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2 May 2025
Four Romanian Men Sentenced for Odometer FraudRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that four co-defendants convicted of odometer fraud and related charges were sentenced on April 30 and May 1, 2025 by United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher.
Razan Trasca, age 35, of Craiova, Romania, pled guilty to four counts of Odometer Fraud and three counts of Utter and Possess Forged and Counterfeit Securities of a State (vehicle titles). He was sentenced on April 30, 2025 to 30 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $53,260 in restitution.
Daniel Andronache, age 28, of Craiova, Romania, pled guilty to one count of Utter and Possess Forged and Counterfeit Securities of a State (vehicle title). He was sentenced on April 30, 2025 to 38 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $26,690 in restitution.
Ionut Madalin Zamfir, age 25, of Craiova, Romania, pled guilty to two counts of Odometer Fraud and two counts of Utter and Possess Forged and Counterfeit Securities of a State (vehicle titles). He was sentenced on May 1, 2025 to 36 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $38,500 in restitution.
Dudu Musi, age 37, of Craiova, Romania, pled guilty to one count of Utter and Possess Forged and Counterfeit Securities of a State (vehicle title). He was sentenced on May 1, 2025 to 36 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $17,150 in restitution.
Each of the defendants had entered the United States sometime between approximately 2020 to 2022 and had been allowed to remain in the country.
During approximately January 2022 to July 2024, in Nebraska and adjoining states, the defendants acquired high mileage vehicles, rolled back the odometers, re-sold the same vehicles at inflated prices, and provided vehicle titles that falsely stated low mileages consistent with the altered odometer readings. Sometimes a defendant acquired and sold the same vehicle himself, but each of the four defendants conducted overlapping transactions concerning certain vehicles, for example acquiring a vehicle that a co-defendant sold or accompanying a co-defendant during an acquisition or sale.
Collectively, the defendants acquired and sold at least 23 vehicles in this same way. The Court determined that the cumulative loss was $104,400, based on the difference between the price for which each vehicle was acquired and the inflated price for which it was sold after its odometer was rolled back.
Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen stated, “These defendants defrauded ordinary citizens who were simply trying to stay within their budgets by buying used cars. What makes it even more egregious is that they victimized American citizens after having been allowed to remain in the United States.”
“HSI works closely with our partners to identify and investigate anyone who comes to the U.S. to commit fraud,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Murphy. “In this case, the convictions and restitution ordered will support the victims who were defrauded through the defendants’ scheme."
In a separate case, Andronache and Zamfir had been stopped in November 2023 in Blaine, Washington, near the Canadian border. They were transporting twelve aliens, all of whom were Romanian citizens who had entered the United States illegally. In 2024, Andronache and Zamfir were convicted and sentenced in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington of Conspiracy to Illegally Transport Certain Aliens. At the conclusion of that case, Andronache and Zamfir were transported to Nebraska to face the Odometer Fraud and related charges.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles Fraud Unit.
Four Mexican Nationals Residing Unlawfully in the United States Charged for Their Roles in an International Conspiracy to Smuggle Aliens from Canada into the U.S.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Four Mexican nationals unlawfully residing in the United States have been charged for their roles in an international human smuggling conspiracy that illegally brought aliens across the Canadian border to the United States for profit.
Edgar Sanchez-Solis, age 23, unlawfully residing in Kansas City, Kansas; Ignacio Diaz-Perez, age 35, unlawfully residing in Oakwood, Georgia; Samuel Diaz-Perez, age 26, unlawfully residing in Dublin, Ohio; and Salvador Diaz-Diaz, age 32, unlawfully residing in Columbus, Ohio, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States and 25 counts of bringing aliens illegally to the United States for profit. The defendants were arrested at multiple locations throughout the United States and are currently detained. Ignacio Diaz-Perez and Salvador Diaz-Diaz had been previously removed from the United States.
“As alleged, these defendants illegally entered this country and then sought to smuggle hundreds of aliens per week to the United States from Mexico, Central America, and South America through the Canadian border,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The defendants instructed smuggled aliens to make testimonial videos touting the enterprise’s services. In reality, the defendants imperiled their human cargo and innocent American lives when they repeatedly engaged in life-threatening conduct, including multiple high-speed getaways from law enforcement.”
“This case demonstrates our relentless efforts to secure our northern border from the criminal organizations profiting from human smuggling and other illegal activities,” said United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III. “We are grateful for our partnership with Joint Task Force Alpha as we work to dismantle these transnational criminal organizations and make our North Country communities safer.”
According to court documents, the four defendants were part of an alien smuggling organization that has been operating for the last two years in Mexico, Canada, and the United States. The four defendants, in exchange for money, conspired with others to smuggle hundreds of aliens per week from Mexico, Central America, and South America through Canada, into northern New York, including Franklin and Clinton Counties, as alleged in court documents. The aliens or their family members paid thousands of dollars to be smuggled into the United States. The defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly facilitated the illegal travel of the aliens from Mexico to Canada and then across the northern border, where they were picked up and driven farther into the United States.
On multiple occasions members of the alien smuggling organization led local and federal law enforcement officers on high-speed vehicle chases along the U.S. northern border, creating a grave public safety risk, according to court documents. For example, in April 2023, smugglers allegedly fled the Burke Border Patrol Station’s sector at a high rate of speed after setting off a border sensor. Border Patrol successfully stopped the vehicle and apprehended the smugglers, who were transporting seven adult aliens and three minors. In another incident, in May 2023, the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office used a tire deflation device to stop a van carrying aliens after it allegedly failed to yield to both federal and state law enforcement. The smugglers and aliens allegedly fled on foot after the vehicle was disabled. As additionally alleged, in August 2023, a vehicle carrying aliens that was fleeing from Border Patrol drove into Plattsburgh, New York, where it drove erratically, passed vehicles in a congested traffic area, ran a red light, and struck a motorist at an intersection. The driver and six illegal aliens fled the accident scene on foot but eventually were apprehended.
“These individuals acted in blatant disregard of our nation’s laws, allegedly smuggling hundreds of aliens into the United States for thousands of dollars each,” said Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Buffalo. “They’re alleged to have repeatedly put the public at risk through dangerous vehicle chases with law enforcement further demonstrating their contempt for the law and safety of others. We work every day with our partners in the U.S. Border Patrol and are proud to support the security of our borders and uphold public safety in our communities.”
“These charges are a testament to the hard work of the men and women of the United States Border Patrol and its partner agencies,” said Chief Patrol Agent Robert N. Garcia of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Swanton Sector. “The days of catch-and-release are over, and the reality is clear; if you attempt to enter the United States illegally, if you attempt to smuggle or traffic human beings, you will be apprehended and you will face severe consequences.”
The investigation and arrests of the defendants were coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 360 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 330 U.S. convictions; more than 275 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
Mr. Galeotti expressed his gratitude to Joint Task Force Alpha, which is focused on combatting human smuggling organizations, and its partners in this case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York and HSI. HSI Rouses Point and U.S. Border Patrol Burke Station led U.S. investigative efforts, with substantial assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. and CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force.
Trial Attorney Jenna Reed of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carling Dunham for the Northern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Four Mexican Nationals Residing Unlawfully in the United States Charged for Their Roles in an International Conspiracy to Smuggle Aliens from Canada into the U.S.Read the Press Release
Four Mexican nationals unlawfully residing in the United States have been charged for their roles in an international human smuggling conspiracy that illegally brought aliens across the Canadian border to the United States for profit.
Edgar Sanchez-Solis, 23, unlawfully residing in Kansas City, Kansas; Ignacio Diaz-Perez, 35, unlawfully residing in Oakwood, Georgia; Samuel Diaz-Perez, 26, unlawfully residing in Dublin, Ohio; and Salvador Diaz-Diaz, 32, unlawfully residing in Columbus, Ohio, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States and 25 counts of bringing aliens illegally to the United States for profit. The defendants were arrested at multiple locations throughout the United States and are currently detained. Ignacio Diaz-Perez and Salvador Diaz-Diaz had been previously removed from the United States.
“As alleged, these defendants illegally entered this country and then sought to smuggle hundreds of aliens per week to the United States from Mexico, Central America, and South America through the Canadian border,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The defendants instructed smuggled aliens to make testimonial videos touting the enterprise’s services. In reality, the defendants imperiled their human cargo and innocent American lives when they repeatedly engaged in life-threatening conduct, including multiple high-speed getaways from law enforcement.”
“This case demonstrates our relentless efforts to secure our northern border against the criminal organizations profiting from human smuggling and other illegal activities,” said U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York. “We are grateful for our partnership with Joint Task Force Alpha as we work to dismantle these transnational criminal organizations and make our North Country communities safer.”
According to court documents, the four defendants were part of an alien smuggling organization that has been operating for the last two years in Mexico, Canada, and the United States. The four defendants, in exchange for money, conspired with others to smuggle hundreds of aliens per week from Mexico, Central America, and South America through Canada, into northern New York, including Franklin and Clinton Counties, as alleged in court documents. The aliens or their family members paid thousands of dollars to be smuggled into the United States. The defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly facilitated the illegal travel of the aliens from Mexico to Canada and then across the northern border, where they were picked up and driven farther into the United States.
On multiple occasions members of the alien smuggling organization led local and federal law enforcement officers on high-speed vehicle chases along the U.S. northern border, creating a grave public safety risk, according to court documents. For example, in April 2023, smugglers allegedly fled the Burke Border Patrol Station’s sector at a high rate of speed after setting off a border sensor. Border Patrol successfully stopped the vehicle and apprehended the smugglers, who were transporting seven adult aliens and three minors. In another incident, in May 2023, the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office used a tire deflation device to stop a van carrying aliens after it allegedly failed to yield to both federal and state law enforcement. The smugglers and aliens allegedly fled on foot after the vehicle was disabled. As additionally alleged, in August 2023, a vehicle carrying aliens that was fleeing from Border Patrol drove into Plattsburgh, New York, where it drove erratically, passed vehicles in a congested traffic area, ran a red light, and struck a motorist at an intersection. The driver and six illegal aliens fled the accident scene on foot but eventually were apprehended.
“These individuals acted in blatant disregard of our nation’s laws, allegedly smuggling hundreds of aliens into the United States for thousands of dollars each,” said Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Buffalo. “They’re alleged to have repeatedly put the public at risk through dangerous vehicle chases with law enforcement further demonstrating their contempt for the law and safety of others. We work every day with our partners in the U.S. Border Patrol and are proud to support the security of our borders and uphold public safety in our communities.”
“These charges are a testament to the hard work of the men and women of the United States Border Patrol and its partner agencies,” said Chief Patrol Agent Robert N. Garcia of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Swanton Sector. “The days of catch-and-release are over, and the reality is clear; if you attempt to enter the United States illegally, if you attempt to smuggle or traffic human beings, you will be apprehended and you will face severe consequences.”
The investigation and arrests of the defendants were coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 360 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 330 U.S. convictions; more than 275 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
Mr. Galeotti expressed his gratitude to Joint Task Force Alpha, which is focused on combatting human smuggling organizations, and its partners in this case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York and HSI. HSI Rouses Point and U.S. Border Patrol Burke Station led U.S. investigative efforts, with substantial assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. and CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force.
Trial Attorney Jenna Reed of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carling Dunham for the Northern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former PICC Correctional Officer and Two Co-Conspirators Plead Guilty to Scheme to Smuggle Contraband into the Prison FacilityRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Breyanna Cornish, 30, Jawayne Brown, 40, and Ahmad Nasir, aka Hussain Abdussamad, 44, all of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered pleas of guilty before United States District Court Judge Gerald J. Pappert this week in connection with a scheme to smuggle contraband — including drugs, phones, chargers, cigarettes, and knives — into the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center (“PICC”) from April through July of 2021.
The defendants were charged by indictment in August of last year, with Nasir pleading guilty this morning to one count of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, one count of federal program bribery, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of buprenorphine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of buprenorphine.
Brown pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, one count of federal program bribery, and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of buprenorphine.
Cornish pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery and one count of federal program bribery.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendants, Nasir, who was then detained pre-trial at PICC, worked with Brown, who was not incarcerated, Cornish, who was then a PICC correctional officer (“CO”) employed by the Philadelphia Department of Prisons (“PDP”), and several other associates to purchase and assemble contraband. Cornish then smuggled the contraband into PICC, where Nasir sold the contraband to other inmates for a profit. Nasir then instructed associates to pay Cornish for her role smuggling the contraband into the prison and Brown for his work purchasing and assembling the packages.
On July 10, 2021, PDP conducted a search of the cell Nasir shared with another inmate. In a compartment in the ceiling behind a light fixture, officers recovered 19 cellphones, 20 cellphone chargers, one rapid charger, two super glues, two screwdrivers, one roll of tape, three hunting knives, one Ziploc bag containing the synthetic cannabinoid commonly known as K2, one Ziploc bag of tobacco, one alprazolam pill, and at least 110 packets of Suboxone.
Following the search of the cell, officers conducted a search of Nasir and his cellmate. Officers recovered a cellphone from the person of each of them. Text messages and WhatsApp messages extracted from the cell phone recovered from Nasir’s person revealed that from June 19, 2021, to July 6, 2021, CO Cornish, Nasir, and Brown discussed via text specific contraband items to be acquired, the delivery of contraband packages, and payments for the items and to co-conspirators. Nasir simultaneously sent messages to multiple inmates about the purchase and delivery of contraband.
The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced in August. Cornish faces a maximum possible term of 15 years’ imprisonment, Brown a maximum possible term of 25 years’ imprisonment, and Nasir a maximum possible term of 35 years’ imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the FBI, with significant assistance from the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan Claiborne and Ruth Mandelbaum.
Former Massachusetts State Police Sergeant Convicted of Bribery and Extortion ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Sergeant with the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) was found guilty today by a federal jury in Boston of orchestrating a series of schemes to give false passing scores to certain Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) applicants, including individuals who had failed or did not take the CDL skills test, as part of years-long bribery and extortion conspiracies.
Gary Cederquist, 59, of Stoughton, was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to commit extortion, one count of extortion, six counts of honest services mail fraud, three counts of conspiracy to falsify records, 19 counts of falsification of records and 17 counts of false statements. Cederquist was acquitted of one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, two counts of extortion, three counts of falsification of records and three counts of false statements. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for July 24, 2025.
In January 2024, Cederquist was charged in a 74-count indictment along with three other MSP troopers and two civilians:
- Former Trooper Calvin Butner, 64, of Halifax;
- Former Trooper Perry Mendes, 64, of Wareham;
- Former Trooper Joel Rogers, 56, of Bridgewater;
- Scott Camara, 44, of Rehoboth; and
- Eric Mathison, 48, of Boston.
All of Cederquist’s co-defendants have accepted responsibility for their involvement in the conspiracy. Butner, Mendes, Camara and Mathison have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
“It is never a good day when a member of law enforcement is convicted of a crime, especially when it is a crime that compromises public safety. Gary Cederquist chose bribery and extortion over his oath to protect the community which he was sworn to serve. His greed put the public at risk when he devised a scheme to issue commercial driver’s licenses to applicants who had never taken a real test to operate heavy commercial vehicles on the roads and highways of Massachusetts,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office has the utmost respect for law enforcement, but we will not stand idly by if they violate the law.”
“Today’s verdict confirms that Gary Cederquist abused his authority as a Massachusetts State Trooper to recklessly bypass long-established testing and safety parameters for commercial driver’s license applicants. He did so only to enrich himself, while turning a blind eye to the potential public safety implications of ill-prepared and unqualified commercial truck drivers navigating our streets and our highways,” said Homeland Security Investigations New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol. “Public servants are held to a higher standard and Cederquist not only let the citizens of the Commonwealth down but also disgraced the thousands of state troopers who so proudly and honorably wear the Massachusetts State Police uniform.”“Today’s verdict sends a strong message to those who may be motivated by greed to abuse their positions—that they will be met with the full force of the criminal justice system,” said Elise Chawaga, Principal Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. “DOT OIG remains committed to working with our Federal law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to uphold motor carrier rules and regulations, which are integral to maintaining safety on our Nation’s roadways.”
Cederquist was in charge of MSP’s CDL Unit, of which former Troopers Butner, Mendes and Rogers were members. Class A CDLs are required to drive combination vehicles (e.g., tractor-trailers). Class B CDLs are required to drive heavy single vehicles (e.g., box trucks, oil tankers, school buses). Test requirements for CDLs are established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Members of MSP’s CDL Unit are responsible for administering CDL skills tests. The CDL skills test is a demanding, in-person test that consists of three segments: Vehicle Inspection; Basic Control Skills; and the Road Test. Test scores reported by members of MSP’s CDL Unit are material to whether applicants meet federal requirements for, and therefore whether the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is permitted to issue applicants, CDLs. In Massachusetts, the pass rate was 48% in 2019, 44% in 2020, 41% in 2021 and 41% in 2022.
Between in on or about February 2019 and January 2023, Cederquist arranged for him and his co-conspirators to give passing scores to at least three dozen applicants regardless of whether or not they had actually passed or, in some cases, had even taken the CDL skills test, including in some instances in exchange for bribes. Cederquist and his co-conspirators used the code word “golden handshake” or “golden” to identify applicants who received special treatment and were to be given passing scores on their skills tests regardless of performance. In text message conversations, Cederquist and his co-conspirators described a number of “golden” applicants as performing poorly on their skills tests. However, all of the applicants received passing scores.
Among the CDL applicants to whom Cederquist gave preferential treatment were six MSP Troopers who Cederquist falsely reported as having passed a Class A skills test. In reality, however, the Troopers did not take a real CDL skills test. For four of the Trooper applicants, Cederquist conspired with his friend Camara, who worked for a truck-driving school in Brockton, to accomplish this offense.
Cederquist also conspired with his friend Mathison, who worked for a water company that employed drivers who needed CDLs, to give passing scores to certain applicants affiliated with the water company. In exchange for the passing scores, Cederquist accepted bribes – for years – of free inventory from the water company, such as cases of bottled Fiji, VOSS and Essentia water, cases of bottled Arizona Iced Tea, coffee and tea products and boxes of Twizzlers and Swedish Fish, all of which Mathison delivered to an office trailer at the CDL test site in Stoughton. Cederquist sent Mathison a text describing one of these applicants as “an idiot,” who had “no idea what he’s doing,” and “should have failed about 10 times already.” Cederquist then texted Mathison that Mathison’s boss “owes big time.”
In exchange for using his official position to give preferential treatment to certain CDL applicants, Cederquist accepted a variety of bribes including inventory from Mathison’s water company valued in the thousands of dollars; a $750 granite post and mailbox; a new driveway valued at over $10,000; and a snowblower valued at nearly $2,000. Cederquist described one such applicant as “horrible,” and “brain dead,” but gave him a passing score anyway in exchange for the snowblower.
All CDL recipients identified as not qualified during the course of this investigation have been reported to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles.
The charges of conspiracy to falsify records each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of conspiracy to commit extortion each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of extortion each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of honest services mail fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of falsification of records each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of false statements each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years 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.
U.S. Attorney Foley; HSI SAC Krol; and DOT PAIG Chawaga made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine J. Wichers and Adam W. Deitch of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case.
Former Indiana Congressional Candidate Sentenced to Federal Prison for Falsifying Campaign Finance RecordsRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS— Gabriel Whitley, 27, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to three months in federal prison followed by one year of supervised release after pleading guilty to making materially false statements to the Federal Election Commission.
According to court documents, during the 2024 primary election, Gabriel Whitley was a candidate for United States Congress in Indiana’s 7th Congressional District. Whitley did not win the primary election, which was held on May 7, 2024. As set forth below in more detail, rather than raise funds in the normal course for his campaign, Whitley fabricated contributions that he had received and falsely reported to the Federal Election Commission (“FEC”) that he had in fact received those contributions. Whitley knew the FEC filings were riddled with falsehoods, and in making those fraudulent statements, deceived the American public about his candidacy.
As set forth in Court documents, on October 11, 2023, Whitley, acting as Treasurer for his principal campaign committee, “Honest Gabe for Congress,” filed a report with the FEC covering the period from July 1, 2023, to September 30, 2023. In that report, Whitley lied and falsely documented that 67 people, not including himself, made contributions to his campaign, totaling approximately $222,690. These reports included made-up names, occupations, employers, and addresses for multiple fictitious contributors.
On January 31, 2024, Whitley, again acting as Treasurer for his campaign committee, filed another report with the FEC repeating the same scheme he had engaged in previously, lying and falsely reporting contributions that he knew he had never received.
Finally, on April 15, 2024, Whitley filed yet another false report with the FEC. In that report, he lied again and falsely conveyed that he loaned his campaign $100,000 on March 7, 2024, while knowing that he had not in fact loaned his campaign this money and did not have the funds to do so.
In total, approximately $234,000 of the purported contributions to Honest Gabe for Congress never occurred.
“Gabriel Whitley intentionally created an illusion that he was a legitimate candidate for office with the financial support of the electorate, denying the public of its most powerful tool for casting informed ballots: transparency,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Federal election laws require all federal candidates to make a true, accurate accounting of the contributions they have received, so that citizens can properly choose their own leaders. This sentence should reassure the public of our government’s ability to police and punish conduct that corrupts elections and denies the public the right to cast informed votes.”
“When you are a candidate for public office, you have the same responsibility to follow the law just like the people you seek to represent,” said FBI Indianapolis Acting Special Agent in Charge Dominique Evans. “This wasn’t a mistake by Mr. Whitley - it was a deliberate effort to deceive the public by violating campaign finance laws for his own gain. The FBI remains committed to investigating those who violate public trust and ensure they are held accountable.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II.
Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany J. Preston and Trial Attorney of the Public Integrity of the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice, Nicole Lockhart, who prosecuted this case, with substantial assistance from former PIN Trial Attorney Jacob Steiner
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Former Greensburg Police Chief Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine and CocaineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The former police chief of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on May 1, 2025, to 15 months in federal prison for narcotics charges, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Shawn Denning, 44, of Delmont, Pennsylvania. Denning pleaded guilty on April 16, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine.
According to information presented to the Court, during the time that he was the Greensburg police chief, Denning was involved in a nationwide drug conspiracy and had helped numerous individuals purchase narcotics from suppliers in California. Those narcotics included cocaine and methamphetamine disguised as counterfeit Adderall pills. One of the individuals with whom Denning conspired was former Greensburg police officer Regina McAtee, who also pleaded guilty to the drug conspiracy and will be sentenced later this month.
Despite Denning’s argument during the sentencing hearing that he should not serve any time in prison, Judge Bissoon sentenced Denning to 15 months in federal prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release, and a $2,000 fine. Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Bissoon stated that “When law enforcement becomes the bad guys, our civil society cannot function.”
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, and Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Denning.
This prosecution is a 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.
Former City Clerk / Treasurer Pleads Guilty to Stealing over $196,000 from the City of New PlymouthRead the Press Release
BOISE – Danielle Painter, 41, of Fruitland, pleaded guilty to wire fraud related to defrauding the City of New Plymouth through unauthorized personal purchases on City credit cards, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today.
According to court records, Danielle Painter was employed as the City Clerk / Treasurer for the City of New Plymouth from 2012 to 2023. As the City Clerk / Treasurer, Painter was responsible for performing various accounting functions, including recording and coding of credit card charges in the accounting system, issuing electronic credit card payments, and retaining credit card statements.
Between 2017 and 2023, Painter devised a scheme to defraud the City of New Plymouth by using City of New Plymouth credit cards for unauthorized personal expenses. The unauthorized personal expenses included retail purchases, restaurants, clothing, travel, concerts, utility and rent, and medical expenses.
In total, Painter made $196,947.87 in unauthorized charges using City of New Plymouth credit cards between 2017 and 2023. To hide her scheme, Painter entered many of the expenses as professional services in the City of New Plymouth’s internal accounting system.
“The Idaho State Police takes our responsibility seriously to uphold public trust and protect taxpayer dollars.” Investigative Lieutenant Jack Catlin stated. “This case demonstrates the strength of our partnerships with local and federal agencies and our shared commitment to holding individuals accountable when that trust is violated.”
U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford will sentence Painter on August 5, 2025. The charge in this case is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the investigation by the Idaho State Police, which led to the charge. Assistant U.S Attorney Sean Mazorol is prosecuting this case.
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Florida Man Sentenced for Assaulting Gate Agent at DFW AirportRead the Press Release
A Florida man who assaulted a gate agent at DFW Airport was sentenced to four months in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Keith Charles Owens, 53, was charged via criminal complaint in November 2024 and pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging interference with security screening personnel in January 2025. He was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor, who also ordered Owens to pay nearly $6,000 in restitution.
In plea papers, Mr. Owens admitted that he assaulted an American Airlines gate agent at DFW Airport on Oct. 5, 2024. Security footage showed Mr. Owens repeatedly punched the gate agent in the head.According to court documents, around 4:42 p.m., Mr. Owens approached the gate agent at gate A36, explained he was late, and attempted to scan his boarding pass. When the gate agent informed him he was at the wrong gate, Mr. Owens cursed and walked away. The agent then radioed the correct gate, A35, to inform airline personnel that Mr. Owens was headed their way and appeared to be intoxicated.
Mr. Owens then walked onto the A35 jet bridge without scanning his boarding pass. Airline personnel removed him from the jet bridge.
A few moments later, at 4:48 p.m., Mr. Owens again approached gate A36. He began yelling at the gate agent, grabbed him by the shoulders, and punched him repeatedly in the face and neck. Eventually, airline personnel were able to restrain him.
Both the gate agent and the personnel who assisted in restraining Mr. Owens sustained minor injuries. The flight departing from gate A36 was delayed.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation with the DFW Airport Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Beck prosecuted the case.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Louisville Man for Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, and Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, has indicted a local man with a drug conspiracy involving methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department, and Sheriff John Aubrey of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Jordan Watkins, 34, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine, over 40 grams of fentanyl, and cocaine for an offense occurring between September 24, 2023, and March 9, 2025, in Jefferson County, Kentucky.
On April 25, 2025, Watkins made an initial court appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. A detention hearing is scheduled for May 5, 2025. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and LMPD, with assistance from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Dahl is prosecuting this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Father Sentenced to Life Plus 10 Years for First Degree Murder and Assault; Sons Sentenced for Their InvolvementRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A father was sentenced after being convicted by a jury of first-degree murder and assault, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced James William Buzzard, 52, to life imprisonment, plus 10 years, after a jury convicted Buzzard of First Degree Murder in Indian Country, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian County, and Carrying, Using, or Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.
Before the trial began, James Buzzard’s co-defendants and sons pleaded guilty to their involvement in the murder of Jerry Tapp.
Cody Dwayne Buzzard, 31, pled guilty to Second Degree Murder in Indian Country, and Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Judge Frizzell ordered Cody Buzzard to serve 300 months' imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.
Dakota Chase Buzzard, 23, pled guilty to Conspiracy to Carry, Use, Brandish, and Discharge a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Judge Frizzell ordered Dakota Buzzard to serve 78 months' imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
In August 2019, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call about a shooting. Upon arrival, deputies discovered Jerry Tapp deceased in his front yard with multiple gunshot wounds. Deputies found a second victim alive, who was shot in the arm.
Witness interviews led law enforcement to Dakota Buzzard, who was driving a white, 4-door Altima, matching the description of the vehicle seen leaving. Law enforcement found spent casings in the yard, driveway, and roadway. They also found additional casings in the vehicle and the rifle used in the shooting.
Court documents showed that the defendants waited for Jerry Tapp to return home from work. Once Jerry Tapp exited the vehicle, James Buzzard shot at Jerry, and handed the gun to Cody Buzzard, who continued shooting.
The FBI, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reagan Reininger and Eric O. Johnston prosecuted the case.
Emmanuel College Assistant Admissions Director Arrested for Allegedly Soliciting a College Applicant to Engage in Commercial SexRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Assistant Admissions Director for Emmanuel College in Boston was arrested this evening and charged with soliciting an underage college applicant to engage in commercial sex with him.
Jacob Henriques, 29, of Boston, is charged in a criminal complaint with one count of Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Minor. He will appear in U.S. District Court in Boston on Monday May 5, 2025.
According to the charging document, Henriques used his position as an Assistant Admissions Director to allegedly gain access to the personal information of various admitted or prospective students, who he later contacted to solicit to engage in commercial sex with him. Specifically, on April 25, 2025, Henriques met with multiple admitted or prospective students. After meeting with at least three such students, Henriques allegedly gained access to their personal information and began contacting them, offering to “pay them for some fun,” offering to provide them with pornography, and, in some instances, sending them pornographic videos or images. It is alleged that Henriques began contacting a fourth victim after she formally committed to attend the college on April 25, 2025. He allegedly offered to pay her for “some fun” and began sending pornographic videos to her.
Henriques is charged with attempting to traffic a 17-year-old victim, who was a prospective student. Henriques allegedly reviewed the victim’s tour registration form, which contained her date of birth, just before giving her a tour of the college on or about April 25, 2025. Henriques asked the victim what grade she was in and the victim told Henriques what local high school she attended. Within hours of finishing the tour, it is alleged that Henriques began texting the victim on her phone number provided on her admissions form. Henriques allegedly offered to pay the victim $400 for “some fun” right now and told her that he had pornographic videos and pictures for her. Henriques continued to contact the minor victim that night, refusing to tell her who he was or how he got her number. He allegedly told the victim that “porn” and “$” was ready for her. Henriques then allegedly sent the minor victim five pornographic videos depicting men and women engaged in sex acts and asked her whether or not she wanted to participate in a “gangbang” and whether or not she wanted to have sex with him. It is further alleged that despite the victim rejecting Henriques’s offer multiple times, Henrique continued to text her telling her to let him know if she changed her mind and that he would buy her anything she wanted. Between April 25, 2025 and April 28, 2025, it is alleged that Henriques accessed the minor’s profile 47 times. After the victim blocked his phone number, Henriques allegedly began soliciting the victim via email.
The charge of attempted sex trafficking of a minor provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, with a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, at least five years 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 other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Emmanuel College Campus Police and the Boston, Ware, Lunenburg, Agawam, Springfield, Ludlow and Easthampton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig E. Estes of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit is prosecuting the case.
If you believe that you may be a victim of the alleged crime, please reach out to the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force by filling out this short short form.
If you have information or questions about this investigation, or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking or child exploitation, please contact [email protected].
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.
Ecuadorian National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Ecuadorian national residing in Lawrence, Mass. has been charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Carlos Guaico-Bano, 35, was charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Guaico-Bano was arrested this morning and will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston later today.
According to the charging documents on Feb. 4, 2020, Feb. 10, 2020, Feb. 19, 2020 and March 3, 2020, Border Patrol Agents encountered Guaico-Bano in Brackettville, Eagle Pass, and El Paso, Texas. In each of these four instances, Border Patrol Agents determined he had no lawful right to be present in the United States and returned him to Mexican side of the border. During his March 3rd encounter with Border Patrol, Guaico-Bano was served with a Notice to Appear at removal proceedings on March 10th. However, instead of appearing for removal proceedings as directed, Guaico-Bano allegedly attempted, for a fifth time, to enter the U.S. without permission and was caught doing so on March 10th. Guaico-Bano was placed in custody and processed for removal back to Ecuador. On the same day, an immigration judge in San Antonio, Texas ordered Guaico-Bano removed from the United States.
According to court records, Guaico-Bano was caught again in September of 2020 attempting to enter the United States illegally for a sixth time and was removed back to Ecuador. On Nov. 23, 2021, immigration authorities became aware that Guaico-Bano had reentered the United States following his arrest on Nov. 17, 2021 in Lawrence. He was charged and later convicted of one count of Assault and Battery and one count of Assault and Battery, Dangerous Weapon. He received an 18-month suspended sentence and was then released from custody before Immigration and Customs Enforcement could take action.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
District of Arizona Charges 287 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct in Arizona this WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During this week of enforcement operations from April 26, 2025, through May 5, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 287 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 107 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 156 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 21 cases against 24 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Krystal Lopez: On April 29, 2025, BPAs ran a registration check on a vehicle which showed a positive history of alien smuggling. The vehicle pulled into a gas station. The driver exited the vehicle and entered the store. BPAs approached the vehicle and saw a person hiding in the back seat underneath a blanket. A search of the vehicle revealed two additional people in the trunk. All three people were determined to be citizens of Mexico illegally present in the United States. The driver, Krystal Lopez, had been arrested one month prior for alien smuggling and was released pending trial in that case. She was charged by complaint in this case and ordered detained pending trial. [Lopez CR-25-02060 and MJ-25-07625]
United States v. Gloria Lopez Corona: On April 29, 2025, Gloria Lopez Corona crossed into the United States through the San Luis Port of Entry attempting to smuggle a five-year-old child. Corona presented a birth certificate for a two-year-old, which was inconsistent with the child she was presenting for entry. After being referred to secondary, she admitted to smuggling the child. The child had been given melatonin gummies and was sleepy and disoriented. Agents were able to find the child's mother, Reyna Cecilia Hernandez Reyes, a Mexican citizen. Reyes admitted to giving her child to an unknown female to be smuggled into the United States. Both women were charged. [Lopez Corona et al 25-01540MJ]
United States v. Carlos Murillo: On April 30, 2025, Carlos Murillo, a Naturalized United States Citizen, was encountered by Border Patrol after transporting Marcelino Garcia-Alejo, an illegal alien. Murillo had been recruited to smuggle aliens via Facebook. He admitted to previously smuggling aliens, and believed he would be paid $700.00 for smuggling Garcia-Alejo. [Murillo 25-01544MJ]
Criminal complaints and indictments are simply methods by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-071_May 2 Immigration Enforcement
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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 X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Dayton Man Sentenced for Fentanyl Analogue DistributionRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A Dayton, Ohio, man, Julius Cole, 39, was sentenced on Friday to 132 months in prison, by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for aiding and abetting the intended distribution of 100 grams or more of a mixture containing a fentanyl analogue.
According to Cole’s plea agreement, on January 2, 2024, law enforcement used a confidential informant to arrange a controlled purchase of fentanyl from Earnest Bryson, who agreed to sell a kilogram of fentanyl to the informant. On January 3, 2024, Cole, Bryson, and co-defendant Gerald Young traveled from Dayton, Ohio to Fort Wright, Ky, to deliver the drugs to the informant. Soon after they arrived, law enforcement parked behind their vehicle and forcibly removed them from the vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed that an attempt was made to destroy the drugs by mixing them with Coca-Cola. Some of the mixture was tested, however, and found to contain fentanyl as well as fluorofentanyl, a fentanyl analogue. Further investigation revealed that Germel Hughes, Cole’s second co-defendant, supplied the drugs to Bryson on the condition that Cole travel with Bryson to Kentucky to assist in the drug distribution. Hughes gave instructions to destroy the drugs with soda if they were stopped by law enforcement. Cole admitted that Bryson possessed the fentanyl with the intent to distribute it and that he assisted Bryson in doing the same
Young and Hughes have both pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges and are scheduled to be sentenced on June 5 and July 16, respectively.
Under federal law, Cole must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; John Nokes, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by ATF and KSP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Winslow is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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D.C. U.S. Attorney Ed Martin Claws Back $1 Million in USAID Overbilling CaseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Stax Inc., a private consulting based in Boston, Massachusetts, has agreed to pay $1 million to resolve allegations it overbilled the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in claims for salary reimbursement in the implementation of the U.S. Government funded Sri Lanka@100 project.
This matter came to the U.S. Attorney’s Office from the USAID Office of the Inspector General which found that Stax overbilled USAID more than $850,000 by inflating its employee salary costs.
During an administrative audit, it was discovered that Stax put hidden profit in its proposed salary for its employees. This hidden profit violated the terms of the cooperative agreement entered into by USAID, and further was in direct contradiction to expressed statements to Stax informing them that they were not to get any profit from this cooperative agreement.
During the investigation, Stax was bought out by another company that immediately began to cooperate with the investigation and instituted remedial measures. The new company fired the official who directed that the profit be hidden in the salaries, revamped Stax’s compliance procedures, and placed new personnel with extensive compliance experience into leadership positions. As a result of the earned cooperation credit, the parties agreed to settle for 1.2 times the single damages for a settlement total of $1 million.
The settlement was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and USAID Office of the Inspector General.
The matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Darrell Valdez of the District of Columbia and Special Agents Michael Pak and Kristopher Nordeen of the USAID Office of the Inspector General.
The settlement agreement is not an admission of facts or liability by Stax Inc. but does resolve the disputed overbilling claims.
D.C. Felon Indicted After Officers Find Firearm in VehicleRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jerone D. Robinson, 48, a resident of the District of Columbia, has been indicted on a federal firearms charge as part of the Make D.C. Safe Again initiative. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Make D.C. Safe Again is a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. The initiative prioritizes federal firearms violations, seeks tougher penalties for offenders, and aims to detain dangerous individuals facing federal firearms charges.
Robinson is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.
According to court documents, on Jan. 18, 2024, MPD officers were conducting proactive patrols on Benning Road NE when they observed an unattended, running vehicle. Officers noted a sole occupant, later identified as Robinson, sitting in the driver’s seat. Through the windshield, an officer spotted a firearm on the floorboard in front of the driver’s seat.
Robinson was detained without incident. Officers secured the firearm, which was identified as a loaded, Glock-style semi-automatic handgun.
Officers also observed a Styrofoam cup containing a yellow liquid with the odor of alcohol in the center console. When questioned, Robinson admitted it was “a mixed drink.” He was arrested and transported to the Fifth District Station.
A background check confirmed the firearm was not legally registered, that Robinson lacked a license to carry, and that he is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior felony conviction.
This case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven B. Wasserman is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger has sentenced Malcolm Bellamy (25, Orlando) to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Bellamy to forfeit the firearm which was used during the commission of the offense. Bellamy pleaded guilty on June 6, 2024.
According to court documents, on April 21, 2023, an individual called 911 to report that the driver of a vehicle, whom he later identified as Bellamy, had just pulled out a gun and fired it at him. Officers from the Orlando Police Department responded to the scene and observed an individual standing in the street having a verbal confrontation with the occupants of a blue sedan. The vehicle immediately drove away as officers were approaching in their marked cars. The individual in the street pointed at the vehicle and stated, “that’s them”.
Officers pursued the vehicle which pulled into the driveway of Bellamy’s residence in a nearby neighborhood. The front passenger exited the car with a black object in his hand. Officers gave the passenger commands to get on the ground. The passenger, who had gone behind a tree approximately four feet from the car with the black object in his hand, returned to the vehicle without the object and laid on the ground. The driver, who was later identified as Bellamy, got out of the car and was also detained.
Officers searched behind the tree and discovered an open black bag with a chrome 9mm Taurus handgun sticking out. The handgun’s magazine was loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition. Additionally, a shell casing was discovered at the scene in the vicinity of the reported shooting.
DNA swabs collected from the firearm and a comparison sample taken from Bellamy were a match. A shell casing from the handgun was also matched to the shell casing recovered at the scene.
At the time of the incident, Bellamy was a convicted felon, with prior convictions for robbery with a firearm and aggravated assault with a firearm. As such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Orlando Police Department. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Lyons and Matthew Del Mastro.
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.
Chinese National Sentenced for Mail FraudRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Chinese National, Yongjian You, 41, was sentenced on Friday to 27 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves for mail fraud he committed as part of a gift card tampering scheme.
In a gift card tampering scheme, individuals steal gift card packages from retail stores, discreetly access the card numbers or security access codes, reseal the compromised gift card packages, and then place them back into retail stores to be sold to unsuspecting customers. Once the tampered gift cards are loaded with cash value at the store’s point of sale by customers, the fraudsters steal the funds from the card. According to his plea agreement, You stole gift cards from multiple Kroger stores in the Lexington area, mailed them to co-conspirators using the United States Postal Service to be compromised, received them back in the mail, and returned the tampered cards to retailer shelves to be sold to unwary customers. On July 8, 2024, You was caught stealing untampered gift cards from a Kroger in Lexington, and placing tampered cards back on the gift card racks. A law enforcement search of his vehicle that same day yielded 871 tampered gift cards and 998 untampered gift cards, representing potential consumer loss of $419,975. Two packages that You recently mailed to California were then intercepted, and found to contain an additional 2,651 untampered gift cards, representing another $627,925 in potential consumer loss. Ultimately, the total potential loss from the gift cards in You’s scheme was more than $1.1 million.
Under federal law, You must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by HSI and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Chapman is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Career offender sentenced to 14 years in prison for fentanyl traffickingRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria man was sentenced yesterday to 14 years in prison for distributing fentanyl.
According to court documents, law enforcement identified Alphonso Page, aka Zoe and Fonzie, 35, as a narcotics distributor in Northern Virginia. On March 14, 2024, and April 2, 2024, law enforcement conducted controlled purchases from Page of approximately 2,300 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl for a total net weight of 247.92 grams.
Page was convicted twice previously on drug charges in Arlington County. On March 14, 2008, Page was convicted of distribution of cocaine and the distribution of an imitation controlled substance. On July 16, 2018, Page was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Page also has previous convictions for conducting an illegal gambling operation, trespassing, identity theft, petit larceny, maliciously shooting at a dwelling, and the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Rosenberg prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-257.
California man pleads guilty to wire fraud for $1 million fraud schemeRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 43-year-old Laguna Niguel, California man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to wire fraud for his scheme to steal nearly $1 million from his employer, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Paul Joseph Welch was the IT manager of Kent, Washington energy manufacturing company Algas-SDI when he used various schemes to steal more than $950,000 from the company. Welch is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead on August 21, 2025.
According to records in the case, Welch worked for the company from 2011 to 2024. He was promoted to Information Technology Manager in 2018. As early as 2017, Welch used the company’s Amazon business account to make unauthorized personal purchases from Amazon.com. Between 2017 and 2023, those purchases totaled at least $43,000. Welch primarily purchased electronics such at televisions, laptops and more—all for personal use. In 2019, Welch began using his company credit card for personal purchases through other online retailers such as Apple, Alaska Airlines, Instacart, and BestBuy. Between 2019 and 2024, those unauthorized personal purchases totaled at least an additional $60,000.
The scheme really accelerated in January 2021 when Welch began making payments to himself disguised as payments to a computer services company. Welch created a series of email addresses and payment processor accounts using a business name that was very similar to a legitimate computer services company based in Washington State. Welch then used Algas-SDI company credit cards to pay the computer services company under the guise that the company was providing IT equipment and services to Algas-SDI. However, the legitimate computer services company had no relationship with Welch and never provided any services or equipment to Algas-SDI. The credit card payments Welch made from Algas-SDI’s credit cards went directly to the payment processor accounts that Welch controlled. Between 2021 and 2024 Welch used this scheme to transfer approximately $879,175 from company accounts to his own accounts.
Algas-SDI tried to verify the legitimacy of Welch’s activity on multiple occasions, but each time, Welch provided false or misleading information to cover up his scheme. Algas-SDI employees asked Welch to submit invoices to substantiate his charges, but Welch emailed phony documents designed to look like invoices from the legitimate computer services company. At one point in 2023, an Algas-SDI accounting employee identified personal purchases on Welch’s company credit card. Welch claimed the charges were inadvertent and said he would repay the company. Welch never repaid the charges and continued to defraud the company through unauthorized personal purchases and more fake vendor charges. In January 2024, alone, Welch submitted phony invoices to Algas-SDI showing that the computer services company had purportedly invoiced Algas-SDI more than $55,000 for equipment and services in that timeframe.
On January 19, 2024, Algas-SDI employees confronted Welch about the charges from the computer services company accounts that Welch controlled. After Welch again told Algas-SDI that the vendor was a real vendor for the company, the company fired him.
The wire fraud charge is representative of the overall scheme. It represents the times Welch emailed the company false statements or invoices purported to be from a legitimate computer services company.
In all, between 2017 and January 2024 Welch secretly made at least 250 fraudulent charges for the third-party vendor he controlled. He made at least 140 unauthorized purchases with retailers using the company credit card and at least 100 fraudulent purchases on the company’s Amazon account. While Welch profited some $950,000 from his theft, the loss to ALGAS-SDI was approximately $982,520 due to various fees on the transactions.
Welch has agreed to make full restitution to the company.
Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend no more than 27 months in prison. The actual sentence will be determined by Judge Whitehead after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dane A. Westermeyer.
Butler Man Indicted for Threats to Assault and Murder President Trump and Other U.S. OfficialsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Butler, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh with making threats to assault and murder President Donald J. Trump, other United States officials, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The eight-count Indictment named Shawn Monper, 32, currently detained in the Butler County Prison, as the defendant. Monper was previously charged by federal criminal complaint with making the threats that are charged in the Indictment (read the criminal complaint news release here).
On April 9, 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with the assistance of the Butler Township Police Department, arrested Monper on the federal criminal complaint, with law enforcement at that time seizing three handguns purchased by Monper between February and March 2025. After preliminary and detention hearings on April 14, 2025, the Court found that Monper was a danger to the community and ordered that he be detained pending trial.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence on each count of up to five or 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The FBI and the Butler Township Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Buffalo man going to prison on fentanyl chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Hector Anaya, 51, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who handled the case, stated that in April 2024, Buffalo Police detectives received information that Anaya was in possession of a large quantity of narcotics. Detectives surveilled Anaya’s residence and observed him making three hand-to-hand transactions of suspected heroin and cocaine during controlled purchases. On April 25, 2024, a search warrant was executed at his residence during which investigators seized a firearm, ammunition, and a quantity of suspected fentanyl. Anaya was arrested at the scene.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Alphonso Wright.
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Bloomsburg Man Convicted of Drug Distribution Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tysheem Dunlap, age 28, of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, was convicted of drug delivery resulting in death after a four-day jury trial in front of Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann.
According to Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus, on August 20, 2022 in Bloomsburg, PA, Dunlap delivered a substance to four individuals who were current or recent students at Bloomsburg University and were seeking to use cocaine that night. The substance delivered by Dunlap, however, was fentanyl and not cocaine. After using it, three of the four individuals overdosed. The fourth individual called 911. Emergency responders were able to revive two of the overdose victims, but the third victim’s overdose was fatal.
Laboratory analysis of the substance sold to the victims by Dunlap revealed it contain fentanyl. Autopsy and post-mortem toxicology confirmed the presence of fatal levels of fentanyl in the deceased victim’s bloodstream. During the trial, expert testimony established that but for the toxic level of fentanyl, which is 50-100 times more potent than morphine, the otherwise healthy victim would not have died. At the conclusion of trial, the jury returned a verdict finding Dunlap guilty on one count of drug distribution resulting in death; two counts of drug delivery resulting in serious bodily injury; and two counts of distribution of cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bloomsburg Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Geoffrey W. MacArthur and Alisan V. Martin prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Bessemer Man Sentenced to More than Four Years in Prison for His Role in an Elder Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Bessemer man has been sentenced for his role in an elder fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
U.S. District Court Judge Anna Manasco sentenced Terrance Alonzo Pruitt, 47, to 50 months in prison. In December 2024, Pruitt was convicted by a jury of two counts of wire fraud.
According to evidence presented at trial, in September 2023, Pruitt executed a Power of Attorney over an elderly family member with dementia without the victim’s knowledge or permission. Between September 2023 and December 2023, Pruitt devised a scheme to defraud the victim by becoming a joint account holder on the victim’s bank accounts, changing the address on the victim’s bank accounts from the victim’s address to his address, removing two payable on death (POD) beneficiaries from one of the accounts, and adding two POD beneficiaries to another account. Pruitt then transferred $550,000 in funds from the victim’s accounts to his personal bank accounts. Pruitt used some of these funds for his own personal benefit, and he moved $500,000 to a new bank account that did not include the victim as an account holder. When confronted, Pruitt told various, inconsistent stories attempting to excuse his conduct.
Pruitt’s sentencing range was increased because he received an enhancement for obstruction of justice after it was determined that he committed perjury when he testified in his own defense at trial.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan S. Rummage and Brett Janich prosecuted the case.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and attempted fraud is critical to law enforcement’s efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud, and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed 10am-6pm Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov. Victims are encouraged to file a complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at this website or by calling 1-800-225-5324.
Bessemer Man Sentenced for Plotting the Murder of a Federal ProsecutorRead the Press Release
Montgomery, AL – On May 2, 2025, a judge in the Northern District of Alabama ordered that 32-year-old Michael Roman Black, from Bessemer Alabama, serve over 52 years in prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson for the Middle District of Alabama. The sentence includes 420 months for planning the shooting of a federal prosecutor, and 212 months for the initial drug and gun charges previously filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama. Following his prison sentence, Black will serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Court records and trial evidence revealed that in February 2023, while Black was incarcerated in Hoover, Alabama on federal charges brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama, he disclosed to a fellow inmate a plot to have a federal prosecutor assigned to his case shot and killed. Black detailed his intentions to enlist two associates outside of prison to carry out the shooting while the prosecutor was driving home in her car.
Upon learning of the threat, law enforcement verified its credibility and took swift action to disrupt the planned murder. During subsequent questioning by federal agents, Black attempted to conceal his involvement by providing false information. On September 12, 2024, a federal jury in Birmingham found Black guilty on charges of threatening to murder and soliciting the murder of a federal prosecutor, and for making false statements to a federal agent.
“Michael Black’s plot to target a federal prosecutor was not only an attempt to evade accountability for his crimes, but it was also a brazen act of vengeance,” said Acting United States Attorney Davidson. “Such conduct strikes at the heart of our judicial system and must be met with severe consequences. I commend the investigators and prosecutors whose swift actions protected a life and ensured justice was served.”
“The attempt to orchestrate violence against a federal prosecutor is a grave assault on public safety and the principles of justice we rely upon,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer. “The DEA remains unwavering in its commitment to stand alongside the U.S. Attorney’s Office to safeguard those who dedicate themselves to upholding the rule of law.”
“After a thorough investigation, Michael Black is being held accountable for plotting to assassinate a federal prosecutor. Today's sentence makes clear that those actions will not be tolerated,” said Christopher DiMenna, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge, Birmingham Field Office. “The FBI's partnership with Hoover Police Department, Jefferson County's Sheriff's Office, U.S. Marshals Service, ATF, and DEA were critical in bringing Black to justice. We will not stop our pursuit of criminals who threaten those who serve to uphold justice.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Hoover Police Department, and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigated and assisted on this case, with Criminal Division Chief John J. Geer, III from the Middle District of Alabama prosecuting.
Baltimore Man Charged in Second Superseding Indictment for Robbery, Kidnapping, and Shooting Death in QueensRead the Press Release
Earlier today, a seven-count second superseding indictment was unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn charging Jalon Lenny Garrett, also known as “Lips,” Marcus Pittman, also known as “Nacho” and “Cheese,” Delonta Pittman, also known as “D Lo,” and Jerome Waters, also known as “the Engineer” and “Rome,” for their alleged roles in the kidnapping, robbery, and shooting of marijuana dealers on July 25, 2024. Garrett was arrested this morning in Baltimore, Maryland, and will make his initial appearance in the Eastern District of New York at a later date. Marcus Pittman is also newly charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition for his role in the fatal shooting. The remaining defendants are already in custody and will be arraigned at a later date.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD) announced the arrests and charges.
“As alleged, the defendants took part in an interstate armed robbery and kidnapping scheme that resulted in the brutal murder of a targeted victim. This prosecution underscores the ongoing threat of guns and drugs in our communities,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “This Office is committed to holding violent offenders accountable and ensuring justice for every victim.”
“These four defendants allegedly traveled across the northeast to brutally kidnap and rob two unsuspecting individuals, ultimately murdering one of the victims,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Raia. “This alleged fatal robbery highlights the volatile and random violence that the illicit drug trade can fuel. With our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to dismantle any organization implementing lethal tactics to bolster their criminal lifestyles and jeopardize the safety of our city.”
“These individuals came to New York City armed with guns and zip ties — ready to rob, kidnap, and kill,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “It was a deliberate, brutal attack meant to terrorize our communities. They thought they could hit and run. They were wrong — and anyone else thinking the same should take note. I’m grateful to our partners in Project Safe Neighborhoods for their shared commitment to protecting New Yorkers.”
According to the superseding indictment and other public court filings, the defendants are members of a Baltimore-based robbery crew that conspired to commit an armed robbery and kidnapping of marijuana dealers in Queens, New York. On the evening of July 24,2024, the defendants and their co-conspirators executed a violent armed robbery and kidnapping plot that resulted in John Doe #1’s death. As described below, Garrett robbed and kidnapped John Doe #2 at gunpoint, and Marcus Pittman shot and killed John Doe #1.
Specifically, the defendants drove from Maryland to New York for the purpose of robbing two drug dealers, John Doe #1 and John Doe #2. Once in New York, defendants Jerome Waters and William Barnett met with John Doe #1 and John Doe #2 at a stash house in Queens, New York, under the guise of purchasing marijuana.
At the stash house, Waters and Barnett pulled out their weapons and held up John Doe #1 and John Doe #2 at gunpoint. Next, they let their co-defendants into the stash house to assist in the robbery and kidnapping. While in the stash house, the defendants and their co-conspirators tied up John Doe #1 and John Doe #2 with zip ties and forced them outside and into the back of a Jeep and a U-Haul van, which were driven by Barnett and Israel. At the same time, the defendants and their co-conspirators stole approximately 30 pounds of marijuana from the stash house.
The defendants and their co-conspirators drove John Doe #1 and John Doe #2, who were still tied up, through Queens at gunpoint, demanding drugs and money. Garrett held a gun to John Doe #2 as he was being driven through Queens. Marcus Pittman shot John Doe #1 to death in the back of the U-Haul van. When his body was found by first responders, John Doe #1 still had a zip tie binding one of his hands and was surrounded by bags of marijuana. After the shooting, the defendants fled back to Maryland.
If convicted, defendants Marcus Pittman, Delonta Pittman, and Waters each face mandatory minimum sentences of life imprisonment, and Garrett faces a mandatory minimum of ten years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. As part of the program, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and their local communities to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Chand Edwards-Balfour and Adam Amir are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Samuel Ronchetti.
New Defendant:
JALON LENNY GARRETT
Age: 20
MarylandPreviously Charged Defendants:
MARCUS PITTMAN (also known as “Nacho” and “Cheese”)
Age: 30
MarylandDELONTA PITTMAN (also known as “D Lo”)
Age: 31
MarylandJEROME WATERS (also known as “the Engineer” and “Rome”)
Age: 23
MarylandCALVIN ISRAEL
Age: 23
MarylandWILLIAM BARNETT
Age: 27
MarylandE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-413 (S-2) (KAM)
Bahamian National Pleads Guilty to Alien Smuggling ChargesRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Miami federal district judge adjudicated a Bahamian national guilty on alien smuggling charges.
According to court documents and statements made in court hearings, on Dec. 19, 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers aboard a CBP aircraft observed Shakerio Michael Jones, 31, traveling from the direction of The Bahamas toward the United States, and notified CBP officers on the water.
Once the boat crossed into United States waters, off the coast of Miami-Dade County, Fla., the CBP officers onboard a CBP Air and Maritime Operations vessel approached the go-fast boat and ordered the driver to stop. The CBP officers brought all the individuals from the boat onboard the USCG Cutter Bernard C. Webber and confirmed that the 13 individuals did not have permission to enter the United States. The CBP officers determined that the individuals were nationals of the United Kingdom, Haiti, Honduras, Ireland, India and The Bahamas, and that Jones had been previously removed from the United States.
The CBP officers brought Jones to shore to face charges. The rest of the aliens were returned to The Bahamas.
On April 24, Jones entered a guilty plea before magistrate judge Edwin G. Torres, who issued a report recommending that the plea be accepted. On April 30, U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Becerra adopted the report and recommendations and adjudicated the defendant guilty.
Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on July 18 at 10:00 a.m. in Miami. He faces up to 20 years in prison, followed by up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
HSI Miami investigated the case with assistance from CBP and USCG, 7th Coast Guard District. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner Stiehl is prosecuting the case.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-10027.
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Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Federal Prison for a Firearm ViolationRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney April M. Leon announced that Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Ledale Deanthony Sawyer, age 35, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 120 months in federal prison following his conviction for possession of a stolen firearm. The Court further sentenced Sawyer to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered the firearm seized by law enforcement be forfeited.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, on July 16, 2023, Baton Rouge Police officers were dispatched to a residence in Baton Rouge in response to a domestic disturbance. The caller, identified as Victim-1, told dispatch that Sawyer was inside her residence armed with an AR-15 rifle. Upon arrival, officers spoke with Victim-1, who stated that Sawyer possessed a firearm. Victim-1 said that she hid the firearm from Sawyer and showed officers its location. Officers recovered the firearm, identified as a Wise Arms, Model WA-15B rifle. Shortly thereafter, officers located an individual matching Sawyer’s description at a house approximately one block from Victim-1’s residence. The individual was positively identified as Sawyer by both Victim-1 and by the distinctive tattoo on his neck with the name “Sawyer” at which time Sawyer was arrested.
A trace on the firearm indicated that the firearm had previously been reported stolen on June 22, 2023. In that case, the victim, identified as Victim-2, stated that she met an individual to sell him a television. The individual pulled a firearm from his waistband, pointed it at Victim-2 and her partner, and took the firearm from the backseat of her vehicle.
ATF agents also located pictures of Sawyer in possession of a firearm that were posted on his public social media profile on June 30, 2023. Agents compared these images to photos of the firearm seized in this case. Based on the markings and distinctive scratch marks, agents determined the firearm from Sawyer’s social media photos was the same firearm seized upon his arrest on July 16, 2023.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Baton Rouge Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Lundin Craig.
Augusta Man Pleads Guilty to being a Felon in Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
Portland, Maine: An Augusta man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to possessing a firearm after previously being convicted of at least one felony offense.
According to court records, Raymond Lilly, 41, was encountered by Augusta police officers at an encampment in Mill Park in September 2023. During the interaction, officers observed a bottle of pills within Lilly’s tent, which Lilly admitted he did not have a prescription for. After officers arrested Lilly, they discovered a Smith & Wesson model M&P 15, .22 caliber rifle in his tent. Lilly had previous felony firearms convictions in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, which barred him from possessing firearms.
Lilly faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, up to a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release of up to three years. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case in conjunction with the Augusta Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods: This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn.
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Armed Drug Dealer Convicted on Weapons and Drug Charges After Three-Day TrialRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal jury convicted Anthony Travis Slaughter on Wednesday on charges of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Slaughter, age 30, faces at least five years and up to life in prison when he is sentenced in August 2025.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, the Wilmington Police Department conducted a traffic stop of Slaughter on Princess Place Drive in Wilmington. After a police K9 positively alerted on the vehicle, a police search uncovered approximately two pounds of marijuana, along with marijuana packaging and a digital scale in the car. Police also located a loaded firearm under the driver’s seat.
Slaughter was prohibited from possessing a firearm based on seven prior state felony convictions for drug and violent crimes. These include a conviction for common law robbery as well as multiple convictions for selling heroin.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan accepted the verdict. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Wilmington Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles E. Loeser and Jake D. Pugh prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.7:23-CR-51.
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Agawam Man Charged with Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Agawam man was charged with possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Warren Messeck, 75, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of possession of child pornography. He made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katherine A. Robertson in Springfield.
In 2021, Messeck was identified as a user of an internet-based peer-to-peer network downloading CSAM. A subsequent search of his residence resulted in the recovery of over 40 electronic devices including a laptop, hard drives and other electronic storage devices. A forensic examination allegedly revealed over 10,000 files depicting CSAM on six of the seized devices.
The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Agawam Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Merck of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
1 May 2025
Yemeni Man Charged in Federal Indictment Alleging He Sent ‘Black Kingdom’ Malware to Extort Businesses, Schools, and Medical ClinicsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Yemeni national was charged today in a three-count federal grand jury indictment alleging he deployed the so-called “Black Kingdom” ransomware against computer servers owned organizations worldwide, including businesses, schools, and hospitals in the United States, including a medical billing services company in the San Fernando Valley.
Rami Khaled Ahmed, 36, a.k.a. “Black Kingdom,” of Sana’a, Yemen, is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of intentional damage to a protected computer, and one count of threatening damage to a protected computer. He is believed to be residing in Yemen.
According to the indictment, from March 2021 to June 2023, Ahmed and others infected computer networks of several U.S.-based victims, including a medical billing services company in Encino, a ski resort in Oregon, a school district in Pennsylvania, and a health clinic in Wisconsin. Ahmed developed and deployed Black Kingdom ransomware to exploit a vulnerability in Microsoft Exchange.
The ransomware either encrypted data from victims’ computer networks or claimed to take that data from the networks. When the malware was successful, the ransomware then created a ransom note on the victim’s system that directed the victim to send $10,000 worth of Bitcoin to a cryptocurrency address controlled by a co-conspirator and to send proof of this payment to a Black Kingdom email address.
During the conspiracy, the Black Kingdom conspirators caused the transmission of the Black Kingdom malware to approximately 1,500 computer systems in the United States and elsewhere.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Ahmed would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count.
The FBI is investigating this matter with assistance from the New Zealand Police.
Assistant United States Attorneys Angela C. Makabali and Alexander Gorin of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
Wisconsin Man Sentenced to More Than 3½ Years in Prison for ‘Swatting’ Spree that Hacked Doorbell Cameras to Livestream Police ResponseRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Wisconsin man was sentenced today to 44 months in federal prison for participating in a one-week nationwide “swatting” spree that gained access to Ring home security door cameras, placed bogus emergency phone calls designed to elicit an armed police response, then livestreamed the events on social media, sometimes while taunting responding police officers in communities such as West Covina and Oxnard.
Kya Christian Nelson, 23, of Racine, Wisconsin, was sentenced by United States District Judge John A. Kronstadt.
Nelson pleaded guilty on January 23 to one count of conspiracy and two counts of unauthorized access to a protected computer to obtain information. He has been in federal custody since August 2024 and previously was serving a prison sentence in Kentucky after being convicted in state court there in an unrelated case.
From November 7, 2020, to November 13, 2020, Nelson and co-conspirators gained access to home security door cameras sold by Ring LLC, a Santa Monica-based home security technology company. Nelson acquired without authorization the username and password information for Yahoo! email accounts belonging to victims throughout the United States.
The conspirators then determined whether the owner of each compromised Yahoo! account also had a Ring account using the same email address and password that could control associated internet-connected Ring doorbell camera devices. Using that information, they identified and gathered additional information about their victims.
Then, the conspirators placed false emergency reports or telephone calls to local law enforcement in the areas where the victims lived. These reports or calls were intended to elicit an emergency police response to the victim’s residence. The conspirators then accessed without authorization the victims’ Ring devices and transmitted the audio and video from those devices on social media during the police response. They also taunted responding police officers and victims through the Ring devices during several of the incidents.
For example, on November 8, 2020, Nelson and a co-conspirator accessed without authorization Yahoo! and Ring accounts belonging to a victim in West Covina. A hoax telephone call was placed to the West Covina Police Department purporting to originate from the victim’s residence and posing as a minor child reporting her parents drinking and shooting guns inside the residence. The caller claimed that her parents had multiple firearms and had fired approximately seven gunshots inside the house. Based on this hoax call, West Covina Police Department officers made an emergency response to the house and cleared the residents from the home at gunpoint.
During the police response, Nelson accessed the Ring doorbell camera located at the West Covina residence and used it to verbally threaten and taunt the police officers who responded to the reported incident.
In another incident, on November 11, 2020, Nelson illegally possessed the Yahoo! and Ring login credentials of a victim living in Oxnard. Nelson then used those credentials to access the victim’s Ring account. Nelson or a co-conspirator made a hoax call to the Oxnard Police Department purporting to be coming from inside the victim’s home.
The caller told the police that they were a child whose father was wielding a handgun inside the residence. Nelson made a second hoax call to Oxnard Police to report hearing shots fired at the victim’s residence. Based on these hoax calls, Oxnard Police officers made an emergency response to the house and cleared the residents from the home at gunpoint.
Nelson accessed the Ring doorbell camera located at the Oxnard residence and used it to threaten and taunt the police officers who had responded to the reported incident.
“[Nelson] and his co-conspirators went on a digital crime spree, terrorizing innocent people around the country from behind their keyboards,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “While [Nelson] was safe behind his keyboard, he subjected others to real danger.”
One of Nelson’s indicted co-conspirators, James Thomas Andrew McCarty, 22, of Kayenta, Arizona, was sentenced in June 2024 to seven years in federal prison both for his role in this case, and on additional charges in the District of Arizona. In connection with the Ring swatting incidents, McCarty pleaded guilty to the same conspiracy as Nelson.
McCarty further admitted to illegally accessing a victim’s Ring camera in Florida and making a call to the North Port Florida Police Department, in which he purported to be the victim’s husband who had just killed her, was holding a hostage, and had rigged explosives at the residence. McCarty then livestreamed the law enforcement response and posted a message on social media taking credit for the swatting incident and stating that he thought it was amusing.
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Khaldoun Shobaki of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section prosecuted this case.
Wedowee Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Montgomery, AL. – On April 30, 2025, a federal judge sentenced Robert Aaron Sheppard, 33, of Wedowee, Alabama, to 108 months (9 years) in federal prison for possession of child sexual abuse materials and multiple firearms violations, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson. Following his release, Sheppard will be subject to five years of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, in May 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a tip about the online upload of child sexual abuse materials, including images of nude young females. The tip was referred to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) Child Exploitation Unit, which identified Sheppard as the source of the uploads.
A search warrant was executed at Sheppard’s residence in Wedowee, where agents examined multiple electronic devices. Forensic analysis revealed numerous images of child sexual abuse materials stored on those devices.
In addition to the digital evidence, law enforcement officers discovered a handgun equipped with a machinegun conversion device (MCD)—a component that turns a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic weapon. Under federal law, MCDs are classified as machineguns regardless of whether they are installed. Officers also recovered an unmarked and unregistered silencer, which is illegal under federal firearms regulations.
On October 8, 2024, Sheppard pleaded guilty to possession of child sexual abuse materials and to the possession of a machinegun and silencer.
This case was investigated by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s State Bureau of Investigation (ALEA-SBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from NCMEC. Assistant United States Attorneys Tara S. Ratz and Michelle R. Turner prosecuted the case.
Washington Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Donald Eugene Griffin, Jr., age 43, to 144 months in prison on charges of distributing child sexual abuse material. Judge Rice also imposed a lifetime of supervised release. Griffin will also be required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and information presented in the sentencing hearing, in November 2019, the FBI developed information that Griffin was in possession of images of children being sexually abused.
In March 2020, the FBI executed a warrant at Griffin’s home and seized Griffin’s electronic devices. Investigators found multiple images of child sexual abuse material on those devices, and Griffin admitted to using online platforms to access and obtain child sexual abuse material. Griffin also admitted to discussing having sex with a child and to distributing and receiving images of children being sexually abused.
Agents investigated Griffin’s online accounts and uncovered chats between Griffin and individuals who appeared younger than 18. On several occasions, Griffin sent child sexual abuse material or solicited it, from those individuals. Griffin also consistently spoke to others about having sex with minors.
In early 2024, a civilian contacted investigators and said they had been posing as an 11-year-old girl on Instagram and chatting with Griffin. Griffin sent naked photos of himself to this person he believed was a child and discussed having sex with her.
“Mr. Griffin’s conduct was predatory and depraved. He not only trafficked in images of children being sexually abused – he actively sought out opportunities to engage with minors online in ways that were both explicit and dangerous,” said Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker. “I’m grateful to the FBI and AUSA Rebecca Perez for their outstanding work on this case and for bringing Mr. Griffin to justice.”
“Not only did Mr. Griffin possess and distribute disturbing images depicting child sexual assault, but he was even engaging in sexually explicit chats with someone he believed to be a minor.” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “It is apt this sentence is being handed down on the final day of Child Abuse Prevention Month. Protecting and finding justice for child victims remains a priority of the FBI, both in the State of Washington and nationwide.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca R. Perez.
2:24-cr-00065-TOR
Vero Beach Meth Dealer Sentenced to 12 years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On April 30, Denzil Olajuwon Stewart, 30, was sentenced to 144 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks, for selling 276.7 grams of pure methamphetamine.
On Dec. 28, 2023, law enforcement officers observed Stewart drive away from his Vero Beach home in a white Porsche SUV, arrive at another residence about 30 minutes away, and sell what they later discovered was 276.7 grams of pure methamphetamine. The methamphetamine was packaged in a plastic shopping bag, which bore Stewart’s fingerprints.
A jury found Stewart guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine actual, and distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine actual.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the DEA, Miami Field Division, and Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers made the announcement.
DEA Port Saint Lucie and the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Hudock and Michael Porter prosecuted it.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-14058.
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United States Files Complaint Against Several National Health Insurance Companies and Brokers Alleging Unlawful Kickbacks and Discrimination Against Disabled AmericansRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The United States has filed a complaint against three of the nation’s largest health insurance companies: Aetna, Inc. and affiliates; Elevance Health, Inc. (formerly known as Anthem); and Humana Inc., and three large insurance broker organizations: eHealth, Inc. and an affiliate; GoHealth, Inc.; and SelectQuote, Inc. The United States alleges that from at least 2016 through at least 2021, the defendant insurers paid hundreds of millions of dollars in illegal kickbacks to the defendant brokers in exchange for enrollments into the insurers’ Medicare Advantage plans.
Under the Medicare Advantage (MA) Program, also known as Medicare Part C, Medicare beneficiaries may choose to enroll in health care plans (MA plans) offered by private insurance companies, such as defendants Aetna, Anthem and Humana. Many Medicare beneficiaries rely on insurance brokers to help them choose an MA plan that best meets their individual needs. Rather than acting as unbiased stewards, the defendant brokers allegedly directed Medicare beneficiaries to plans offered by insurers that paid brokers the most in kickbacks, regardless of the suitability for the beneficiary. According to the complaint, the broker organizations incentivized their employees and agents to sell plans based on the insurers’ kickbacks, set up teams of insurance agents who could sell only those plans, and at times refused to sell MA plans of insurers who did not pay sufficient kickbacks.
The United States further alleges that Aetna and Humana each conspired with the broker defendants to discriminate against Medicare beneficiaries with disabilities whom they perceived to be less profitable. Aetna and Humana did so by allegedly threatening to withhold kickbacks to pressure brokers to enroll fewer disabled Medicare beneficiaries in their plans. The United States alleges that, in response to these financial incentives from Aetna and Humana, the defendant brokers, or their agents, rejected referrals of disabled beneficiaries and strategically directed disabled beneficiaries away from Aetna and Humana plans.
“It is concerning, to say the least, that Medicare beneficiaries were allegedly steered towards plans that were not necessarily in their best interest – but rather in the best interest of the health insurance companies. The alleged efforts to drive beneficiaries away specifically because their disabilities might make them less profitable to health insurance companies are even more unconscionable. Profit and greed over beneficiary interest is something we will continue to investigate and prosecute aggressively,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “This office will continue to take decisive action to protect the rights of Medicare beneficiaries and vulnerable Americans.”
“Health care companies that attempt to profit from kickbacks will be held accountable,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Granston of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We are committed to rooting out illegal practices by Medicare Advantage insurers and insurance brokers that undermine the interests of federal health care programs and the patients they serve.”
The lawsuit was originally filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act (FCA). Under the FCA, private parties can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of the recovery. The FCA permits the United States to intervene in and take over the action, as it has done here. If a defendant is found liable for violating the FCA, the United States may recover three times the amount of its losses plus applicable penalties.
U.S. Attorney Foley and AAG Granston made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles B. Weinograd and Julien M. Mundele of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit are handling the matter along with Trial Attorneys David G. Miller, Anna H. Jugo, Diana E. Curtis and Sara B. Hanson of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
The claims asserted in the complaint are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Union County Teacher Charged with Possession of Child Pornography and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey man was charged with possessing images of child sexual abuse and for enticing a minor to engage in sexual acts and produce child pornography, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced today.
Jack Wilder, 26, of Somerville, New Jersey, was charged by complaint with one count of possession of child pornography and two counts of enticement of a minor. He made his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer in Newark federal court and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In or around February 2024, Wilder, a history teacher at a school in Plainfield, New Jersey, communicated with a minor victim using a mobile payment application through which Wilder advised he would pay the minor victim to engage in sexual activity. The minor victim also sent Wilder sexually explicit pictures. Thereafter, on or about July 23, 2024, Wilder returned from an international trip aboard a flight that landed in New York. Law enforcement subsequently lawfully searched Wilder’s cell phone and found a video depicting child sexual abuse material and sexually explicit conversations between Wilder and other individuals who identified themselves as minors.
“These charges are the most recent example of this office’s dedication to protecting children in our community. We are tirelessly committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure that individuals who victimize and prey on the vulnerable are brought to justice.”
- U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
“Our children are the most innocent members of society and they should never be victimized by anyone, particularly by those in positions of trust such as teachers,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “In partnership with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, every child has our unwavering commitment to bring to justice those that would heinously abuse them for their own profit and perverse self-gratification. No child should have to face a lifetime of trauma caused by a predator. We will continue to make combatting child sexual exploitation a priority, and will always strive to put an end to these disturbing acts from happening around the world.”
The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charges of enticement of a minor each carry a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited the work of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, with the investigation leading to the charges.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey S. Smith of the Criminal Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Candace Hom, Esq.
wilder.complaint.pdfUkrainian National Extradited from Spain to Face Conspiracy to Use Ransomware ChargeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, a superseding indictment was unsealed charging Artem Stryzhak with conspiracy to commit fraud and related activity, including extortion, in connection with computers, for his role in a series of international attacks using the Nefilim ransomware. Stryzhak, a Ukrainian citizen, was arrested in Spain in June 2024 and extradited to the United States on April 30, 2025. The arraignment will be held later today before United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Christopher J.S. Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield, Illinois Field Office (FBI), announced the charges.
“As alleged, the defendant was part of an international ransomware scheme in which he conspired to target high-revenue companies in the United States, steal data, and hold data hostage in exchange for payment. If victims did not pay, the criminals then leaked the data online,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “The criminals who carry out these malicious cyber-attacks often do so from abroad in the belief that American justice cannot reach them. The extradition of the defendant and today’s charges prove that they are wrong.”
Mr. Durham also thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the FBI’s New York Field Office and the Government of Spain for their crucial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition from Spain of Stryzhak.
“The FBI has long recognized that combating international ransomware schemes requires strong partnerships,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Johnson. “The successful extradition of the defendant is a significant achievement in that ongoing collaboration and it sends a clear message: those who attempt to hide behind international borders to target American citizens will face justice.”
As alleged in the superseding indictment, Nefilim ransomware was deployed to encrypt computer networks in countries around the world, including in the Eastern District of New York. These ransomware attacks caused millions of dollars in losses, both from ransomware payments and damage to victim computer systems. The perpetrators of Nefilim typically customized the ransomware executable file for each victim, creating a unique decryption key and customized ransom notes. If the victims paid the ransom demand, the perpetrators sent the decryption key, enabling the victims to decrypt the computer files locked by the ransomware program.
In June 2021, Nefilim administrators gave Stryzhak access to the Nefilim ransomware code in exchange for 20 percent of his ransom proceeds. He operated the ransomware through his account on the online Nefilim platform, known as the “panel.” When he first obtained access to the panel, Stryzhak asked a co‑conspirator whether he should choose a different username from the one he used in other criminal activities in case the panel “gets hacked into by the feds.”
Nefilim’s preferred ransomware targets were companies located in the United States, Canada, or Australia with more than $100 million in annual revenue. Stryzhak and others researched the companies to which they gained unauthorized access, including by using online databases to gather information about the victim companies’ net worth, size, and contact information. In one exchange with Stryzhak in or about July 2021, a Nefilim administrator encouraged him to target companies in these countries with more than $200 million in annual revenue.
After gaining sufficient access to the victims’ networks, Stryzhak and his co‑conspirators stole data in furtherance of their scheme to extort ransom payments from them. Nefilim ransom notes typically threatened the victims that unless they came to an agreement with the ransomware actors, the stolen data would be published on publicly accessible “Corporate Leaks” websites, which were maintained by Nefilim administrators.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the charge, Stryzhak faces up to five years’ imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander F. Mindlin and Ellen H. Sise of the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Brian Mund of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Rebecca Roth.
The Defendant:
ARTEM ALEKSANDROVYCH STRYZHAK
stryzhak_superseding_indictment_redacted.pdf
Age: 35
Barcelona, Spain
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-324 (PKC)U.S. Attorney Office to present senior fraud prevention seminar in Du QuoinRead the Press Release
DU QUOIN, Ill. – To educate seniors in southern Illinois on the latest scams targeting them online and over the phone, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with the Du Quoin Public Library to host a fraud prevention seminar.
“Fraudsters are inundating our phones and computers with calls, texts and emails making deceitful claims like posing as federal agents to manipulate seniors and scare them into handing over their money,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Unfortunately, in southern Illinois, we’ve prosecuted scammers who have defrauded seniors out of most of their life savings. To educate the public on the current fraud schemes and tips to avoid becoming a victim, prosecutors with experience charging these scammers will be in Du Quoin to give an interactive and informational presentation.”
The presentation highlights information on online scams, fraud schemes targeting seniors and details on federal cases prosecuted in the Southern District of Illinois. The event will start at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 15 at the Du Quoin Public Library, located at 28 S. Washington St. in Du Quoin.
Attendees will receive tips to help detect scams and advice on how to contact law enforcement if they feel like they have been victimized by a scam.
The event is free and open to the public.
U.S. Attorney Charges Newburgh Man for Using Discord Platform to Extort Sexually Explicit Material from A Minor VictimRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and Christopher G. Raia, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging CARSEN MANSFIELD with extortionate interstate communications. MANSFIELD was arrested on Tuesday, April 29 in Newburgh, New York, and was presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy in White Plains federal court.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “As alleged Carsen Mansfield used Discord to track down and exploit the minor female victim. Protecting our children is central to our mission, and we will prosecute those who victimize them to the fullest extent of the law.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: “Carsen Mansfield allegedly extorted and threatened a minor in another state to provide sexually explicit images. Mansfield’s alleged actions violated a vulnerable victim’s privacy to satiate his personal disturbing desires. The FBI remains committed to protecting any minor from those who wish to inflict sexual harm, regardless of where they are located.”
As alleged in the Complaint:[1]
On or about August 4, 2024, MANSFIELD, using the communication platform Discord, contacted a minor female victim (“Victim-1”) and sent her a series of photographs that Victim-1 recognized as nude photographs of her that she had taken previously. MANSFIELD proceeded to threaten to send the nude photographs of Victim-1 to her friends and family if she did not send him more nude or otherwise sexually explicit materials, writing “Well I have these pictures and if you don’t send me more I’m going to send them to your friends and family . . . Your [sic] my slut now Andy [sic] failure to make me happy will end up exposed to your friends and family.”
Any individuals with information concerning CARSEN MANSFIELD and any individuals who may have encountered someone using the Discord username “noname45.#0” or the X (formerly Twitter) username “expogirlsss” please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or https://tips.fbi.gov.
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MANSFIELD, 23, of Newburgh, New York, is charged with one count of extortionate interstate communications, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of two years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force and Detroit Field Office, as well as the Town of Newburgh Police Department.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret N. Vasu is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
u.s._v._mansfield_complaint.pdf
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
U.S. Attorney Announces Prosecution of Title 50 Charges Following Joint Visit to New Mexico National Defense AreaRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison today announced the filing of 82 new Title 50 charges for unauthorized entry into the newly-designated National Defense Area along New Mexico’s southern border, following a high-level visit with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks.
The charges mark the first large-scale use of a novel criminal statute targeting unauthorized entry onto federally protected military defense property, a move enabled by the recent transfer of control over a 170-mile stretch of borderland-known as the Roosevelt Reservation-from the Department of the Interior to the Department of Defense. This corridor, now treated as an extension of U.S. Army Garrison Fort Huachuca, is subject to enhanced military patrols and surveillance, with U.S. troops authorized to temporarily detain and transfer individuals to federal law enforcement for prosecution.
The newly filed Title 50 charges carry potential penalties of up to one year in prison, supplementing existing immigration-related offenses. The Justice Department’s actions underscore a coordinated federal response to border security, leveraging expanded military and prosecutorial authority to deter unlawful crossings.
“The Department of Justice will work hand in glove with the Department of Defense and Border Patrol to gain 100% operational control of New Mexico’s 170-mile border with Mexico,” U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison reiterated following the meeting. “Trespassers into the National Defense Area will be Federally prosecuted—no exceptions.”
(left to right) Defense Secretary Hegseth, U.S. Border Patrol Chief Banks, USA EllisonThe U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico will continue to aggressively prosecute all violations within the National Defense Area, in close partnership with the Department of Defense and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Two Owners of Roofing Companies Indicted for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two roofing company owners were indicted for their failure to file tax returns and pay tax on income, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
The Indictment charges Steve Mitchell, also known as “Sonny Mitchell,” of Edison, New Jersey, and Samuel Mitchell of Bohemia, New York with four counts each of tax evasion.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Steve Mitchell, Samuel Mitchell, and others operated roofing businesses under several different names. Despite earning approximately $881,730.26 and $1,397,960.21, respectively, in income from roofing customers from 2018 through 2021, Steve Mitchell and Samuel Mitchell failed to file tax returns with the IRS and pay tax on their income. Instead, Steve Mitchell and Samuel Mitchell took affirmative steps to conceal their income from the IRS, including by providing false social security numbers to check cashing businesses that they used to convert customers’ checks to cash, which prevented the check cashing businesses from reporting the cashed checks to the IRS as required by law.
In addition to the income from the roofing customers, Steve Mitchell also received income from an elderly individual for what the elderly individual thought was an investment in a COVID mask-making business. In 2020 and 2021, Steve Mitchell converted over $4.2 million in checks from the elderly individual into cash.
The tax evasion counts each carry a maximum potentially penalty of five years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U. S. Attorney Casey S. Smith of the Criminal Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel:
Steve Mitchell: Michael A. Baldassare, Esq.
Samuel Mitchell: Robert Scrivo, Esq.
Two Jacksonville Men Indicted for Their Alleged Roles in A Series of Armed Robberies Across FloridaRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Nathaniel Cox (34, Jacksonville) and Ahli Fields (33, Jacksonville) for their respective roles in a series of armed robberies and attempted robberies from commercial business locations throughout the Middle District of Florida. If convicted on all counts, each faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Cox, who has a prior conviction for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence in 2015, faces a minimum penalty of 75 years’ imprisonment. Fields faces a minimum penalty of 7 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on June 9, 2020, Cox and Fields conspired to commit and committed an armed robbery of a grocery store in Ormond Beach, during which they brandished a firearm. A few months later, Cox committed two additional robberies and brandished a firearm on each occasion. During the same timeframe, Cox attempted three additional robberies. Cox is also charged with possessing ammunition as a convicted felon on two occasions in September 2020. As a convicted felon, Cox is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Ormond Beach Police Department, the Titusville Police Department, the Palmetto Police Department, and the Ocala Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Two Florida Men Charged in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Involving Shipping Methamphetamine and Fentanyl from California to FloridaRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Clarence Black, Jr. (49, Tampa) and Jarrek Fabrion Myrick (39, Fort Myers) with drug trafficking conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
According to court documents, between January 25 and February 4, 2025, Black and Myrick traveled to California and shipped methamphetamine and fentanyl to Tampa and areas in southwest Florida. The drug-laden parcels were intercepted and the total quantity of methamphetamine and fentanyl was approximately more than 90 pounds. Black has a prior federal conviction for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, and Myrick has a prior conviction for second-degree murder.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Tampa Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.
Turkish Citizen Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Illegal Reentry After Prior Removal for Aggravated Felony ConvictionRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A citizen of Turkey pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of illegal reentry of a removed alien and was sentenced to 60 days of imprisonment and removal from the United States on his conviction, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed the sentence on Izzet Kurt, 60.
According to information presented to the Court, Kurt was previously convicted of conspiracy to smuggle aliens, an aggravated felony, in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and was subsequently removed from the United States on March 15, 2018, pursuant to an immigration judge’s order. In 2022, Kurt paid $12,000 to be smuggled back into the United States across the Mexican border. Approximately three years later, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received a tip that Kurt had returned to the United States and was living in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. A records check revealed that Kurt did not have permission or consent to reenter the United States. Through its investigation, HSI developed information corroborating the tip and, on February 25, 2025, while conducting surveillance, an HSI agent positively identified Kurt as a passenger in a vehicle within the Western District of Pennsylvania. Kurt has been in custody since his arrest and will be returned to immigration custody for his removal from the U.S., to which Kurt agreed as part of his plea and sentence.
Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Kurt.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, combat illegal immigration, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Three North Carolina Men Arrested on Child Sex Abuse Material–Related ChargesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Wilmington man and a Bolivia man were arrested Tuesday on separate charges of child sex trafficking and producing child sexual abuse material. A Louisburg man, William Justin Lewis, was arrested today on child sexual abuse material charges.
John Matthew Miller, 35, is charged with sex trafficking of a minor; enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual conduct; and producing, distributing, receiving, and possessing child sexual abuse material. Miller was previously convicted of sexual battery and was a registered sex offender at the time of the offense. Miller faces at least 25 years and up to life in prison if convicted on all counts.
Jesse Lonzo Teal, 72, also known as “Lonnie” and “Mark,” is charged with sex trafficking of a minor, enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual conduct, producing child sexual abuse material, and using the internet to promote an illegal prostitution business enterprise. He faces at least ten years and up to life imprisonment if convicted on all counts.
William Justin Lewis, 54, is charged with distributing child sexual abuse material and possessing child sexual abuse material. He faces at least five years’ imprisonment and up to twenty years’ imprisonment on each distribution count and up to twenty years’ imprisonment on the possession count.
“These important cases reflect the unwavering commitment of our office and our justice system to protect the most vulnerable members of our community—our children. Wewill continue to work closely with the FBI and our other law enforcement partners to ensure that those who commit such heinous acts are held accountable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. “There is no place in our community for those who prey on children, and we will do everything we can to not only seek justice for the victims, but to prevent additional child exploitation crimes.”
“Producing and exchanging child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is a sickening reality in our world and it's not just happening on the dark web. Pedophiles use the same platforms your family and friends use. No matter where this crime is occurring the FBI will find you. The Violent Crimes Against Children (VCAC) program is uniquely positioned to work complex global and multijurisdictional crimes against children with he capacity to counter threats of abuse and exploitation of children,” said Robert M. DeWitt, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, and Robert M. DeWitt, FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge, made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office, Wilmington Police Department, Onslow County Sheriff’s Office, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation are investigating the cases and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charity L. Wilson and Erin C. Blondel are prosecuting the cases.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case Nos.7:25-CR-46-D-RN, 7:25-CR-47-UA-RJ, and 5:25-CR-94-D-KS.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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Three Naples Men Indicted in A Murder-For-Hire PlotRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Jesus Pujol Hernandez (41), Miguel Marquez Romero (29), and Paulo Sabon Montero (54), all of Naples, Florida, with conspiracy to use a facility of interstate commerce to commit murder-for-hire and use of a facility of interstate commerce with intent to commit murder-for-hire. If convicted, each faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment and evidence presented in court, between April 16 and 17, 2025, Marquez Romero and Sabon Montero discussed over the phone killing an individual that Hernandez had identified for up to $30,000. Hernandez had been hired by the intended victims’ brother to carry out the plot. Marquez Romero, Sabon Montero, and Hernandez exchanged phone calls and organized a meeting to discuss the murder. On April 17, 2025, the conspirators met in a grocery store parking lot in Naples before being apprehended by law enforcement.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Patrick L. Darcey.
Three Members of a Prolific Chinese Money Laundering Organization Plead Guilty to Laundering Tens of Millions of Dollars in Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
Two Chinese nationals and a California man, all members of a prolific Chinese money laundering organization (CMLO), pleaded guilty yesterday to money laundering charges involving drug trafficking proceeds.
According to court documents, Maoxuan Xia, 29, of China, Shao Neng Lin, 58, of Baldwin Park, California, and Zhou Yu, 42, of China, were members of the CMLO that laundered over $92 million in illicit funds, including proceeds from the importation and distribution of illegal drugs into the United States, primarily through Mexico. Xia was one of the most active members of the Organization, traveling throughout the United States to collect drug trafficking proceeds from U.S.-based drug traffickers and deposit those illicit funds, using both real and fake identities, into shell company bank accounts registered by other members of the CMLO, such as Lin and Yu.
Xia and Yu each pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy, one count of money laundering to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the illicit proceeds, and one count of monetary transactions involving criminally derived property greater than $10,000. Lin pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy, two counts of money laundering to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the illicit proceeds, and two counts of monetary transactions involving criminally derived property greater than $10,000. Pursuant to his plea agreement, Xia admitted that he was personally responsible for laundering more than $30 million of illicit funds, including drug trafficking proceeds, in less than two years. Xia further admitted that he knew funds laundered in the conspiracy included drug trafficking proceeds or funds intended to promote drug trafficking. Pursuant to their respective plea agreements, Lin and Yu both admitted that they each received, through the shell company bank accounts that they created and operated for the CMLO, approximately $20 million in illicit funds, including drug trafficking proceeds. Lin and Yu both admitted that the total amount of illicit funds laundered in the conspiracy for which they had actual knowledge and involvement was approximately $40 million.
The defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the conspiracy and money laundering counts and a maximum of 10 years in prison on each of the monetary transactions counts. A federal district court judge will determine their respective sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina, Acting Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta Division, and Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Charlotte Field Office made the announcement.
The DEA Charlotte District Office and the IRS-CI Charlotte Field Office are investigating the case.
Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Mingda Hang, Acting Deputy Chief Melanie Alsworth, and Trial Attorney Jayce Born of the Justice Department’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alfredo De La Rosa and Seth Johnson for the Western District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.