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1 May 2025
Former Amtrak Director of Network Planning and Engineering, Two Vendors Indicted for Extensive Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Richard Thompson, 57, of Falls Church, Virginia, Shaun Hanrahan, 66, of Hampton, Virginia, and Darren Hannam, 57, of Haymarket, Virginia, were charged by indictment with honest services fraud through bribery for engaging in schemes to pay off Thompson, in exchange for Thompson steering millions of dollars in Amtrak work to companies owned by Hanrahan, Hannam, and others.
Thompson was the Director of Network Planning and Engineering for Amtrak and had a leadership role in designing information technology (“IT”) systems and selecting IT vendors and subcontractors to perform IT work for Amtrak. Hanrahan was the owner of Awarity, LLC, a small business providing management consulting and computer-related services. Hannam and Co-schemer #1 were the principals of Arch Technology, an IT company.
The indictment alleges that, from about 2015 through 2021, Thompson engaged in bribery schemes with each of three companies who were his favored vendors in the Amtrak contracting process — Awarity, Arch Technology, and 20/20 Teknology, owned by Co-schemer #2. In each of these schemes, as alleged, Thompson repeatedly shared proprietary Amtrak bid information and other documents with his favored vendors before Amtrak contracts were awarded, giving the favored vendors advantages in the Amtrak contracting processes.
The indictment further alleges that Thompson likewise collaborated with them on bid and contracting documents, manipulated bidding lists, and structured existing contractual relationships, so that his favored vendors would get lucrative subcontracting deals and bypass Amtrak’s competitive bidding process. The defendants allegedly tried to conceal their scheme from Amtrak and other authorities by communicating with Thompson on his personal email accounts rather than his Amtrak email.
The Amtrak work involved in these schemes included, among other things, the design and installation of nationwide WiFi networks, IT equipment purchases, the installation of audio-visual equipment in Amtrak’s offices in Washington, DC, and a major project to improve the gates that provided access to Amtrak railroad tracks across the country. According to the indictment, for steering and attempting to steer this work to his favored vendors, Thompson received a stream of benefits from each vendor. For example, Hanrahan provided Thompson with payments of cash totaling at least $97,000; Hannam and Co-schemer #1 provided Thompson with expensive electronics valued at approximately $9,500, including Apple computers. Co-schemer #2 provided Thompson with an automobile, free hotel and condominium stays in Ocean City, Maryland, and $40,000 in cash.
The defendants are all charged with multiple counts of honest services wire fraud through bribery. Hannam is also charged with falsification of records for allegedly trying to cover up the scheme after federal agents executed search warrants in this matter.
If convicted, the defendants face maximum possible sentences of 20 years in prison for each count of honest services fraud in the indictment.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Amtrak Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Louis D. Lappen and Jason Grenell.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Forest City Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty today in federal court in Sioux City.
Andrew Jay Frazee, 31, from Forest City, Iowa, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute over a pound of methamphetamine.
At the plea hearing, Frazee admitted that in November of 2024, he and others conspired to distribute over a pound of methamphetamine in and around Hancock County, Iowa. Evidence showed that, on November 19, 2024, law enforcement observed Frazee and his vehicle in a ditch in rural Hancock County. Upon contact with law enforcement, Frazee exhibited signs of impairment and deputies noted the smell of marijuana. A search of the vehicle was conducted where deputies found approximately 325 grams of methamphetamine, a smoking device, baggies, over $1,200 cash, a scale, and marijuana. Frazee admitted recently buying large quantities of methamphetamine and distributing to others.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Frazee remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Frazee faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-03003.
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Florence Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
FLORENCE, S.C. — David Antwan Johnson, 45, of Florence, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Evidence presented to the court showed that, on the evening of Dec. 22, 2022, a Florence County Sheriff’s deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Johnson in Florence. Johnson initially refused to stop but eventually stopped in a yard and ran from the car. During the chase, Johnson changed from running away from law enforcement to running toward law enforcement with a hand in his pocket. As law enforcement worked to detain Johnson, a loaded.357 firearm fell from Johnson’s jacket. Johnson later admitted to possessing the gun.
In addition to the firearm, law enforcement found various drugs at the scene. A marijuana blunt was found near where Johnson had been apprehended, and a bag with approximately 26 grams of marijuana was found on the path Johnson had run during the foot chase. Johnson admitted there was likely cocaine and crack cocaine in his vehicle. Law enforcement searched the vehicle and found nearly 4 grams of crack cocaine and nearly 7 grams of cocaine, split among more than 30 baggies.
United States District Judge Joseph Dawson, III, sentenced Johnson to 60 months of imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Florence County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn is prosecuting the case.
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Five Members and Associates of a Long Island-Based Drug Trafficking Organization Indicted for Narcotics DistributionRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal court in Central Islip, an indictment was unsealed charging five members and associates of a Long Island-based drug trafficking organization known as “No Budget” with conspiring to distribute cocaine and fentanyl since 2017. Nicholas Andrade, Julian Hutchins, Prince Jones, Jose Lopez, and Ryan O’Malley engaged in a years’ long drug trafficking operation transporting fentanyl and 137 kilograms of cocaine across the country for distribution primarily in Long Island and Queens, New York. Andrade, the leader of the organization, is also charged for his role in the March 9, 2023 murder of Jose Manuel Sosa in Bay Shore and the March 10, 2023 shooting in Queens of a potential witness to the murder. The four defendants arrested today in New York were arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Steven I. Locke who ordered them detained pending trial. Hutchins was arrested in Florida and will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date. If convicted of the charges, the defendants face up to life in prison.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, announced the arrests and charges.
“As alleged, the defendants participated in the large-scale distribution of deadly narcotics across Long Island and committed crimes of extreme violence to maintain their drug business,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “My Office and our law enforcement partners will continue working tirelessly to eradicate the scourge of fentanyl and drug-related violence on Long Island and the related harm these dangerous drugs pose to our communities.”
Mr. Durham expressed his appreciation to the Suffolk County Police Department, Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, New York City Police Department, New York State Police, Queens District Attorney’s Office, and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms for their work on the case.
“The indictment against these individuals who ran a drug trafficking organization known as “No Budget” spared no cost at using violence to run their illicit drug distribution of cocaine and fentanyl,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge Tarentino. “Thanks to the hard work and determination of the DEA and our law enforcement partners, we were able to remove 137 kilos of cocaine destined for the streets of Long Island. The DEA remains committed to protecting our communities”
As alleged in court filings, since 2017, the defendants carried out the large scale trafficking and distribution of fentanyl and cocaine on Long Island and maintained a series of stash houses in Queens and on Long Island. Throughout the investigation, phone records and surveillance regularly captured the defendants meeting with one another and exchanging duffle bags, luggage, or other bags in manners consistent with narcotics trafficking. As a result of court-authorized searches, law enforcement recovered dozens of kilogram wrappers with cocaine residue, kilogram presses used to reshape narcotics, packaging materials, and quantities of fentanyl and cocaine. On April 27, 2025, law enforcement intercepted a truck travelling from California to New York containing a shipment of 137 kilograms of cocaine destined for No Budget’s distribution operation. In total, the investigation revealed that the defendants were responsible for the distribution of over 235 kilograms of cocaine and 20 kilograms of fentanyl.
In addition to Andrade’s narcotics operation, he directed several violent crimes, including the March 2023 murder of Sosa and the subsequent attempted murder of a potential witness to the murder. Sosa’s murder was precipitated by a dispute that had escalated over the preceding months between Andrade, Sosa, and another Long Island based drug dealer. In early March 2023, Andrade and others planned to rob Sosa’s residence. However, on March 9, 2023, Andrade directed other members of No Budget to kill Sosa. Later that day, when Sosa was alone in his driveway, the shooter exited a borrowed Audi and shot Sosa multiple times, killing him. The shooter and getaway driver sped away and the two met up with Andrade.
The next day, in an effort to cover up No Budget’s involvement in Sosa’s murder, Andrade and the shooter developed a plan to lure John Doe-1—the owner of the Audi used in the murder—to a location in Queens and kill him. When John Doe-1 arrived at the location, acting at Andrade’s direction, the shooter had a brief conversation with John Doe-1 in the Audi, and upon exiting the Audi, turned and fired into the vehicle, striking John Doe-1 in the head. John Doe-1 sustained serious injuries but ultimately survived his wounds.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
This case is also 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.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys James R. Simmons and Michael R. Maffei are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
NICHOLAS ANDRADE
Age: 37
White Plains, New YorkJULIAN HUTCHINS
Age: 43
White Plains, New YorkPRINCE JONES
Age: 36
Mineola, New YorkJOSE LOPEZ
Age: 43
Elmont, New YorkRYAN OMALLEY
Age: 34
Port Jefferson Station, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-147 (GRB)
25-cr-147_andrade_et_al.indictment_redacted_indictment.pdfFederal Jury Finds Minneapolis Felon Guilty of Illegal Firearms and Machinegun PossessionRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury convicted Clenest Demon Wells, Jr. of illegal possession of a firearm as a felon and unlawful possession of a machinegun, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Clenest Demon Wells, 28, was repeatedly caught illegally carrying firearms. Because Wells has multiple prior felony convictions, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
On April 6, 2020, law enforcement officers responded to reports in Minneapolis of a passenger wearing a black vest and greyish winter hat on a Metro Transit bus threatening another passenger with a firearm. Law enforcement officers located and boarded the Metro Transit bus at the intersection of Penn and Lowry Avenue North, identified a passenger who closely fit the description, and conducted a pat-down search. The passenger was later identified as Wells, who was found in possession of a black HiPoint 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol.
On May 23, 2022, Minneapolis Police Department officers on patrol observed a Pontiac G6 speeding through a residential area and conducted a traffic stop. Wells was the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle. Officers smelled and observed marijuana in the car, initiated a search, and found Wells in possession of a black Springfield Model XD9 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol.
On July 30, 2023, law enforcement responded to calls reporting a fight and an individual with a gun in a parking lot at Hennepin Avenue and 5th Street in downtown Minneapolis. Upon arrival, bystanders reported that one of the involved individuals—later identified as Wells—had a gun. As officers approached, Wells turned to walk away, ignoring orders to stop. Wells was subsequently found to be in possession of a Glock model 17 9-millimeter handgun equipped with an auto-sear, commonly called a “switch,” which enabled the Glock pistol to operate as a fully automatic machinegun. Test firing conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation showed that the Glock pistol equipped with a switch possessed by Wells could fire ten rounds in less than one second.
“Today’s conviction holds Wells accountable for the fear and violence he has inflicted on the community for far too long,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains steadfast in its commitment to prevent violent crime.”
“Possession of a firearm modified to function as a machine gun in a public space could have had tragic consequences,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of the FBI Minneapolis. “Protecting our communities from violence is a top priority, and we are committed to working with our partners to stop those who put innocent lives at risk.”
After a three-day trial before Judge Donovan W. Frank in U.S. District Court, Wells was convicted on three counts of illegal possession of firearms as a felon and one count of unlawful possession of a machinegun. A sentencing hearing will take place at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Metro Transit Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Green and Syngen Kanassatega tried the case.
Federal Gun Charge Filed Against Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Antoine Gatling, 32, of the District of Columbia, was indicted yesterday in U.S. District Court, for unlawful possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a felony, 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) Washington Field Division, 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. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators. A man convicted of robbery with a dangerous weapon in 2011was indicted yesterday on firearms and ammunition charges by a federal grand jury in Washington D.C.
According to court documents, Gatling, who was previously convicted of robbery, was arrested in Southeast Washington D.C. on March 1, 2024, after a 911 caller requested police assistance regarding a burglary in progress at an apartment located at 4500 3rd St. SE. The caller specified that an individual wearing a black jacket, black pants, and black and white shoes was armed with a handgun and appeared to be attempting to break into a first-floor apartment within the apartment complex. Within minutes, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrived at the location, identified Gatling, who matched the description of the 9-1-1 caller and was found just outside of the location of the attempted burglary, and detained him. After conducting a protective pat-down for safety, officers felt what they believed to be a firearm in a satchel strapped across Gatling’s back, and ultimately removed a Llama Especial .380. Officers later identified a round of 9mm ammunition as well as a 9mm magazine on Gatling’s person as well. Further investigation revealed that Gatling had been convicted of robbery with a dangerous weapon in Prince George’s County Circuit Court. As a person who had been convicted of a criminal charge carrying a sentence of at least a year, Gatling was prohibited from possessing either the firearm or ammunition.
The charge carries a statutory maximum of 15 years. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being investigated by the MPD and the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
False disaster relief applications and other fraud lands former Houstonian in federal prisonRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 35-year-old woman has been sentenced for conspiracy to commit wire fraud which resulted in approximately $620,000 in losses, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Cora Chantail Custard, who had resided in both Houston and San Antonio over course of the conspiracy, pleaded guilty Sept. 17, 2024.
U.S. District Judge David Hittner has now ordered Custard to serve 57 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $621,388 in restitution. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the sophisticated means in which Custard used social media to advertise her services and defrauded the U.S. government and seven different state agencies.
From March 2020 until March 2021, Custard conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent loan applications for financial assistance both personally and on behalf of others.
At the time of the plea, Custard admitted to using her Facebook account to advertise her services to file fraudulent disaster relief applications. Her posts repeatedly described the scheme to her followers as “doing apps,” with the ability to obtain between $6,000 and $8,000 for an application within four to seven days of filing.
Custard submitted or caused the submission of over 100 fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications, at least 36 of which resulted in advance payments totaling $345,000.
She also filed at least 30 fraudulent Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster benefit applications related to Hurricane Laura in August 2020 and Hurricane Sally in September 2020. At least 16 of those fraudulent applications resulted payouts totaling approximately $75,000.
Additionally, Custard committed several other fraudulent acts like filing over 100 false unemployment insurance applications in Michigan, Illinois and several other states for her own and others’ benefits. At least 20 of those fraudulent applications resulted in payments totaling approximately $200,000.
She was remanded into custody at sentencing.
The Department of Homeland Security-Office of Inspector General (OIG), IRS Criminal Investigation, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Social Security Administration-OIG, Small Business Administration-OIG and Department of Labor-OIG conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen M. Lansden prosecuted the case.
Five People Sentenced for Fraud and Identity Theft Targeting Elderly Retired Florida School District EmployeesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Five defendants who were convicted of a conspiracy scheme to defraud the retirement accounts of elderly and retired Florida school district employees have been sentenced after three defendants pleaded guilty and two defendants were found guilty by a federal jury. Michelle Spaven, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentences of the following defendants:
- Lambert Aguebor, 33, of Miramar, Florida, has been sentenced to 71 months in federal prison after previously being found guilty by a federal jury of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
- Floyd Bostic, 42, of Tallahassee, Florida, has been sentenced to 87 months in federal prison after previously being found guilty by a federal jury of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, three counts of Wire Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, 16 counts of Money Laundering, and Operating an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business.
- Grace Aguebor, 36, of Miramar, Florida, has been sentenced to 70 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft.
- Ronald Vargas, 38, of Osteen, Florida, has been sentenced to 24 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.
- Sarina Levy, 34, of Pembroke Pines, Florida, has been sentenced to 6 months and 1 day in federal prison, to be followed by 6 months of home detention, after previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft.
“Americans are fed up with the constant barrage of scams that maliciously target the elderly,” said Acting United States Attorney Spaven. “With the assistance of our dedicated law enforcement partners, we are committed to investigating and aggressively prosecuting those who seek to steal the hard-earned savings of our senior citizens.”
Evidence presented at trial and court records show that Vargas worked as a Retirement Specialist at a Tallahassee-based company that administers a retirement 401(k) savings program whose participants are comprised largely of Florida school district employees or prior employees. Between January 2022, and March 2022, Vargas conspired with siblings Grace Aguebor and Lambert Aguebor to steal the retirement funds from the accounts of elderly retired school district employees—some of whom were deceased. Through his position, Vargas had access to the retired employees’ personally identifiable information (“PII”) and oversaw the processing of withdrawal requests from the 401(k) accounts. Vargas provided Grace and Lambert with PII of elderly 401(k) participants whose retirement accounts appeared to be dormant so the PII could be used to prepare fraudulent withdrawal request forms for these accounts.
The fraudulent withdrawal request forms were then faxed to the company where Vargas worked so he could process them. Grace and Bostic personally faxed some of the fraudulent withdrawal request forms; in other cases, the fraudulent forms were given to other conspirators, including Levy, to fax. Once Vargas processed the forms, the stolen retirement funds were transferred to bank accounts controlled by Grace, Bostic, and other conspirators. In total, the conspirators withdrew and attempted to withdraw retirement funds from 25 different 401(k) accounts, resulting in a net total of $1.1 million actually being stolen.
Evidence presented to the jury showed that Bostic also served as a money launderer who received over half of the stolen funds into his personal bank accounts and those of his Tallahassee-based music promotion businesses. Bostic then transferred some of the stolen funds between his various bank accounts in an effort to conceal or disguise its nature, location, source, or ownership. Evidence also showed that Bostic used some of the stolen funds to purchase a residence and pay for his personal and business expenses. Bostic also withdrew over $400,000 worth of stolen funds in cash at various banks and ATMs in Tallahassee and central Florida. The jury also saw evidence which showed that Bostic communicated and coordinated with Lambert Aguebor about the transfer of the stolen funds and to arrange meetings in central Florida.
In addition to their prison sentences, the defendants were ordered to pay restitution totaling approximately $1,000,000 to the victims. The defendants’ imprisonment will be followed by three years of supervised release.
This case resulted from a joint investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.
“Motivated by sheer greed, these individuals conspired to take advantage of Florida's public servants, and their punishments mark an important step in holding these fraudsters accountable,” said FBI Jacksonville Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Carley. “Fraud and corruption pose a fundamental threat to our national security and our way of life, and the FBI and our partners will continue to identify and bring to justice anyone who takes advantage of hardworking Americans, and especially educators who dedicate their lives to supporting our children.”
“As law enforcement professionals, it is our duty to protect our community, especially our most vulnerable members, from those who seek to exploit them for personal gain,” said Chief Lawrence Revell of the Tallahassee Police Department. “This case is a clear example of how greed can drive individuals to harm others, and we remain committed to working alongside our federal partners to ensure those who commit such crimes are held accountable.”
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can 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 open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints can be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, at www.ovc.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
FDC Philadelphia Correctional Officer Charged with Sexual Abuse, Violating Inmate’s Civil RightsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Michael Jefferson, 42, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, a correctional officer at Federal Detention Center (FDC) Philadelphia, was arrested today and charged by indictment with one count of aggravated sexual abuse, one count of sexual abuse, one count of sexual abuse of a ward, and one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, arising from his alleged sexual abuse of an FDC inmate under his authority.
The indictment alleges that on or about July 6, 2024, the defendant knowingly caused and attempted to cause the victim to engage in a sexual act by using force, resulting in bodily injury to the victim.
The indictment further alleges that, while acting under color of law, Jefferson willfully deprived the victim of her right not to be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment, a right secured and protected by the Constitution and laws of the United States, which includes the right to be free from sexual abuse by a correctional officer.
Jefferson has been suspended from his position by the Bureau of Prisons.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison.
The case was investigated by the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meghan Claiborne.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Elizabeth Man Sentenced to 15 Years’ Imprisonment for Spree of Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An Elizabeth, New Jersey man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for committing a series of three armed robberies, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Dayshawn Brimfield, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi to a five-count Information, charging him with one count of bank robbery, two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of interstate transportation of a stolen motor vehicle. Judge Quraishi imposed sentence in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On April 2, 2021, Brimfield robbed a bank in Hazlet, New Jersey. Brimfield entered the bank and handed a teller a note, which stated, among other things “This is a Robbery I have a Gun I will Kill Someone if you do not follow these instructions.” On April 17, 2021, Brimfield stole a motor vehicle in Elizabeth, New Jersey, which he used as the getaway car in his later robberies. On April 20, 2021, Brimfield robbed a convenience store in Aberdeen, New Jersey. Brimfield entered the store and displayed the handgun that he was carrying to the cashier before taking money from the store’s register and fleeing the scene. On April 20, 2021, Brimfield robbed another convenience store in South Plainfield, New Jersey. Brimfield entered the store and pointed a handgun at the cashier. Brimfield took the cashier’s wallet and cellular phone before emptying the store’s registers and fleeing the scene. Brimfield fled New Jersey in the stolen vehicle, but was ultimately apprehended by law enforcement in Lancaster County, Nebraska. Brimfield led officers on a brief, high-speed chase before crashing into a fence on the side of the highway.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Quraishi sentenced Brimfield to 5 years of supervised release and ordered restitution to the victims of Brimfield’s offenses.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, Newark Division, Red Bank Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly; detectives of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago; as well as officers of the Hazlet Police Department, under the direction of Chief Robert Mulligan; the South Plainfield Police Department, under the direction of Chief Peter J. Papa; and the Nebraska State Patrol with the investigations leading to this sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander E. Ramey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
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Defense Counsel: Teri S. Lodge, Esq.
Ecuadorian National Indicted for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Ecuadorian man residing in Lawrence, Mass. has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Gilberto Avila-Jara, 66, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Avila-Jara was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on April 1, 2025.
According to the indictment, Avila-Jara was deported from the United States on June 2, 1996. It is alleged that sometime after his June 1996 removal, Avila-Jara illegally reentered the United States without permission.
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 Allegra Flamm 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.
Domestic Abuser Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Brandon Mitchell, 28, from Mason City, Iowa, pled guilty in federal court April 30, 2025, to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Mitchell was previously convicted twice for domestic abuse assault in the Iowa District Court for Cerro Gordo County, and as a result, was prohibited from possessing firearms.
At the plea hearing, Mitchell admitted having two prior convictions for misdemeanor domestic violence and being an unlawful user of marijuana. Evidence further showed that on February 24, 2024, when Mitchell received the 9mm pistol, he was under indictment for attempted murder, intimidation with a dangerous weapon, and possession of a firearm by a domestic abuser. Mitchell also admitted that during a search warrant at his residence he discarded the 9mm pistol out of a bedroom window in an attempt to avoid being found in possession of a firearm.
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.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Mitchell remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Mitchell faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Iowa Division of Narcotic Enforcement, and Mason City Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3038.
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Danbury Man Charged with Trafficking Cocaine Through the Mail from Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment yesterday charging ROMAN SANTIAGO JR., 41, of Danbury, with cocaine trafficking offenses.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, from September 2024 to February 2025, Santiago engaged in a narcotics trafficking conspiracy that involved the shipment of cocaine from Puerto Rico to Connecticut through the U.S. Mail. During the investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service intercepted multiple packages containing a total of more than 11 kilograms of cocaine that were mailed from Puerto Rico to various addresses in Connecticut. Each package was intended for Santiago and contained approximately two kilograms of cocaine.
The indictment charges Santiago with conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, and possession with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Each offense carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
Santiago was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on February 12, 2025. He is currently released on a $50,000 bond.
Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force, with the assistance of the Plainville and Danbury Police Departments. The task force includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, and the Hartford, Plainville, and Meriden Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan Guevremont and Christopher Lembo.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Cuban National Indicted on Charges Related to Credit Card “Skimming” and Submitting A False Naturalization ApplicationRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Yunier Perez-Bertemati (40) with 22 counts of access device fraud, possessing and trafficking in unauthorized device-making equipment, aggravated identity theft, making a false statement on an immigration application, and making a false statement to a federal agent. If convicted, Perez-Bertemati faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on each of the access device fraud counts, 15 years on the device-making equipment counts, 10 years on the count related to making a false statement in his immigration application, and 5 years on the count related to making a false statement to a federal agent, as well as a mandatory sentence of 2 years’ imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft counts. The indictment also notifies Perez-Bertemati that the United States intends to forfeit $9,650, which are alleged to be proceeds of the offense.
According to the indictment, Perez-Bertemati engaged in a series of transactions between November 2023 and January 2025 where he sold counterfeit credit and debit cards containing stolen victim account information. He also sold “skimming” equipment—namely, devices used to appropriate victim credit or debit card information when used at a point-of-sale terminal such as a gas pump or ATM. Further, Perez-Bertemati, a Cuban citizen, recently applied to be a United States citizen but made material misrepresentations on his naturalization application and during an interview with an officer with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
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 U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services - Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert D. Sowell.
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).
Couple Sentenced for Methamphetamine Distribution in CollinsvilleRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Among several convictions, a Collinsville couple was sentenced today for distributing methamphetamine from their home, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
After a three-day trial in August 2024, a jury found Lee Holt, 60, guilty of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crimes. Prior to trial, Holt’s co-defendant, Jennifer Charisa Harrington, 49, pled guilty to Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute and Maintaining a Drug Involved Premises.
U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, ordered Holt to serve 180 months imprisonment, followed by eight years of supervised release. Further, Judge Heil ordered Harrington to serve 63 months imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release.
In August 2023, law enforcement served a search warrant on Holt and Harrington’s home in Collinsville. Upon search of the home, agents found a firearm and ammunition, 110 grams of methamphetamine, marijuana, scales, and $4,370 in drug proceeds. Laboratory testing determined the methamphetamine was 94% pure. During the trial, experts testified that 110 grams of methamphetamine could be more than 500 doses of meth with a street value of approximately $1,500.
Court records show that Holt was previously convicted of several felonies over the last 40-years, including burglary, illegal sale of a machinegun, conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine, possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and unlawfully possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony.
In Harrington’s plea agreement, she admitted to living with Holt and that they would distribute and use methamphetamine in their home. Harrington further admitted that they had the firearm, ammunition, scales, and cash from distributing methamphetamine.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, the Collinsville Police Department, and the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Flesher prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Convicted Robber Indicted on Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Ricky Howard, 32, of the District of Columbia, was indicted yesterday in U.S. District Court, for unlawful possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a felony, 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) Washington Field Division, 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. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
Howard, who was convicted of robbery with a dangerous weapon in 2013, was arrested on June 10, 2024, after a 911 call requested police assistance in a domestic dispute in Northeast Washington D.C. When Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers arrived, they observed Howard carrying a rifle in his hands. Howard, however, entered his residence with the rifle before the officers could investigate. When he exited the residence a few minutes later, Howard walked to a black Jeep that was registered to his wife, opened the passenger side door, and walked toward the front passenger’s side of the Jeep. Officers investigated the area and discovered a black firearm underneath the Jeep near the front passenger’s side tire. Howard’s DNA was found on the firearm. As a person who had been convicted of a criminal charge carrying a sentence of at least a year, Howard was prohibited from possessing a firearm. Further investigation revealed that Howard had been convicted of robbery with a dangerous weapon in Circuit Court for Prince George’s Court, as well as threatening or intimidating a witness. Both charges carry a potential sentence of at least a year of incarceration.
This case is being investigated by the MPD and the ATF Washington Field Division.
The case is being prosecuted by the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Convicted Felon to Serve 52 Months in Prison for Discharging a Firearm After Calling 911Read the Press Release
BOISE –Santiago Prieto, 65, of Nampa, was sentenced to 52 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today.
According to court records, in January 2024, paramedics responded to an emergency call from Prieto. When paramedics arrived, Prieto refused to open the door to his hotel room. Paramedics then heard two gunshots from inside the room. Law enforcement responded and heard another gunshot coming from the window of Prieto’s room. One officer saw a firearm pointed in the direction of other responding officers. Officers were eventually able to convince Prieto to exit his room unarmed. After officers arrested Prieto, he admitted to firing two shots out of the window. Inside the room, officers found a 9mm pistol, along with several shell casings
At the time of the offense, Prieto was on parole for a felony arson conviction. Prieto was prohibited from possessing firearms due to several prior felony convictions, including aggravated battery and battery on a correctional officer. Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Prieto to serve 3 years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
“I commend the successful efforts of the Boise Police Department to deescalate the situation and achieve Prieto’s safe surrender.” Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott stated. “This case highlights how dangerous it is for the community when violent offenders have access to firearms.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott thanked the Boise Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office for their cooperative efforts that led to the charge in this case.
This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Manweiler, who was hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth.
This case was 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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Convicted Drug Trafficker Is Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Kelly Woodrow Ross, 64, of Waynesville, N.C., was sentenced today to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for trafficking methamphetamine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
According to court documents and court proceedings, in November 2023, the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office learned that Ross was distributing methamphetamine in the area. At the time, Ross was on federal supervised release for a prior federal drug conviction. Court records show that during the investigation into Ross’s drug distribution activities, law enforcement utilized confidential human sources to purchase more than 5.5 grams of methamphetamine from Ross. On November 28, 2023, investigators executed a search warrant at Ross’s residence. During the search, investigators seized methamphetamine, digital scales, and drug paraphernalia from Ross’s residence.
On September 20, 2024, Ross pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He remains in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.
Cincinnati Man Convicted of Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky.- A Cincinnati, Ohio, man was convicted on Thursday by a federal jury in Covington for drug trafficking charges.
After one hour and twenty minutes of deliberation, following a four-day trial, the jury convicted 30-year-old Devante Garrett of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue with intent to distribute, and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
Evidence at trial showed that Garrett conspired with others to distribute more than 275 grams of a substance containing a fentanyl analogue, more than 40 grams of fentanyl, and cocaine. He was arrested in Kenton County on October 14, 2023, with these drugs hidden behind the panel of the driver’s door of the vehicle he was operating. Garrett was previously arrested in Boone County on August 17, 2023, while in possession of $6,440 in cash and a scale containing residue of fentanyl and cocaine. Additional witness testimony showed that Garrett, a Cincinnati, Ohio, resident had been regularly traveling to Lexington, Kentucky, with others to distribute fentanyl and cocaine from May 2023 through August 2023.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; Chief Brian Valenti, Covington Police Department; Chief Bill Birkenhauer, Highland Heights Police Department; and Sheriff Michael Helmig, Boone County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the conviction.
The investigation was conducted by DEA, KSP, Covington Police Department, Highland Heights Police Department, and Boone County Sheriff’s Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Spievack and Tony Bracke.
Garrett will appear for sentencing on August 21. He faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence.
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California man sentenced to 10 years for sexual exploitation of a minorRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A California man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for enticing a 12-year-old minor from Prince William County to engage in unlawful sexual activity.
Cash Taylor Dalton, 30, of Morro Bay, California, pleaded guilty on Jan. 16, 2025, to enticement of a minor. According to court documents, FBI agents began investigating Dalton after the victim’s parents discovered communications on their daughter’s cellphone between her and Dalton. The investigation revealed that Dalton and the victim had been communicating for approximately three months, and that he sent her sexually explicit images of himself and graphic sexual messages via text and email, including directing her to engage in sexual activity. In November 2024, FBI agents searched Dalton’s home and recovered evidence of Dalton’s communications with the victim, as well as with three other minors who were under the age of 16.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alessandra Serano for the Eastern District of Virginia Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation & Obscenity Section are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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-227.
California Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting a MinorRead the Press Release
A California man was sentenced in the Eastern District of Virginia today to 10 years in prison and 30 years supervised release for enticing a 12-year-old child from Prince William County to engage in unlawful sexual activity. He was also ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution.
Cash Taylor Dalton, 30, of Morro Bay, California, pleaded guilty on Jan. 16 to enticement of a minor. According to court documents, FBI agents began investigating Dalton after the child victim’s parents discovered communications on their daughter’s cellphone between their daughter and Dalton. The investigation revealed that Dalton and the victim had been communicating for approximately three months, and that he had sent her sexually explicit images of himself and extremely graphic sexual messages via text and email, including messages directing her to engage in sexual activity and directing her to record herself engaging in sexual activity and send those recordings to him. Dalton and the victim also discussed meeting in person in order to have sex. In November 2024, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Dalton’s home and recovered evidence of Dalton’s communications with the victim, as well as with three other children who were under the age of 16.
Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alessandra Serano for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Brooklyn-Based Gang Associate Convicted of Racketeering, Drug Trafficking, and Committing a July 2020 ShootingRead the Press Release
Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, a federal jury convicted Demetrius Johnson on all counts of an indictment charging him with racketeering, narcotics trafficking, and firing a gun in connection with those crimes. The defendant was an associate of a Brooklyn-based gang known as the “Bully Gang,” a violent street gang that operated in and around Bedford Stuyvesant. Today’s verdict followed a two-week trial before United States District Judge Brian M. Cogan. When sentenced, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum of twenty years in prison and a maximum sentence of life.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Bryan Miller, Special Agent-in-Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New York Field Division (ATF); and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the verdict.
“Today’s verdict holds the defendant accountable for teaming up with a dangerous criminal enterprise that—in the defendant’s own words—was known for money and violence,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “Along with other members and associates of the Brooklyn-based Bully Gang, the defendant trafficked massive quantities of deadly drugs up and down the East Coast between New York and Maine, where they were sold for substantial profit. And when conflict arose during the drug operation, the defendant resorted to near-deadly violence, firing almost a dozen shots towards a playground and injuring two victims. As a result of this investigation, more than 50 members and associates of the Bully Gang have been convicted for their crimes, showing that my Office and our law enforcement partners will not rest until violent criminal enterprises are fully dismantled.”
“These convictions put an end to the reign of terror committed by this gang, shattering the myth that criminals can commit atrocious acts without consequence,” stated ATF Special Agent-in-Charge Miller. “This is the result of a multi-year investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies spanning multiple jurisdictions. I commend our law enforcement partners—NYPD, NYC Department of Investigations, and our law enforcement partners in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maine, and prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office—for their relentless efforts in making our communities safer. In particular, I am proud of the men and women of ATF NY and the ATF/NYPD Joint Firearms Task Force, who fight every day to prevent violence in any form, and are committed to dismantling and disarming violent gangs that plague our streets. ATF once again reaffirms its unwavering commitment to protecting the public from violent offenders.”
“These convictions represent the culmination of an extensive investigation combined with a vigorous prosecution,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “The stakes could not have been higher because these gang members were responsible for an assortment of despicable crimes, including murder, robbery, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and bribery. A powerful message has been sent: Our city will not tolerate such criminal activity, and the NYPD and our law enforcement partners will keep working tirelessly to identify and investigate these enterprises and bring the individuals involved to justice.”
Johnson was convicted of participating in the Bully Gang’s years-long narcotics trafficking scheme, in which large quantities of drugs, including cocaine base and heroin, were transported from New York and New Jersey to Maine. There, members and associates of the gang sold the drugs out of a rotating series of stash houses. As proven at trial, the conspiracy was responsible for trafficking thousands of kilograms of narcotics and generating hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash. Johnson personally sold drugs in connection with this Bully Gang racket and recruited other participants to join the scheme.One of those participants was a former fellow gang member (“John Doe”), who Johnson enlisted to travel from Brooklyn to Maine to sell drugs. In 2020, after John Doe returned from Maine, a dispute arose between the two over payment owed to John Doe in connection with the drug scheme. On July 18, 2020, Johnson attempted to murder John Doe, who was seated on a bench at a Brooklyn playground with his one-year-old child. Johnson hit and injured both John Doe and a bystander.
Since 2020, 53 defendants have been publicly charged with a variety of crimes in connection with this investigation. To date, 52 of those defendants have pled guilty or been convicted at trial. One remains a fugitive.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Joy Lurinsky, Victor Zapana, and Michael J. Castiglione are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Special Agent Rebecca Sidhu and NYPD Detective Brian Hilt from the Office’s Criminal Investigations Unit and Paralegal Specialists Elizabeth Reed and Amara Mayo.
The Defendant: DEMETRIUS JOHNSON (also known as “Q”)
Age: 29
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 20-CR-239 (BMC)
Bread Springs Man Sentenced to Home Confinement with GPS Monitoring for AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Bread Springs man was sentenced to four years of supervised probation with strict special conditions following his guilty plea to assault resulting in serious bodily injury following a confrontation on the Navajo Nation.
According to court documents, on January 22, 2024, Arthur Pat, 69, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, responded to a commotion near his residence in Bread Springs, New Mexico. Upon observing his son involved in an altercation with three other men, Pat retrieved a loaded handgun and drove to the scene. After a verbal dispute escalated, Pat fired multiple shots, one of which struck John Doe in the knee. Doe was hospitalized with a “limb-threatening” injury and may face lifelong mobility issues.
Pat was arrested following a criminal complaint filed January 23, 2024, and later pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. For the first year of his sentence, Pat will be subject to home detention with GPS monitoring. He is also strictly forbidden from contacting his victim and must complete 250 hours of community service. If Pat violates the terms of his supervised probation, the sentencing judge could impose any term of imprisonment originally available; that is, up to 10 years.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Phillip Russel, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Jones is prosecuting the case.
Billings woman man sentenced to 4 years in prison on drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings woman who sold methamphetamine and provided a firearm to a juvenile was sentenced today to 4 years in prison to be followed by 4 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Ali Sage Hausmann, 26, pleaded guilty in October 2024 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and false statement during a firearm transaction.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in 2022, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated Hausmann for purchasing a gun used by a juvenile during a home invasion. On May 9, 2022, two teenagers burglarized a home in Billings and one of them possessed a Beretta pistol during the burglary. ATF learned Hausmann bought the Beretta at Scheels in Billings one day before the home invasion, which one of the juveniles confirmed during an interview with law enforcement. Approximately two weeks after the burglary, Hausmann pawned the firearm.
As part of the investigation into the firearm purchase, ATF obtained a search warrant for Hausmann’s Facebook account and learned she was selling methamphetamine. Agents also located messages confirming she purchased the firearm for the juvenile. On December 7, 2022, law enforcement seized 6.9 grams of meth from Hausmann’s residence, along with an additional firearm from her purse. Hausmann admitted to selling methamphetamine and to purchasing the gun for the juvenile.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Patten prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the ATF and the Billings Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Azusa Man Charged in Federal Grand Jury Indictment with Committing Abusive Sexual Contact on Florida-to-LAX FlightRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a San Gabriel Valley man with a federal criminal charge alleging he inappropriately slapped a flight attendant’s buttocks on a Los Angeles-bound flight last month.
Dennis Wally Woodbury, 49, of Azusa, is charged with one count of abusive sexual contact within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, a felony that carries a statutory maximum sentence of two years in federal prison.
Woodbury, who made his initial federal court appearance last month and is free on $50,000 bond, is scheduled to be arraigned on May 12 in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to court documents previously filed in this case, on April 13, Woodbury – a former California Highway Patrol captain who had been dismissed from state service – was a passenger on a JetBlue Airways flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
Before the flight left the gate, Woodbury engaged in inappropriate conduct with two flight attendants, both of whom were male. For example, Woodbury showed one of the flight attendants a photograph of a dog. The picture contained pornographic imagery in the background. Woodbury later told one of the flight attendants that he should go on a cruise with him then made a crude hand gesture.
Just after meal service and while the plane was still in the air, the second flight attendant collected passengers’ meal trays and walked past Woodbury. Woodbury, who had been drinking heavily, then used his left hand to slap the victim’s buttocks. Woodbury then yelled that he loved him.
Later during the flight, the first flight attendant was in the plane’s front galley when Woodbury entered. Woodbury allegedly then pulled down his trousers and underwear, exposing his genitalia. The first flight attendant told Woodbury that his behavior was inappropriate. Soon afterward, Woodbury asked him for wine, a request that was denied. When Woodbury again pulled down his trousers and underwear, the flight attendant said, “Enough, go back to your seat.”
During later interviews with law enforcement, the flight attendants confirmed that neither of them consented to Woodbury’s behavior.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The FBI and the Los Angeles Airport Police are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney William M. Larsen of the Criminal Appeals Section is prosecuting this case.
Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater Welcomes Antitrust Division Leadership TeamRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division welcomes a new member of the division’s leadership team. AAG Slater appointed Dina Kallay to serve as Deputy Assistant Attorney General for International, Policy and Appellate. Kallay joins the division’s leadership team including Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, four Deputy Assistant Attorneys General and Chief of Staff.
“The DOJ Antitrust Division is truly fortunate to have in place a deep bench of experts so early in the Trump 47 Administration. Each team member brings broad experience to their government service, and I am truly grateful to them for stepping into their roles as we take over several landmark cases,” said Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater. “I look forward to working with this talented team as well as the dedicated staff of the Antitrust Division as we work together to enforce the nation’s antitrust laws.”
The leadership team includes:
Roger Alford serves as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General. Mr. Alford previously served in the first Trump Administration as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Antitrust Division. He is a tenured Professor of Law on leave from Notre Dame Law School, where he has taught since 2012. During that time, he also consulted on antitrust matters, including as an expert witness in the landmark 2023 real estate $1.8 billion litigation against the National Association of Realtors, and since 2019 consulting for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in Texas v. Google. He served as a law clerk to Judge James Buckley of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and Judge Richard Allison of the Iran- United States Claims Tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands. He also practiced law with Hogan Lovells in Washington, D.C. and was a Senior Legal Advisor to the Claims Resolution Tribunal for Dormant Activities in Zurich, Switzerland.
He earned his B.A. with Honors from Baylor University in 1985, his M.Div. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, his J.D. with Honors from New York University, and his LL.M., first in class, from Edinburgh University.
Omeed Assefi serves as Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General with a focus on criminal enforcement. At the beginning of the second Trump Administration, Mr. Assefi served as the division’s Acting Assistant Attorney General. Prior to that position, he litigated criminal prosecutions and led complex investigations against major companies and individuals for antitrust violations as a member of the division’s Washington Criminal Section. Previously, Mr. Assefi served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia. There, he prosecuted violent crime in U.S. District Court as well as Superior Court.
Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Assefi served in the Trump Administration as a Deputy Associate Attorney General in the Office of the Associate Attorney General. There, he helped supervise the Civil, Antitrust, and Civil Rights Divisions. Mr. Assefi also served as Chief of Staff of the Civil Rights Division. Mr. Assefi began his service in the Trump Administration as an Assistant Special Counsel in the White House Counsel’s Office, where he represented the Office of the President in the Department of Justice Special Counsel’s Investigation into allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. Mr. Assefi earned a J.D. from American University Washington College of Law, a M.P.P. from George Mason University’s Schar School of Public Policy, and a B.A. from Trinity College.
Mark Hamer serves as Deputy Assistant Attorney General with a focus on civil litigation and enforcement. He has over 30 years of litigation experience in both public service and private practice. Before returning to the Division, Mr. Hamer was a partner at a global law firm where he served as Global Chair of its Antitrust & Competition Practice Group, leading a team of over 250 competition lawyers in 43 countries. In private practice, he focused on antitrust litigation and antitrust conduct and merger investigations around the world. Mr. Hamer previously served as a trial attorney in the Antitrust Division handling both merger and non-merger litigation. Mr. Hamer received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, and a B.A. in History with High Distinction from the University of Virginia.
Dina Kallay serves as Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Policy & International Affairs. Before joining the Antitrust Division, she was global Head of Competition Law at Ericsson. From 2006-2013, Dina served as Counsel for Intellectual Property & International Antitrust at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Office of International Affairs. Earlier in her career she practiced law at several law firms, most recently with Howrey LLP in Washington D.C., and worked at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Competition (DG COMP) in Brussels, Belgium
Dina received her LL.B. magna cum laude and B.A. in economics from Tel Aviv University (1996), and her LL.M. (Int’l Economic Law) (1998) and S.J.D. (2003) from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where she was a student of former Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, Professor Tom Kauper. She has taught antitrust and intellectual property at the Hebrew, Bar Ilan and Georgetown Universities, and is a frequent writer and speaker on international antitrust and antitrust-intellectual property topics.
William “Bill” Rinner serves as Deputy Assistant Attorney General with a focus on civil enforcement and mergers. Prior to his return to the division, Mr. Rinner was Senior Regulatory Counsel at Apollo Global Management Inc. There, he was responsible for overseeing antitrust and various other regulatory matters. From 2017-2020, Mr. Rinner served at the Antitrust Division first as Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General, and subsequently as Chief of Staff and Senior Counsel. Earlier in his career, he practiced antitrust law at two major national firms. After law school, he clerked for Hon. Richard Posner of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. He received a J.D. from Yale Law School, and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Notre Dame.
Dr. Chetan Sangvhi serves as Deputy Assistant Attorney General focused on Economics. Dr. Sanghvi has deep experience conducting economic research and analyses in the context of antitrust policy. In his tours of duty at the FTC and in private practice, he has evaluated the competitive impacts of hundreds of proposed mergers and other antitrust concerns. He has been recognized by the FTC for his “outstanding intellectual and analytical contributions to a broad range of complex economic issues arising in the FTC’s competition mission” and by professional reference publications. Dr. Sanghvi has taught at New York University, Johns Hopkins University, Rutgers University, and Trinity College and holds a PhD in economics from Rutgers University and a BA in economics from Northwestern University.
Sara Matar serves as the Chief of Staff. Prior to this role, she served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington D.C. Sara was previously a senior advisor to Congressman Lee Zeldin on foreign policy and judiciary matters. She also served as a staff member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee where she worked on oversight and Middle East policy. Sara received her J.D from George Washington University Law School and graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Emerson College. She served as law clerk to the Honorable Judge Lynn Hughes in the Southern District of Texas.
Ashland man sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for trafficking meth on the Northern Cheyenne Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – An Ashland man who trafficked methamphetamine on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 151 months in prison to be followed by 4 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Joe Vega, 49, pleaded guilty in July 2024 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in December of 2023, the FBI began an investigation into Joe Vega for the distribution of methamphetamine. One source reported purchasing methamphetamine from Vega a dozen times.
In April of 2024, the FBI intercepted a package from Arizona destined for Vega’s Billings address. Agents obtained a search warrant for the package and discovered 1331.5 grams of meth, almost three pounds, that was 100% pure.
The FBI later learned Vega was traveling to Arizona, possibly to pick up methamphetamine. On April 22, 2024, a Montana Highway Patrol trooper conducted a stop of the vehicle in which Vega was a passenger. Vega and the driver consented to a search and law enforcement found two pounds of methamphetamine in a bag belonging to Vega. That meth was also 100% pure.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Patten prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, with the assistance of BIA, Montana DCI, and the Montana Highway Patrol.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Ashburn financial advisor sentenced to three years in prison for defrauding investors and losing millions of dollars through risky tradingRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Ashburn man was sentenced today to three years in prison for fraud relating to his risky trading that lost millions of dollars of his clients’ funds while he provided them with false information.
According to court documents, Andrew Corbman, 53, was affiliated with a national estate planning company through which he obtained access to individuals interested in estate planning and setting up trust vehicles. Corbman offered financial advice to clients and potential clients, including assisting them with long-term financial planning such as trusts, annuities, and life insurance.
Over a period of years, Corbman worked with two individuals and two couples who loaned him money believing he would invest those funds and earn outsized returns. These clients did not know that in 2016 Corbman was suspended and then permanently barred by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) from acting as a financial advisor or that Corbman filed for bankruptcy in 2015. Corbman suggested the clients could improve their investment returns if they loaned him money or rolled over existing loans they had made to him. Through false claims of investing success, Corbman induced his Clients to loan him up to $4.2 million, promising to invest or continue investing the money in stock market options trading. Corbman promised to repay the loans at high rates of return, as much as a 30% annual interest rate, plus a share of his own trading profits.
Corbman misrepresented his past trading performance to induce the clients to invest or to reinvest what he owed them when the loans came due in the form of a new loan. Corbman provided at least two of his potential clients a document he claimed showed his 2021 investment results. The document boasted “112 wins, 82% win history and a 90% average return.” In fact, Corbman’s trading history for each year from 2019 onward resulted in substantial losses. Altogether, Corbman lost over $4,000,000 of his clients’ money, and returned only $120,000 to one victim late in the scheme.
Corbman, fully aware of the risks and the calamitous results he was producing, not only concealed the risks from his clients, but actively misled them in an attempt to stave off requests for funds and to attempt to obtain new funds. Corbman provided his victims with fabricated trading win histories.
In late 2022 and early 2023, when Corbman’s creditors demanded repayment of their expired loans agreements, Corbman indicated to his clients that he was unable to repay the loans due to unanticipated trading losses. Corbman ultimately filed for bankruptcy, seeking to discharge over $4 million in losses he had inflicted on his clients.
As a result of Corbman’s fraudulent scheme, at least one victim incurred substantial financial hardship, including having to mortgage a home, postpone retirement, and seek employment at an advanced age.
In addition to his term of imprisonment, Corbman must pay $4.15 million in restitution.
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 Michael S. Nachmanoff.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell L. Carlberg prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-255.
Army Soldier Charged with Distribution of Cocaine Following DEA Operation at Illegal NightclubRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Juan Gabriel Orona-Rodriguez, age 28, was charged by complaint with one count each of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
According to the criminal complaint, Orona-Rodriguez, while serving as an active-duty U.S. Army solider, unlawfully distributed controlled substances. During the week of April 21, 2025, Orona-Rodriguez sold cocaine to an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent. Additionally, when investigators obtained a search warrant for Orona-Rodriguez’s phone, they found text messages between at least September 16, 2024, and April 9, 2025, which appear to show him repeatedly purchasing cocaine and selling it to others.
Orona-Rodriguez appears to hold a leadership role in a business called Immortal Security LLC, which provides armed security at “nightclubs” – including an afterhours, unlawful nightclub called Warike – within Colorado Springs, Colorado. On numerous occasions, the Colorado Springs Police Department received 911 calls related to Warike citing a wide variety of alleged crimes, including weapons violations, assault, narcotics, and other violent crime. Warike was the site of a federal search warrant that was executed and led by the DEA on April 27, 2025. Orona-Rodriguez was one of approximately 17 active-duty U.S. Army service members present at Warike during the execution of that search warrant.
The investigation is being conducted by the Denver Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and DEA’s Colorado Springs Resident Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Houlihan.
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.
The charges in the complaint are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Case Number: 25-mj-00092-TPO
Arizona Man Sentenced for COVID Loan Fraud and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Roy Lane, 44, of St. David, Arizona, was sentenced on Tuesday by U.S. District Judge John C. Hinderaker to four years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for filing false tax returns and loan applications to obtain COVID-19 disaster relief. Layne previously pleaded guilty to two counts of Wire Fraud and one count of Filing a False Claim.
According to court documents, and evidence presented in court, to create the appearance that he was operating several businesses, Layne filed paperwork with the IRS, applied for a business license from the City of Tucson, opened business bank accounts, and filed false employment-related tax returns. In April 2020, he filed an application with the U.S. Small Business Administration, that claimed he operated a “wholesale” business with 17 employees that had revenue of more than a half million dollars a year. In 2021, he submitted a false application for a Paycheck Protection Act loan, claiming that same “wholesale” business had 31 employees and $1.2 million in revenue. Based on these and other false applications, Layne ultimately received over $300,000 in COVID-19 related loans to which he was not entitled.
Layne also used the personal identifying information and identities of other people to file false claims for refunds with the IRS. In total, Layne claimed over $7.4 million in false refunds, of which the IRS paid over $590,000.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge John C. Hinderaker ordered Layne to pay $856,692.91 in restitution to the United States.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI investigated the case. Trial Attorney Matthew R. Hoffman of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Sue Feldmeier, District of Arizona, Tucson, prosecuted the case.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-04907-TUC-JCH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-070_Layne# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Afghan citizen charged with visa fraudRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Dilbar Gul Dilbar a/k/a Dilbar Gul Taj Ali Khan, a citizen of Afghanistan, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with visa fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in 2016 and 2021, Dilbar submitted applications to the U.S. Department of State (DOS) for a Special Immigrant Visa. A limited supply of these visas is set aside each year for Afghan nationals who have assisted the United States military. Dilbar’s applications included a counterfeit U.S. Embassy Kabul Chief of Mission approval, a fraudulent letter of employment, and a fraudulent Letter of Recommendation. On March 20, 2024, Dilbar’s fraudulent application was approved, and, on April 4, 2024, he was granted admission to the United States and currently resides in the Western District of New York. On the same day Dilbar was granted admission to the United States, he applied for Legal Permanent Resident card, commonly referred to as a “green card,” which was issued on July 22, 2024.
Specifically, in July 2016, Dilbar applied to the Department of State for U.S. Embassy Kabul Chief of Mission approval but was denied. However, Dilbar continued his application for a Special Immigrant Visa, submitting a counterfeit approval letter in November 2017. In 2021, Dilbar re-applied for the Special Immigrant Visa. For the second application, Dilbar submitted a letter of employment from a U.S.-based company. Subsequent investigation determined that the U.S.-based company that issued the purported employment verification letter was engaged in a large-scale scheme to provide fraudulent documents, such as employment verification letters, in exchange for a fee. All employment verification letters authored by this entity are fraudulent. Dilbar also submitted a second Letter of Recommendation, which also came from an individual involved in an “advance-fee” scam, which sells fraudulent immigration documents. As a result, Dilbar was granted a Special Immigrant Visa, admitted to the United States and issued a green card.
Dilbar made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Colleen D. Holland and was held pending a detention hearing on May 9, 2025.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
# # # #
28-Month Prison Term for Felon Who Twice Possessed FirearmsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deionta Person, 27, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 28 months in federal prison in connection with being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Chief Jessica M. E. Taylor of the United States Park Police (USPP), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Person pleaded guilty on Jan. 15, 2025, to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 28-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss ordered Person to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on Sept. 5, 2021, USPP officers observed four individuals, including Person, exit a vehicle and walk towards an apartment complex located in the 2600 block of Douglass Place, SE. As the officers attempted to stop the quartet, Person ran away. At the back of the apartment building on the 2700 block of Douglass Place, Person discarded a black Glock 22 .40 caliber handgun loaded with 21 rounds of ammunition. USPP subsequently recovered this firearm.
On December 1, 2023, MPD officers observed Person seated in the driver’s seat of a vehicle parked on the 2700 block of Douglas Place, SE. As MPD officers attempted to speak to Person, he fled on foot down the sidewalk and discarded a Glock 30 .45 caliber handgun modified with a machine gun conversion device, loaded with 25 rounds.
In June of 2018, Person was convicted of robbery in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and sentenced to 15 years in prison with 12 years suspended.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Park Police and the Metropolitan Police Department with assistance from the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared English with valuable assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Song.
24cr14
2022 St. Louis Murder-For-Hire Results in Life Term in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Thursday sentenced a St. Louis County, Missouri man to life in prison for the murder of a New Jersey man in 2022.
Moreion Lindsey, 35, was found guilty at a trial in January in U.S. District Court in St. Louis of one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and one count of murder-for-hire. Evidence and testimony showed that Lindsey fatally shot Titus Armstead on April 21, 2022, in Penrose Park in St. Louis.
Lindsey had been hired for the murder by Jerome Williams, at the request of a Seattle man, Ray Bradley, who trafficked cocaine and marijuana to St. Louis and other cities. Bradley falsely blamed Armstead for the theft of drugs and millions of dollars from a Bradley “stash” house in New Jersey. Bradley had Armstead fly to St. Louis, purportedly to protect him from possible harm. Bradley’s real goal was to have him killed in St. Louis because Williams said he knew someone who could do the job, evidence and testimony showed. Lindsey met Armstead at the airport and drove him to Penrose Park, where he fatally shot Armstead with a .45-caliber handgun, evidence showed. He then took a photo of the body using a prepaid “burner” phone to provide proof of the death to Williams and Bradley.
Lindsey was later paid $15,000 by Williams. Williams disposed of evidence, including the burner phone, Armstead’s Social Security card and other belongings. Lindsey had the SUV that he used to drive Armstead to the park reported stolen and then used $5,000 to buy another SUV.
In a victim impact letter to the court, Armstead’s sister wrote, “In a world full of limitless opportunities—where every day offers a chance to grow, create, and build a meaningful life—why choose a path of destruction and harm? It is deeply saddening that amidst all the gifts and possibilities life offers, some would resign themselves to a life of drugs and violence.”
“Moreion Lindsey, you threw away your life for $15,000—an amount you could have earned in six months of full-time work at minimum wage,” she added. “Instead, you chose a path that has deprived your children of a father and your mother of her son. You will spend the rest of your life without freedom—unable to enjoy a warm shower, a comfortable bed, or even the simple joys of being with your family.”
Williams, 52, pleaded guilty in December to a charge of destruction of evidence to obstruct a federal investigation. He was sentenced April 23 to 138 months in prison.
Bradley, 46, pleaded guilty in June to one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine. He was sentenced in September to 25 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Atlanta Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
30 April 2025
Zuni Couple Sentenced for Violent AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni Pueblo couple has been sentenced for a brutal assault in which they attacked a man in his home, prevented him from seeking help, and continued the assault in the presence of a witness and two minor children.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, on September 3, 2023, Shannon Concho, 47, and LouAnn Johnson, 29, both enrolled members of the Pueblo of Zuni, assaulted John Doe at his residence on the Zuni Pueblo. The incident began as a verbal dispute and rapidly escalated when Johnson repeatedly slapped the victim. Concho and Johnson then prevented the victim from calling for help by seizing his phones and attempting to access a bedroom where a witness and two minor children were present.
Concho continued the assault on John Doe by striking him over the head with a chair, nearly rendering him unconscious. Concho then instructed Johnson, who was wearing boots, to kick John Doe in the head. After Johnson complied, Concho continued the attack until Johnson alerted him that a witness had contacted law enforcement. Concho and Johnson fled the scene and remained at large until their subsequent apprehension in Arizona.
Concho was sentenced to 57 months in prison, and Johnson was sentenced to 24 months in prison. Upon their release, Concho and Johnson will be subject to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jesse Pecoraro.
Yakima Man Subject to a Domestic Violence No Contact Order Sentenced to Prison for Possessing More Than a Dozen FirearmsRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Benjamin D. Cliett, age 44, of Yakima, Washington, to 2 years in federal prison on one count of Person Subject to a Court Order in Possession of Firearms. Judge Dimke also imposed 3 years of supervised release.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on July 23, 2022, officers with the Yakima Police Department (YPD) were dispatched to Cliett’s residence in Yakima. Dispatch told the YPD that neighbors had called to report screaming and other loud noises coming from the residence.
Aware that Cliett was subject to a domestic violence no-contact order, and fearing that a domestic violence incident was occurring inside, YPD entered the residence. Cliett’s partner was in the house, and YPD conducted a protective sweep of the residence. Inside, offices located Cliett hiding in a doghouse in the backyard. Cliett was arrested for violating the no-contact order.
While conducting the sweep, YPD observed a tall gun safe in the bedroom. Officers later returned with a search warrant and found ammunition and magazines spread throughout the home and eighteen firearms in the gun safe.
“Victims of domestic violence often feel trapped in abusive relationships, where they face higher risks of being shot or killed by their abuser than the general public,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Barker. “This is why it is so important to enforce laws that keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers—it really can save lives.”
“Mr. Cliett made many wrong choices that day,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “He knew that he had a no-contact order and that prohibited him from having access to firearms. We hope that this prison sentence will give Mr. Cliett time to think about his actions and turn his life around.”
This case was investigated by the ATF and the Yakima Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Ellis.
1:22-cr-02111-MKD
Woman Sentenced to 41 Months for Alien Smuggling Event that Left a 71-Year-Old Cyclist Critically InjuredRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Elizabeth Ugarte Rios of Vista was sentenced in federal court today to 41 months in prison for striking and critically injuring a 71-year-old cyclist while transporting undocumented immigrants in her vehicle.
According to court documents, on August 4, 2024, Rios drove to Otay Lakes County Park with her minor daughter as a passenger and picked up a group of undocumented aliens who had earlier scaled a fence at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The crash occurred minutes later on Wueste Road, a two-lane highway in Chula Vista. According to the government’s sentencing memo, the defendant was travelling at 67 mph – almost twice the posted speed limit - when she swerved across the double-yellow line to pass another vehicle. A uniformed Border Patrol agent was following in an unmarked vehicle.
Rios hit the brakes four seconds before the collision, striking the cyclist at a speed of approximately 30 miles per hour. One witness said the cyclist flew approximately 10 feet in the air and landed on the side of the road.
The cyclist, Robert Hilborn, attended today’s sentencing hearing with his wife, Sharon, and two adult sons. Sharon Hilborn read statements on behalf of the family. She said her husband was hospitalized for 68 days and suffered several strokes. He was on a ventilator for many days and suffered lacerations to his head, neck, and stomach plus orthopedic injuries and deep lacerations to his legs.
Sharon Hilborn told the court her husband used to ride his bike 80-100 miles per week, and being fit and active was a major source of his joy. Their lives are now dominated by going to medical appointments and therapy sessions. Members in the court gallery were audibly crying as Sharon Hilborn spoke about how her family has been impacted by this event.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Chiang.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24cr01772-RBM
Elizabeth Ugarte Rios Age: 38 Vista, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Transportation of Certain Aliens During and in Relation to Which the Person Causes Serious Bodily Injury to, or Places in Jeopardy the Life of, Any Person – Title 8, U.S.C., Section 1324(a)(1)(A)(ii) and (a)(1)(B)(iii)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
United States Border Patrol
Wethersfield Woman Admits Role in Scheme that Defrauded Connecticut’s Medicaid Program of More Than $1.8 MillionRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SUHAIL APONTE, 38, of Wethersfield, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to a health care fraud offense related to a Medicaid fraud scheme.
The Connecticut Medical Assistance Program (CTMAP) is a Connecticut Department of Social Services-administered program that provides medical assistance to low income persons. CTMAP’s benefit packages, referred to as “HUSKY” or “Connecticut Medicaid,” are jointly funded by the State of Connecticut and the federal government.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Aponte was the sole principal and registered agent of Minds Cornerstone LLC, dba Minds Cornerstone Behavior Therapy Services (“Minds Cornerstone”), an Autism Specialist Group, which was registered with the State of Connecticut in June 2021. Beginning in approximately November 2021, Aponte, who is not a licensed provider, was involved in a scheme in which she and a co-conspirator used Minds Cornerstone to defraud the Connecticut Medicaid Program by submitting fraudulent claims for applied behavior analysis (“ABA”) services to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (“ASD”). The scheme involved billing for Medicaid for services purportedly rendered to patients when company payroll records indicate employees were not compensated for the associated services; direct supervision services purportedly provided by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (“BCBA”) of a behavioral technician, when the corresponding procedure code for behavioral technician services was not billed; services purportedly rendered to patients who were actually in an inpatient hospital; and services purportedly rendered when parents of patients and former employees of Minds Cornerstone confirmed those services did not occur.
Between November 2021 and January 2025, Aponte and her co-conspirator submitted or caused to be submitted to Medicaid fraudulent claims that resulted in a loss of approximately $1,876,617 to the Connecticut Department of Social Services.
From approximately May 2022 until November 2024, Aponte was also employed by the State of Connecticut in the Office of Policy and Management.
Aponte pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
As part of her plea, Aponte has agreed to the forfeiture of approximately $459,000 in funds seized from various bank accounts she controlled, as well as her interest in additional bank accounts and two parcels of land in Hartford.
Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for July 30.
Aponte has been released on a $100,000 bond since her arrest on January 16, 2025.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Social Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang.
Ukrainian Men Charged with Illegal EntryRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Mykhailo Ivanchyn, age 21, and Ihor Zelskyi, age 27, of the Ukraine, have been charged by criminal complaint with illegally entering the United States.
On April 29, 2025, Ivanchyn and Zelskyi appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that they be held in custody pending their detention hearings. Ivanchyn’s detention hearing is scheduled for May 2, 2025. Zelskyi’s detention hearing is scheduled for May 5, 2025.
According to court records, at approximately 12:30 a.m. on April 28, 2025, United States Border Patrol agents were alerted of at least two individuals wearing backpacks and walking south near the international border between the United States and Canada along the Sutton River in Franklin County, Vermont. Border Patrol agents responded and apprehended Ivanchyn and Zelskyi, who were wearing backpacks and water waders. Neither defendant had legal status in the United States or authorization to reside in the United States.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Ivanchyn and Zelskyi are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The defendants face up to 6 months’ imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Cate. Ivanchyn is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Barclay Johnson. Zelskyi is represented by Rick Bothfeld, Esq.
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).
U.S. Attorney Martin Encourages Staff to Attend May 14 Federal Interagency Holocaust Remembrance ProgramRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – President Donald J. Trump’s U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia said he hoped his staff and partners with his office would participate with him at the 32nd Annual Federal Interagency Holocaust Remembrance Program.
“This year’s theme is ‘Courage Cannot Be Silenced,’ and the keynote speaker is Holocaust survivor Eugene Bergman, whose personal story is a compelling reminder of the horrors of the Shoah.
“In 1939, Bergman, a native of Poznan, Poland, was moved with his family to Lodz, as part of the Nazi ghetto policies, and there a German soldier struck him with the butt of his rifle as he was in the street with other children,” Martin said.
“Five days later, Bergman woke up from a coma completely deaf,” he said.
“For the rest of the war, Bergman was shuttled between ghettos and camps as the Nazis pursued their so-called ‘final solution,” he said.
After the war, Bergman threw himself into his education, becoming a master of five languages and the first deaf individual to earn a PhD in English.
“Bergman’s life story is full of sorrow and survival, but always in the context of his own courage that could not be silenced,” Martin said.
The program will be held Wednesday, May 14, 2025, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Robert F. Kennedy Main Building.
The Federal Interagency Holocaust Remembrance Program started at the U.S. Department of Education in 1994 to commemorate the Congressional Days of Remembrance—an annual, national, and civic commemoration of the Holocaust. This year’s program also coincides with both Jewish American Heritage Month and the 80th anniversary of U.S. troops liberating Nazi concentration camps.
For more information, please visit the Federal Inter-Agency Holocaust Remembrance Program. Sign-language interpretation will be provided.
Two sentenced to federal prison in $100,000 bank fraud and mail theft scheme in Metro EastRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – Two Metro East women were sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a scheme to steal mail from collection boxes and commit more than $100,000 in bank fraud.
Tylann J. Starks, 30, of Swansea, was sentenced to 4 years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, three counts of bank fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of conspiracy to steal U.S. mail.
Tiara D. Johnson, 33, of Pontoon Beach, was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to steal U.S. mail.
“I commend the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, for solving a difficult case by working with the public to get information, follow leads and piece together the investigation,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft.
The U.S. Postal Service uses specialized keys, commonly referred to as arrow keys, to service and open mail collection boxes. Arrow keys are labeled with serial numbers for tracking purposes.
“The sentencing in this case illustrates that individuals who engage in mail theft will be held accountable for their actions,” stated Inspector in Charge, Ruth Mendonça, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office. The Inspection Service is proud to work with our local, state, and federal partners to bring Mail Theft perpetrators to justice and prevent financial crimes targeting local citizens, postal customers, and financial institutions.”
According to court documents, Starks purchased an arrow key from former postal employee Jackson to gain access to mail collection boxes throughout the Metro East. Agents conducted an undercover purchase of an additional arrow key from Jackson in exchange for $1,000.
Co-defendant Jamil Jackson, 52, is facing one count of conspiracy to steal U.S. mail, one count of theft of a specialized key to access US Postal receptacles, and one count of making false statements to a federal law enforcement officer. He is scheduled to appear in court on May 13.
An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
Starks and Johnson searched collection boxes for checks to use bank account and personal identifying information from victims to cash and enrich themselves from February 2020 through February 2023. Jackson is also accused of stealing checks out of mail from his route and give to Starks to defraud. The conspirators used the stolen account information to generate counterfeit checks.
“This sentencing represents the hard work and dedication by USPS OIG Special Agents working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring charges on this significant mail theft investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennus Bishop, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. “The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the United States Postal Inspection Service, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.”
Starks and Johnson cashed, deposited or otherwise negotiated the stolen and counterfeit checks at area businesses, banks and ATM machines in Belleville, East St. Louis and O’Fallon.
There were at least 100 victims affected by the scheme with an estimated loss of more than $100,000.
Agents with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, contributed to the investigation. U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft is prosecuting the case.
Tigerton Man Sentenced for Shotgun Assault on a Postal CarrierRead the Press Release
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on April 30, 2025, Benjamin L. Joos (age 44) of Tigerton, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for firing a shotgun at a U.S. Postal Carrier while she was on duty, injuring her and damaging her vehicle.
According to court records, the victim was delivering mail at approximately 3:00 p.m. on September 24, 2024, when she heard her passenger side window shatter and felt pain in her arms. She observed Joos holding a shotgun which was pointed at her. Joos was yelling “get away from my box” and “leave my mail alone.” The victim quickly left the area and notified law enforcement. By his own admission, Joos had consumed “4 to 5 whisky and cokes” prior to the incident. Hours later his blood alcohol level was determined to be 0.178 g/100ml, more than twice the legal limit for a presumption of intoxication.
At the sentencing hearing, Senior U.S. District Court Judge William C. Griesbach noted Joos’s lack of criminal record, strong community engagement, and a positive work history. However, Judge Griesbach determined that the serious nature of the offense and the profound effect his actions had on the victim required a prison term. Following his 18-month prison sentence, Joos will serve 3 years on supervised release. He was also ordered to pay over $10,000 in restitution to the victim.
This case was investigated by the Shawano County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
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Three Charged with Trafficking Narcotics in the Naugatuck ValleyRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Stephen P. Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford returned a 10-count indictment today charging KEYSHON ZIMMERMAN, also known as “AJ,” “Ace,” and “Slick,” 39, of Stratford; ROBERT SMITH, also known as “Mookie,” 43, of Ansonia; and MAHOGANY PETTWAY-STOKES, 45, of Ansonia with offenses related to the trafficking of fentanyl and cocaine in the Naugatuck Valley.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, an investigation by the FBI New Haven Transnational Organized Crime Task Force and the DEA New Haven District Office (NHDO) Task Force determined that Zimmerman and Smith were distributing fentanyl, cocaine, and prescription opioids in Connecticut’s Lower Naugatuck Valley. Zimmerman and Smith shared a phone used to coordinate drug transactions. Zimmerman typically used the phone in the morning and early afternoon and Smith used the phone in the late afternoon into the evening. Between July 2024 and April 2025, investigators made multiple controlled purchase of narcotics from Zimmerman, Smith, and Pettway-Stokes.
Zimmerman, Smith, and Pettway-Stokes were arrested on April 23, 2025. It is alleged that as investigators entered Zimmerman’s residence on Main Street in Stratford, they located Zimmerman in a bathroom attempting to flush fentanyl in a toilet. In association with the arrests, a search of Zimmerman’s residence revealed a large quantity of unpackaged fentanyl and cocaine, drug processing and packaging materials, and approximately $21,000 in cash. Searches of two cars parked in Stratford and Ansonia used by Zimmerman revealed additional quantities of fentanyl and cocaine, narcotic pills, a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number, and a 9mm caliber semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine. A search of a residence shared by Smith and Pettway-Stokes on Wakelee Avenue in Ansonia revealed two handguns, and a search of an apartment on Olivia Street in Derby revealed narcotics processing and packaging materials, including a kilogram press.
The indictment charges Zimmerman, Smith, and Pettway-Stokes with one count of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, fentanyl and cocaine. As to this charge, based on the type and quantity of drug attributed to each defendant, Zimmerman faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life, and Smith and Pettway-Stokes each faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
The indictment also charges Zimmerman, Smith, and Pettway-Stokes with multiple substantive counts related to the possession and distribution of controlled substances. Zimmerman is also charged with two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of at least five years on each count.
Zimmerman and Smith are currently detained and Pettway-Stokes is released on a $75,000 bond.
Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI New Haven Transnational Organized Crime Task Force and the DEA New Haven District Office (NHDO) Task Force. The FBI Task Force includes participants from the Connecticut State Police and the North Haven, New Haven, East Haven, Milford, and Brookfield Police Departments, and the DEA Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Three ATF Agents Awarded for Victim Support during Jury Trial in Northern MississippiRead the Press Release
OXFORD, MS – Multiple agents in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were recognized yesterday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Mississippi for their dedication to supporting victims during a jury trial last month.
Special Agent David Erhart, Special Agent Jackson Price, and acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Stephen Bridgmon with the ATF were awarded the Carolyn Clayton Victims’ Service Award in observance of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week for going above and beyond with assisting victims throughout the prosecution of Korea McKay and forming relationships to build trust between the victim’s family and the government. This award is named for longtime victim’s rights advocate Carolyn Clayton.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Korea McKay, 44, shot and killed Davao Thomas on February 18, 2023. McKay killed Mr. Thomas after Mr. Thomas told him to slow down in the Kirby Estates apartment complex. Two shell casings were recovered at the scene.
A federal jury convicted McKay on March 26, 2025, for felon-in-possession of ammunition stemming from the homicide. He is set for sentencing on July 17, 2025. At the time McKay possessed the ammunition, he had multiple prior felony convictions, including convictions for assault of a police officer and a federal drug conviction. He faces up to 15-years imprisonment.
Soon after Mr. Thomas was shot and killed in Tunica County, SA David Erhart established a relationship with the victim’s family and maintained that relationship throughout the case.
SA Jackson Price and acting ASAC Stephen Bridgmon ensured that the victim’s family was able to attend the trial in Oxford and maintained a presence with the victims throughout the trial.
“These agents would be worthy of commendation just for their outstanding work in putting a violent killer behind bars, but their efforts went much further than that,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “These agents exemplified a victim-centered approach, ensuring that the victim’s family was treated with dignity and respect while providing a sense of security when attending the trial.”
“A federal investigation can be both complex and lengthy, especially if the crime is very devastating to the victims and their families, but safety of the victim is of utmost importance for ATF,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “We are very proud of our Special Agents for their excellent investigatory work, but also for their compassion for these victims. We also congratulate them on being honored with this award.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel Stringfellow and Julie Addison are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
South Carolina Resident Sentenced in Connection with $1.4 Million Embezzlement and Identity Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Valerie Joseph, 61, of Murells Inlet, South Carolina, to 53 months in federal prison and 12 months of home detention. Joseph was convicted of wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft in connection with a decade-long, $1.4 million embezzlement scheme. Judge Gallagher also ordered the defendant to pay $1.4 million in restitution.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.
Beginning in January 2011, at the latest, and continuing into August 2021, Joseph, and her husband Robin, conspired to defraud Victim Business l and Victim K.F. According to court documents, from 2003 until August 2021, Valerie Joseph served as a bookkeeper for Victim Business 1, a wholesale greenhouse and garden center owned by Victim K.F., located in Caroline County, Maryland.
Valerie and Robin Joseph schemed to make unauthorized charges to three credit-card accounts —associated with Victim Business 1 and Victim K.F. — for personal gain. This included American Express and Capital One accounts, along with a Lowes/Synchrony financial account.
Routinely, for more than a decade, Valerie and Robin Joseph used credit cards associated with the victims’ accounts to make numerous unauthorized purchases. The theft included unauthorized credit-card charges for $200,000-plus at Walmart; $53,000-plus to AT&T for personal phone bills; $30,000-plus at a Japanese steak and seafood restaurant; and $116,000-plus to PayPal. Valerie and Robin Joseph charged more than $90,000 to Easton Utilities for utility bills; $16,000 to Chesapeake College for tuition payments; $2,500 to the University of Hawaii for college expenses; and $3,800 for cosmetics.
The couple also charged more than $195,000 to the Lowes Account. Several of the unauthorized Lowes account charges were to purchase materials and supplies to renovate their previous residence in Easton, Maryland.
Additionally, Valerie and Robin Joseph paid for airline tickets, cruises, Airbnb expenses, and hundreds of retailor gift cards using the victims’ account. The couple also used the victims’ account to pay more than $33,000 in veterinary expenses and charged various items related to their pets, including high-end bird cages for their tropical birds.
On April 25, 2025, Robin Joseph pled guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft in connection with the scheme. He is facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud conspiracy and a mandatory two years for aggravated identity theft.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Riley who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Shiprock Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Violent AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man was sentenced to 4 years in prison for a brutal attack that left the victim with life-threatening injuries.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on January 1, 2024, Tyrell Jordan Benally, 26, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, assaulted Jane Doe at a residence in Shiprock, New Mexico. Benally repeatedly struck Jane Doe with a closed fist and strangled her until she lost consciousness. As a result, Jane Doe suffered serious bodily injury, including life-threatening injuries from the strangulation.
Upon his release from prison, Benally will be subject to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.
School official pleads guilty in $2.9M Scheme to defraud veterans’ education programsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The career services manager for a Virginia school offering job training programs to veterans pled guilty today to wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of nearly $3 million.
According to court documents, Jeffrey Williams, 37, of Alexandria, used false records to defraud the VA of millions of dollars from approximately July 2022 to May 2024. During that time, the defendant was a career services manager at an educational institution offering veterans educational programs in cyber that could be paid for by the VA. As part of the scheme, Williams created fraudulent employment offer letters, falsified certifications, and forged veterans’ signatures to make it appear as if veterans had attained the meaningful employment needed for the educational institution to receive tuition payments from the government. Williams caused the submission of hundreds of false documents to the VA, claiming approximately $2.9 million in fraudulent tuition payments for at least 189 veterans.
Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 17 and faces up to 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The VA Office of Inspector General is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Harvey for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Lauren Archer of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-122.
School Official Pleads Guilty to 2.9M Scheme to Defraud Veterans’ Education ProgramsRead the Press Release
A Virginia career services manager for a school offering job training programs to veterans pleaded guilty today for his role in a scheme to defraud the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of nearly $3 million.
According to court documents, Jeffrey Williams, 37, of Alexandria, used false records to defraud the VA of millions of dollars from approximately July 2022 to May 2024. During that time, the defendant was a career services manager at an educational institution offering veterans educational programs in cyber that could be paid for by the VA. As part of the scheme, Williams created fraudulent employment offer letters, falsified certifications, and forged veterans’ signatures to make it appear as if veterans had attained the meaningful employment needed for the educational institution to receive tuition payments from the government. Williams caused the submission of hundreds of false documents to the VA, claiming approximately $2.9 million in fraudulent tuition payments for at least 189 veterans.
Williams pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The VA Office of Inspector General is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Lauren Archer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Harvey for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
Robberies of Convenience Stores in Vinton Lead to Arrest and Conviction of Sunset ManRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Bracelon Armon Charles, 22, of Sunset, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. to 155 months (12 years, 11 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
According to information presented in court, on or about October 6, 2023, Charles and a juvenile used a 2018 Kia which had been stolen from a residence in Lafayette, to drive to Vinton, Louisiana. Charles and the juvenile entered Tiger Mart, a gas station and convenience store located in Vinton, and entered the store brandishing firearms and demanded money from the store clerk. The clerk complied and gave them money from the cash register in the amount of $400. Charles and the juvenile immediately left the Tiger Mart.
Just minutes later, Charles and the juvenile entered More 4 Less, another gas station and convenience store in Vinton. As in the previous store just minutes before, Charles and the juvenile brandished their firearms and demanded money from the store clerk as they pointed their firearms at the clerk. The clerk complied and gave all the money in the cash drawer over to Charles and the juvenile, which was $400.
Charles and the juvenile then traveled into Texas where law enforcement officers engaged them in a high speed chase back into Louisiana where they were subsequently apprehended. Charles was charged in a federal indictment and pleaded guilty to using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren L. Gardner.
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Roanoke Man Sentenced for Killing Drug Supplier, Setting Body on FireRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke man, who robbed, shot, and killed his drug supplier then later burned the body to conceal his crimes, was sentenced yesterday to 35 years in federal prison.
Joseph Richard Walker, 30, pled guilty in February to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery and one count of possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and a crime of violence.
A second man, Garrett Isaac Williams, has also pled guilty to related charges and is awaiting sentencing.
According to court documents, from about December 2021, to about April 17, 2023, Walker engaged in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana with Williams. Beginning no later than January 2023, both Walker and Williams acquired marijuana and marijuana wax from E.B., who would travel from Pennsylvania to meet the pair at Walker' s residence in Roanoke, Virginia.
At some point in April 2023, Williams owed E.B. a large sum of money for marijuana that had been fronted. After having difficulty reaching Williams to discuss this debt, E.B. attempted to contact Walker, but inadvertently called Walker's mother instead.
This phone call caused Walker and Williams to set in motion a plan to end their relationship with E.B. However, instead of paying E.B. the money that was owed, they planned to order more marijuana from E.B., rob E.B. of that marijuana when he made the delivery, and in so doing, scare him from returning to Virginia.
After receiving the "order" from Williams, on April 17, 2023, E.B. traveled from Pennsylvania to Walker's residence in Roanoke, bringing with him approximately ten pounds of marijuana and two pounds of marijuana wax. Prior to E.B.'s arrival, Walker concealed on his person a Sig Sauer, model 1911, .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol, intending to use it in the robbery. Upon E.B.'s arrival, Walker confronted E.B. about the phone call to Walker's mother. This resulted in a brief verbal exchange and was followed by Walker committing the robbery against E.B., during which Walker shot E.B. twice, resulting in his death. To conceal the crime, Walker dragged E.B. 's body out of his residence, placed it in the trunk of E.B. 's car, and then drove the car out to Bedford County, Virginia, where he set it on fire. Prior to departing his residence in E.B.'s car, Walker took the marijuana that E.B. had brought with him.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Virginia State Police, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Roanoke City Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the Roanoke City Police Department, the Roanoke County Police Department, the City of Lynchburg Police Department, and the Bedford County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office investigated the case.
Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee, Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division and Col. Matthew D. Hanley, Superintendent of the Virginia State Police, announced the sentence today.
The Star City Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, comprised of officers from the Roanoke City Police Department, Roanoke County Police Department, City of Salem Virginia Police Department, the Vinton Police Department, and Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation's Salem Field Office, also aided in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys M. Coleman Adams and Kelly J. McGann are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew O. Inman.
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).
Real Estate Developer Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Prison for Embezzling Millions from the Failed Washington Federal Bank in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal judge in Chicago has sentenced a real estate developer to more than six years in prison for participating in a conspiracy that embezzled millions of dollars from the failed Washington Federal Bank for Savings in Chicago.
Washington Federal, which was based in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood, was shut down in 2017 after the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency determined that the bank was insolvent and had at least $66 million in nonperforming loans. For more than a decade, developer MIROSLAW KREJZA was part of a conspiracy that embezzled millions of dollars in bank funds. The embezzled funds were disguised as purported real estate development loan disbursements to Krejza and others. The conspirators were not required to repay these purported loans, and they never did.
A federal jury in 2023 convicted Krejza, 67, of Chicago, of conspiring to commit embezzlement and falsify bank records, and aiding and abetting embezzlement by bank employees. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall sentenced Krejza to six years and eight months in prison and ordered him to pay more than $2 million in restitution.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Vincent R. Zehme, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Region of the FDIC’s Office of Inspector General; Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI; Machelle L. Jindra, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General in Chicago; Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago; Korey Brinkman, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Central Region of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General; Andrea Peacock, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General; Deborah Witzburg, City of Chicago Inspector General; and Kathryn B. Richards, Chicago Housing Authority Inspector General. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Trustee Program. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Petersen, Kristin Pinkston, and Jeffrey Snell, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Netols.
The federal investigation into the collapse of Washington Federal led to criminal charges against 16 defendants, including the bank’s Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, and other high-ranking employees, for conspiring to embezzle at least $31 million in bank funds. Krejza and three others were convicted after jury trials, while ten defendants pleaded guilty and two entered into deferred prosecution agreements.
Much of the embezzled money was transferred to Chicago attorney ROBERT M. KOWALSKI, real estate developer MAREK MATCZUK, and other individuals outside the bank without all of the required documentation and often without any documentation whatsoever. A jury convicted Robert Kowalski on bankruptcy fraud, bank embezzlement, and tax charges, while Matczuk was convicted of conspiring to commit embezzlement and falsify bank records, as well as aiding and abetting embezzlement by bank employees. Judge Kendall last year sentenced Robert Kowalski to 25 years in federal prison and Matczuk to nearly 13 years.
Robert Kowalski’s sister, JAN R. KOWALSKI, also an attorney, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to more than three years in prison for fraudulently enabling her brother to conceal more than $357,000 from creditors and the trustee in his bankruptcy case.
Three former members of Washington Federal’s Board of Directors pleaded guilty to conspiring to falsify bank records to deceive the OCC. WILLIAM M. MAHON was sentenced to 18 months in prison; GEORGE F. KOZDEMBA was sentenced to a year in prison; and JANICE M. WESTON was sentenced to three months in prison.