempting to board an international flight. Asif is charged with health care fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with the operation of American Labworks LLC, a diagnostic testing laboratory in Everett, Washington. The indictment alleges that Asif conspired with others to bill Medicare for COVID-19 tests and other respiratory illness tests that had not been ordered or performed.
“Medicare provides critical funding for senior citizens’ health care needs, which makes this type of fraud all the more reprehensible,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “This case stands as an example of how federal law enforcement is working diligently to protect those critical tax dollars from fraud schemes.”
According to the indictment and an earlier-filed criminal complaint, the Washington Secretary of State has American Labworks being formed in October 2021 and dissolved in March 2025. Washington Department of Health records indicate that its license as a Medical Test Site expired in December 2023. Asif is listed in filings with the state and with Medicare as the owner and director of American Labworks.
Claims data from April 2024 to December 2024 show that American Labworks billed Medicare more than $8.7 million for laboratory testing services, including for COVID-19 testing. Medicare paid out over $1.1 million to the lab.
Between June 2024 and March 2025, Medicare received more than 200 complaints from enrollees and others about American Labworks. Many of these complainants reported that Medicare was billed for testing that was never received. For example, one Medicare enrollee noted that Medicare paid American Labworks $545 for COVID-19 tests in August 2023 and March 2024. But the beneficiary had never had any COVID-19 tests on those dates. Multiple Medicare beneficiaries said they too had seen bills for tests that never occurred. Physicians who had allegedly ordered the tests said they had not sent patients to American Labworks, and many patients said they had never heard of the referring physician listed in the records.
In some instances, the billing records indicated a beneficiary’s testing date of service occurred after other records indicated the beneficiary was dead. And in other instances, the physician who allegedly referred the patient for testing was dead at the time of the date of service.
Financial records indicate Mohammed Asif received multiple checks and made withdrawals from the American Labworks bank account, which he controlled. In May 2024, he withdrew $260,000 from the American Labworks checking account. Soon after that Asif, who had been in the U.S. on a student visa, retuned to India. He came back to the U.S. in March 2025 as investigators were unraveling the fraud. Prosecutors and special agents with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) moved quickly to draft the criminal complaint and take Asif into custody. A grand jury then returned the indictment of Asif on April 23.
Asif is alleged to have conspired with other people to accomplish the fraud. Those coconspirators are not named in the criminal complaint or indictment. The government’s investigation is ongoing.
“By all appearances, there is nothing legitimate about Mr. Asif’s company.” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “Mr. Asif, along with his co-conspirators, used this apparently illegitimate company to fraudulently bill Medicare almost $9 million for tests that were never done. When we receive allegations such as these, the FBI and our partners will aggressively investigate potential fraud against the US taxpayer.”
“Through this scheme to fraudulently bill Medicare for laboratory testing services never furnished, the defendant diverted taxpayer money that was meant to pay for legitimate medical services,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Robb Breeden of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who exploit federal health care programs for their own personal gain.”
Health care fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud are punishable by up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by HHS-OIG and the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Philip Kopczynski.
Illinois Woman Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Murder-for-HireRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Coal Valley, Illinois woman was sentenced today to 72 months in federal prison for using interstate facilities in a murder-for-hire.
According to public court documents, in late 2023, Autumn Jeanine Carianna Markley, 30, attempted to facilitate a murder-for-hire by wiring money through a financial services application, specifically Western Union. Markley, from her residence in Colorado, contacted a confidential source who was located in the Southern District of Iowa. In the communication, Markley made numerous statements that she would pay for someone to murder one of her relatives. Markley went so far as to give the confidential source a target name, address, and downpayment for the murder-for-hire.
After completing her term of imprisonment, Markley will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Scott County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Honduran Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Honduran man was sentenced yesterday to 18 months in federal prison for illegally returning to the United States after being deported.
According to public court documents, Kristian Alexander Hernandez Aguilar, 29, had previously been deported from the United States five times. On July 18, 2024, law enforcement encountered Hernandez Aguilar. In September 2024, Hernandez Aguilar was convicted in the Iowa District Court for Scott County of operating while under the influence.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Hernandez Aguilar will be required to serve a one-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Guatemalan National and Malden Man Indicted for Distributing CocaineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two men have been indicted for allegedly conspiring to distribute cocaine.
Erick Sandoval-Perez, 43, a Guatemalan national living in Malden and Christhian Castillo, 32, also of Malden, were indicted for conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 or more grams of cocaine and distribution of 500 or more grams of cocaine. Sandoval-Perez was also charged with distribution of cocaine. Castillo and Sandoval-Perez were charged by criminal complaint in February 2025. Castillo was ordered held pending further proceedings and Sandoval-Perez was released on conditions.
Sandoval-Perez and Castillo allegedly worked together to sell cocaine on several occasions to an undercover law enforcement officer. On Feb. 12, 2025, Sandoval-Perez allegedly arranged to sell a kilogram of cocaine to an undercover. Castillo was arrested when he allegedly handed the kilogram of cocaine to the undercover and Sandoval-Perez was arrested nearby.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 or more grams of cocaine, and the charge of distribution of 500 or more grams of cocaine, both carry a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5,000,000. The charge of distribution of cocaine carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Sandoval-Perez is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Chief Ryan Malatos of the Leominster Police Department; and Chief Brian W. Coyne of the Clinton Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Malden Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Guatemalan National Previously Convicted for Drug Trafficking Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE - A Guatemalan national deported in 2015 after having been convicted for drug trafficking has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Rhode Island on a charge of illegal re-entry, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
According to court records, Pedro Andony Alvarado Aguilar, 49, was convicted in federal court in Connecticut in November 2014 on charges of conspiracy to import 5,000 grams or more of cocaine and conspiracy to import 1,000 grams or more of heroin. He was deported on July 1, 2015.
Court documents allege that Aguilar illegally re-entered the United States and was present in Rhode Island.
Aguilar is scheduled to be arraigned in U.S. District Court in Providence on May 12, 2025. A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter I. Roklan.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Immigration and Custom Enforcement.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Grayson County felon sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for gun violationRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – A Sherman convicted felon has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for a firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Mouaidad Mohamad, 30, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on May 9, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on August 5, 2022, law enforcement officers responded to a report of shots fired in Sherman. They discovered that Mohamad had fired two shots from the window of a vehicle before forcing his girlfriend to drive away from the scene. Mohamad was located later in the day in the same vehicle and taken into custody. Further investigation revealed Mohamad to be a convicted felon having several state felony convictions including robbery and burglary of a habitation. As a convicted felon, Mohamad is prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Sherman Police Department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William R. Tatum.
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Government Alleges San Diego County Brothers Obtained More Than $8 Million in Pandemic Loans by Lying on ApplicationsRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO - The United States has filed a civil complaint alleging that two brothers fraudulently obtained more than $8 million in pandemic-related loans by lying on applications and claiming funds for three businesses that don’t exist.
The loans were issued through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a federal law enacted in March 2020 designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The PPP offered relief by authorizing hundreds of billions of dollars in potentially-forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses.
The loan applications required the borrower to certify the type of business, the number of employees the business supported, and that the business was in operation as of February 15, 2020. Borrowers were eligible to seek forgiveness of the loans if they spent the loan proceeds on employee payroll and other eligible expenses.
The civil complaint alleges that between March 25, 2021, and April 28, 2021, brothers Duraid A. Zaia and Kusay Karana obtained four PPP loans for four businesses, two purportedly owned by Zaia and two by Karana. The complaint alleges that the businesses were either non-existent or were grossly exaggerated in size. The complaint alleges that Zaia and Karana obtained approximately $8.3 million dollars in PPP loans through those fraudulent applications.
In one example, the complaint alleges that Zaia applied for a PPP loan for a business called “Ramona Egg Ranch.” The complaint describes how Zaia certified in his application that this business employed 75 people and had annual payroll costs exceeding $9.5 million. But, according to the complaint, federal income tax returns that Zaia submitted in support of that loan reported annual payroll costs of just $62,848.
In another example the complaint alleges that soon after Zaia submitted the Ramona Egg Ranch application, he submitted a second application for a business called “The Duriad A. Zaia Sole Proprietorship.” The complaint describes how Zaia certified that the business employed 137 people and that it was established in 2016. But, according to the complaint, the business could not have operated at all in 2020 because it did not have an Employer Identification Number (EIN) until March 30, 2021. As the complaint explains, without an EIN a business could not legally pay employees because it would not have a tax identification number to report employee wages, payroll taxes, or its own income taxes.
The complaint also alleges that Zaia and Karana bolstered their loans by fabricating lists of employees who worked at their businesses. The complaint asserts that the lists of employees are fraudulent because they show a large percentage of employees simultaneously working at two or more different businesses on a full-time basis. In one example, the complaint describes how Zaia submitted a list of 108 employees that supposedly worked at one of Zaia’s businesses, and Karana submitted a list of 110 employees that supposedly worked at one of Karana’s businesses. But 41 people with the same name and the same full-time equivalent salary appeared on both lists.
The complaint alleges that after Zaia and Karana were denied forgiveness of their loans and then defaulted on all their loans, the United States, through the Small Business Administration (SBA), repaid the lenders that issued the loans. The complaint asserts that taken together, the principal, interest, and processing fees for the brothers’ loans resulted in a loss of over $8.6 million to the United States.
The United States’ complaint asserts that Zaia and Karana violated the False Claims Act (FCA). The United States filed its complaint after it intervened in a lawsuit filed by a private citizen against Zaia and the Ramona Egg Ranch. Under its so-called qui tam provisions, the FCA allows private citizens with knowledge of fraud against the federal government to sue on behalf of the government and potentially receive a portion of recovered funds.
“COVID-relief programs were designed to help people and businesses under extreme financial stress during the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “This complaint seeks to hold accountable those who took advantage of those programs by fraud. My office will continue to pursue those who knowingly cheat taxpayers by abusing the Paycheck Protection Program and other pandemic-related programs.”
“Intentional misrepresentation to gain access to SBA program funds intended for the nation’s small businesses will not be tolerated,” said SBA OIG’s Western Region Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Huang. “Our Office will remain relentless in the pursuit of wrongdoers who seek to exploit SBA’s vital economic programs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.”
This case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen H. Wong of the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. 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.
The complaint contains allegations of unlawful conduct; the allegations must be proven in federal court.
Gloucester Police Officer Charged with Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A police officer with the Gloucester Police Department has been charged with receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Alexander Aiello, 34, of Gloucester, was charged with one count of receipt of child pornography. Aiello will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, Aiello is a patrol officer employed with the Gloucester Police Department. It is alleged that Aiello was identified as a user with a registered account for a dark website, which provided a platform for users to download, view, advertise and distribute CSAM. Searches of Aiello’s person and residence on April 28, 2025, resulted in the seizure of the defendant’s cell phone and laptop as well as a USB thumb drive, which was found in Aiello’s nightstand in his bedroom.
It is alleged that a preliminary examination of the devices revealed that a TOR Browser – an application that provides anonymous web access and access to dark web hidden services – was installed and actively running on Aiello’s laptop. It is further alleged that the application had evidence of downloaded files consistent with recent use. Additionally, the preliminary examination allegedly located encrypted folders on the USB drive and laptop computer.
“As a law enforcement officer, Mr. Aiello was entrusted with safeguarding the community – and that includes protecting children from exploitation and abuse. Instead, he allegedly participated in one of the most reprehensible forms of exploitation,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “This case underscores our unwavering commitment to combating child exploitation in all its forms. Whether the offender is a private citizen or a public official, our mission remains the same: to protect children and pursue justice for victims.”
“As a police officer, Alexander Aiello was sworn to protect and serve, but today, the FBI charged him for receiving images of children being sexually abused,” said James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Those who seek out this despicable material are perpetuating the victimization of innocent children. That’s why the FBI Boston's Child Exploitation – Human Trafficking Task Force diligently pursues these cases. Protecting kids from this physical and emotional trauma is our priority.”
The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or contact [email protected].
U.S. Attorney Foley and FBI Acting SAC Crowley made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Gloucester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CORRECTION: The defendant is 34, not 24 as the original release stated. In addition there is a updated FBI quote.
Georgia Man Charged with Gun Trafficking Approximately 47 Firearms and Drugs to New York CityRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Bryan Miller, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”); and Jessica S. Tisch, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging DAVID MORRIS with trafficking 47 firearms and numerous rounds of ammunition from Georgia to Lower Manhattan. MORRIS was arrested earlier today while following the sale of 17 firearms and cocaine to undercover officers. The defendant is expected to be presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “As alleged, David Morris illegally trafficked dangerous drugs and 47 firearms from Georgia to New York City. The unchecked flow of illegal firearms is a threat to every New Yorker. Anyone who is thinking about illegally trafficking guns to New York City should know that our Office and our law enforcement partners are watching, and we will hold you accountable for jeopardizing the safety of our streets.”
ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan Miller said: “Today’s arrest serves as a notice to those who think they are above the law and can illegally traffic guns into our communities. The men and women of ATF NY will never waver in our commitment to protect the public and to aggressively target firearms traffickers. I thank our partners at NYPD and SDNY for their diligent work and tireless dedication to our shared public safety mission.”
NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said: “David Morris trafficked illegal firearms, ammunition, and narcotics into our city—but our brave officers were one step ahead, stopping these weapons and drugs from ever reaching the streets. Gun traffickers fuel violence in our communities, and the NYPD will never stop working to shut down these pipelines. I’m grateful to the ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their partnership in this critical case.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint:
On or about March 28, April 18, and May 9, 2025, MORRIS sold 47 firearms and numerous rounds of ammunition to undercover law enforcement officers with the New York City Police Department in the vicinity of Catherine Slip and South Street in Lower Manhattan. MORRIS transported the firearms from Georgia and stated that he works with a team of other individuals in Georgia, has been selling firearms for approximately ten years, and has access to machine gun conversion devices, which are used to convert semiautomatic pistols into fully automatic weapons.
MORRIS also trafficked narcotics to the undercover officers on or about April 18 and May 9, 2025. On or about April 18, MORRIS provided one of the undercover law enforcement officers a “sample” of a substance that contained cocaine. On or about May 9, MORRIS sold to one of the undercover officers’ plastic baggies of white powder consistent with, and that MORRIS represented to be, cocaine. A photograph of the contraband seized from MORRIS is depicted below:
* * *
MORRIS, 31, of Georgia, is charged with one count of unlicensed dealing of firearms, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of firearms trafficking, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison; and one count of using and carrying a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, which carries a maximum sentence of life and a mandatory minimum of five years in prison.
The statutory maximum and minimum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the ATF and the NYPD’s Joint Firearms Task Force and the 5th Precinct’s Field Intelligence Office.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Justice Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Wheelock is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Fugitive Wanted for Murder in Saint Lucia Indicted in Atlanta on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Orville Andrew Pernell, also known as “Oneil Christopher Reid,” 32, of Saint Mary, Jamaica, was arraigned today before the Honorable John K. Larkins, III, United States Magistrate Judge, on a federal charge of possession of a firearm by an alien illegally or unlawfully present in the United States. Pernell was indicted by a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia on April 23, 2025.
“Pernell is an international fugitive who was charged with murder before escaping custody in both Saint Lucia and Jamaica, and then unlawfully entering the United States under a false identity,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “Our office is proud of the collaborative work of our United States, Saint Lucian, and Jamaican law enforcement partners whose efforts resulted in Pernell’s identification and apprehension.”
“Law enforcement collaboration is instrumental in apprehending violent individuals locally and internationally,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “This arraignment sends a direct message to criminals that ATF and our local and international law enforcement partners will investigate and protect its citizens.”
“This case demonstrates the far-reaching impact of Homeland Security Investigations in identifying and apprehending fugitives who pose a threat to public safety across international borders,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “Pernell’s ability to evade law enforcement in multiple countries and unlawfully enter the United States under a false identity underscores the importance of strong global partnerships. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of HSI and our domestic and international counterparts, a dangerous individual is now off the streets and facing justice.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, Jr., the charges, and other information presented in court: Pernell was charged with the murder of Clius Alfred in Saint Lucia on October 8, 2020. He then escaped custody in Saint Lucia while awaiting trial. He was arrested in Jamaica on July 21, 2021, but then escaped Jamaican custody while awaiting his extradition to Saint Lucia.
Pernell was then encountered by immigration authorities on December 7, 2022, when he attempted to illegally enter the United States via an unmanned border area near the San Ysidro point of entry. He gave the false name of “Oneil Christopher Reid” and was allowed to enter the United States pending further immigration proceedings.
On July 21, 2023, Pernell, using the Reid alias, was stopped by the Clayton County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office after being observed traveling 115 miles per hour on a motorcycle. He attempted to flee but was forced to stop after he encountered a heavily congested intersection. Once he was stopped, officers determined that the motorcycle he was driving was stolen. During a search that followed, officers found a firearm in the front pocket of his jacket. Officers also determined that the firearm was stolen from a Southern Freight Lines firearms shipment. He was arrested for possession of a stolen motorcycle, possession of a stolen firearm, and attempting to evade arrest.
Pernell is facing federal charges of possession of a firearm by an alien illegally or unlawfully present in the United States. He has been ordered detained pending trial, and is subject to removal and extradition back to Saint Lucia once the proceedings in the United States are concluded.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains a charge. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charge 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Wylly is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (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.
Franklinton Mail Contractor Guilty of Forged Check Scam and Theft of U.S. MailRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that RACHEL WATTS SANDERS (“SANDERS”), age 40, of Loranger, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on May 8, 2025 to wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, and mail theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1708.
According to court documents, SANDERS admitted stealing over forty (40) checks from the U.S. mail, forging endorsements on the stolen checks, and then depositing the checks into her own bank account.
SANDERS faces a maximum penalty of twenty (20) years of imprisonment, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 for wire fraud; and a maximum penalty of five (5) years of imprisonment, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.00 for the theft of mail. SANDERS also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee per count.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorneys Christine Calogero and Duane A. Evans of the General Crimes Unit are in charge of the prosecution.
Fort Wayne Man Ordered to Repay Funds from PPP Loan FraudRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE–Yesterday, Ivory Hill, 44 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to a federal felony for wire fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay.
Hill was sentenced to 24 months’ probation, including 10 months of location monitoring, and ordered to pay $23,332.00 in restitution to the victim of the offense.
According to documents in the case, Hill falsely claimed gross income for a business that did not exist when he applied for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. The PPP program was designed to approve loans to small businesses for job retention and other expenses as part the CARES Act that provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, Hill falsely claimed he was the sole proprietor of an auto sales business when in reality, no such business existed. Hill also fraudulently claimed his business had approximately $102,000 in gross income in 2020. As a result of his fraudulent representations, Hill received $20,832 in PPP funds which he used for his own benefit on personal items such as electronics, apparel, and car rentals, and to vacation in Miami, Florida.
rather than for any legitimately approved purpose.
This case was investigated by the United States Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin C. Sheridan.
Former State Government Employee and Her Ex-Boyfriend Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining COVID-19 Jobless ReliefRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former employee of the California Employment Development Department (EDD), which administers the state’s unemployment insurance (UI) program, and her former boyfriend were sentenced today to federal prison terms for fraudulently obtaining hundreds of thousands of dollars in COVID-19 pandemic-related jobless benefits.
Phyllis Hope Stitt, 61, of Carson, was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr., who also ordered her to pay $768,958 in restitution.
Judge Birotte today also sentenced Kenneth Earl Riley, 64, of South Los Angeles, to 20 months in federal prison and ordered him to pay $611,458 in restitution.
Stitt and Riley had been in a romantic relationship for more than 10 years at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic while Stitt was employed by the EDD as an employment program representative. Her job duties included determining claimant eligibility for UI benefits and performing claim processing activities.
From March 2020 to September 2021, while using the access and information available to her in her position with EDD, Stitt acquired the names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and other personal identifying information of victims that were used to submit fraudulent claims.
Stitt then filed fraudulent applications for UI benefits without the victims’ knowledge or consent, and then increased the amount of UI benefits paid out by backdating the fraudulent requests to maximize the claims.
Stitt certified the fraudulent applications alleging that the victims had submitted their employment history and driver’s license information, and she confirmed they were unemployed because of the pandemic and actively were searching for work.
Many of the victims were ineligible to receive these benefits because they were currently employed, not unemployed because of the pandemic, or were deceased at the time.
In filing the fraudulent applications, Stitt used mailing addresses to which Riley had access. Riley then used debit cards and accounts created because of these fraudulent applications. Riley then made cash withdrawals at ATMs, bank transfers and retail purchases.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolster efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Central and Eastern Districts of California to jointly head one of the three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, the FBI, and the California Employment Development Department Investigation Division investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Steven M. Arkow of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted case.
Former Private Equity Executives Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, David Gentile, the founder and former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GPB Capital, and Jeffry Schneider, the former CEO of Ascendant Capital, were sentenced by United States District Judge Rachel P. Kovner to seven years in prison and six years in prison, respectively, for their roles in a multi-year scheme to defraud more than 10,000 investors by misrepresenting the performance of three GPB Capital private equity funds and the source of funds used to make monthly distribution payments to investors. Collectively, the GPB funds raised approximately $1.6 billion from investors. Both defendants were convicted by a federal jury in August 2024 following an eight-week trial of securities fraud, securities fraud conspiracy, and wire fraud conspiracy; Gentile was also convicted of wire fraud. Additional penalties of forfeiture and restitution will be imposed at a later date.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentences.
“The defendants built GPB Capital on a foundation of lies,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “They raised approximately $1.6 billion from individual investors based on false promises of generating investment returns from the profits of portfolio companies, all while using investor capital to pay distributions and create a false appearance of success. The sentences imposed today are well deserved and should serve as a warning to would-be fraudsters that seeking to get rich by taking advantage of investors gets you only a one-way ticket to jail. My Office is committed to protecting the investing public and the integrity of the financial markets.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Securities and Exchange Commission, the New York City Business Integrity Commission, and the New York City Police Department for their valuable assistance with the case.
"For years, David Gentile and Jeffry Schneider wove a web of lies to steal more than one billion dollars from investors through empty promises of guaranteed profits and unlawfully rerouting funds to provide an illusion of success. The defendants abused their high-ranking positions within their company to exploit the trust of their investors and directly manipulate payments to perpetuate this scheme. May today’s sentencing deter anyone who seeks to greedily profit off their clients through deceitful practices," stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.
As proven at trial, GPB Capital, founded by Gentile in 2013, was a New York-based registered investment advisor. Ascendant Capital, a marketing firm founded by Schneider, was the exclusive placement agent for GPB. GPB Capital’s funds offered private equity-style investments to individual investors. The GPB funds were presented to investors as “income-producing” private equity, meaning that investors would receive monthly distributions from cash flow generated by portfolio companies owned by the GPB funds, in addition to a return on their investment at the end of the fund. In total, GPB and Ascendant Capital raised approximately $1.6 billion for three funds, GPB Holdings I, LP (Holdings I), GPB Holdings II, LP (Holdings II), and GPB Automotive Portfolio, LP (GPB AP) and together with Holdings I and Holdings II, (the GPB Funds). Gentile and Schneider worked closely on the operation and marketing of the GPB Funds and were personally involved in pitching broker-dealers and registered investment advisors. They were also involved in investment decisions at GPB Capital and in the day-to-day operations of the GPB Funds.
Between approximately 2015 and 2018, the defendants defrauded investors and prospective investors in the GPB Funds through misrepresentations about the performance of the GPB Funds and the source of the investors’ monthly distributions.
In 2015 and 2016, the defendants, with their co-conspirators, used fraudulent, back-dated “performance guarantees” to artificially inflate the income of Holdings I and GPB AP. The performance guarantees were executed by GPB operating partner Jeffrey Lash for certain dealerships owned by the funds and falsely represented that Lash had agreed to cover a shortfall in profits at the dealerships. In or about March 2015, at the direction of the defendants, Lash executed two performance guarantees falsely representing that he had agreed to cover a shortfall in profits at two dealerships owned by Holdings I for audit year 2014. In April 2016, the defendants and Lash executed another fraudulent performance guarantee for a dealership owned by GPB AP for audit year 2015. Gentile then routed funds from another GPB-owned fund through Lash’s accounts to create the appearance that the performance guarantee had been paid. Holdings I and GPB AP booked the fraudulent performance guarantees in their audited financial statements, artificially inflating the funds’ returns as presented to investors for 2014 and 2015 respectively. After fraudulently inflating their audited financial statements, the GPB Funds raised approximately $1 billion from investors.
Between approximately August 2015 and December 2018, the defendants also misrepresented the source of the monthly distributions paid to investors. Specifically, the defendants represented to investors and prospective investors that GPB would pay monthly distributions from income generated by portfolio companies when in fact they used investor capital to cover a significant share of the distributions paid by the GPB Funds. At the direction of the defendants, the GPB Funds used approximately $100 million in investor capital to cover distributions to investors and maintain the Funds’ distribution rates.
Lash, the defendants’ co-conspirator, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2023 and will be sentenced at a later date.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica K. Weigel, Nick M. Axelrod, and Kate Mathews are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Madison Bates and Allison Henry. Assistant United States Attorney Claire Kedeshian is handling forfeiture matters.
The Defendants:
DAVID GENTILE
Age: 58
Manhasset, Long IslandJEFFRY SCHNEIDER
Age: 56
Austin, TexasE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-54 (RPK)
Former D.C.-Area Attorney Charged with Tax Crimes, Making False Statements to Federal AuthoritiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — An indictment was unsealed today charging attorney Richard Graham Foote O’Donoghue with evading taxes on approximately $1 million of income, as well as filing false tax returns and making false statements to federal authorities. O’Donoghue previously lived in the District of Columbia, but currently lives in the United Kingdom. He was arrested on entering the United States today, based on the criminal charges.
The unsealing of the indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to the indictment, from 2012 through 2015, O’Donoghue made substantial income first as an independent contractor for several non-U.S. businesses, including a defense contractor based out of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and then as CEO of that contractor. While he was CEO, O’Donoghue allegedly also received significant bonuses and benefits including a car and driver and a rented luxury villa for his family.
The indictment alleges that O’Donoghue did not timely file tax returns for tax years 2012 through 2014. In 2016, however, O’Donoghue hired a return preparer to prepare tax returns for 2012 through tax year 2015. O’Donoghue allegedly provided false information to his return preparer about his employment and income. For example, O’Donoghue allegedly told the return preparer that he was the general manager of the company, not the CEO, and concealed his bonuses and the expenses the company paid on his behalf. These alleged lies allegedly caused the return preparer to prepare and file false tax returns for those years that underreported his income by approximately $1 million. Because O’Donoghue had previously made estimated payments, his false returns allegedly requested refunds from the IRS of more than $247,000 — much of which the IRS paid out.
The indictment further alleges that in February 2023, O’Donoghue made false statements about his income and other matters to law enforcement agents and Department of Justice prosecutors.
If convicted, O’Donoghue faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each tax evasion count, a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of subscribing to a false tax return, and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the false statements count. O’Donoghue also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This matter is being investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, with assistance from His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs of the United Kingdom. Assistance was also provided by the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), which brings together the taxing authorities of Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold and Assistant Chief Sarah Ranney and Trial Attorney Ezra Spiro of the Tax Division.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former D.C.-Area Attorney Charged with Tax Crimes and Making False Statements to Federal AuthoritiesRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today charging an attorney with evading taxes on approximately $1 million of income, as well as filing false tax returns and making false statements to federal authorities. Richard Graham Foote O’Donoghue previously lived in Washington, D.C., but currently lives in the United Kingdom. He was arrested on entering the United States on May 9, based on the criminal charges.
The following is according to the indictment: from 2012 through 2015, O’Donoghue made substantial income first as an independent contractor for several non-U.S. businesses, including a defense contractor based out of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and then as CEO of that contractor. While he was CEO, O’Donoghue also allegedly received significant bonuses and benefits including a car and driver and a rented luxury villa for his family.
According to the indictment, O’Donoghue did not timely file tax returns for tax years 2012 through 2014. In 2016, however, O’Donoghue hired a return preparer to prepare tax returns for 2012 through tax year 2015. O’Donoghue allegedly provided false information to his return preparer about his employment and income. For example, O’Donoghue allegedly told the return preparer that he was the general manager of the company, not the CEO, and concealed his bonuses and the expenses the company paid on his behalf. These lies allegedly caused the return preparer to prepare and file false tax returns for those years that underreported his income by approximately $1 million. Because O’Donoghue had previously made estimated payments, his false returns allegedly requested refunds from the IRS of more than $247,000 — much of which the IRS paid out.
The indictment further alleges that in February 2023, O’Donoghue made false statements about his income and other matters to law enforcement agents and Department of Justice prosecutors.
If convicted, O’Donoghue faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each tax evasion count, a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of subscribing to a false tax return, and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the false statements count. O’Donoghue also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction are investigating the case, with assistance from His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs of the United Kingdom. Assistance was also provided by the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), which brings together the taxing authorities of Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Assistant Chief Sarah Ranney and Trial Attorney Ezra Spiro of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Colombian Port Official Sentenced to over Twelve Years in Prison for Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
A Colombian national was sentenced yesterday to 12 years and seven months in prison for conspiring to launder proceeds of bribes. The defendant was also ordered to forfeit a 2017 Lamborghini Huracan Spyder and a 2017 Porsche Cayenne that were involved in the money laundering scheme.
According to court documents, Omar Ambuila, 64, of Cali, Colombia, pleaded guilty on Jan. 28 to a single count of conspiracy to launder money. As part of his plea, Ambuila admitted that while he was a port official in Colombia, he accepted at least $1,000,000 in illegal bribes that he and co-conspirators laundered to the United States from Colombia. As part of the scheme, Ambuila and his co-conspirators laundered the funds for Ambuila’s benefit and used the funds to purchase luxury vehicles and pay rent on waterfront property, among other things.
“Criminals who exploit our financial system to launder their illegal gains threaten the security of the United States,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “When you try to abuse the financial system hard working Americans rely upon, we will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
“HSI special agents, in close coordination with all their law enforcement partners, will always work diligently to pursue those individuals and those networks of bad actors who exploit the legitimate financial system to support criminal activity,” said Special Agent in Charge John Condon of Homeland Security Investigation Tampa. “This is just another great example of this work.”
“Let this sentencing serve as a powerful reminder: the United States will not be a sanctuary for those seeking to launder the proceeds of crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Tampa Field Office. “We are relentless in our pursuit of criminals who attempt to exploit our financial systems, and we will use every tool at our disposal to ensure that they face justice. This case underscores our commitment to dismantling transnational criminal operations and holding those responsible accountable, no matter where they try to hide.”
“This investigation exemplifies the FBI’s commitment to our federal law enforcement partnerships and the unified effort in identifying, investigating, and prosecuting money laundering schemes,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor of the FBI Tampa Division.
The case was investigated by HSI, IRS-CI, and the FBI.
Trial Attorneys Ariana Lazzaroni and Adrienne Rosen and Deputy Chief Joseph Palazzo of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section prosecuted the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché’s Office in Bogotá, the HSI Attaché’s Office in Bogotá, and the U.S. Marshals Service provided substantial assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from Colombia.
Former Algona Meatpacking Plant Worker Convicted in Pandemic Benefits Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A former Algona, Iowa, meatpacking plant worker who obtained fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loans and recruited others into the scheme was convicted by a jury on May 8, 2025, after a four-day trial in federal court in Sioux City.
Yovany Ciero, age 48, from Mason City, Iowa, formerly of Cuba, Colombia, and Venezuela, was convicted of three counts of wire fraud, 23 counts of money laundering, one count of engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from a specified unlawful activity, and one count of money laundering conspiracy. The verdict was returned following about three and a half hours of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that Ciero is a former Sergeant in the Cuban military who crossed the Mexican border nearly twenty years ago after his request for a visa to enter the United States was denied. In 2020, Ciero was working at an Algona meatpacking plant when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Beginning in July 2020, Ciero, and over one hundred other immigrants from Cuba, obtained fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans on the false and fraudulent pretenses that they were self-employed businesspeople who earned approximately $100,000 in gross income in 2019 when they actually worked at the meatpacking plant or elsewhere in 2019.
Ciero was one of six “bundlers” in the fraudulent PPP loan scheme. Ciero’s role was to recruit individuals into the scheme, obtain their personal identifying information for the fraudulent loan applications, and then pass that information to others who submitted the fraudulent loan applications to lenders who were participating in the PPP. The evidence established that over $4 million in fraudulent loan PPP applications were submitted, and the government lost over $2.4 million as a result.
Once the individuals received their fraudulent PPP loan funds, typically $20,000 each, Ciero served as a “funnel” in a money laundering conspiracy. Ciero collected fees that the organizers of the scheme charged the applicants, typically $3,000 per $20,000 fraudulent loan.
Ciero also obtained two fraudulent PPP loans for himself and his paramour. Ciero used most of this PPP loan money to purchase a semi-truck. Ciero is the sixth former Iowa meatpacking plant worker convicted in the PPP scheme.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Ciero remains free on bond pending sentencing. Ciero faces a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, over $10,000,000 in fines, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy L. Vavricek and Daniel A. Chatham and was investigated by the Small Business Administration - Office of Inspector General, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation - Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Storm Lake Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-3013.
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